So this balding, irretrievably unphotogenic, self-absorbed, croaky little MOR troll is one of the most successful recording artists in history. Can someone please tell me why?
― Venga, Wednesday, 13 November 2002 23:10 (twenty-one years ago) link
― Eyeball Kicks (Eyeball Kicks), Wednesday, 13 November 2002 23:25 (twenty-one years ago) link
Plus 'Benny and The Jets' is fucking great.
― Tom Millar (Millar), Wednesday, 13 November 2002 23:33 (twenty-one years ago) link
― Anthony Miccio (Anthony Miccio), Wednesday, 13 November 2002 23:44 (twenty-one years ago) link
― Al (sitcom), Wednesday, 13 November 2002 23:46 (twenty-one years ago) link
― Rockist Scientist, Thursday, 14 November 2002 00:48 (twenty-one years ago) link
― Tom (Groke), Thursday, 14 November 2002 00:51 (twenty-one years ago) link
or maybe it wz someone else, about someone difft
― mark s (mark s), Thursday, 14 November 2002 00:58 (twenty-one years ago) link
An important cultural figure, even if you can't stand him. Greater talents have failed to capture the elation of the final flourish to "Philadelphia Freedom". His dress sense in the "Don't Go Breaking My Heart" promo is very evocative even if you think it's shit. That's just about all, really.
― robin carmody (robin carmody), Thursday, 14 November 2002 01:04 (twenty-one years ago) link
― matt riedl (veal), Thursday, 14 November 2002 01:05 (twenty-one years ago) link
― robin carmody (robin carmody), Thursday, 14 November 2002 01:06 (twenty-one years ago) link
― Charlie (Charlie), Thursday, 14 November 2002 02:29 (twenty-one years ago) link
'Nuff said
how much do the Beatles account for?
― Tom Millar (Millar), Thursday, 14 November 2002 03:16 (twenty-one years ago) link
― keith (keithmcl), Thursday, 14 November 2002 05:39 (twenty-one years ago) link
― dave q, Thursday, 14 November 2002 06:35 (twenty-one years ago) link
"All the Girls Love Alice" roxx though.
― James Blount (James Blount), Thursday, 14 November 2002 06:48 (twenty-one years ago) link
Things go off the rails pretty quickly on CD2 however. Too much stuff from "Songs From The West Coast" (as someone already said, his voice is totally fucked on that record), altho' thankfully "Candle In The Wind 97" is not on there.
― Jeff W, Thursday, 14 November 2002 10:13 (twenty-one years ago) link
Can't stand his music myself, but he's a damn sight less objectionable than, say, Phil Collins.
― James Ball (James Ball), Thursday, 14 November 2002 10:36 (twenty-one years ago) link
The tracklisting on the first disc of that new greatest hits does indeed look great but the second one is mostly a dud.
― mms (mms), Thursday, 14 November 2002 11:48 (twenty-one years ago) link
― Chris V. (Chris V), Thursday, 14 November 2002 13:05 (twenty-one years ago) link
and i'm always amused by the "if i were a pianter...but then again; no" bit from that song (song for daniel).
what's quite wierd is that if you see a photo of him and bernie taupin from the seventies you'd never really pick which one was the international superstar and which was the unheralded backroom boy.
(trans. bernie tupin was quite presentable looking, elton john looked like elton john)
― adam b (adam b), Thursday, 14 November 2002 13:57 (twenty-one years ago) link
― Vinnie (vprabhu), Thursday, 14 November 2002 14:05 (twenty-one years ago) link
― adam b (adam b), Thursday, 14 November 2002 14:05 (twenty-one years ago) link
― Ian SPACK (Ian SPACK), Thursday, 14 November 2002 14:34 (twenty-one years ago) link
would love to get my hands on a copy of that.
― bucky wunderlick (bucky), Thursday, 14 November 2002 21:59 (twenty-one years ago) link
anyway i heard he's getting rid of his glasses and getting corrective surgery. this could be the beginning of the end.
― Sterling Clover (s_clover), Thursday, 14 November 2002 22:02 (twenty-one years ago) link
― Yancey (ystrickler), Thursday, 14 November 2002 22:04 (twenty-one years ago) link
― Kris (aqueduct), Thursday, 14 November 2002 22:11 (twenty-one years ago) link
― James Blount (James Blount), Thursday, 14 November 2002 23:46 (twenty-one years ago) link
― Nordicskillz (Nordicskillz), Monday, 12 May 2003 15:37 (twenty-one years ago) link
― Nordicskillz (Nordicskillz), Monday, 12 May 2003 15:38 (twenty-one years ago) link
― Nordicskillz (Nordicskillz), Monday, 12 May 2003 15:39 (twenty-one years ago) link
― Nordicskillz (Nordicskillz), Thursday, 15 May 2003 13:11 (twenty-one years ago) link
― g--ff c-nn-n (gcannon), Thursday, 15 May 2003 13:23 (twenty-one years ago) link
― Johnney B (Johnney B), Friday, 16 May 2003 08:55 (twenty-one years ago) link
"I love listening to a Falco CD or maybe even Elton John - to be honest everybody slags Elton but you get cunts like Merzbow and Autechre hiding behind bullshit and pretence, with Elton what you see is what you get, a fat twat with a wig making shit pop with no pretence or apology for his output. I get less annoyed listening to one of his greatest hits CD's than I do listening to someone trying to be "experimental" for the fucking sake of it."
hahahaahah
― contribute, Sunday, 9 January 2005 21:45 (nineteen years ago) link
― KeithW (kmw), Sunday, 9 January 2005 21:48 (nineteen years ago) link
― Kippy Dipple, Sunday, 9 January 2005 21:55 (nineteen years ago) link
"Kaboom! Guess who stepped in the room? The mother fuckin' Eighties!"
Now I wanna download Bowie's Lets Dance.
― elwisty, Sunday, 9 January 2005 22:39 (nineteen years ago) link
― kitchen sink chronic, Monday, 10 January 2005 00:17 (nineteen years ago) link
― j blount (papa la bas), Monday, 10 January 2005 00:20 (nineteen years ago) link
― greyseal clubber, Monday, 10 January 2005 02:30 (nineteen years ago) link
Except that Bernie was/is straight -- so like Bobby said, ain't no humpin' around.
― Joseph McCombs (Joseph McCombs), Monday, 10 January 2005 04:29 (nineteen years ago) link
― fact checking cuz (fcc), Monday, 10 January 2005 05:44 (nineteen years ago) link
― Ken L (Ken L), Monday, 10 January 2005 16:46 (nineteen years ago) link
― Marcello Carlin, Tuesday, 11 January 2005 08:06 (nineteen years ago) link
It came out today. I'm not holding my breath, but it would be nice if he had one more good album in him...
― Dave Depper (Dave Depper), Tuesday, 19 September 2006 22:27 (eighteen years ago) link
― Geir Hongro (GeirHong), Wednesday, 20 September 2006 00:36 (eighteen years ago) link
The record's been getting good reviews here too - although I'm a bit suspicious since a lot of the praise has been focussed on the concept rather than the music.
― zebedee (zebedee), Wednesday, 20 September 2006 09:00 (eighteen years ago) link
― Oh No It's Dadaismus! (Dada), Wednesday, 20 September 2006 09:05 (eighteen years ago) link
― zebedee (zebedee), Wednesday, 20 September 2006 09:11 (eighteen years ago) link
― Oh No It's Dadaismus! (Dada), Wednesday, 20 September 2006 09:11 (eighteen years ago) link
Although some people have a hard time realising, "old farts" sometimes make great music. I am not claiming this is necessarily the case for Elton John tho (being kind of sceptical as he hasn't made a great album since "Captain Fantastic")
― Geir Hongro (GeirHong), Wednesday, 20 September 2006 09:17 (eighteen years ago) link
You can't fuck with that.
― Dan Heilman (The Deacon), Wednesday, 20 September 2006 15:37 (eighteen years ago) link
― Geir Hongro (GeirHong), Wednesday, 20 September 2006 18:36 (eighteen years ago) link
― gabbneb (gabbneb), Tuesday, 26 September 2006 06:00 (seventeen years ago) link
― Marcello Carlin (nostudium), Tuesday, 26 September 2006 06:57 (seventeen years ago) link
and i'm always amused by the "if i were a pianter...but then again; no" bit ...
yeh sure, amusing lyrics. and it's a very beautiful song overall. but then again -
...from that song (song for daniel). - no, it's actually from "your song". and, ahem, then again & again, that line actually runs as "if i was a sculptor..." ;)
― t**t, Friday, 15 June 2007 18:57 (seventeen years ago) link
I honestly have a hard time imagining that Elton ever had "redneck ways".
― ergo almondnut (libcrypt), Thursday, 5 March 2009 05:33 (fifteen years ago) link
checked online and apparently he's never been to space either???
― iatee, Thursday, 5 March 2009 05:38 (fifteen years ago) link
ya dont say so, yo!
― t**t, Thursday, 5 March 2009 18:07 (fifteen years ago) link
But someone did save his life that night! :)
― Geir Hongro, Friday, 6 March 2009 10:38 (fifteen years ago) link
Also sprach Geir, ever the optimist.
― t**t, Friday, 6 March 2009 10:59 (fifteen years ago) link
He's a congenital liar 'baby's got blue eyes', I've checked he doesn't have any childeren.
― Dave Gahan, lead singer of Depeche Mode (Billy Dods), Friday, 6 March 2009 11:37 (fifteen years ago) link
the song "madman across the water" is so epic
― And guess what? I think Pitchfork is going to give it a BM. (M@tt He1ges0n), Monday, 22 March 2010 23:19 (fourteen years ago) link
dude...the version on the rerelease of Tumbleweed Connection, with Mick Ronson on guitar, is doubly epic
― You don't wear a vagina on your chest....think about it (Euler), Tuesday, 23 March 2010 00:01 (fourteen years ago) link
Some thoughts on an Elton record which hardly ever gets talked about (and not without reason).
― Here he is with the classic "Poème Électronique." Good track (Marcello Carlin), Monday, 7 November 2011 08:48 (twelve years ago) link
gybr is astounding, fuck the //haters upthread
― i also enjoy in line skateing (spazzmatazz), Sunday, 28 April 2013 05:49 (eleven years ago) link
Recently bought vinyl copies of Don't Shoot Me and Captain Fantastic. The song I've really taken to is "High Flying Bird." "Daniel"'s as bland as ever, "Someone Saved My Life Tonight" still great.
― clemenza, Sunday, 28 April 2013 21:21 (eleven years ago) link
elton john is great. i think his music is closer to musical theater than any other major pop songwriter, because there is a really pronounced narrative element to his best songs. also his voice is great, and his songs have such straightforward arrangements, they're never weighed down by anything... idk, it's shallow, melodramatic music, but it is all really well done.
― Pat Finn, Sunday, 28 April 2013 21:33 (eleven years ago) link
https://youtu.be/qv5-SCDL5A4Music theory examination of Benny
― calstars, Saturday, 3 October 2020 11:56 (three years ago) link
I used to have a dislike for Elton John when I was younger but nowadays I find the Bernie + Elton compositional combo fascinating and very unique. I love how insular, yet extremely familiar their sound feels. At their peak they had the ability to craft songs that your grandmother would love, but had both lyrical and musical moments brimming with creative, slightly psychedelic touches that gave them an edge. Add Elton's penchant for being an extravagant, charismatic showman and it's not hard to see why he sold the insane amount of albums he did.
I think he has aged with a certain dignity too. Not trying to relive them good old days, just having fun with being a living legend.
― ✖✖✖ (Moka), Tuesday, 6 October 2020 19:21 (three years ago) link
What do people think abouthttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UCbUhgJojs0
― The Ballad of Mel Cooley (James Redd and the Blecchs), Friday, 5 February 2021 03:39 (three years ago) link
Instrumental demo cut in 1967? It's all right - not great, but not bad. It's more interesting as a snapshot of what he was like before he developed his fully-formed musical personality. Did he generally forgo lyrics before Taupin came along?
― birdistheword, Friday, 5 February 2021 05:29 (three years ago) link
I believe he cut a single he wrote before meeting Taupin, I haven't heard it.
― Halfway there but for you, Friday, 5 February 2021 16:16 (three years ago) link
A song (or two) with lyrics, that is.
― Halfway there but for you, Friday, 5 February 2021 16:17 (three years ago) link
I'm surprised no discussion about "Cold Heart" on the board, especially now that it's taken off in America, where I hear it in the wild quite a bit. One of the women at my hair salon yesterday gushed in Spanish, "Ooh, I love this song!" as it started up.
It's not a particularly shrewd mashup: "Sacrifice" and "Kiss the Bride" (!) and the Dua Lipa-sung "Rocket Man" set to a clippity-cloppety beat.
― So who you gonna call? The martini police (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Tuesday, 22 February 2022 15:55 (two years ago) link
I read some kind of stat a while ago that he accounts for THREE PERCENT of all global recorded music sales
I think I heard this in an Elton documentary. It was 3% of worldwide LP sales in 1975 (I think).
― Being cheap is expensive (snoball), Tuesday, 22 February 2022 16:01 (two years ago) link
cold heart is ridiculously catchy despite not working on paper at all, i like it
― Nedlene Grendel as Basenji Holmo (map), Tuesday, 22 February 2022 16:19 (two years ago) link
the lyrics make literally no sense lol but when has that stopped elton
― Nedlene Grendel as Basenji Holmo (map), Tuesday, 22 February 2022 16:22 (two years ago) link
a bit "Jive Bunny does Elton!"
― So who you gonna call? The martini police (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Tuesday, 22 February 2022 16:25 (two years ago) link
I'll admit it gains from public exposure and I'll tolerate it like I didn't when I reviewed it last fall.
it's pure musical xanax i hope it hits number 1.
here's the ugly as shit completely amazing animated furry video for reference
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qod03PVTLqk
― Nedlene Grendel as Basenji Holmo (map), Tuesday, 22 February 2022 16:27 (two years ago) link
the pnau remix is the charting one, slightly souped up version of the original.
my first encounter with it is this claptone remix which i really like, it's pretty deep and elegant
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t7vsYCY6Vn4
― Nedlene Grendel as Basenji Holmo (map), Tuesday, 22 February 2022 16:32 (two years ago) link
On Saturday I was at a function where the DJ played amapiano and Afrobeats all day long. This was the only song that got played more than once, and both times everyone was going wild for it.
― boxedjoy, Tuesday, 22 February 2022 19:09 (two years ago) link
I've never been to an Elton John concert, but I just got a ticket to his Barclays Center show next week. It got me curious, so I went looking for live material on YouTube. No one who is 76 performs like they're still in their 20's, but it's really something to see him so energetically flamboyant and sounding so young - until now, I had only seen him on talk shows when he was already in his 50's.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G-rrfP4W2QA
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ly07GWoK9aY
― birdistheword, Friday, 25 February 2022 05:19 (two years ago) link
Ok, the Barclays show wound up being a ton of fun. The best parts were the extended workouts on "Levon" (after which Elton pretends to collapse on his piano from exhaustion) and "Rocket Man" with some gorgeous interplay between Elton on piano and Johnstone on guitar...also the coolest effect of the night (and this was a great eye-popping show in terms of visuals) was during "Rocket Man." The set piece opens with a view of Earth as we gradually pull away, but it's also when everyone in the arena opens their phones to take a picture, so the background visual miraculously expands into a simulation of the Milky Way that covers the entire arena. Awesome.
And Elvis Costello & Diana Krall brought their kids! I forgot Elton John hosted their wedding - crazy.
― birdistheword, Thursday, 3 March 2022 05:27 (two years ago) link
― boxedjoy, Tuesday, February 22, 2022 7:09 PM (one week ago) bookmarkflaglink
can confirm that this was the big hit at a gay ski party i did on 2/26.
― Nedlene Grendel as Basenji Holmo (map), Monday, 7 March 2022 22:13 (two years ago) link
the "Kiss the Bride" interpolation is clever-ironic if you're hip to the Elton catalog, a cool excuse for a falsetto for everyone else.
― So who you gonna call? The martini police (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Monday, 7 March 2022 22:32 (two years ago) link
I'm a fan of the Elton John/Dua Lipa mashup. I like the song "Sacrifice" but I like it better in this context, weirdly.
I was a bit miffed that my mother had no idea the "cold cold heart" part was from "Sacrifice", which confirms as I suspected that her brain forgot everything he did post-1977 other than "I Guess That's Why They Call It the Blues".
― i read to 69 position (Neanderthal), Monday, 7 March 2022 22:33 (two years ago) link
"Sacrifice" (his first UK #1!) got airplay down here incommensurate with its Billboard ranking; it's the biggest Elton hit in South Florida I heard between "Nikita" and "The One."
― So who you gonna call? The martini police (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Monday, 7 March 2022 22:35 (two years ago) link
well, I guess the George Michael duet counts too.
Didn't realize he was one Emmy away from an "EGOT" which he just attained via an Emmy award for Best Variety Special (Live) for Farewell From Dodger Stadium. (FWIW, in addition to several Grammy Awards, he got an Oscar for a song for The Lion King and a Tony for Aida.)
― birdistheword, Tuesday, 16 January 2024 04:00 (eight months ago) link
Ego is the great lost Elton Song - got to somewhere in the mid 30s in the UK and wasn't on any albums so nobody heard it. Elton goes Sparks, almost. There's a story in his book of how he spent a load of money making the video, and then even more money hiring out a cinema to show the thing for its premiere, and then nobody had any real reaction to it and he realised he'd spent a few hundred thousand pounds on four minutes of video and everyone went to the cinema for that so he just got them to play it again while he snuck out the back https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qt7xtcD40Dg
― a3poify, Friday, 3 May 2024 19:45 (four months ago) link