Post by Phil Seaman on Jul 29, 2005 19:01:12 GMT
19 / Breaking Hearts / 1984
After the quality of the last album, this was a shocking dip. The poppyness of previous albums is still there, and this time its completely unoriginal and layered in synths. Every single uptempo song is predictable, and the hit single Sad Songs is just dire. Passengers is camp 50's pop at its most embarassing. However there are two redeeming songs, the tiitle track is a 50's style smoky room ballad with refreshing originality, and Burning Buildings is a trademark Elton Ballad. Other than this, there is a lack of quality.
Best Songs: Breaking Hearts, Burning Buildings
Avoid: Passengers, Restless, Sad Songs
3.5/10
20 / Ice On Fire / 1985
There are a few reasonable tracks on this album, but it still fails to meet the quality of 'Too Low For Zero'. The best songs are at the start of the album, with the brass accompliment to This Town helping to create his best rock song of the 80's, and Soul Glove fits into the same mould, but is still a reasonable effort. Other than that, Cry To Heaven is a suprisingly moody and effective ballad. This is the end of the quality, and it veers of badly towards the end, especially in Tell Me What The Papers Say. Nikita is a bland pop ballad, despite it being a hit. The rest of the album is just disturbingly average.
Best Songs: This Town, Soul Glove, Cry To Heaven
Avoid: Nikita, Tell Me What The Papers Say
5.5/10
21 / Leather Jackets / 1986
In an attempt to repeat the same type of album that had brought him mediocre success in the early 80's, Elton attempted an all out pop record. And failed miserably. The album is full of terribly average pop songs, such as Gypsy Heart, a terrible pop ballad, as is Memory Of Love. Don't Trust That Woman is also terrible, and is 1/2 written by Cher, dear God. However there are a couple of reasonable songs, Go It Alone is a decent 80's rock song, something Elton rarely managed to do. Hoop Of Fire is a suprisingly touching r&b track as well, and Paris is a nice if generic ballad. Heartache All Over The World is an average up tempo pop song. However its still a terrible album to listen to.
Best Songs: Hoop Of Fire, Paris, Go It Alone
Avoid: Memory Of Love, Gypsy Heart, Don't Trust That Woman
3/10
22 / Reg Strikes Back / 1988
Well he really didnt strike back at all. There was suprisingly a hit single from this album, I Don't Want To Go On With You Like That, a quality 80's dance song, there is nice piano work on The Camera Never Lies, and Heavy Traffic is a really high quality uptempo pop song. When God Created Girls is a reasonable pop ballad as well. However the album is still full of terrible songs, such as 'Poor Cow', a bad synth song. Most of the songs here are synth based, but when they step away from this, in Heavy Traffic and also Goodbye Marlon Brandow, the first true rock song Elton had done since 1975. But its very, very average to listen all the way through.
Best Songs: I Don't Want To Go On With You Like That, Heavy Traffic
Avoid: Poor Cow, Town Of Plenty, Mona Lisa's & Mad Hatters Part 2.
4/10
After the quality of the last album, this was a shocking dip. The poppyness of previous albums is still there, and this time its completely unoriginal and layered in synths. Every single uptempo song is predictable, and the hit single Sad Songs is just dire. Passengers is camp 50's pop at its most embarassing. However there are two redeeming songs, the tiitle track is a 50's style smoky room ballad with refreshing originality, and Burning Buildings is a trademark Elton Ballad. Other than this, there is a lack of quality.
Best Songs: Breaking Hearts, Burning Buildings
Avoid: Passengers, Restless, Sad Songs
3.5/10
20 / Ice On Fire / 1985
There are a few reasonable tracks on this album, but it still fails to meet the quality of 'Too Low For Zero'. The best songs are at the start of the album, with the brass accompliment to This Town helping to create his best rock song of the 80's, and Soul Glove fits into the same mould, but is still a reasonable effort. Other than that, Cry To Heaven is a suprisingly moody and effective ballad. This is the end of the quality, and it veers of badly towards the end, especially in Tell Me What The Papers Say. Nikita is a bland pop ballad, despite it being a hit. The rest of the album is just disturbingly average.
Best Songs: This Town, Soul Glove, Cry To Heaven
Avoid: Nikita, Tell Me What The Papers Say
5.5/10
21 / Leather Jackets / 1986
In an attempt to repeat the same type of album that had brought him mediocre success in the early 80's, Elton attempted an all out pop record. And failed miserably. The album is full of terribly average pop songs, such as Gypsy Heart, a terrible pop ballad, as is Memory Of Love. Don't Trust That Woman is also terrible, and is 1/2 written by Cher, dear God. However there are a couple of reasonable songs, Go It Alone is a decent 80's rock song, something Elton rarely managed to do. Hoop Of Fire is a suprisingly touching r&b track as well, and Paris is a nice if generic ballad. Heartache All Over The World is an average up tempo pop song. However its still a terrible album to listen to.
Best Songs: Hoop Of Fire, Paris, Go It Alone
Avoid: Memory Of Love, Gypsy Heart, Don't Trust That Woman
3/10
22 / Reg Strikes Back / 1988
Well he really didnt strike back at all. There was suprisingly a hit single from this album, I Don't Want To Go On With You Like That, a quality 80's dance song, there is nice piano work on The Camera Never Lies, and Heavy Traffic is a really high quality uptempo pop song. When God Created Girls is a reasonable pop ballad as well. However the album is still full of terrible songs, such as 'Poor Cow', a bad synth song. Most of the songs here are synth based, but when they step away from this, in Heavy Traffic and also Goodbye Marlon Brandow, the first true rock song Elton had done since 1975. But its very, very average to listen all the way through.
Best Songs: I Don't Want To Go On With You Like That, Heavy Traffic
Avoid: Poor Cow, Town Of Plenty, Mona Lisa's & Mad Hatters Part 2.
4/10
