Post by Phil Seaman on Jul 29, 2005 16:15:08 GMT
1/ Empty Sky / 1969
Elton John's first album is a mix of good uptempo rockers, odd 60's midtempo songs and a bit of psycadelica just for measure. The title track is a long 8 minute rocker which is great, and Western Ford Gateway is also a top rocker. Skyline Pigeon is a touching ballad. Most of the songs are melodic and far from his cheesy 'popness' of recent times.
Best Songs: Empty Sky, Skyline Pigeon, Western Ford Gateway, Lady What's Tomorrow
Avoid: The Scaffold
8/10
2 / Elton John / 1970
Featuring the hit single Your Song and the brilliant gospel-like Border Song, this is when Elton started to make really memorable songs. Also Take Me To The Pilot is a pretty decent rocker (but better live), as is The Cage. Voted one of the top 500 albums of all time by Rolling Stone mag. More orchestra used than in later albums, and a few too many dodgy songs for this to be great, such as the dull Greatest Discovery and the dire country No Shoestrings On Louise. The real stars of the album are the odd ones, such as the horror-movie style Sixty Years On, and the closing epic The King Must Die.
Best Songs: Your Song, Border Song, Sixty Years On, The King Must Die, The Cage
Avoid: The Greatest Discovery, No Shoestrings On Louise
8/10
3 / Tumbleweed Connection / 1971
The first classic album that Elton wrote, with a Wild West theme, and songs that defied the usual pop song structure. Ballad Of A Well Known Gun is a brooding gospel number that reaches a top class finale, Son Of Your Father is a superb American West rocker. Also of note is My Fathers Gun, which is much the same style as Ballad Of A Well Known Gun, the piano only ballad Talking Old Soldiers, which is moving, and the climatic Burn Down The Mission, which moves through a variety of styles, such as gospel, rock n roll and ballad. The bonus song Old Mans Shoes is also brilliant. A hightly recommended album to the usual Elton John bashers, despite the dire country song Country Comfort, and the slightly dull Love Song.
Best Songs: Ballad Of A Well Known Gun, Son Of Your Father, MY Fathers Gun, Talking Old Soldiers, Burn Down The Mission.
Avoid: Country Comfort, Love Song
9.5/10
4 / Madman Across The Water / 1971
Elton's most uncommercial album features the classic Tiny Dancer, the weird, psycadelic title track, an unstructured orchestral story piece called Indian Sunset (which Tupac recently sampled, or should I say Eminem did for 'Ghetto Gospel'). The closing Goodbye is brilliant. Most songs on this album are great, barring the god-awful All The Nasties, which features some of the worst choir singing of all time. Only 9 tracks long, and likely to catch most people who see Elton as a pop twat out.
Best Songs: Tiny Dancer, Levon, Razor Face, Madman Across The Water, Indian Sunset, Goodbye
Avoid: All The Nasties
9.5/10
Thus completes the first era of Elton John.
Elton John's first album is a mix of good uptempo rockers, odd 60's midtempo songs and a bit of psycadelica just for measure. The title track is a long 8 minute rocker which is great, and Western Ford Gateway is also a top rocker. Skyline Pigeon is a touching ballad. Most of the songs are melodic and far from his cheesy 'popness' of recent times.
Best Songs: Empty Sky, Skyline Pigeon, Western Ford Gateway, Lady What's Tomorrow
Avoid: The Scaffold
8/10
2 / Elton John / 1970
Featuring the hit single Your Song and the brilliant gospel-like Border Song, this is when Elton started to make really memorable songs. Also Take Me To The Pilot is a pretty decent rocker (but better live), as is The Cage. Voted one of the top 500 albums of all time by Rolling Stone mag. More orchestra used than in later albums, and a few too many dodgy songs for this to be great, such as the dull Greatest Discovery and the dire country No Shoestrings On Louise. The real stars of the album are the odd ones, such as the horror-movie style Sixty Years On, and the closing epic The King Must Die.
Best Songs: Your Song, Border Song, Sixty Years On, The King Must Die, The Cage
Avoid: The Greatest Discovery, No Shoestrings On Louise
8/10
3 / Tumbleweed Connection / 1971
The first classic album that Elton wrote, with a Wild West theme, and songs that defied the usual pop song structure. Ballad Of A Well Known Gun is a brooding gospel number that reaches a top class finale, Son Of Your Father is a superb American West rocker. Also of note is My Fathers Gun, which is much the same style as Ballad Of A Well Known Gun, the piano only ballad Talking Old Soldiers, which is moving, and the climatic Burn Down The Mission, which moves through a variety of styles, such as gospel, rock n roll and ballad. The bonus song Old Mans Shoes is also brilliant. A hightly recommended album to the usual Elton John bashers, despite the dire country song Country Comfort, and the slightly dull Love Song.
Best Songs: Ballad Of A Well Known Gun, Son Of Your Father, MY Fathers Gun, Talking Old Soldiers, Burn Down The Mission.
Avoid: Country Comfort, Love Song
9.5/10
4 / Madman Across The Water / 1971
Elton's most uncommercial album features the classic Tiny Dancer, the weird, psycadelic title track, an unstructured orchestral story piece called Indian Sunset (which Tupac recently sampled, or should I say Eminem did for 'Ghetto Gospel'). The closing Goodbye is brilliant. Most songs on this album are great, barring the god-awful All The Nasties, which features some of the worst choir singing of all time. Only 9 tracks long, and likely to catch most people who see Elton as a pop twat out.
Best Songs: Tiny Dancer, Levon, Razor Face, Madman Across The Water, Indian Sunset, Goodbye
Avoid: All The Nasties
9.5/10
Thus completes the first era of Elton John.
