Goodbye Yellow Brick Road - ELTON JOHN*****

Funeral For A Friend (Love Lies Bleeding)/Candle In The Wind/Bennie & The Jets/Goodbye Yellow Brick Road/ This Song Has No Title/Grey Seal/Jamaica Jerk Off/I've Seen That Movie Too/Sweet Painted Lady/The Ballad Of Danny Bailey (1909-1934)/Dirty Little Girl/All The Girls Love Alice/Your Sister Can't Twist (But She Can Rock & Roll)/Saturday Night's Alright For Fighting/Roy Rogers/Social Disease/Harmony

Normally with a double album some filler material might be expected. However, this is most certainly not the case with Elton John’s Goodbye Yellow Brick Road since every song here is first rate. (US:1 UK:1)

“There was something happy, pleasant and joyful with the release of Goodbye Yellow Brick Road. The music had nothing to do with the decline of the psychedelic 60s, its varied musical styles and influences were fresh and inspiring, and the songs flowed from sombre melodies to raucous anthems.”

“Elton John was not, unlike today's pop tarts and poseurs, just a pop star, but also a very capable and expressive musician. No wonder he keeps getting himself into trouble for blasting today's pop stars - he writes classic pop opuses like this one, while they can't even sing live on stage.”

“While normally a double album would indicate overconfidence and too little good stuff spread too thinly, that's definitely not the case here. Goodbye Yellow Brick Road is bursting with ideas, influences and styles. A smorgasbord of rock and pop goodness it covers prog-rock, ballads, pure pop, glam-rock, show tunes, hard rock even a laughable attempt at reggae.”

“Elton was of course always different; the fact that he used the acoustic piano as his weapon of choice, in a world of screaming electric guitars, was just one aspect of his uniqueness. Then there was his sweet, crooner like voice which could melt ice and those meaningful lyrics that popped out of Taupin's head, which used imagery and sophistication way beyond your usual pop song.”

“Elton John had the magic ability to write beautifully melodic tunes, which were catchy but never trivial. He used strange chord changes and included a myriad of clever flourishes originating in blues, jazz, vaudeville and cabaret, and were way more sophisticated that what most people considered as pop. This was Elton's magic and the reason why this music remains perfect and untouchable by time.”

“Anything I say would only pale in comparison to this virtuoso's creative and varying musical talents that are on display for well over an hour in this double dose of listening pleasure. If you listen to it with an open mind, you will love it.”