In the autumn of last year I wrote a post entitled ‘Twenty Albums Everyone Should Own In The Form of Ten Great Double Albums‘ https://samtimonious.com/twenty-albums-ev…at-double-albums/
The article prompted a slew of indignant responses on behalf of double albums not included in the list – the omissions of ‘The Wall,’ ‘Tusk‘ and ‘The River‘ in particular noted with great dissent.
In standing by my decision to omit all three, despite ‘The Wall‘ (Pink Floyd) and ‘Tusk‘ (Fleetwood Mac) being named among the top ten albums of 1979 by Rolling Stone magazine, who went on to name ‘The River‘ (Bruce Springsteen) as the best album of 1980, the double LP that caused me the most angst in not selecting was ‘GOODBYE YELLOW BRICK ROAD‘ by Elton John – which stands as the most enduring, consistent and engrossing work he has ever produced, a worthy recipient of the critical acclaim it has received since being released in October 1973.
When ‘Goodbye Yellow Brick Road‘ came out it was already the seventh album (nine if including a film soundtrack and live set) of a recording career which had only been underway four years.
Writing melodies to the lyrics of Bernie Taupin, up to that point Elton John (born Reginald Dwight, Middlesex, England, 25/3/1947) albums had ranged from early string-laden sets often with obscure lyrics, ‘Elton John‘ (1970), ‘Madman Across The Water‘ (1971), to more recent, upbeat material containing plenty of pop hooks and simpler imagery, ‘Honky Chateau‘ (1972), ‘Don’t Shoot Me I’m Only The Piano Player‘ (1973)’ – the latter pair generating huge worldwide sales on the back of hit singles such as ‘Rocket Man’, ‘Honky Cat,’ ‘Daniel,’ and ‘Crocodile Rock.’
In taking a less ornate, more incisive approach to recording on the two albums that proceeded ‘Goodbye Yellow Brick Road‘, he had gathered around him a tight core of musicians comprising of Nigel Olsson (drums), Dee Murray (bass) and Davey Johnstone (guitar).
With Elton leading the unit on piano, their adaptability in being able to switch between the pop ballads and pomp rockers John and Taupin were writing, was a key factor in taking Elton John from a curiosity admired by a growing American following, to becoming the most all-pervasive rock star of the era.
But if ‘Honky Chateau‘ and ‘Don’t Shoot Me I’m Only The Piano Player‘, had been pleasant, sometimes trite and occasionally inspired, then ‘Goodbye Yellow Brick Road‘ leaves them both (and just about everything else he would go on to record) for dead as Elton hits his high-water mark – Taupin coming up with set after set of sharp, often biting lyrics to which John writes concise, engaging melodies.
The Elton John group excel with a series of cohesive performances and when string arrangements appear, such as on ‘Sweet Painted Lady‘ or ‘I’ve Seen That Movie Too,’ they never threaten to overwhelm the song as they did three or four albums back.
Side one begins with the striking instrumental ‘Funeral For A Friend‘ that builds up with great effect until it segues into ‘Love Lies Bleeding,’ an end-of-romance rocker that gives the group opportunity to show just how tough it can be.
Two of Elton’s best-known songs ‘Bennie and The Jets‘ and ‘Candle In The Wind‘ bring side one to an end, the former a gorgeous piece of atmospheric power pop, the latter a homage to actress Marilyn Monroe – the song built around a sombre piano melody and flashes of fizzing guitar.
Taking its cue from the imagery of classic Hollywood movie ‘The Wizard of Oz,’ the lyrics to the song ‘Goodbye Yellow Brick Road,’ are a lament for lost innocence – arrival in the land of fame and fortune, where Taupin was now residing, not the paradise he expected to find.
Certain lines from the title track also drip frustration and disappointment, the female at the source subjected to some bitter remarks, as are most of the women who populate many of the well-crafted songs strewn across sides three and four – where they are either derided, shown little pity or in the case of the teenage lesbian in ‘All The Girls Love Alice‘ left dead in a subway.
The crisp, edgy playing on this song alone make the Elton John Group a force to be reckoned with and they also cut up rough on the hit single ‘Saturday Night’s Alright For Fighting‘ a raucous number that rips along like a Faces tune.
The languid ‘Dirty Little Girl‘ has all the sneer and attitude of ‘Sticky Fingers‘ era Stones – how Elton must have scratched his (then) thinning pate when he read its opening lines:
‘I’ve seen a lot of women who haven’t had much luck, I’ve seen you looking like you’ve been run down by a truck.’
This from a song writing partner who had presented him with ‘Your Song‘ less than four years before.
Side four of the album – ‘Your Sister Can’t Twist (‘But She Can Rock ‘N Roll‘), ‘Saturday Night’s Alright For Fighting,’ ‘Roy Rogers,’ ‘Social Disease,’ and ‘Harmony‘ – doesn’t waste a single second and stands tall as an absolute marvel.
Indeed, ‘Roy Rogers‘ probably edges ‘Mona Lisas and Mad Hatters‘ from ‘Honky Chateau‘ as the most perfect song the Elton John/Bernie Taupin song-writing team ever produced.
Written from an end of the day perspective, the narrator of the piece reflects that unlike him the cowboy hero of the title will never grow old – but although his own dreams have faded, he has a TV, a carpet that is paid for and a wife and children upstairs asleep.
‘The carpet’s all paid for, God bless the TV/Let’s go shoot a hole in the moon/Oh, and Roy Rogers is riding tonight/Returning to our silver screens’.
With an eye for small detail that only Ray Davies could compete with, Taupin takes this simple but exquisite imagery right down to a wish for ham rather than cheese in tomorrow’s sandwiches – every line accompanied by a sympathetic string arrangement and wistful steel guitar.
It is without doubt the Elton John song that everybody should hear – ‘Goodbye Yellow Brick Road‘, the Elton John album everybody should own.
‘Goodbye Yellow Brick Road.’
Upon release ‘Goodbye Yellow Brick Road‘ did monumental business in the record shops and the only hint of critical negativity centred upon whether he could maintain such a high standard on subsequent releases given how incessantly he was recording albums.
On his next offering ‘Caribou‘ (1974) he certainly did not and despite the autobiographical 1975 set ‘Captain Fantastic and the Brown Dirt Cowboy‘ becoming one of the biggest selling albums of all-time, a critical backlash had begun – the New Musical Express complaining that (it) ‘indicated an inflated sense of the duo’s (John and Taupin) own importance.’
For the next few years each new Elton John album was hugely successful due to a devoted global following, but critical acclaim became rare which is not to say they were all terrible records, but none contained anything like the trove of excellent songs that made ‘Goodbye Yellow Brick Road‘ such a standout recording – an authentic masterpiece worthy of inclusion in any top ten list of the greatest double albums ever made.
Still find it hard to believe it didn’t make mine.
ELTON JOHN – ‘GOODBYE YELLOW BRICK ROAD‘ (Released October 5 1973):
Funeral For A Friend/Love Lies Bleeding/Candle in the Wind/Bennie and the Jets/Goodbye Yellow Brick Road/This Song Has No Title/Grey Seal/Jamaica Jerk-off/I’ve Seen That Movie Too/Sweet Painted Lady/The Ballad of Danny Bailey (1909-34)/Dirty Little Girl/All the Girls Love Alice/Your Sister Can’t Twist (But She Can Rock ‘n Roll)/Saturday Night’s Alright For Fighting/Roy Rogers/Social Disease/Harmony;
NEIL SAMBROOK is the author of MONTY’S DOUBLE – an acclaimed thriller now available as an Amazon Kindle Book.
This article was first published on 8/8/2018.
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NEIL SAMBROOK is the author of ‘MONTY’S DOUBLE‘ – an acclaimed thriller now available in paperback and as an Amazon Kindle book.
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Thanks Daryl – hope you are well. Nice play on words there – I’m very flattered thank you ! Regards Neil