Metal Sludge Gossip Board

I'm watching the Goodbye Yellow Brick Road episode of Classic Albums and I gotta say that other than Madman and Honky Chateau, I don't really get into Elton John.

"Condo in the Ween" is garbage!

His early 80s stuff has some charm.

Tiny Dancer is a masterpiece.

If he comes on the radio , or as is more likely these days, pops up in a playlist I don’t skip the song but I’ve never brought an album.

Of course, I like Sir Elton. His music is just full of timeless classics.

rubysdad wrote: ↑Sat Jan 25, 2025 10:25 am If he comes on the radio , or as is more likely these days, pops up in a playlist I don’t skip the song but I’ve never brought an album.

Same. There were songs of his I definitely liked, but whatever the radio gave me was enough. He got a lot of play on my local classic rock stations, probably due to Philadelphia Freedom more than anything else.

Love and respect the hell out of Sir Elton. Everything about him. Seen him 4x in the past decade or so.

…and having said that I’ve listened to three of his albums ever (the first three) and could identify maybe 15 of his songs from hearing them.

On a greatest hits level, yes. And yeah, he had some good ones in the 80s.

the 70's material is almost UNTOUCHABLE.

and I'm not just talking about the hits, the deep cuts are great as well.

"Skyline Pigeon"

"Grey Seal"

"Amoreena"

"Come Down In Time"

"Madman Across The Water"

"Texan Love Song"

"Better Off Dead"

just to name a few.

Yes, those 70s albums are top notch.

Agreed his backing band is top flight.

I watched Elton play live one evening, we were seated right off the side of the stage. All can say that piano is LOUD. Great songs.

Elton rules.

My first concert was Elton at the Marcus Amphitheater, Sept 18th 1988 . I was 9 years old.

I prefer Billy Joel

SW wrote: ↑Sat Jan 25, 2025 10:17 am Tiny Dancer is a masterpiece.

Is it better than the one about Tony Danza?

I love Elton!
But like most, I think the only album I ever had was the greatest hits from the 70's. My cousin had a bunch of his albums when we were kids so I had access to them all.
I have seen him several times since the early 2000's. He always sounded great.

His 70s records, especially the early ones, were excellent.

17-11-70 is also a very underappreciated live record.

If you don't like Crocodile Rock, you're not gay

I like a few songs. But, I feel he got far too much stardom credit when he wrote the music but not the lyrics.
Without Bernie Taupin, Reggie would have been playing in a bar someplace still.
I also didn't like how flamboyant he was and feel he didn't need all that BS and should have depended on his songs more
instead of his ridiculous Liberace outfits.

Yes. His studio albums aren't always great - Goodbye Yellow Brick Road is the only one I really like, beginning to end - but he's got enough overall great material to fill three very good Greatest Hits albums.

70s: Very much yes. After that: Nope.

I think if you grew up in the 70s it's hard not to love Elton John's stuff from that era. Very smartly constructed pop music of a quality that it's impossible to even imagine being made now. I had the greatest hits album for a long time till I got hooked on Tumbleweed Connection (my favorite) and it sent me down the rabbit hole. Even the ones I doubted like Don't Shoot Me... and Caribou turned out to be better than I expected.

Having said that, I can't stand most of his post-70s music and his later live vocal delivery/style on the older classics is terrible. He doesn't even try to duplicate the singing, substituting that weird baritone mess for any upper register stuff.

There are a handful of tracks that really hit for me, particularly "Amoreena", "Son of Your Father", "Love Lies Bleeding", but it's a bit of a chore to go through the whole albums. And the big tracks that I otherwise might like quite a bit have simply been played to death. I've never even chosen to listen to them and I'm sick of them

BernieTaupson wrote: ↑Sun Jan 26, 2025 4:37 am

alleyrulez wrote: ↑Sat Jan 25, 2025 12:28 pm the 70's material is almost UNTOUCHABLE.

and I'm not just talking about the hits, the deep cuts are great as well.

I’ve Seen That Movie Too
Burn Down the Mission
Tonight
Come Down in Time
We All Fall In Love Sometimes
Sixty Years On

yeah, I mentioned "Come Down In Time."

great track.

pieceofme wrote: ↑Sat Jan 25, 2025 5:39 pm I prefer Billy Joel

Joel is a different level. Stellar albums from beginning to end. Loads of deep cuts. Elton John has some great hits, but I look at him like Bowie and Stones. Greatest hits band.

I did see Joel and John together 15 or so years ago. John was excellent. Joel was even better. Much.

exitflagger wrote: ↑Sun Jan 26, 2025 10:15 am Tumbleweed Connection (my favorite)

Good lad.

Always felt the solo in I'm Still Standing had an 80's glam metal feel too it similar to the solo in Madonna's Dress You Up song.

Huge fan. His classic stuff stands by itself and he's continued to release quality material in his later years. Taupin's lyrics have some excellent hidden gems in them, too.

Random Elton tune I'm digging right now: Listening to "Kiss the Bride" off of Too Low For Zero and I'm absolutely blown away by how good it is, especially Johnstone's guitar work here with its perfect groove.

Elton John was my first favorite artist. In the '70s, I received his first "Greatest Hits" tape from my parents for either Christmas or my birthday.

I have all of his studio lps from "Empty Sky" through "Blue Moves", plus "Too Low For Zero" and "Reg Strikes Back". I also have a few other "Greatest Hits" tapes/cds and "Live In Australia" (cd and video tape). Also, "Dream Ticket" (four dvd set). Also, the making of "Goodbye Yellow Brick Road" video tape.

The first lps that I ever purchased (on the same day) where "Captain Fantastic And The Brown Dirt Cowboy" and "Rock Of The Westies".

My favorite lp is "Caribou". "Ticking" is my favorite song. Very "Bohemian Rhapsody"-like before "Bohemian Rhapsody" was even a thought.

Favorite lps: "Caribou", "Don't Shoot Me (I'm Only The Piano Player)", "Captain Fantastic And The Brown Dirt Cowboy", "Goodbye Yellow Brick Road", and "Elton John".

Favorite songs: So many -- "Skyline Pigeon" (piano version), "Your Song", "Blues For Baby And Me", "Have Mercy On The Criminal", "High Flying Bird", "Funeral For A Friend"/"Love Lies Bleeding", "Your Sister Can't Twist (But She Can Rock 'n Roll)", "Saturday Night's Alright For Fighting", "Pinky", "Grimsby", "Don't Let The Sun Go Down On Me", "Ticking", "Step Into Christmas", "Tower Of Babel", "Bitter Fingers", "Someone Saved My Life Tonight", "Better Off Dead", "Writing", "We All Fall In Love Sometimes", "Tonight", "Sorry Seems To Be The Hardest Word", "I'm Still Standing", "I Guess That's Why The Call It The Blues", "Kiss The Bride", "The One", "The Last Song", "I Want Love"


Davey Johnstone, Dee Murray, and Nigel Olsson were the best band he ever had. So creative. Listen to those background vocals from the three of them.

Once addicted Elton John broke up the Elton John Band, he and the songs were never the same.

I saw him three times in concert: "Reg Strikes Back", tour after "Reg Strikes Back" and before the release of "Sleeping With The Past", and a solo show. All three concerts were great.


Bill Joel's singing, songwriting, and piano playing were never at the level of Elton John's (and Bernie Taupin's lyrics). Taupin wrote such a variety of songs and Elton could adjust his voice and sing in many different styles to fit the songs. Billy Joel's music, to me, is white bread. I was never a fan.

BernieTaupson wrote: ↑Sun Jan 26, 2025 11:22 pm Thanks for the life story.

I don't own anything by him & I would never purposely put on one of his songs for enjoyment, I guess my answer is no.