Elton John - John, Elton (CD 2001)

Sir Elton John is one of those artists whose work I've both loved and hated over the years. Some of his songs are classics that never become dated nor tiresome no matter how many years go by... no matter how many times I hear them. And some of his songs are entirely forgettable or just plain annoying. Elton John's Elton John is, in my opinion, one of his works that never seems to age. I never get tired of listening to this CD.

Technically, Elton John was Elton's second album, but it was America's first experience with Elton's music since his debut album, Empty Sky, was originally only released across the pond. I picked up Elton John's 1970 self titled album on a whim one day when I noticed it on sale. I was initially attracted to the fact that it included Elton's beautiful hit, "Your Song", but once I listened to the rest of the line up on this CD, I found that there's a lot more to Elton John than just one big hit. Paired with with his hitmaking partner, lyricist Bernie Taupin, Elton John presents an impressive American debut with this CD. It still sounds great, even after 36 years.

Elton John opens with the magical love song, Your Song. If you were around in the 1970s, you most definitely heard this song somewhere. When I listen to "Your Song's" pensive, romantic lyrics and touching melody, I think of how many people fell in love with this song as the backdrop. How many of us would have loved to have heard someone sing to us

And you can tell everybody this is your song/
It might be quite simple but now that it's done/
I hope you don't mind, I hope you don't mind/
That I put down in words/
How wonderful life is while you're in the world/?

I Need You Turn To, another love song, starts off with a harpsichord and Elton's voice, until it builds into something that sounds like a medieval folk song to me. The harpsichord is soon backed by a simple orchestra, complete with lush strings and a harp. Elton John sings thoughtful lyrics, placing the object of his affections on an idyllic pedestal.

Elton John shows off his rock side with Take Me To The Pilot. On this rock song, which sounds a little like an uptempo version of Elton John's later hit, "Border Song", Elton John shows off his piano and vocal chops, playing assertively while backed up by his band.

For some reason, No Shoe Strings On Louise sounds way ahead of its time to me. This song almost has a country blues sound to me, with Elton and his backup singers singing a catchy chorus that seem to be about a conniving woman with a habit of screwing over her suitors. The melody starts off with a guitar riff that makes me think that it would have been put to great use on some commercial. But the lyrics are especially colorful and interesting, making me wonder what inspired them.

First Episode at Hienton quiets the mood on Elton John again, leading off with Elton playing an understated introduction on his piano and singing softly about watching a young girl blossom from gawky girlhood into a lonely woman named Valerie. The words suggest that Valerie was a friend who used to share good times with either Elton or Bernie, but ultimately the relationship died. Elton sounds so awestruck by love as he sings the ultimately sad lyrics, remembering the good times with this woman and realizing that even though he knows she's lonely, he's powerless to help her. Diana Lewis contributes an eerie solo on the moog synthesizer.

Sixty Years On is a powerful, dramatic song written from the perspective of a man in his 20s, looking into the future and wondering if he'll spend it alone. Once again, the melody sounds serious and forbidding. Elton sings,

Who'll walk me down to church when I'm sixty years of age/
When the ragged dog they gave me has been ten years in the grave/
And senorita play guitar, play it just for you/
My rosary has broken and my beads have all slipped through/

The strings are back, joined by Colin Green playing Spanish guitar and Brian Dee on organ. This song conveys such a mood of hopelessness and sorrow.

The sadness of "Sixty Years On" is remedied by the hopeful gospel melody of Border Song. Instead of sounding hopeless, Elton John now sounds like he's found new life, even after recognizing that things have been bad. An understated choir sings in the background, making this song sound almost ethereal. I never used to appreciate "Border Song", but now that I'm older, I see it for what it is... a song about the wisdom and value of peace, racial equality, and living in harmony.

The Greatest Discovery is a song that never fails to touch my heart. Written from the perspective of a child who meets his baby brother for the first time, this song features a beautiful melody and Elton John's tender but joyful reading. I read that this song was about the birth of Bernie Taupin's brother. The words are so vivid and expressive, almost like a novel. Matched with Elton John's sentimental music and a cello solo by Paul Buckmaster, this song still has so much meaning today.

The Cage kicks up the tempo again, with Elton John's savage vocal reading and thumping piano playing. This song sounds like it came out of the late 1960s, but it's still really cool, especially when Elton sings

Well I walk while they talk about virtue/
Just raised on backlegs and snarled/
Watched you kiss your old daddy with passion/
And tell dirty jokes as he died/

He effectively conveys the frustrated mood of someone I'd expect to be "caged", though it's clear that the cage is a mental one rather than a physical one.

Elton John finishes up with The King Must Die, yet another powerful epic of a song, starting off with dark, dramatic piano playing and Elton singing as if he's delivering a painful truth to someone who's about to tumble off a pedestal. This song sounds like it could have been a number in a Broadway musical, with its theatrical melody and heavy handed lyrics.

And sooner or later/
Everybody's kingdom must end/
And I'm so afraid your courtiers/
Cannot be called best friends/

The bigger they are, the harder they fall. I almost wonder if Elton John is telling the world that it makes no sense to climb to the top of a mountain, since what goes up must eventually come down... sometimes with a crash.

My copy of Elton John ends with "The King Must Die". I understand that copies of this CD that are available today also include three bonus tracks. Since I haven't actually heard those songs, I can't comment on them. I'm not sure why they were added, since even without those songs, Elton John runs for a full 39 minutes with most of the ten songs at least three minutes long. Personally, I think "The King Must Die" is an excellent song for the end of this album. It closes up the loose ends and makes this CD easier to view as a whole, artistic work. It seems unnecessary that three bonus tracks would be tacked on just for the sake of putting them out there for public consumption. Anyway, Elton John includes lyrics, a picture of Elton John and his band, and credits for the guest players. I'm strangely kind of glad that I got an older version of this disc that doesn't include the extra tracks.

As I wrote before in this review, I love some of Elton John's work, especially from the beginning of his career. And I also dislike some of his stuff. I think Elton John is a particularly strong and revealing showing in Elton John's body of work. If you like his music, I think this CD is a very worthy buy.

Elton John's official Web site: www.eltonjohn.com