11-17-70 [Remaster] - John, Elton (CD 1996)

On November 17 1970, Elton John, along with bass player Dee Murray and drummer Nigel Olsson, performed a live radio show on WNEW in New York before a small studio audience. Elton, although already having a radio hit with "Your Song", was still somewhat of an unknown commodity. Those who had heard him considered Elton to be a laid-back singer-songwriter, and not much of a rock-and-roller.

That all changed for anyone who heard the performance that Elton and his band delivered that day, a mix of John/Taupin originals and well-known covers that showcased the enormous talent within this shy 23 year-old Brit. As there was no lead guitar player, Elton's incomparable piano chops had to cover a lot more musical space than normal, and he was more than equal to the task.

Through the opening track "Bad Side of the Moon", the remaster bonus track "Amoreena", and the cryptic "Take Me To The Pilot", the audience is not quite convinced, and politely applauds. But after a stunning rendition of the epic "Sixty Years On", and especially after the band rips through the Rolling Stones classic "Honky Tonk Women", the crowd is screaming for more. "Burn Down The Mission" lives up to its name, and the band tacks on a medley of "My Baby Left Me" and "Get Back", paying homage to two of Elton's main influences, Elvis Presley and the Beatles.

The recording quality is outstanding, capturing both the energy of the band and the audience's excitement. The songs are presented in raw fashion, with sparse arrangements and Elton's not-yet-mature voice, but it is a testament to the strength of the songs themselves that the performance is as powerful as it is.