Customer Reviews

Elton John

5 star:		(24)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Right, that is it! I have been blown away! No I know what it's like to be JFK! [remember 'we didn't satrt the fire'?] I thought 'The One' was an amazing ballad, now we have 'Your song' and I don't think there is a better ballad out there. Only 'The One' and 'Memory of love' come close. But this album is full of soft, classical, intimate ballads that are instantly breathtaking, at least for me and people who love ballads. I am very fond of the harpsichord so the Elizibethan 'I need you to turn to' is also a big treat for me. This was Elton's first collaboration with Paul Buckmaster and Gus Dudgeon. Buckmaster makes 'Sixty Years On' with a mezmerizing string section that'll blow you out of your chair. The spanish guitar is also excellent on it. I think after the first two 'First episode at Heinton' is the best. All the instruments contribute an equal amount to the song which has amazing melody and emotion. Take away Elton's voice and you are listening to first class classical music. Same can be said for 'The greatest discovery' which features Skaila Kanga'a lovely harp. But wait, there's some rockers! Rock n roll Madonna is probably the best. It moves along with a lot of fun and some heavy guitar in the right speaker. Take me to the pilot is classic Elton rock. It is worthy to mention his piano playing, because he makes his piano 'rock' on this song, and on this album. 'The Cage' is also a rocker and features a cool sing-a-long chorus and an interesting instrumental piece on the synthesiser. It's amazing. The King Must Die is a majestic sought of classical music piece. Bad Side of the Moon really moves with that rocking intro on the drums. This version of Grey Seal is a nice treat too. Interesting to hear a song in it's development phase. No shoestrings on Louise is laid-back country and western and features excellent guitar from Caleb Quaye. It's a fun listen and then Border song has a gospel feel to it. The lyrics are very personal, some may not like it but it really enhances the music. 'The Greatest Discovery' is very touching.

Quite a strong second release for Elton John. For American audiences this was his debut as most people did not hear Empty Sky for several years.

Anyone, Your Song is the signature tune on this CD and its a classic. Beautiful words mixed soothing music particularly the string arrangement. Border Song is another strong work that has gospel overtones while talking against prejudice. Thats always a good thing. Rock N Roll Madonna, The Cage and Take Me To The Pilot are strong rock n roll numbers.

The ballads are pretty good too. All of them have strong melodies. However, several of them are way too string heavy. And the tone on these tunes is quite depressing particularly Sixty Years On and I Need You To Turn To. Maybe I prefer more uplifting ballads or at least a variety of them.

Nonetheless, this is a solid release which rates between 3 1/2 and 4 stars.

1970's "Elton John" is a terrific album that announced the dawning of a new decade's biggest star in neon lights. Its first track, "Your Song," came out of absolutely nowhere that December to become Elton John's first Top Ten hit on the U.S. Billboard charts, peaking at #8, and even today it fills the speakers of a car stereo or a living room with the assurance of an old friend.

How nice it is to hear that meandering yet spot-on piano tinkering, alongside an atypically humble and unpretentious lyric from one Bernie Taupin: "If I was a sculptor/But then again no/Or a man who makes potions/For a traveling show." It's enough to forgive the irritating harpsichord of the next number, "I Need You To Turn To."

But only "First Episode At Hienton" after that is less that sparkling, and so much else about Elton's first big album (after the shakedown cruise of "Empty Sky") is brilliant. It's not the hitmaker U.S. audiences would so soon grow accustomed to, singing about alligators and astronauts so winningly, but a thoughtful musical craftsman who was still experimenting with what mass audiences might let him get away with.

"Take Me To The Pilot" is the one rocker, and a good one, better than "Saturday Night's Alright For Fighting" if not some of his other big hits of later years. Those who love Elton the hitmaker will probably also treasure (as I do) such less heralded numbers as the Rolling Stones' tribute "No Shoe Strings On Louise" (Mick Jagger vocal mannerisms circa "Let It Bleed" abound), the mesquite-soaked "Border Song," or "The Greatest Discovery," one of the great love songs ever sung, though with a clever twist that only renders the actual subject matter more affecting. How often does one hear a song about the arrival of a younger sibling? (Well, there's "Lonely Boy" by Andrew Gold, but this is much more positive.)

I can't get behind Elton here the way I can with "Don't Shoot Me, I'm Only The Piano Player" or "Captain Fantastic And The Brown Dirt Cowboy," though it's probably a better though less representative album than at least the first of those. It's not Elton the way you and I would come to know him in a very short time, but an interesting variation that regarded lyrical depth as important as tuneful variation. The former Mr. Reg Dwight still had three more albums to go, including a live one, before nailing down his trademark winning piano-popster sound, but this was his first hurrah, and a big one, ironically so given it was so removed from the glam image he would so soon cultivate.

If you are listening to Elton's hits and liking them, and want something else to turn to, I'd suggest "Captain Fantastic," "Tumbleweed Connection," and this album, which combined probably will leave you with no more than three or four key songs you've already heard and a number you ought to give a listen to. If you like any of the music Elton made through 1976, that is to say the best he ever did, you owe it to yourself to give his first hit record a spin. It still kicks more than 30 years on.

I bought the original LP version around 1974 for five dollars at a local department store, when I was a teenager. I played it until it wore out.

This isn't a bright, feel-good album. It's almost gothic in its dark tones and heavy strings. The feeling is of cold stone castle floors, heavy armour and damp dungeon walls. It's not all depressing, though, even for its dark feeling. The song "The Greatest Discovery" is sweet and beautiful, and "Your Song" is one of the greatest love songs ever written.

This album was a favorite when I was a teenager, and it still is.

This was the album that really got Elton noticed, and is, without question, one of his very best. It's second only to Tumbleweed Connection (the #1 in my top 10 of Elton's work). Both he and Bernie really showed their potential as artists on this release.

There isn't a single song on this album I don't like. All of Bernie's lyrics are excellent, and Elton's interpretations of them, the ballads in particular, are marvelous! His vocals on "Your Song", "I Need You To Turn To", "Sixty Years On", "First Episode At Hienton", and "The Greatest Discovery" can only be described as gorgeous! I was blown away when I first heard these songs! Even though the majority of the tracks are ballads, there are plenty that show Elton can rock just as well. "Take Me To The Pilot", "The Cage", and "The King Must Die" are just a few examples.This album is another must-have for any Elton John collection, it's not one to miss!

The self-titled 'Elton John' is a classic early album from Elton John and Bernie Taupin. The tunes on this collection are instantly assimilated and echo the later 'Goodbye Yellow Brick Road' with its variety of song styles. Elton's vocal styling and piano playing is superb on this album, too. On the country influenced 'No Shoe Strings on Louise' he seems to emulate Mick Jagger. The piano rift and tune on 'The Cage' is reminiscent of Carole King. And, the piano and voice on 'Rock-n-Roll Madonna' is a blend of John Lennon and Jerry Lee Lewis.

Some songs such as 'Sixty Years On' do sound dated some 30+ years on, but others such as 'The Greatest Discovery' show no signs of aging and improve with each listening.

This is definitely classic Elton John. Amazon suggests the combo of this and Tumbleweed Connection. But a better combination is this with 'Goodbye Yellow Brick Road.' Combine 'Tumbleweed Connection' with 'Capt. Fantastic and the Brown Dirt Cowboy' as examples of early Elton John concept albums.

There's something about this one that I continue to love to this day. It's got chamber music, it's got soul, it's got drama, it's got poetry (some of it a little dated), but it's one of his and Bernie's best works. But it was nothing what people expected when they saw him live in America on his first tour (11-17-70 captures some of it, but not completely). Most of the songs were performed on the "Live in Australia" CD, but this is the original.

Several of these songs got a lot of airplay in 1970: "Your Song" (the big hit from this album), "Take Me To The Pilot," "Sixty Years On" (very pretty nylon string guitar with strings intro), "Border Song" (typical Elton John piano intro). This early version of "Grey Seal" lacks the dazzling piano arpeggios that made it sound so great on the "Goodbye Yellow Brick Road" album, it's a tiny bit slower, and the ending chords aren't as rockish as that later version, but it still sounds good, especially with the strings. All the songs sound decent on this album, though it's too much on the soft side for my personal taste, and none of the songs really grabbed me--"Goodbye Yellow Brick Road" & "Tumbleweed Connection" & his other 1971-1974 era albums are much better in songwriting, playing, instrumentation, and lyrics, in my opinion.

Since Empty Sky had to wait five years to be released in America, this was the first Elton John album to be released in America. It includes some of Elton's best songs here. He performs songs of tender devotion and true love (Your Song and I Need You To Turn To), tackles prejudice and social issues (Border Song), denounces old age (Sixty Years On), and discusses the excitment of a newborn baby brother (The Greatest Discovery). There is an obvious Rolling Stones inspiration on No Shoestrings On Louise, with Elton fruitlessly trying hard to duplicate Mick Jagger's comical Southern accent. His vocal performance on First Episode On Hienton is haunting, with a chilling intro played on a mellotron by Elton. Take Me To The Pilot is a song with no real storyline to it, and it's open to interpretation. The King Must Die features a powerful Elton vocal. The cage is another esoteric piece, but he does it with bravado. There are three bonus tracks that are great, but the 10 originals are worth the price of the album alone.

1970's " Elton John " album was the British singer/pianist's second album, but it was his first to be released in America.
So, this was the United States' first taste of Elton. While several somgs on the album ( the classic " Your Song ", " Take Me
To The Pilot ", " Border Song " )are some of his most popular tracks, many are underlooked masterpieces. " I Need You To Turn To " is a lovely ballad. Elton's voice is full of sincerity and
comfort, and the song's string arrangement by Paul BuckMaster is
beautiful. This song was featured in a live version 16 years later on 1986's " Live In Australia " album. " No Shoestrings On
Louise " is a countrified, mid - tempo song that evokes a sort
of country - like feel. It is a song I think Elton should start
performing in concert again. " Firts Episode At Hienton " is a
haunting ballad about lost love that has a haunting string arrangement by BuckMaster. If this song is haunting, the next track is chilling. " Sixty Years On " is also a popular track,
and the string arrangement sounds like if it comes from a horror
film. The song's lyric show the hatred of old age. " The Greatest
Discovery " is a song about the birth of a baby brother, and it's
a very beautiful song with a great string arrangement. " The Cage " is an all-out rocker. The next track is " The King Must Die " is a powerful song about corrupt royalty. This a great song. The album has been updated with three bonus tracks not included on the original 1970 lp. " Bad Side Of The Moon " is a
great track. The string arrangement is excellent, and Elton's
singing is superb. The next track, " Grey Seal ", is not the
popular version from the " Goodbye Yellow Brick Road ", but rather the original slow version recorded three years earlier.
The next track, " Lady Madonna ", is an all - out rocker. The
song opens with audience applause, but it is not a live recording. This track closes the cd. I think you should buy this
album today.