Elton John [Remaster]

Performer: Elton John
Engineer: Robin Geoffrey Cable...
Producer: Gus Dudgeon...
Distributor: Universal Distribution

Notes: Personnel: Elton John (vocals, piano, harpsichord); Clive Hicks (guitar, acoustic guitar, 12-string guitar); Colin Green (guitar, Spanish guitar); Alan Parker , Roland Harker, Caleb Quaye (guitar); Frank Clark (acoustic guitar, acoustic bass guitar); Skaila Kanga (harp); Paul Buckmaster (cello); Brian Dee (organ); Diana Lewis (Moog synthesizer); Dave Richmond, Alan Weighall, Les Hurdle (bass guitar); Terry Cox, Barry Morgan (drums); Dennis Lopez, Tex Navarra (percussion); Lesley Duncan, Madeline Bell, Roger Cook, Tony Burrows, Tony Hazzard, Barbara Moore, Kay Garner (background vocals). Liner Note Authors: John Tobler; Gus Dudgeon. Elton John's second album was his first to be released in the U.S., and the difference between it and its predecessor, EMPTY SKY, is palpable and immediate. ELTON JOHN opens with "Your Song," a halting ballad that is one of the most moving love songs in the modern pop canon. The album also marks John's fruitful association with Gus Dudgeon and arranger Paul Buckmaster (who'd previously collaborated on David Bowie's "Space Oddity"). The team came up with a spare orchestral sound that surrounds the singer and his piano with dashes of both classical and rock guitar, synthesizers, carefully arranged drums, and searing strings. This wasn't all-out pop yet, but rather a striking and singular brand of folk-rock. "Take Me To The Pilot" shows flashes of John's rocking future ("Bennie And The Jets" descended from it), "No Shoe Strings On Louise" is Rolling Stonesy country-rock, and "Sixty Years On" is haunting and memorable. More typical for this session is "I Need You To Turn To," another love song that finds lyricist Bernie Taupin in an unusually direct mode, and features a beautiful harpsichord melody from John. ELTON JOHN cast the mold for the singer's future superstardom.

Q (8/95, pp.143-145) - 3 Stars - Good - "...an accomplished diverse collection of...sophisticated material..." Mojo (Publisher) (p.122) - "The hit single 'Your Song,' still his signature, the gospel-influenced 'Border Song' and the deep meditation 'Sixty Years On' all posited Elton as a most serious singer-songwriter." Record Collector (magazine) (p.95) - 3 stars out of 5 -- "Here the listener gets a more focused idea of Elton's craft as a tunesmith, the subtle nuances of his chord structures marking him out as an innovative talent."

With his outrageous costumes and campy theatricality, the man formerly known as Reginald Dwight typified 1970s rock in all its excess, yet evaded fad-dom with an indomitable spirit, genial persona, and simple genius. From his beginnings as a sensitive singer and pianist through his ascent to superstardom, Elton John has enjoyed one of the longest and most successful careers in rock & roll. While a brief breakup with songwriting partner Bernie Taupin left some scars, John would rebound by the end of the '80s, remaining a constant on the pop charts, the definitive voice of musical eulogy with ever-evolving hit "Candle in the Wind," and a Broadway mover-and-shaker with long-running hits like LION KING, AIDA, and BILLY ELLIOT.

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