50th Anniversary Edition
5 Stars
Audio CD (paid link)
At the age of fifteen, Reginald Dwight started working, playing piano in a pub at the Northwood Hills Hotel, playing Thursday to Sunday. Even occasionally playing his own songs mixed in with songs by the likes of Jim Reeves or Ray Charles. Although he had normal eyesight for a teenager, he started wearing spectacles to imitate Buddy Holly. From here, he formed Bluesology who ended up being Long John Baldry’s Band, playing the Marquee Club in Wardour Street London sixteen times.
a new album or playing live gigs. Who had time to sit down?
In 1967 he answered an advert for a songwriter at Liberty Records. In his first interview, he was handed an envelope of lyrics by a certain Bernie Taupin who had attended that morning from Ray Williams, the A&R manager for Liberty. The union was almost instantly successful, joining Dick James’s DJM Records and writing songs for the like of Lulu. It was about this time that Reginald Dwight changed his name to Elton John, a tribute to two former mentors, saxophonist Elton Dean and vocalist Long John Baldry.
Things started moving pretty quickly after that. But it’s fair to say that Elton John was no overnight sensation and certainly had paid his dues.
to the incredible sights we would see over the coming years.
In 1968/9, Elton John and Bernie Taupin started writing more complex songs than the easy listening tunes they had been doing for other artists previously. They released a single, ‘Lady Samantha,’ plus an album, ‘Empty Skys,’ but neither exactly set the charts on fire. After a quick rethink, the pair went back into the studio with Bluesology musicians Caleb Quaye, Roger Pope, and Tony Murray, but more importantly, Gus Dudgeon was positioned to produce the album with Paul Buckmaster as musical arranger.
Elton John was released in April 1970, establishing the formula with gospel type rockers and heartstring tugging ballads. The first single off the album ‘Border Song’ only reached Number 91 on the Billboard Singles Chart, but the follow-up single ‘Your Song’ was a huge international hit, peaking at number 7 on the UK Charts and Number 8 in the US of A. The album quickly followed up the album charts throughout the known universe.
After a riotous tour of America, the musicians and team quickly reconvened in Trident Studios to record the follow-up album, ‘Tumbleweed Connection.’ Another resounding success, both with the critics and the record buying public, when it was released six months after the previous album. There wasn’t even any time for single releases, such was the tempo of their work rate.
Next came a soundtrack album ‘Friends’ in March 1971, a moderate success. Then a live album ‘17-11-70’ from a radio broadcast in front of a selected audience. As this album had been transmitted on the radio at the time, the bootleggers had gone to town pirating the music, making it almost impossible for major sales. But the music within the album sleeve showed off Elton John, the rock’n’roll star and showman.
Rushing back to Trident studios again, a new album was prepared. Upon its release, ‘Madman across the Water’ in November 1971 became Elton John’s sixth full-length release in two years! Would the album sales be affected by this overkill? Well, perhaps a little bit, as this classic album only reached number forty in the UK, but number eight in the US and Australia.
But what an album.
Gus Dudgeon still did not have complete faith in Elton John’s road band of Dee Murray and Nigel Olsson, so session musicians were still used on most tracks, although this was the last time it would happen.
The album certainly contains two of Elton John and Bernie Taupin’s classic songs in the title track (actually a left over from the Tumbleweed Connections sessions, but re-recorded), plus the opening song ‘Tiny Dancer,’ which was released as a single, but only doing moderately well, at the time number forty-one in Billboard. But it’s now a song that could not be left out of a Greatest Hits set or a live performance. The song took on legendary status after being included in the Rock Movie – Almost Famous in 2000.
That being said, the other seven songs are certainly no slouches either.
It’s incredible that two such young men could maintain such a high rate of songwriting for such a long time.
Of particular note are Holiday Inn tales of the road. ‘Razor Face,’ the tragic story of the homeless of the world; and ‘Indian Sunset,’ the ever-continuing saga of the perils of the Native American as topical now as when it was written with no end in sight. The miserly ‘Levon,’ ‘Rotten Peaches,’ a biographical tale of being on the run, or the lovely closing, ‘Goodbye,’ clocking in at over 45 minutes.
Now we are presented with an expanded three-CD 50th Anniversary edition.
This album, if no other, deserves the full treatment.
First, we get the original album remastered by Bob Ludwig and a fine job he has done, too. Then filling up the first CD we have a live broadcast of ‘Indian Sunset,’ the original recording of ‘Madman across the Water’ with Mick Ronson taking center stage on lead guitar. At almost nine minutes long, it leaves you wondering where these two musicians might have gone had they continued their partnership. The thought is tantalizing.
‘Rock Me When He’s Gone’ is the only real outtake on this collection, but as such, it’s rather spiffy, a fine gospel rocker with some fun barrelhouse piano. In all we get three versions of this song from different stages. The radio edit of ‘Levon’ and an extended ‘Razor Face.’ I personally love to see where the music goes after the fade out. It does not disappoint.
The musicians on this first disc include the cream of people available: Rick Wakeman on keyboards, BJ Cole on steel guitar, and Herbie Flowers on bass amongst them. Davey Johnson and Ray Cooper were added to both the recording sessions and the live band during this time.
Disc two concentrates on Elton John’s solo demos of each song on the album to show the record company what he had ready for them. Just Elton John singing accompanied only by himself on piano. There are two versions of the title track, one from the previous year. I personally have always liked Elton John in this phase of production. My favorite track from the previous album is ‘Talking Old Soldiers,’ another epic solo effort.
Disc three is a live recording of the Elton John Band made for the BBC’s Sounds for Saturday Radio Show, only the tracks from the Madman across the Water Album are released here.
The whole band are in fine form. The set starts off with some songs featuring Elton John on his own, but as the band joins in, their true colors are nailed to the mast as they transform into a really classy loud rock band.
‘Razor Face’ really benefits in the live setting.
You can already hear the union being built between these fine musicians. Davey Johnson, lead guitar and vocals; Nigel Olsson, drums and vocals; and Ray Cooper, percussion are still with the Elton John Band today. Sadly, Dee Murray, whose bass playing is so eloquent on this set, was taken from us in 1992 from a stroke. Murray had also been suffering from cancer for several years.
The extended workout of the title track is masterful with Murray really able to shine.
All eighteen of the bonus tracks have never been released before. The whole set gives you over three hours of listening pleasure.
To complete the 50th Anniversary Box Set you also get a 104-page hardcover book with introductions from Elton John and Bernie Taupin, plus contributions from many of those involved at the time. A Blu-Ray disc of Elton John on the ‘Old Grey Whistle Test’ from the time. A replica poster from 1971, as well as memorabilia and artwork copied from the Rocket Records archives.
Written by Mott the Dog
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