d
ELTON JOHN
RATING: 10
PLAY THESE: MY FATHER'S GUN, AMOREENA, BURN DOWN THE MISSION
SKIP THESE: NONE
Elton John's finest hour, 'Tumbleweed Connection' is a superb quasi-concept album that has suffered undeserved neglect in recent years. Part of the problem lies in the album's lack of a hit single, although 'Burn Down the Mission' definitely qualifies as a classic FM radio album cut, albeit an underplayed one (Elton occasionally plays the song at his live shows though). Elton himself regards 'Tumbleweed Connection' as his best record, noting that of all his albums it is the most "perfect" in terms of the melody matching the lyrics. So what is the theme? As one glance at the album sleeve will attest, "Americana" is the overriding subject matter. Bernie Taupin's lyrics are absolutely chalk full of tributes to the American West, with numerous references to outlaws, sheriffs, riverboats, and the Civil War. The music also matches the subject matter to a tee. Elton's new cowboy fetish is complimented by the rootsy instrumentation, which features fiddles, steel guitars, gospel choirs, mandolins, etc. As for the songs themselves, every song has something to offer. Standout moments include the groovy ' Ballad of a Well Known Gun,' as well as regretful-but-funky 'Amoreena,' which was later featured in Al Pacino's classic flick, Dog Day Afternoon. Rod Stewart's fans may recognize 'Country Comfort,' down-home country flavored ode to rural life that the spiky-haired one later covered on his second album. I'm not sure which version of the song is better - both are unique interpretations - but Elton's backwoods rendition probably does a better job of matching the lyrics to the music. There are also a couple of excellent epics, including the excellent gospel pastiche 'Burn Down the Mission,' the uneasy agnostic hymn 'Where To Now, St. Peter,' and the majestic 'My Father's Gun,' a Civil War-era masterpiece with enough references to the Confederacy to keep your average inbred southern cracker heart palpitations of joy for years to come. The other tunes are excellent too, although it should be noted that Elton has a tendency to repeat himself musically at times. No matter though, everything fits well together. When listening to this album, it's hard to come to grips with the fact that the singer is actually a fat, nerdy poofter from England - Elton's interpretation of American music is very convincing, sometimes unnervingly so. If you've dismissed Elton as lightweight MOR drivel, do yourself a favor and pick up this record. As this album will attest, there's more to Elton than temper tantrums, stupid costumes, and insipid remakes of 'Candle in the Wind,'
Note: If you pick up the re-mastered version of 'Tumbleweed' you'll also get a few bonus tracks, including the original unreleased version of 'Madman Across the Water,' which rocks.
RATING: 7
PLAY THESE: WEIGHT OF THE WORLD, MY ELUSIVE DRUG, FREAKS IN LOVE
SKIP THESE: ALL THAT I'M ALLOWED
Although it will never make amends for over twenty-five years worth of crap albums, Peachtree Road is an admirable enough gesture that carries on the good will that began with Elton's excellent comeback 2001 album, Songs From The West Coast. Poor old Elton has been in a bitchy mood lately, taking verbal pot-shots at everyone from the entire population of Taiwan to Madonna, but judging by this new album, he's clearly a man on a mission, so I guess we should cut him some slack. So what exactly is Elton's mission? To re-claim pop music from the record executives and marketers who have nearly destroyed popular music, and to draw attention to skanky hos like Britney Spears and Lindsay Lohan, who pass off raunchy lip-synced dance routines as actual music these days. And Elton certainly practices what he preaches on the new CD. He's come full circle now, returning to the singer-songwriter mode that launched his career in the early seventies. Indeed, the self-produced Peachtree Road is basically a sequel to Elton's classic (and largely forgotten) country-flavored album, Tumbleweed Connection. And while Elton fails to come up with any timeless classics that match the grandeur of say a 'Burn Down the Mission,' or even a 'Country Comforts,' the new album is a very listenable, consistent collection of country-rock tunes - with a bit of gospel thrown in for good measure. It's real music, and its refreshing to hear it. Sure, Elton's still got his feet planted firmly on the adult contemporary path, but this isn't exactly radio-friendly adult contemporary. Unless Elton's trying to score a cross-over Nashville hit, it's very clear that his primary goal is to create good music - nothing more, nothing less. The standout track in this collection is the excellent album opener, 'Weight of the World,' a collaboration with Bernie Taupin which has a few memorable lines and a big chorus ("I'm happy to say I'm amazed that I'm still around."). The rootsy 'Porch Swing in Tupelo' has some great dobro playing, while 'My Elusive Drug' is a gospel-flavored ballad that truly impresses (check out the beautiful backing vocals on this one too). 'Turn the Lights Out When You Leave' is also pretty catchy, although the unintentionally funny "lacey little dress" line in the verse invites a David Furnish joke or two (please feel free to email me yours). Nevertheless, Peachtree Road is a real grower, an album full of great music that will reveal its charms the more you listen to it.