Tumbleweed Connection [Remaster] - John, Elton (CD 1996)

Whoever has come to know Elton John in the 80s and considers him to be a bland singer of throwaway songs filled with lots of synth crap should start listening to his early albums (note: even if his worst 80s albums there are still 2 or 3 songs in them that are actual gems). Before he became an artist better known for its eccentric stage costumes, savage behaviour and heterodox lifestyle, Elton John was a superb musician and singer who recorded some beautiful albums: "Goodbye Yellow Brick Road", "Honky Chateau", "Madman Across the Water", "Captain Fantastic & The Brown Dirt Cowboy", ... and of course, this one, "Tumbleweed Connection".

"Tumbleweed Connection" is my favourite of all Elton John's albums. I love its style, atmosphere and its semi-concept of the Old West. Most Elton's fans and critics would pick "Goodbye Yellow Brick Road" as their favourite Elton's album, and while I admit that it is indeed a great album, in my opinion "Tumbleweed Connection" is even better, and only equaled by the "Captain Fantastic" album.

This is Elton John's third album, after "Empty Sky" and the eponymous second album. By then Elton had been listening to lots of country-rock bands, especially the magnificent "Music from Big Pink" by The Band. Elton and Bernie Taupin (his lyricist) had fallen in love with all that music and all those songs about cowboys and the American Civil War. This album is even more striking when we remember that Elton recorded it without having the US yet.

It is not a concept album, it doesn't really tell a story, but it does have a semi-concept since most of its songs deal with characters and stories from the Old West: cowboys, runaways, confederate soldiers, etc. Looking at the titles we find "guns", "soldiers", "country", "mission"...

The music is basically Americana, but is not a country as one might think: it is in a countrified, bluesified style.

I am now going to concentrate on the songs I love the most from this album. It is really appealing and a pure joy to listen to, from the opening notes of "Ballad of a Well-Known Gun", with that honky-tonk piano and that rhythm and blues music, with the backing singers.

"Come Down In Time" doesn't really fit in with the semi-concept of the rest of the album, but it is such a beautiful ballad. This is one of Elton's best-sung songs ever. Pure beauty.

"Country Comfort" is one of the most country-sounding songs in the album. It is a great song. Also, Rod Stewart made a very decent cover of it too.

"My Father's Gun".- From the first time I listen to this album, this is one of the songs I fell in love with, with that descending chorus that is repeated over and over again: "I'd like to know where the riverboat sails tonight..." A beautiful song. It really brings you into its world, you can almost see the riverboat, the Mississippi River, the soldiers,...

"Where To Now St. Peter?" is a playful song, a joke song that throws a bit of lightness on the seriousness of the album (even though its subject matter is quite serious, that of someone who has just died and doesn't know whether he belongs in heaven or in hell!).

The closing of the album, with "Amoreena", "Talking Old Soldiers" and "Burn Down the Mission" is just spectacular, superb. (Please note that "Into the Old Man's Shoes" and "Madman Across the Water" didn't belong to the original album, they are bonus tracks added to the remastered CD)>

"Amoreena" is one of the most beautiful songs I have ever listened to. Seriously, this song hypnotised me from the first time I heard it, with that intense chorus, powerful instrumentation, and the tickling piano in the verses. Amazing.

"Talking Old Soldiers".- More of a narrative than a song, in the style of Randy Newman or Leonard Cohen, very sparse, with just the piano and Elton's powerful voice half singing half reciting.

"Burn Down The Mission".- The epic finale, which starts slow and then builds up and builds up until it reaches a great climax. What an intense and powerful way to finish a great album. By the way, this is usually a favourite in Elton's concerts.

"Into the Old Man's Shoes". A song that was released as a single, but that fits into the pseudo-concept of the album.

"Madman Across The Water".- The title song of Elton John's next album, in the first version it was recorded, with Mick Ronson of David Bowie fame on guitar. Beautiful.

This is the one Elton John album that I would take to a desert island. I just love it.