Bad Side Of The Moon

all about Elton

kataweb

di Paolo Gallori

Protagonista del terzo concerto gratuito ai piedi del Colosseo, Elton John offre alla folla che gremisce via dei Fori Imperiali due vibranti ore di spettacolo, spalleggiato da una band in perfetta sintonia con la sua idea di musica e forte di un canzoniere che in tema di pop rock vanta ben pochi rivali negli ultimi 40 anni. Tra questi di certo i Beatles, la cui musica risuona emblematicamente dai diffusori nel tempo che precede l'inizio dello show, quasi un tributo ai Fab Four in attesa del tributo a Captain Fantastic.

E torna alla mente Paul McCartney, che nel 2003 inaugurò la serie seguito lo scorso anno da Simon & Garfunkel. Il disegno degli organizzatori è ormai chiaro: al cospetto del Colosseo c'è posto soltanto per i grandissimi, artisti senza tempo, inattaccabili dalla volubilità dei gusti e delle mode. In giro non ne sono rimasti molti. Tra questi i Rolling Stones, con cui sono stati avviati i contatti per il concerto del 2006.

Ancora una volta Elton John porta in scena in chiave rock la favola del brutto anatroccolo che si fa cigno grazie alle sue canzoni. Elton John si porta al lungo pianoforte a coda con goffo incedere. E' piccolo e grassottello, infagottato in un vecchio frac con gigli bianchi ricamati sul petto, cravattone dorato, larghi pantaloni a strisce, scarpe bianche. Nuovi capelli rossi per dimenticare la calvizie, sul naso gli immancabili occhialetti viola. Quando poggia le mani sullo strumento le telecamere rimandano sui grandi schermi il dettaglio delle sue dita piccole e tozze. Ma quando le stesse dita iniziano a percuotere i tasti con sicurezza ed Elton John aggredisce il microfono con voce possente, quasi tenorile, ci vuole un attimo perché il miracolo si compia e diventi lettera morta ogni facile ironia sulla sua scarsa grazia, sui suoi eccessi, sulla sua omosessualità.

Pensieri certamente lontani dalle mente del pubblico, tinteggiato di chiazze rosse - i cappellini omaggio dello sponsor - che disegnano strane figure sulla marea umana. Secondo gli addetti alla sicurezza in via dei Fori Imperiali sono in 300mila, per l'enfatico sindaco Veltroni almeno in 500, forse 600mila. La consueta guerra delle cifre che accompagna gli eventi di massa non intacca la riuscita della serata.

L'inizio è frenetico. Elton John veste immediatamente i panni di Pinball Wizard, le vesti da "Mago Flipper" che gli Who gli cucirono addosso in Tommy. Lui percuote i tasti veloce e sicuro, poi si alza in piedi e nel vorticoso finale mima la chitarra lancinante di Davey Johnstone puntando poi il dito sulla folla. Scrosciano gli applausi, la partita è già vinta. Assieme al batterista Nigel Olsson, Johnstone è l'altro "amico ritrovato" di Elton John. Completano i quadri Guy Babylon alle tastiere, Bob Birch al basso e John Mahon alle percussioni. A Olsson e Johnstone Elton John dedicherà parole di grande affetto ben più convincenti dei forzati sorrisi che si scambiarono Simon & Garfunkel lo scorso anno.

Elton John affonda le mani nel libro dei ricordi. Il lento e crescente incedere di Benny And The Jets precede la dolente dolcezza di Daniel. Prima incursione nel presente è la romanticissima Turn The Lights Off When You Leave, dall'ultimo album Peachtree Road, sugli schermi le immagini del videoclip interpretato dalla bellissima Teri Hatcher, attrice della serie Desperate Housewives. Poi di nuovo lontano nel tempo: Elton John apre Take Me To The Pilot con una lunga introduzione al pianoforte, come un predicatore afroamericano, virando con la band verso un gospel ad altissimo potenziale.

Ed ecco giungere uno dei momenti più belli del concerto sulle note di Rocket Man. Elton John segue fino a un certo punto lo schema originario della canzone, poi scioglie le briglie alla band: ancorati al drumming potente di Olsson, si passa dal piano honky tonk di Elton John a Davey Johnstone che violenta la chitarra acustica, le percussioni di Mahon che avvolgono tutto e tutti in un'incandescente sequenza che vede infine Elton John percuotere la tastiera come Jerry Lee Lewis e innalzare al cielo un ultimo urlo blues: "I'm a rocket maaaan!". Il pubblico si spella le mani.

A questo punto il bandleader alza il piede dall'acceleratore e offre a tutti un attimo di respiro passando dalla melodia 60's di That's Why They Call It The Blues alla romanticissima Sacrifice, in cui Elton John veste i panni del crooner prima di "riportarsi a casa" Sorry Seems To Be The Hardest Word, sulle cui note duettò per i Blue. E' il momento di Candle In The Wind, l'unica variante rispetto alla scaletta del concerto di Bergamo, il vero regalo al pubblico di Roma. Elton John lascia a casa il ricordo di Lady Diana e recupera l'originale, omaggio alla umana vicenda di Norma Jean, che visse e morì come Marilyn Monroe.

La band esprime il meglio di sè nell'esplosiva dinamica e nei maestosi cambi di tempo di Funeral, memorie progressive legate in medley con il rock'n'roll di Love Lies. "Hi Guys", Elton John saluta l'ingresso in scena di un coro afroamericano di otto elementi, partecipe delle session dell'ultimo disco e oggi in tour con lui. Nuovi timbri arricchiscono l'elegante melodia di Are You Ready For Love, coreografie gospel iniettano energia agli accenni "disco" di Philadelphia. Il ritmo torna a levitare inesorabilmente con lo scatenato boogie They Call Her The Cat (da Peachtree Road, "una canzone sul cambio di sesso!") e con l'antico sapore da saloon dello stride piano in Sad Songs.

Appena il tempo di tirare il fiato con le ricche armonie vocali di Don't Let The Sun Go Down On Me e il docile pop rock anni Ottanta di I'm Still Standing che giunge un finale di set davvero elettrico. Durante l'esecuzione di Bitch il coro black guida le braccia del pubblico in una spettacolare coreografia, il vibrante R&B è tagliato in due dalle profonde distorsioni di Davey Johnston e al culmine dell'eccitazione Elton John mette un piede sullo sgabello e l'altro sul pianoforte abbracciando idealmente tutti i presenti. Una vera apoteosi, che prosegue sulle note vertiginose di Saturday Night Is Allright For Fighting, vecchio rock'n'roll che ancora oggi manda in ebollizione il piano di Elton John.

La band abbandona il palco e rientra poco dopo per concedere a tutti libero sfogo nel candore anni Sessanta di Crocodile Rock. Ad ogni ritornello Elton John chiama il break lasciando che sia il pubblico a intonare il celebre "laaaa-la la la la la...". La felicità popolare è palpabile, la festa dovrebbe continuare. Invece Elton John esce immediatamente di scena per farvi ritorno un'ultima volta. Ora indossa una strana tuta blu con fregi dorati e in quella bizzarra mìse si rivolge al pubblico. "Grazie Roma - dice la rockstar - sei la migliore. Con questa canzone voglio augurare alla vostra vita tutto l'amore e la felicità...".

La canzone a cui Elton John affida il suo augurio e il suo commiato è Your Song, che ripercorre dapprima in un magico piano solo, poi accompagnato dal suo gruppo. E dopo l'ultima nota resta soltanto il Colosseo, illuminato di rosa.

Postato da: madmanbb a 09:03 | link | commenti (1)

intervista 2/9/05

By Melinda Newman   2/9/05  REUTERS

LAS VEGAS (Billboard) - At the top of every hour the clock in Elton John's dressing room at Caesars Palace breaks wind. And every hour, the farting clock makes John laugh.

The British superstar has every reason to smile. His Las Vegas run, in which he alternates with Celine Dion at Caesars' 4,100-seat Colosseum, has been extended from 75 shows during a three-year period to 225 shows during a five-year span ending in 2008. Every show of "The Red Piano" has been a sellout. A U.K. tour this summer drew almost 400,000 people.

His latest musical, an adaptation of the movie "Billy Elliot" written by John and Lee Hall, opened to largely rave reviews in London's West End, and there's talk of bringing it to Broadway.

John has wrapped "Lestat," the first musical he and longtime lyricist Bernie Taupin have written together. The play, based on Anne Rice's Vampire Lestat series, will debut in December at San Francisco's Curran Theater before heading to Broadway in spring 2006.

And there are plenty of other projects in the works, including a development deal with Touchstone Television for a sitcom about a rock star and his entourage and an exclusive November 9 Starbucks release of the CD "Elton's Christmas Party," with part of the proceeds earmarked for the Elton John AIDS Foundation.

Q: Your last album, 2004's "Peachtree Road" (Rocket/Universal) received some of the best reviews of your career, and yet it sold only 300,000 copies in the United States, making it one of your worst performers. How frustrating is that for you?

A: It is frustrating ... I'm not storming around saying, "Why isn't my f***ing record doing better than this?" I just had to look at it and say, "Was it a s**t record?" And it wasn't, it was the best I could do. I'm 58 now, and my time in the sun, as it were, is gone. I have to accept that. Was I disappointed? Yeah, because I put my heart and soul into it. ... (Universal Records) tried to persuade (me) to do a Motown album or a standards album, and I wouldn't do it. I said (no) because I want to still write songs. I still feel as if I've got something else to offer without going down that route.

Q: Were you insulted when they asked you?

A: Yeah. I mean, it's like, "That's what you think of me, is it?"

Q: You and Bernie Taupin are writing a sequel to "Captain Fantastic and the Brown Dirt Cowboy" called "Captain Fantastic and the Kid." The first edition, released in 1975, covered your first 30 years; the second will cover the subsequent 30 years and will come out March 20, 2007, five days before your 60th birthday. Are you and Bernie already working on it?

A: I'm starting writing and recording it in Atlanta in January. It was Merck's (Sanctuary Group CEO Merck Mercuriadis, who tends to the creative side of John's career) idea, because he said, "You're always saying how Bernie has become the Brown Dirt Cowboy" -- he lives on a ranch in Santa Ynez (Calif.) -- and I'm this guy who plays concert after concert, buying art, buying photographs, living a very lavish lifestyle. I've become Captain Fantastic.
We would have been together then about 40 years by the time it comes out. One of the things I'm most proud of in my life is the relationship I've had with Bernie.

Q: Is it true you buy the new album releases every week at Tower Records when you are home in Atlanta?

A: I go in there at 9:30 on Tuesday morning, before it opens, before they put the f***ing things (out where) I can't find them. They're all on the cart, and I can go through them, one by one, because I know what I want. It's one of my things I look forward to every week. Those guys open up and (have) a cup of coffee there now, and it's just brilliant.

Q: Would you tour with Billy Joel again?

A: Yeah, I would, because I love him dearly. My greatest wish is for Billy Joel to have a No. 1 album and get his confidence back. That would make me so happy. You know, we've never been rivals, we've always been friends. Part of my Captain Fantastic's next 30 years include Billy Joel. And it would be great to do a duet.

Q: You have extended the Vegas run for "The Red Piano" show by another two years. It obviously agrees with you.

A: (Before Caesars) I'd never stayed the night here. I don't go out (much, but) you do get stir crazy. So I'll go see what's in the shops now. (John's operations manager) Bob Halley and I got chased through the mall. We were laughing so hard. Bob said, "We're being chased by 60-year-old women!" and I said, "Bob, we are 60!" We have nothing but good things to say about here.

Q: You go out of your way to support new artists. Why?

A: The first five years of my career we played with people that were our stone cold idols, and everyone treated us so well. That's why I try and give a hand out to young people, because people did that to me. I remember phoning Fountains of Wayne when "Utopia Parkway" came out. They thought it wasn't me on the phone, but it was. I just wanted to say, "This is such a great album." It's important to let people know that.

Q: Is writing easy for you?

A: Yeah. I wrote 60 songs in a year (for "Peachtree Road," "Billy Elliot" and "Lestat"). One of the songs (for "Lestat") is called "Paris," a conversational song in three parts. It's the longest song I ever took to write -- three-and-a-half hours. I thought I was going to go nuts. I thought I was going to have a mental breakdown.

Q: You have a sitcom in development. What can you tell us about that?
A: It's called "Him and Us." It's basically about the entourage around a star called Max Flash who have to put up with this bastard. Max Flash is based on me, Mick, Bowie, Rod, all these outrageously behaving rock stars.

Q: How do you find the time for all these projects?

A: You know, I'm 15 years sober today. That's changed my life. The energy that I used to spend doing drugs and everything, I spend doing great things, like getting up in the morning, going to Tower Records, trying to find new acts, trying to promote them. I have the most fantastic life. I really love it so much

Postato da: madmanbb a 08:33 | link | commenti
archivio interviste

Dayly Telegraph 03/08/05

Elton the indiscreet (Filed: 04/08/2005) Elton John, 'a grumpy old sod' who has never been afraid to speak his mind, tells Neil McCormick about his spat with George Michael, and what he really thought about Live8. And the man who wrote the songs for 'Billy Elliott' reveals that he doesn't like musicals Pop stars were never supposed to be 58-year-olds, were they? "At this age of mine, you've just got to make a decision about whether you are going to write for yourself or for the radio," according to Sir Elton John. "I mean, how many ****ing hits can you have?" The showman must go on: Elton John at Live8 The question is rhetorical, an attempt philosophically to brush off the notion that he should care about such things as chart positions and radio play any more. After all, these days he is a titled member of the rock aristocracy, with a hugely successful sideline in musical films and theatre, and a residency in Las Vegas. The giveaway, though, is the expletive in the middle of the sentence. After a lifetime immersed in popular music, I don't think Elton is ready to be consigned to the veterans circuit just yet. Earlier this year, it certainly looked as if he was going the same way as Cliff Richard and Status Quo, banished from Radio 1, absent from the charts and increasingly reliant on back catalogue and live performance to sustain a career. Despite glowing reviews comparing it to his best work, Elton's 2004 album Peachtree Road failed to trouble the upper reaches of the charts. "It is probably one of my lowest-selling albums of all time," he says. "It was disappointing everywhere in the world, so I have to hold my hands up and accept that the songs just didn't connect. "I'm proud of Peachtree, but, if I think about it logically, people may have 10 or 12 Elton John albums in their collection already. Do they need another one?" Recent developments suggest the public's appetite for Elton remains strong. Coming off the back of a sold-out stadium tour and an attention-grabbing performance at Live8, he reached number one and number four with consecutive singles. "When something like this starts to explode, it does put the fun back in it," says Elton, who takes no credit for the single that put him back at the top. Eminem (with whom Elton shares a mutually respectful relationship, despite the rapper's penchant for homophobic insults) remixed Tupac Shakur's Ghetto Gospel, adding a chorus from an obscure 1971 Elton John track, Indian Sunset. "It was a piece of luck, but, when you have been around as long as I have, things just have a way of happening. It is incredible what Eminem's actually done, combining melody and great hip hop in an original way. It is not a lazy piece of work." Elton's record company, Mercury, cannily followed that with Electricity, the singer-songwriter's original version of a showstopper from his latest West End musical, Billy Elliot, which went in at number four. 'Between you and me, I'm not really a lover of musicals': Elton John and Stephen Daldry "That's a demo," Elton reveals. "It was never even supposed to be released. When I am working on musicals, I write songs and we record them and mix them the next day then move on to the next one, so we have an idea of what the shape of the show is going to be. I have albums full of songs from Billy Elliot, The Lion King, The Road to El Dorado, just lying around." The demo was released as a download single tied into a mobile text message competition offering the chance to watch Elton perform in Las Vegas, leading to an enormous response from his fan base. Such was the controversy in the music industry, there are now moves to change the chart rules. Of course, Elton isn't complaining. Discounting duets and reissues, this is his highest-charting solo single since 1990. "I think it's hilarious. I don't know about all the technical stuff. I am a Luddite. I don't even own a mobile. I just write and record and that's about it." Actually, he writes and records rather a lot. When he rose to fame in the early '70s, he was in the habit of putting out two albums a year. Recently, preparing Peachtree Road, Billy Elliot and a new theatrical musical, Lestat, based on Anne Rice's Vampire Chronicles (with longtime lyric writing partner Bernie Taupin), he composed more than 60 songs in one year. "It was one of the most productive periods of my life. Lestat exhausted me. Once I started, it was like being bitten by a ****ing vampire. I couldn't stop. I was sucked dry, but I honestly think that is some of the best work we've ever done. "The songs are very complex. It's orchestral work, no electronic music at all. It's music from the 18th century basically, written by a 21st-century Luddite." The show will open in San Francisco in December and move to Broadway in March. Having been a solo star all his life, Elton also enjoys being part of a team. "Doing a musical you've got a director, choreographer, lighting guy, costume person, set creator, conductor. You're all in there together, and so you've got to leave your ego at the door. Some songs won't fit no matter how much you love them. You can't stand there and stamp your feet and say, 'I want that song in!' " Elton raves about Billy Elliot, which he developed with original screenwriter Lee Hall and director Stephen Daldry. A gripping piece of political and emotional theatre, it has been widely hailed as the most powerful musical of recent years. "Every time I go and see it, I can't believe I am actually involved in it!" he laughs. Then, as an indiscreet aside, he adds: "Just between you, me and the gatepost, I'm not really a lover of musicals!" These are the type of remarks that tend to get Elton into trouble. There was a recent spat with George Michael, when Elton said he was "wasting his talent" and suggested a "deep-rooted unhappiness" was to blame. Michael responded with a catty open letter to Heat magazine, branding Elton a gossip monger. "George and I are fine," reports Elton. "We've had dinner, and I've apologised to him if I hurt his feelings. It was handbags at 50 paces. We like each other too much to fall out." His spat with Madonna is proving less short-lived, after Elton mocked her live show at the Q awards, saying anyone who mimes onstage should be shot. "That one's slightly more difficult," Elton laughs, guiltily. "I did send her two Christmas cards and they both came back. It was just one of those off-the-cuff things. "I haven't got Tourette's syndrome but I can't censor myself. Why should I? But let's leave it at that, I don't want it to go any further, for Christ's sake!" I suspect the truth is that Elton loves all of this, the hurly-burly of the pop world. He still tries to buy every new release, ticking his purchases off in a handwritten bumper folder. He enthuses about new music with the excitement of a genuine fan, eager to share his discoveries (digital soul singer James Lidell and Irish band Hal are current faves). "When I like someone, I let them know. I drop them a note, call up their record company, whatever. It's not about wanting to jump on anyone else's bandwagon, it's about reaching out." His latest protégé is James Blunt, who is managed by Elton's company 21st Artists. "He knocked me off the number-one spot, but I am more excited about him than I am about me. It's gratifying to see somebody come through by just playing gigs and being nurtured and not by money and hype. It's like a throwback: it reminds me of what happened to me in America in 1970." Another of today's rising stars who has attracted Elton's attention is the troubled former Libertine Pete Doherty, who performed a shambolic duet of T Rex's Children of the Revolution with Elton at Live8. "I thought, here comes mainstream Elton, what can we do to shake things up a bit? I think Pete's immensely talented. He came down to Watford and we rehearsed it and it was absolutely tip-top, perfect. "I have to be very discreet what I say, but I just think he was really nervous on the day. He's a mess, it's really sad. He's so young I don't think that he's going to listen to anybody. But I don't think the people around him set a good example, which is a shame. But, you know, he had his chance to do it and he came on… at least he looked great!" As you can see, Elton's discretion never seems to last very long. When I ask him what he made of Live8, he groans. "Oh God, here I go. I thought it was a bit of an anti-climax, to be honest. The thought behind it was fantastic, but Hyde Park is a charisma-free zone. There was no sense of occasion and from a musical point, I didn't think there were too many highlights. I was very pleased to be a part of it, but I didn't think it was anywhere near as good as the first one. How could it be?" He checks himself again and tuts. "People are going to think I am a grumpy old sod, aren't they?" 12 May 2005: Billy boy, this is the greatest musical yet [review of Billy Elliot the musical] Elton John

© Copyright of Telegraph Group Limited 2005. Terms & Conditions of reading.
Commercial information.   Privacy and Cookie Policy.

Postato da: madmanbb a 09:06 | link | commenti
archivio articoli

Mentre scrivo sono ancora abbagliato dal talento di Rufus ! E’ 1 artista a 360 gradi.

 

Arrivo all’Hiroshima alle  18.30 (lo spettacolo sarebbe dovuto cominciare alle 22) . Faccio giro di ricognizione e trovo un  cancello aperto dove all’interno di un cortile stavano scaricando degli strumenti nel backastage.  Entro con molta indifferenza e scorgo Rufus che si affaccia per un pochi secondi  dalla porta del backstage.  Qualche minuto dopo iniziano le prove  ed ecco che un addetto alla sicurezza mi chiede molto cortesemente   di uscire  a meno non avessi un motivo per rimanere ( ? ) .

 

Faccio nuovamente due passi attorno all’isolato per tornare ancora nei pressi del backstage, finalmente trovo Rufus . Questa volta riesco ad avvicinarmi ,scambiare qualche  parola e chiedergli 1 autografo. Si è dimostrato gentilissimo e paziente ad accettare una foto (anche a  rifarla dato che la prima non è rimasta molto bene).  

 

Il concerto è durato in tutto 3 ore   compreso lo spettacolo di apertura di Joan Wasser  (corista nella band di rufus) a  fine spettacolo  ho ottenuto la scaletta (quella personale di Rufus).

  Ha parlato e scherzato a molto al termina di ogni pezzo, fra tante mi ricordo questa frase: :” quando sulla mia agenda ho visto che avrei  dovuto cantare in locale chiamato HIROSHIMA mi sono turbato ma poi ha visto HIROSHIMA MON AMOUR è così era tutto ok. Il locale non è certo 1 bomba ma una bomba lo è questa canzone “ (beautiful child) .

Certi brani sono stati  travolgenti ed  hanno coinvolto tutto il pubblico.  

 

A differenza dei concerti di Elton John, ho notato una sincera vicinanza fra musicisti e spettatori .

Postato da: madmanbb a 10:36 | link | commenti

Tumbleweed Connection 2

Elton John: Tumbleweed Connection

David Seemiller



In early August of 1996, my friends and I went on a road-trip to see 5 Phish concerts. I had to beg my mother to let me go, after all, I was only sixteen, and was going to be on the road for over a week. Also, Phish shows are known for their drug use, but after much pleading I convinced her that I was responsible enough to go. The trip was riddled with disasters that would take too long to explain in full, but never the less, some good did come of it. The second show was the most memorable part of the entire trip (besides the two days I lost my car and had to sleep in the street). My friends and I had just sat through 4 hours of traffic to get into Darien Lake and sat down to watch Phish’s first set. Phish took the stage and played "Amoreena" by Elton John. I had heard other Elton John songs before, such as "Candle in the Wind," but I didn’t know his music was so diverse. As soon as my trip was over I went out and bought Tumbleweed Connection, the album "Amoreena" was on. It immediately became my favorite album, and the only one I think I could tolerate should I have to take it to a desert island.

Tumbleweed Connection was released in 1970 just months after Elton John’s self-titled breakthrough album. Elton John was an entirely pop album, but for Tumbleweed Connection Elton John decided to go with a more rock n’ roll angle. (Erlewine) The country flavor helps the album stick together with a wild west/civil war theme ongoing through most of the songs. Bernie Taupin’s lyrics reflect this, with song titles such as "Country Comfort," and "Talking Old Soldiers." Bernie Taupin recalls:

Everybody thinks that I was influenced by Americana and by seeing America first hand, but we wrote and recorded the album before we’d even been to the states. It was totally influenced by The Band’s album, ‘Music From the Big Pink’, and Robbie Robertson’s songs. I’ve always loved Americana, and I loved American Westerns. I’ve always said that ‘El Paso’ was the song that made me want to write songs, it was the perfect meshing of melody and storyline, and I thought that here was something that married rhythms and the written word perfectly. (Tobler)



"Desperado is quite consciously a ‘concept album’. Each song relates to the others." (Lichtenstein 84) I am a big fan of concept albums such as Pink Floyd’s The Wall, Frank Zappa’s Joe’s Garage and more recently Phish’s Story of the Ghost. Tumbleweed Connection is a concept album of a loose sense. It doesn’t tell a story, but all the songs are held together by a country theme. This is what sets Tumbleweed Connection apart from The Wall and Joe’s Garage. Unlike either of them it keeps the style constant throughout. It does have upbeat songs, and slow songs, but they all still contain the country theme. It holds together a lot better than any of the other albums. Joe’s Garage tells a good story, but each song is so totally different and unrelated that you’d forget there is a story being told if I wasn’t for that reoccurring guitar riff throughout. The Wall is connected in the way the songs are composed, and the instrumentation involved, but the songs are still very different, and unless you see the movie, it is hard to tell how anything relates. Phish’s Story of the Ghost attempts to accomplish the same feat as Tumbleweed Connection, but instead of a country theme, they try a spooky theme for their album. They almost accomplish it, but they are not as consistent and many of the songs seem contrived and poorly thought out. It’s hard to keep someone feeling eerie with a song that contains a Celtic jig, and has lyrics "Guyute was the ugly pig."

What first attracted me to Tumbleweed Connection is its ability to keep the western theme without becoming dry and boring. Each song is completely different, and capable of holding up on its own. "Certainly the songs seem like they were filmed on location, or maybe it’s just that the settings feel almost like characters themselves." (Swartley, 56) Any song on the album can be listened to and enjoyed in its own right, but presented in Tumbleweed Connection it becomes part of something much greater. The placement of the songs on the album helps it all stick together and makes it very easy to listen to. Tumbleweed Connection keeps the action throughout. The songs are evenly distributed so there aren’t too many ballads in a row. The whole album has balance, as each song just flows into the next.

The opening track, "Ballad of a Well-Known Gun," begins with a guitar riff that could have come straight out of "The Good the Bad and the Ugly". As soon as Elton rings out the first lyrics, " I pulled out my stagecoach times and I read the latest news," the listener immediately becomes the character in the song. The lyrics go right along with the music, which doesn’t happen very often. Elton John has stated about Tumbleweed Connection: "Lyrically and melodically, that’s probably one of our most perfect albums. I don’t think there’s any song on there that doesn’t melodically fit the lyric." (Tobler)

The most recognizable track on the album, mainly due to its being covered on Rod Stewart’s Gasoline Alley, is "Country Comfort." It describes a town in the old west. "The images in the song are those of a pleasant, unromanticized American landscape described in the motley vernacular of old time rural culture."(Winner, 61) Although it is the most known song on the album, it is my least favorite, because it seems like an attempt to get at least one single out of the album. It has the most deliberate pop hook on the album, and even thought the topic goes with the theme of the album, it borders on being a pop song. "My Fathers Gun" tells the story of a young confederate out to get revenge on the Yankees for the death of his father. The vocals are nicely complimented with a chorus, and a subdued guitar just barely audible through the wall of sound created by the voicings.

The sixth track on the album, "Where to now St. Peter," is the most ominous song on the album, about a man deciding if he’s going to heaven or hell. It begins slowly with a piano intro (that admittedly sounds a little too similar to "Amoreena.") The guitar enters during the first line of the song, with some nice effects like a wah-wah on it. The vocals on the song are incredible. Some of the notes that Elton hits seem impossible, but he pulls them off spectacularly.

The summation of the album comes with the final track, "Burn Down the Mission." Beginning slowly, with a twinkling piano alone with the gospel-like vocals. It’s not until after the first verse that the guitar enters filling in the rhythm. The chorus brings in the drums, bringing the piece up to tempo. The action doesn’t end there, immediately after the chorus, Elton John’s piano begins a bombastic piano jam that is soon followed by the rest of the band, which now includes a horn section. This subsides into a mellow return to the verse, where the performance starts all over again, ending in a clutter of pandemonium that sounds like it could fall apart at any second. This song is an excellent display of Elton John’s technical prowess, as well as a showcase of all the other musicians that appear on the album.

Elton John’s music has always been extremely complex, and all the musicians he has used have achieved some level of virtuosity on their instruments. Many of the musicians on Tumbleweed Connection were brought in from Elton John’s record label, DJM, and a few of them eventually became part of Elton John’s band. Ian Duck, Caleb Quaye, and Roger Pope, all of whom played on Tumbleweed Connection, were members of the band Hookfoot, also on the DJM label. Dee Murray, bass, and Nigel Olsen, drums, were in the Spencer Davis Band before quitting and joining Elton John’s band in 1970. They performed on all of Elton John’s albums up to 1975 before they were fired. (Nespoli)

The production of Elton John’s albums has always been top notch, which is one of the reasons Elton John has been so successful. The Producer of Tumbleweed Connection was Gus Dudgeon. For Elton John’s first album, Empty Sky, Steve Brown produced, but he stepped down to allow someone more experienced to take over. Originally George Martin was offered the job, but he refused after he was told he could not write the orchestral arraignments himself. Gus Dudgeon was already an accomplished producer before working with Elton John. He had just finished work with David Bowie on Space Oddity the previous year. Tumbleweed Connection was Gus Dudgeon’s second album with Elton John. (Maclauchlan)

Steve Brown also brought Steve Buckmaster to write the orchestral arraingments that have been a trademark of Elton John’s earlier work. Although the arraingments on Tumbleweed Connection are a little less noticeable than on his other earlier albums, many of Elton John’s big hits have unforgettable string and horn sections. The horns on "Honky Cat" are what give the song some attitude, and the string arrangements for "Madman Across the Water" are what give it the agitated drive that move the song along. He wrote the music for a movie, Friends in the early seventies, which Elton John also performed on, and has recently scored the music for 12 Monkeys. (Maclauchlan)

It is this combination of talent that has brought Elton John to superstardom, and although Elton John doesn’t write any of his own lyrics, he is responsible for all the music. Many musicians, such as Garth Brooks and Rod Stewart write very few of their own songs if any, which is quite sad, especially because most of the public thinks that these songs are theirs. Most country singers don’t write any of their own music either. Elton John has put together an album that, although may not be country in stricter terms, is a more creative album than any country artist has put out, with the exception of a few such as Willie Nelson and Johnny Cash.

Elton John’s music speaks for itself, because lyrics are nothing without music to bring them to life. The sheer amount of music that Elton John has written is a testament to his abilities as a musician, which are without question some of the most highly regarded by his peers. But even more than that is the amount of good music he has written. He does have some periods where his albums were just terrible, "Prisoner of Love," and "Leather Jackets" to name a few, but the majority of the time, the music was top notch. To this day Elton John still writes all of his own music, while other greats such as Aerosmith are tapped out of ideas and now have people write hit songs for them. A year or so ago I went to a free concert of the Steve Miller Band. He has a rapper as part of his show now, I suppose to bring in the younger crowd. I left the show halfway through. Elton John’s most recent tour was just he and his piano, playing both classics, and his new songs. I think it speaks greatly of Elton John’s work that he is able to stay creative, and not have to through over 30 years of music.

Works Cited

Erlewine, Stephen Thomas. "Elton John." All-Media Guide. (March 21, 1999).

Greil, Marcus, ed. Stranded: Rock and Roll for a Desert Island. 1st ed. New York: De Capo Press Inc. 1996.

Lichtenstein, Grace. "Desperado." Marcus 84.

Maclauchlan, Paul. "A Musical History of Elton John." Cornflakes & Classics. March 2, 1999. (4 March 1999).

Nespoli, Lisa Ann. "Nigel Olsson Bio." The Nigel Olsson Fan Club. March 3, 1999. (4 March 1999).

Swartley, Ariel. "The Wild, the Innocent and the E Street Shuffle" Marcus 55.

Tobler, John. Tumbleweed Connection. Enclosure. 1995.

Winner, Langdon. "Trout Mask Replica." Marcus 61.

Postato da: madmanbb a 22:33 | link | commenti
archivio articoli