CosmicBen's Record Reviews
"J" Reviews
* * * Diana Ross Presents The Jackson 5 (1969)--This isn't a great album, but it's the home of a great song and sometimes that's all I ask for. "I Want You Back" is super-kinetic single that gave Motown a new breath of life at the end of the sixties. It's built on a razor-sharp rhythm guitar line and the best bass playing I've ever heard, and it introduced the world to the breathtakingly powerful voice of ten-year-old Michael Jackson. I don't want to gush, but it blows me away every time I hear it. Nothing else on the album comes close to it, but the Jackson brothers have enough personality, and Berry Gordy's machine is professional enough, that everything is fun and expertly performed. There are plenty of clever arranging touches, and the production leads towards colorful Beach Boys-style pop rather than the usual powerhouse R&B. The best example is the Disney standard "Zip A Dee Dooh Dah", which is funkier and more refreshing than a shameless Motown cover should ever be. Some of the songs drag, but the boys offer fun alternate takes on Motown perennials like "Standing In The Shadows Of Love". Michael brings genuine ear-catching soul to his spotlights, and if the album isn't profound, it's still a lot of fun.
* * * 1/2 Billy Joel: River Of Dreams (1993)--This is the Unholy Grail of used bins, and I'm surprised that I didn't buy it years ago when the tiny price tag started giving me a hard-on. It's produced by Danny Kortchmar, and he does an awful job, coming up with a rough, guitar-heavy rock sound that has nothing to do with Billy Joel. And sometimes Billy is drowning in his own didacticism ("Thanks to the condo kings / There's cable now IN ZOMBIE TOWN!!") or writing a few songs that don't make too much of an impression. But beneath all that, he makes a great case for why Billy Joel is still worth listening to a few decades after "Piano Man": the choruses on this album are amazing. When they're catchy, they're really, really catchy, and frequently, they're just gorgeous, the kind that will (or should) last for years and years and years in our collective cheesy mind. A bunch of the time, he overdoes it with the righteous gurgling, but just as often, he scores with very normal-sounding pop music: "Shades of Grey", "Famous Last Words", and the crazy title track are among his best songs ever. Given the two-dollar price and crappy production, I didn't expect much from this, but it's honestly grown on me: it's a mature statement from a guy who's not always interested in making one, but is certainly capable of it when he wants to.
* * * Elton John: Empty Sky (1969)--Elton John's debut is a quiet affair; you can almost hear him nervously trying new styles and wondering if the public will like them. It's a far cry from the pop icon we've come to know, but the unpretentiousness is also appealing. Ballads fill the record, pretty, harpsichord-driven songs with thoughtful Bernie Taupin lyrics. Not all of the hooks are strong, but "Skyline Pigeon" soars above its simple arrangement, and "The Scaffold" and "Val-Hala" are irresistable if you're at all into Elton. The eight-minute title track goes in a completely different direction, barrelling along to a catchy chorus while Don Fay wails flute atop the airy arrangement. Still, the most memorable song (and my favorite) is the eerie rocker "Western Ford Gateway", with a clumsy, but unforgettable echoed vocal. Empty Sky kept me company during the two-hour drive to pick up Katie from Jacksonville on my 21st birthday, so I'll always be attached to it in some way. But even if you're less of a sap than me, you'll likely be drawn in by Elton's warm experiment.
Elton John: Chartbusters Go Pop!! 16 Legendary Covers (rec. 1970-1971)--Back in the early seventies, record companies tried to swindle you into buying "hits collections" that were really recorded by anonymous session musicians. The thinking was that singers like Stevie Wonder and John Fogerty were totally unimportant to the success of their catchy, rockin' songs. Still relatively unknown, Elton John sang on scores of these low-budget remakes, and sixteen of them are included on this collection. In his liner notes, Tim Joseph makes two convincing points: that Wonder and Fogerty aside, plenty of well-remembered sixties hits really were sung by anonymous studio groups, and that Elton being Elton, and catchy songs being catchy, this is a fun collection of recordings. I won't disagree. Elton doesn't exactly replace the ubiquitous recordings we're used to, but it's fun to hear him test out the vocal mannerisms that would make him famous. As Chartbusters isn't a proper album or a comprehensive collection, I'm not rating it, but it sure does satisfy the sixties fanboy in me.
* * * * 1/2 Elton John: Madman Across The Water (1971)--I feel cheap calling this my favorite Elton John album, because it's full of big songs, provocative lyrics, and deafening orchestrations....not exactly the accidental masterpiece you discover in the used bin and tell all your cool friends about. But Madman Across The Water is Elton John at his most consistently melodic, and therefore I like it best. Gus Dudgeon's crystal-clear production combines with Elton's melodies to create a lush, exhilirating listening experience that still holds up today. Even the overblown gospel choruses add to the experience. The huge singalong "Tiny Dancer" is one of Elton's best songs, but the mindblowingly orchestrated "Levon" and the complex "Madman Across The Water" are almost as good. Even less ambitious tracks like "Rotten Peaches", "Holiday Inn", and "All The Nasties" have wonderfully catchy melodies and are among my favorite EJ songs. I could do without the overlong, aimless epic "Indian Sunset", but I am consistently blown away by the sheer bombastic fun of listening to this album.
* * * 1/2 Elton John: Friends Soundtrack (1971)--Elton is a showman at heart, and classics like "Goodbye Yellow Brick Road" are sugar-shots of melodic perfection that unfortunately don't make for much of a listener-artist connection. Friends is the exception to the rule, with Elton's quietly cracking voice and Paul Buckmaster's sleepy orchestration creating an intimacy that transcends the material. "Friends", "Michelle's Song", and "Seasons" aren't his most memorable melodies but they're among his prettiest songs, gorgeous minor-key numbers with touching lyrics and gentle strings in the background. "Honey Roll" and "Can I Put You On" should detract from the peaceful experience, being fast and funky, but they're so well-done that I just groove along. I do zone out during Paul Buckmaster's calming orchestral numbers, but Elton brings me back at just the right times. The album ends with "Seasons Reprise", and the last few notes will leave you at peace with the world. If Elton's eagerness has ever made you jumpy, the lulling warmth of Friends is a perfect antidote, like having Elton (and a huge orchestra) quietly playing in your living room while you fall asleep on the couch.
* * * 1/2 Elton John: Honky Chateau (1972)--Even though Honky Chateau is full of annoying, unmelodic country-rock songs, and it's not one of my favorite Elton John albums, it's proof that you can't go wrong with the man's classic period. Taken one at a time, the country songs are fun enough, and bassist Dee Murray adds masterful high notes and rock-solid rhythm throughout the album. Despite the overall wearying effect of the filler, Chateau features three of Elton's best songs. "Honky Cat" is upbeat and catchy, with tinkly piano dancing around brilliant horn riffs and one of Elton's most playful vocals. The gorgeous "Rocket Man" is a masterpiece of swooping mellotron, pulsing bass notes, and subtle guitar strumming. Finally, the mandolin-driven ballad "Mona Lisas And Mad Hatters" is an impossibly touching tribute to my favorite place in the world, New York City. All three songs prove that Elton wasn't a sappy balladeer in the seventies, but an important, creative pop musician, and they make this spotty album fully worth owning.
* * * * Elton John: Goodbye Yellow Brick Road (1973)--Bogged down with monotonous filler, Goodbye Yellow Brick Road still showcases Elton John and his band at the peak of their powers. "Funeral For A Friend" is an 11-minute epic that builds from a somber synth intro to hard-hitting verses and a blistering chorus. "Candle In The Wind" is a quiet, melodic Marilyn Monroe tribute, while the title ballad is a wrenching showcase for Elton's flexible crooning. The strutting, falsetto-ridden "Bennie And The Jets" and the propulsive, razor-sharp "Saturday Night's Alright For Fighting" (with Davey Johnstone shredding away on guitar) are two of Elton's best rockers. On "Grey Seal", Elton's piano spars mesmerizingly with Nigel Olsson's tight, expressive drumming, while the seeming throwaway "Jamaica Jerk-off" is a deliriously fun reggae send-up. "Dirty Little Girl" is one of the better minor tracks, raunchy and stomping and infectiously charismatic. These songs are among Elton's most creative and make me quite giddy when they come on the radio. Still, the album is still nearly impossible to slog through, as Elton needlessly pads it out with indistinct piano ballads and unmelodic 50's throwback rockers. Every song has energy or passable prettiness (especially the soaring closer "Harmony"), but they're pointless enough to make the album less than the sum of its amazing parts.
* * * 1/2 Elton John: Captain Fantastic And The Brown Dirt Cowboy (1975)--Captain Fantastic is one of Elton's quietest albums, rarely reaching higher conceptually than sprightly piano pop. Often, the acoustic guitars and gentle drumming drown out Elton's voice, so the songs are fun but unrecognizable as Elton classics. Further, he sometimes can't find a central hook, as on the engaging title track and the melodic pop songs "Writing" and "We All Fall In Love Somtimes". "Someone Saved My Life Tonight" is one of Elton's best songs, long but deeply emotional and culminating in a stunning circular chorus. My other favorites are the brilliant, thoroughly innocuous pop songs "Towel Of Babel" and "Bitter Fingers". "Babel" rides along on some amazing falsetto notes and "Fingers" has a rollicking, super-catchy chorus and breezy harmonies. The closer "Curtains" reaches for epic status and falls short, but it's still quite pretty. Overall, Captain Fantastic is quiet and slick, but also engagingly passionate. And that was the last sentence of the review. Wait......damn.
* * * 1/2 Elton John: Rock Of The Westies (1975)--There's no epoch-defining pop music on Rock Of The Westies, just a bunch of infectiously creative rock songs. Throughout, Elton is brimming with energy, and most songs feature loud, scraggly guitar riffs from Caleb Quaye and Davey Johnstone The centerpiece, "Yell Help / Wednesday Night / Ugly", melds three wild choruses into one bizarrely catchy medley. "Billy Bones And The White Bird" is a furiously exciting take on the Bo Diddley beat, while "Grow Some Funk Of Your Own" is a manic, riff-heavy rocker. Nearly every other song catches your attention in some way: "Dan Dare" combines sci-fi lyrics with talkbox guitar effects, and "I Feel Like A Bullet (In The Gun Of Robert Ford)" is a spare ballad that's all the more striking for being the only slow song on the album. The big hit was "Island Girl", a bouncy mock-calypso track with the world's most perfect falsetto note in the chorus. Every thousandth time "Candle In The Wind 1997" trudges across the airwaves, Doctor CosmicBen prescribes a good spin of Rock Of The Westies and lots of crazy screaming along.
* * * 1/2 Elton John: A Single Man (1978)--A Single Man showcases Elton losing the magic of his early recordings but still retaining his musical sense. Producer Clive Franks adds cheesy touches all over the place, but Elton just sings over them and pounds away on his piano. Running out of twisting, falsetto-laden melodies, he lets his chords do the talking, opening with the spare, beautiful "Shine On Through" and "Return To Paradise". His sense of camp sometimes overtakes him, as on the over-energetic "I Don't Care" and "Madness", but he does pull off the infectiously smutty singalong "Big Dipper". "Georgia" is a huge, chorused anthem that has nothing to do with rock music, but Elton sells it with one of his strongest melodies. Still, he sinks "It Ain't Gonna Be Easy", which has an epic structure and classy Paul Buckmaster strings but no melody to stand on. Despite that and some simpering soft-rock tracks at the end, Elton is clearly still interested in making creative rock music, which makes it very unlikely that his next album will be, say, a collection of disco numbers.
* * Elton John: Victim Of Love (1979)--My girlfriend thinks I buy albums not because they'll sound good but because they're cheap, or notorious, or they'll complete my collection of a particular artist, or because they're really, really cheap. And that's why she's my girlfriend, because she knows me so incredibly well. Case in point: Victim Of Love is known far and wide as Elton John's worst album but I rescued it from the used bin anyway. And it does sound like Elton is aiming for crapaciousness here. He lets Pete Bellotte write all the songs and arrange all the arrangements, and all he does is sing lifeless, buried vocals on top of it all. I see why any self-respecting fan of Elton's music or even vaguely good music would hate it. I, on the other hand, have no self-respect and cannot bring myself to hate the album. If the beat is the same on every song, it's a toe-tapping beat; if the arrangements are stupid, they keep the energy level high; and if the songs are braindead, there is a functional catchiness to nearly all of them. It's not art, but it beats a slow-jam R&B album anyday.
* * 1/2 Elton John: Reg Strikes Back (1988)--If rock criticism is only worthwhile as a consumer guide, then is there any point to late-period Elton John reviews? And if it's a serious study of music, what does a review of Reg Strikes Back add to the zeitgeist? But maybe all albums are created equal, and every trip to the record store begins as a blind choice between Abbey Road and Foreigner's comeback album. In that case, I hope this review helps you. The album isn't as obscure as I've implied; the catchy, propulsive "I Don't Want To Go On With You Like That" was a #2 hit, but like most of the songs on here it's melodically flat and not all that interesting. The arrangements are adventurous -- jazz legend Freddie Hubbard squeals trumpet all over the booming "Mona Lisas And Mad Hatters (Part Two)" -- but Elton's melodies, the one truly vital part of his music, are uniformly boring . On several ill-conceived guitar rockers, a repeated phrase is the only way to tell where the chorus is. Worse, Elton phones in his vocals, faking some enthusiasm but mostly singing like he's half-asleep. The best song is "Since God Invented Girls", a gorgeous, soulful slowie with chorused harmonies and Carl Wilson slipping in some heartbreaking vocals. Colorful and energetic, Reg Strikes Back is also pointless and unmemorable; and I advise you to think twice before rushing out to buy it.
* * * Elton John: Sleeping With The Past (1989)--The end of an era. The songs can be innocuous, but most are melodically deeper than those on Reg Strikes Back, and more creative than what came next. Despite its soft-rock sheen, "Sacrifice" is a twisting, affecting ballad, probably the last Elton song born of melodic brilliance instead of occasionally inspired workmanship. It hit big, as did the fun, bouncy "Club At The End Of The Street". There are other upbeat moments, which would soon become scarce: the horn-backed strut of "I Never Knew Her Name", the jaunty reggae "Durban Deep". The production is at once varied and thin, full of interesting sonic touches but no muscle...when the melodies aren't striking, it's hard to notice there's music playing. Still, if the album is small, it's notable for featuring the last truly great single, the last gasp of Elton's airy, flexible voice, the last time he tried to be the slightest bit unpredictable.
* * * Elton John: The One (1992)--The title track was Elton's obligatory Adult Contemporary megahit, with warm singing and a booming, instantly accessible melody. It's sad that this kind of song has become Elton's claim to fame, but it's quite pretty and easily blows away, say, Richard Marx. It's also the only great song on the album, but the others clearly have purpose, ambling atop vigorous drumbeats and sincere vocals from Elton. Nearly every song features a distinct (if slow) melody, and there's nothing awkward or tacky to be found. "Whitewash County" and "On Dark Street" are rare fast-paced tracks and quite infectious, and "The Last Song" is Elton's trademark spare, touching album closer. But producer Chris Thomas shoots for a dark, dreary sound that isn't helped by Elton's newly unflexible voice. Synths play the changes, watering everything down and drowning out Elton's gentle plunking. Worse, the crawling tempos and unending song lengths make the album nearly impossible to hack through in one listen. If you're not looking for quality funeral music, it's best to listen to The One in short spurts.
* * 1/2 Elton John: Made In England (1995)--What's the point of far-reaching lyrics and ambitious orchestration when the album is destined to be another collection of creaky ballads, a few half-hearted rockers, and one Adult Contemporary sensation? Why try to be different when you've been making the same concept album since the 80's? Everything is delicate, slow, and anchored by Elton's hoary late-period voice. It isn't a collection of toss-offs, and a lot of planning clearly went into these morose tracks. He relies on real instruments rather than synthetic imitations thereof. But there's just nothing exciting about it all. Even the catchy, energetic rockers "Made In England" and "Please" stay monochromatic rather than exploding into a million pop colors like they should. With Elton's newly subtle melodies, only a few tracks stand out. "Blessed" was all over the radio and deservedly so; it's a gentle, melodic dedication to a newborn child. "Believe" was also big, but despite being memorable, it's as depressing as everything else. Never trust an album that sounds like a Sunday night.
* * 1/2 Elton John: The Big Picture (1997)--Pleasant and melodic it may be, but The Big Picture comes close to being worse than Victim Of Love. I don't think anybody in 1979 was scared that Elton was going to be disco-man for the rest of his career, but in 1997 it made perfect sense to assume that he had permanently descended into adult contemporary schlock-ville. Every song is a big, booming midtempo ballad, sung to the dinner theatre audience, drowning in atmospheric synth washes and lyrics that are blander than bland. He can still write songs, and keepers like "Something About The Way You Look Tonight" and the near-rocker "Wicked Dreams" show that the inspiration is there if the imagination is gone. Presumably there's an audience out there for Elton's late-period balladry, but the album is a slap in the face to fans of his fun, ambitious early records. I've become more open lately to "adult" music, but if I am ever moved by the grandiose delivery of lines like "There's more ways than one to regain your senses / Break out the stalls and we'll live like horses", take me out to pasture and shoot me.
* * * 1/2 Elton John's The Road To El Dorado (2000)--Elton is treading water as an artist, but I feel like I've hit a new low as a listener. His soundtrack to the animated film (which I haven't seen) is good for late-period Elton: the melodies are fun, the production is slick, and his voice is warmer and bouncier than on the dull-fest Made In England. "The Trail We Blaze" and "16th Century Man" are fun pseudo-rockers, and the obligatory ballads like "Someday Out Of The Blue" will put a smile on your face. In fact, none of the songs overstay their welcome. But what am I doing buying this? There are hundreds of great new bands out there waiting to be discovered, bands that could make me feel cool for getting into them. Some even offer to send me their CD's for free. And I opt to spend four dollars on this perfectly pleasant CD that makes me feel like driving my nonexistent kids to a soccer game. Elton should feel no shame for producing such a happy little piece of product, but I think I bought it about fifteen years too early.
* * * Elton John: Songs From The West Coast (2001)--This was hailed upon release as a return to Elton's seventies sound, although, to be fair, Elton's record company did most of the hailing. But hey, I'll hail a bit. Patrick Leonard's production consists of nothing but piano, bass, drums, and guitar, much of it played by early cohorts like Davey Johnstone and Nigel Olsson. It's a novel configuration of instruments, and I understand why it took Elton so long to stumble across it. The result is a huge step up from the synth-happy slop of the last few proper albums, and Taupin's lyrics are full of intriguing images. Unfortunately, the songs are of the same flat, vaguely melodic stuff Elton has been mining since....well, it's been a while. He plays some tasty piano, but Olsson's pounding drums can't disguise the morose tempos and Elton's unadventurous vocals. It adds up to something much better than soft-rock, with several enjoyable songs, but the overall effect is dull dull dull.
* * * Elton John: Peachtree Road (2004)--I bought this at 6 a.m. on the day after Thanksgiving in a crazy Jacksonville Best Buy, and, well, that was about as fun as the record got. It's not bad -- Elton self-produces for the first time, and nails Gus Dudgeon's clear and colorful sound, with no synths -- it's just predictable late-period Elton. Nearly every track is a ballad, and they're pretty, engaging, and interchangeable; I have no idea how he chose "Answer In The Sky" as the requisite single. He does stretch himself vocally, going soulful on "Porchswing In Tupelo" and a few other songs. Davey Johnstone and Nigel Olsson are as tasteful as ever, but Olsson has nothing to do except catch a few winks between beats. In sum, it's the same enjoyable mush he's been cooking since 1992's The One; who knew Elton John would willfully end up a shade duller than the Smithereens?
* * * * Rickie Lee Jones: Pirates (1981)--Rickie Lee Jones' songs bounce from one musical idea to another, sometimes never making their way back to a central theme. But when she does find the chorus, it's often deliriously melodic and sung with a cooing passion that breaks my heart. Her helium-tinged voice soars and flickers over warm piano chords on top of a swaying rhythm. She sings with carefree abandon, as if she's having fun but can't wait to escape the studio and stare up at the nighttime sky and then write a song about that. Harmonies drop in to embellish the most important words, then disappear like she forgot about them. It's hard to hear the lyrics, but the images suggest that she can romanticize the parts of life that I usually amble past in a stupor. It's the romance that draws me in, the shimmering portrait of a big city that's as complex and fascinating as Bruce Springsteen's urban fantasylands. I might never describe the world as gorgeously as Rickie Lee Jones does, but I hope I can learn to look at it through the same wide eyes.
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