Click Here To Open The Spotify Playlsit
Week 4:
Elton John
Artist Introduction
Was very happy that everybody enjoyed my first choice, Elton John.. So, Elton John Yellow Brock Road was my very first album (I was in grammar school, Yes, I'm old). I found it difficult to choose songs, there are so many good ones. It was obvious I like Elton's early music. His songs tell stories, which I enjoy. I always loved his outfits and crazy glasses.
Mom Cascella
Most Popular
Bennie And The Jets
Has that catchy piano beginning, and it's just an all-around fun song.
Don't Let The Sun Go Down On Me
Good song, pretty lyrics.
Candle In The Wind
Great tribute to M Monroe, tho I thought cheesy for Diana (damn, ur Elton John, write a new song).
Personal Favorites
Your Song
Love, love, love this song, a beautiful love story.
Daniel
Sad and beautiful.
Tiny Dancer
Made me think of Almost Famous. Perfect driving in the car song.
Unique Songs
Mona Lisas And Mad Hatters
Ballad to New York City. Great Song. And he says LISA!!!
All The Young Girls Love Alice
Poor, poor Alice, but really kicks in with a real good rock vibe.
Funder For A Friend/Love Lies Bleeding
A bit long on the instumental, but when it gets going, real good.
Conclusions
Thanks for listening, one of my all-time favorites. I Give ELTON JOHN 9.2
Cascella Family Reviews
Vin Cascella
Elton John is possibly the most famous voice in all of pop rock and the music in this selection shows just how enduring his legacy is. All the music in this list came out in the 1970s and it’s all still relevant to this day.
Bennie And The Jets: My second favorite song that features a stutter (My Generation). Probably one of the most famous songs ever. Fun instruments, call falsetto voice in the latter half. Iconic piano piece. There’s nothing bad to say about this song. It’s 5:20 but all of it feels necessary to the structure of the song.
Don’t Let The Sun Go Down On Me: Not my favorite song of his but definitely not a bad song. It’s like a better version of a Pill Collins-esque Disney track. It takes too long for this song to get going for me but I do enjoy the chorus. I really like the build in the last 90 seconds though. So maybe cut out a minute from this song and I’d be more on board.
Candle In The Wind: Kind of like the previous track, it’s just a little slow for me. It’s a fine track, just not really my style. I don’t think it’s as good as some of the other famous tracks but as a stand alone it's perfectly good.
Your Song: My favorite song in this entire selection. A really nice stripped down song that does not have all the theatrics of a lot of his other work. I really like the string arrangement and the “12-string” guitar work that is used. It’s slow like the previous two songs but I like the arrangement so much more. Like I've said a few times in my reviews, strings make everything better!
Daniel: This is probably my least favorite song in the selection. Kind of reminds me of Lounge music or Caboret. I could see Elton in a leopard print robe and slippers playing this song in a lounge, actually that might not be theatrical enough for him.
Tiny Dancer: Another top pick for me. Pretty much the opposite of “Your Song”, being incredibly theatrical. Really solid pay-off when the first chorus kicks in at 2:30. I never noticed all of the slide guitar. I would’ve thought this was his most famous song. HOLD ME CLOSER TONY DANZA!
Mona Lisas and Mad Hatters: A Masterclass in story telling. Classic tale of the hope and ambitions of New Yorkers amongst the grit and chaos of the city. I also really love the 3 stacked mandolins playing in the background. It really gives that traditional Italian (apparently Sicilian according to google) sound.
All the Girls Love Alice: Looked into the lyrics and meaning of this song. Wild that it was an LGBT positive song back in the 70s. Did this get any backlash back then? Learned that Elton came out as bisexual in ‘76 (3 years before this song), married to a woman in ‘84, divorced in ‘88 and came out as gay in ‘92. Either way its another fun pop rock song that breaks out into a solid rock instrumental during the last minute or so.
Funeral For A Friend/ Love Lies Bleeding: An 11 minute epic that could be considered two songs is a bold choice, really getting your money’s worth on that pick. But yes, another epic song that is a little more rocking that the previous tracks. No lyrics until 5:50 (just learned Funeral For a Friend is the instrumental half and then the lyrics follow in the second part, Love Lies Bleeding).So props for having an almost six minute instrumental and getting away with it! Pink Floyd sounding from 2:40-3:30, very spacey instrumentals, I dig it. Then it kicks into something that reminds me of Meatloaf in a good way. The most synthesizer out of anything we’ve heard so far. The bass really kicks in for the second half, big fan. Elton’s voice is unmistakable but the music could be something that Rush would put out. This is the opening track of the album “Goodbye Yellow Brick Road”, what a statement piece to open an album!
Overall Sir Elton John was a nice change of pace in the music so far and I learned a little about some tracks I haven’t heard before. It’s not really my style of music but I have to respect how important he was for music and pop culture as a whole. Some of the tracks were a little stale for me but it really ended on a strong note. Lots of hits on this list. 7.8/10
Joe Cascella
What a fun choice, I love this for your first selection! It's pretty crazy to think about how much familiar music he has in his catalog.
Bennie and the Jets is an instance classic and fun song. A perfect sing along. The high pitch Bennies are fun. I can just view my buddy Russ singing this at full blast in the garage at 2 am. Fun start
Dont let the Sun Go Down and Candle in the Wind is just classic Elton. Nothing too crazy to report here. Fun stories, good singing, very enjoyable.
I would agree with moms #1 favorite choice in Your Song. This really may be his best song, just beautiful all the way around.
Dad hit the mark on his review of Daniel. It's clearly Elton, but somehow still unique in his own way. Another fun story telling song that had its moments. Pretty cool that he can be so distinct but still so creative and unique in his overall sound.
I've never connected a song with a movie more than Tiny Dancer in Almost Famous. I would say this is my other favorite Elton song, and I'll always sing this as loud as I can anywhere I hear it.
The last three songs showed a different side in still a very fun way. I didn't know Elton could rock like that, specifically in Alice.
Yeah, this was awesome, and made my ride up here for Thanksgiving a very enjoyable one. Elton is an even 8.0 big dog. Great Stuffing, Happy Thanksgiving!
Dad Cascella
Mom's pick is Sir Elton John (not to be confused with Queen Elton John), and it's a great one. I grew up listening to Elton, and his album Yellow Brick Road makes my desert island 3 albums to have (it's a double album after all), so I'm pretty familiar with his music. The funny thing is almost all of mom's selections are from young Elton, truly at the prime of his career. I'm absolutely not a fan from pretty much all his music from 2000 and on, so I was looking forward to a good listen, so here we go:
BENNIE AND THE JETS- I thought I hated this song thru the years, but after giving it a good listen, it's actually not a bad song, telling a good story of a band, with female Bennie as the leader. Did Elton steal the stutter of The Who's My Generation (Ba Ba Ba Bennie and the Jets), I don't know, but it works. I don't like the ending, with the crowd noise to give it an impression of a live track, but this is a pretty good start.
DON'T LET THE SUN GO DOWN ON ME- Iconic song, with a classic chorus, and this song has been recorded by other artists countless times, so the pop/rock world must like it too. Song starts a bit slow, but hits it stride with the chorus, and the line that begins with "these chords I write" is one of my favorite lines in Eltons songs.
CANDLE IN THE WIND- Beautiful tribute to Marilyn Monroe, with absolutely great lyrics. While we're on the subject of lyrics, Bernie Taupin, the lyricist in almost all of Eltons songs, has to be considered among the best lyric writers in pop/rock. A sad song, which when done live (I listened to both studio and live recording), brings out a good feeling. I thought it was a little hokey when he re-made the song with different lyrics after Princess Diana's death,but what do I know.
YOUR SONG- The hits just keep on coming!! I wonder if this iconic song is autobiographical. "How wonderful life is while you're in the world" is sung beautifully. This song is also classic Elton, with just him for the first part, with the band kicking in halfway thru. I also liked the orchestration in this song. Yup, a winner.
DANIEL- I'm not usually into organs in songs (except of course John Paul Jones), but this works. Another great storytelling song (Taupin sure knows how to rhyme). It's hard to explain, that many of Elton's songs are very similar, but also unique, and this one falls into that category.
TINY DANCER- Yup, thank you Nancy Wilson for inserting this song in the movie Almost Famous, where it fit so perfectly and gave the song a whole new life. I think the song is good, not great, but I really do like the tone switch halfway thru. Again, Taupin's lyrics have you asking, Who is the Tiny Dancer.
MONA LISA AND MAD HATTERS- wow, what a choice Lisa. Not one of Elton's most famous or known songs, it's always been one of my favorites. Only Elton and a piano in the beginning, with light orchestration coming in halfway thru. Listening to it several times, it almost sounds like he did this live in the studio. Very different lyrics by Bernie, with what I consider a simple, beautiful arrangement. And the last verse in fantastic.
ALL THE YOUNG GIRLS LOVE ALICE- Fun song. After you get past the slow beginning, the song really kicks in quickly. Poor Alice, couldn't get it on with the boys on the scene (so she switched sides??). I don't like the nonsense noise towards the end, but a fun, good storytell.
FUNERAL FOR A FRIEND/LOVE LIES BLEEDING- this one is kind of difficult to figure. Very slow beginning, then interesting chord combo's, with not a lyric sung during Funeral. Then about 2 1/2 minutes in a piano intro leads into Love Lies Bleeding. Some punches thrown in at 3 1/2 minutes, a change in tune at 4 1/2 minutes, with power chords thrown in at 5 1/2 minutes. And still going 8 1/2 minutes in!!! I know that Elton, in his heyday, opened many concerts with this, which probably helped Elton and the band to warm up, but I don't know. I like the music, when it kicks in during Funeral, and I really like the transition into Love Lies. Overall, the song is probably great to see live, but Love Lies is just an OK song for me.
So overall, after giving Eltons music and Bernies lyrics a real good listen and re-listen, I was very happy I did. This is very, very good pop music, with a little rock thrown in. I'd have to put Elton/Bernie in with the greats for writing, as is well deserved, considering their music is still heard all over even after 50 years.
(DISCLAIMER)- these comments are only related to these songs listed, and Elton pre-2000, with anything after not considered. Would I go see Elton-if he was performing these songs, absolutely yes. And on these songs, and these songs only, I go with a 9.2
Uncle Vin Cascella
I was a casual EJ fan in the early 70s but it was his 1973 album Goodbye Yellow Brick Road that turned me into an Elton superfan. Then in ‘75, with the release of Captain Fantastic I started to really study and learn his music. I credit EJ, along with the Eagles and the Who, for starting my long journey and love affair with music. And although I lost track of most of his new releases starting in the 1980s, EJ will always be my favorite artist. His writing partnership with Bernie Taupin has always fascinated me- E had what I consider to be a unique and special way of delivering lyrics- whether incredibly personal and poignant or just simple- as if he wrote them! He wrote music- much of it uncomplicated, Bernie wrote ALL of the early lyrics into the early 80s. I find that insanely fascinating. I saw Elton’s live show 19 times, including at Central Park, MSG, Yankee Stadium (with Billy Joel), Shea and Eisenhower Hall (with only percussion player Ray Cooper) on the West Point campus.
BENNIE AND THE JETS: Although not close to being one of my EJ favorites, I love the live vibe- a neat trick over 50 years ago. Fun fact- E was the first white artist to appear on the TV music show from the 70s- Soul Train. He did Bennie!
DON’T LET THE SUN GO DOWN ON ME: an absolutely beautiful song. Fun fact- Toni Tennille along with 3 members of the Beach Boys- another early musical influence of mine- Carl and Brian Wilson and Bruce Johnson, sang the backing vocals.
CANDLE IN THE WIND: a lovely little Taupin poem set to almost embarrassingly simple music- it became one of his top signature tunes. Mystifyingly so IMHO! Fun fact- when Bernie re-wrote the lyrics to honor Princess Diana, and it became a huge hit song, it re-ignited a longtime feud between E and Keith Richards. “Another bad song about a dead blonde” and “so sad that he capitalizes financially on such a tragedy” or something like that! E returned fire- “go learn a few more chords on guitar instead of the same ones over and over” or some such nonsense. EDITOR’S NOTE: These quotes are from memory and no doubt wrong- but you get the point!
YOUR SONG: Beautiful Song. Fun fact- a friend of mine (and former bandmate) was a longtime piano bar solo musician. I used to go see him and I would sing this song- very well I might add. We also did a few songs from our Band’s catalog!
DANIEL: One of my all-time favorite songs. Great lyrics and singing and gorgeous production. Fun fact- I sing a harmony line to this song- a harmony line that doesn’t exist!
TINY DANCER: hit song after hit song, but I’m guessing that Vin and Joe are just a little tired of all this soft music with sweet lyrics! Fun fact- Taupin’s lyrics are about a “free spirited” woman in California who sewed patches on the Band’s clothing!
MONA LISAS AND MAD HATTERS: insanely gorgeous lyrics set to an insanely gorgeous production- top flight piano and mandolin and backing vocals. And one of Elton’s best vocal performances. No fun fact- sorry!
ALL THE GIRLS LOVE ALICE: Rock song featuring E’s longtime guitar player Davey Johnstone. I absolutely love this song. Fun fact- 1980 or ‘81 at MSG, they opened the show with an almost 20 minute version of this song. It got louder and harder and they did a repeat or 2 of the chorus…. And it absolutely murdered the crowd!
FUNERAL FOR A FRIEND/LOVE LIES BLEEDING: two completely different songs strung back to back- a neat trick to start the great double album Yellow Brick Road. E’s classical training began at age 11 at the Royal Academy of Music- someone at the prestigious school recognized some talent in the young Reginald and he was awarded a scholarship. The composition and performance of Funeral is beyond brilliant. Producer Gus Dudgeon- who started working with EJ in 1969, deserves much of the credit for how amazing this song turned out. Besides knowing how to get the best out of E, Davey, Dee Murray (bass) and Nigel Olsson(drums), he pushed up the volume of percussionist Ray Cooper playing whatever instrument makes that clicking sound 3:42 into the song- and I think it’s awesome! Love Lies Bleeding is a great Rock song- the Band absolutely cooks- and Dee- who is a fantastic bass player (and a strong influence on my bass work), is at his best. Seeing these songs performed live at MSG probably 4 or 5 times in the 80s is a highlight of my life. Seeing just Elton and Ray perform these 2 songs at West Point was sick!
Fun fact- I went down to the stage at West Point to get a picture of E at his piano. About 1 second before I clicked, an MP put a strong hand on my right shoulder! As he escorted me up the aisle he told me if I get out of my seat again he’s gonna “toss me out the front door and roll me down the cement stairs. Do you understand me?” “Yes sir”!
Final score: 9.6.