Your Song
I Need You To Turn To
Take Me To The Pilot
No Shoe Strings On Louise
First Episode At Hienton
Sixty Years On
Border Song
The Greatest Discovery
The Cage
The King Must Die
Frogtoon Music Album Info: Elton John
Published: 03 Mar 2014, 18:01
Empty Sky Was Followed By Elton John A More Focused And Realized Record That Deservedly Became His First Hit. John And Bernie Taupin's Songwriting Had Become More Immediate And Successful In Particular John's Music Had Become Sharper And More Diverse Rescuing Taupin's Frequently Nebulous Lyrics. "Take Me To The Pilot" Might Not Make Much Sense Lyrically But John Had The Good Sense To Ground Its Willfully Cryptic Words With A Catchy Blues-Based Melody. Next To The Increased Sense Of Songcraft The Most Noticeable Change On Elton John Is The Addition Of Paul Buckmaster's Grandiose String Arrangements. Buckmaster's Orchestrations Are Never Subtle But They Never Overwhelm The Vocalist Nor Do They Make The Songs Schmaltzy. Instead They Fit The Ambitions Of John And Taupin As The Instant Standard "Your Song" Illustrates. Even With The Strings And Choirs That Dominate The Sound Of The Album John Manages To Rock Out On A Fair Share Of The Record. Though There Are A Couple Of Underdeveloped Songs Elton John Remains One Of His Best Records. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine Rovi