xp But it has words and a tune, it says so right in the song
― billstevejim, Wednesday, 15 February 2012 03:34 (1 year ago) Permalink
"Funeral for a Friend/Loves Lies Bleeding" all the way. Elton at his schlockiest/awesomest!
― SirGreendown, Wednesday, 15 February 2012 03:35 (1 year ago) Permalink
xp I've always been fairly meh on "No Title" and "I've Seen That Movie Too," I guess. So I can buy arguments that they're worse, but "Harmony" has actively annoyed me since I was a teenager. ("Candle In The Wind" probably wound up annoying me way more than that when it came back in the '80s though -- different version, but it killed the original, which I had never been all that crazy about in the first place, for me.)
Most underrated, probably:
"Sweet Painted Lady" 3:54"The Ballad of Danny Bailey (1909–34)" 4:23"Social Disease" 3:42
― xhuxk, Wednesday, 15 February 2012 03:46 (1 year ago) Permalink
"I've Seen That Movie Too" sounds sinister to me.. I'm into it.
The worst on this is prob "Your sister Can't Twist."
― billstevejim, Wednesday, 15 February 2012 03:50 (1 year ago) Permalink
Surprised that I don't own it. Someone I worked with gave me a copy once, but I remember now that I junked it because it wasn't in that great a shape. My guess is that I'd end up going with "Saturday Night," but I'll play fair and not vote.
― clemenza, Wednesday, 15 February 2012 04:09 (1 year ago) Permalink
elton's vocals are a little limp on it but otherwise sweet painted lady is p great
― it's smdh time in America (will), Wednesday, 15 February 2012 04:14 (1 year ago) Permalink
Like this album but hate hate hate Bennie and the Jets. Cannot ever stomach getting through that entire song.
― I Fucked Up (jer.fairall), Wednesday, 15 February 2012 04:50 (1 year ago) Permalink
yeah Sweet Painted Lady i think.
― piscesx, Wednesday, 15 February 2012 04:51 (1 year ago) Permalink
probably the worst cover i've ever heard released on an actual CD is this, while we're on the subject
― piscesx, Wednesday, 15 February 2012 04:52 (1 year ago) Permalink
omg that rules
― billstevejim, Wednesday, 15 February 2012 05:13 (1 year ago) Permalink
Grey Seal
― Iago Galdston, Wednesday, 15 February 2012 05:26 (1 year ago) Permalink
benny and the jets, of course
― Little GTFO (contenderizer), Wednesday, 15 February 2012 05:29 (1 year ago) Permalink
^^^
― White 'Poop' Jesus (snoball), Wednesday, 15 February 2012 10:23 (1 year ago) Permalink
The Classic Albums docu of this is, erm, classic.
The worst on this is prob "Your sister Can't Twist."― billstevejim, Wednesday, 15 February 2012 03:50 (7 hours ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink
― billstevejim, Wednesday, 15 February 2012 03:50 (7 hours ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink
This be the album with "Jamaica Jerk-Off" on it.
― Mark G, Wednesday, 15 February 2012 10:53 (1 year ago) Permalink
Damn, got the titles mixed up for some reason. Meant to vote "Grey Seal", but entered "No Title".
Obviosly an amazing album. Overreaching yes, but that's kinda the point.
― Mule, Wednesday, 15 February 2012 11:48 (1 year ago) Permalink
only Elton album i own but i've never really listened to it or given it much thought, listening now to see if there's any deep cuts i can possibly consider voting for over "Bennie" or "Saturday Night"
― CANDY aka JUNK (some dude), Wednesday, 15 February 2012 14:17 (1 year ago) Permalink
oh you'll have fun. This album virtually defines "deep cut."
― Exile in lolville (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Wednesday, 15 February 2012 14:29 (1 year ago) Permalink
I haven't heard this album in FOREVER, so my instinct is to just go with "Love Lies Bleeding," which is all kinds of great. I'll see if it's on Spotify before I commit.
Never liked the sequencing of "Candle In The Wind," which feels like it should be a deeper track, especially in light of what came later.
― The Large Hardon Collider (Phil D.), Wednesday, 15 February 2012 14:35 (1 year ago) Permalink
OTM. such a last song. always feel like i should pick up the needle when it's over.
― Little GTFO (contenderizer), Wednesday, 15 February 2012 16:47 (1 year ago) Permalink
I pick up the needle when it starts.
― Exile in lolville (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Wednesday, 15 February 2012 16:48 (1 year ago) Permalink
Funeral For a Friend/Love Lies Bleeding 4EVA!!!!
― kornrulez6969, Wednesday, 15 February 2012 16:57 (1 year ago) Permalink
'Funeral For A Friend/Love Lies Bleeding' is usually the track I play to people who are unaware that Elton John actually used to make some pretty decent music at one point in his career, so I voted for that.
― Turrican, Friday, 17 February 2012 23:00 (1 year ago) Permalink
"Something" about the title song always gets me, so I'm voting for it.
― Euler, Friday, 17 February 2012 23:12 (1 year ago) Permalink
GYBR vs Alice
fuuck thats tough
― billstevejim, Saturday, 18 February 2012 04:43 (1 year ago) Permalink
I've got it down to Love Lies Bleeding, title track, and Grey Seal but I'm going to have to spend all week listening to this record to even start to narrow that down.
― Doctor Casino, Saturday, 18 February 2012 05:14 (1 year ago) Permalink
Just listened to this album recently. Probably my second favourite of his after Captain Fantastic.
I went with Harmony, beautiful song.
― Kitchen Person, Saturday, 18 February 2012 19:33 (1 year ago) Permalink
How did/do Taupin and John work together...does Taupin write a bunch of lyrics and then fit them into John's tunes, or did Taupin write for John's tunes according to the latter's instructions? like, write me a song about marilyn monroe...no idea how that works
― Iago Galdston, Sunday, 19 February 2012 21:23 (1 year ago) Permalink
Taupin would often write lyrics apropos of nothing and hand them to John -- a bizarre way to work.
― Exile in lolville (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Sunday, 19 February 2012 21:41 (1 year ago) Permalink
weird...thanks
― Iago Galdston, Sunday, 19 February 2012 21:43 (1 year ago) Permalink
I remember a documentary where Paul Gambaccini gave Elton the "No man is an island" poem, and Elton worked up a melody in about half an hour.
― Mark G, Monday, 20 February 2012 13:57 (1 year ago) Permalink
or James Lipton reciting a page from a cookbook.
― Exile in lolville (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Monday, 20 February 2012 14:00 (1 year ago) Permalink
From the Carter Inaugural menu?
― Can You Please POLL Out Your Window? (James Redd and the Blecchs), Monday, 20 February 2012 14:11 (1 year ago) Permalink
Automatic thread bump. This poll is closing tomorrow.
― System, Tuesday, 13 March 2012 00:01 (1 year ago) Permalink
It has to be the opening medley, although "Funeral For a Friend" is considerably better than "Love Lies Bleeding". David Hentschel for president! :)
― Hongroe (Geir Hongro), Tuesday, 13 March 2012 00:07 (1 year ago) Permalink
I burned a copy of this w/out Candle in the Wind (I can't hear it anymore, too overplayed), Jamaica, Roy Rogers and Social Disease...so much better without them
― Iago Galdston, Tuesday, 13 March 2012 00:13 (1 year ago) Permalink
tempted to vote for jamaican jerk-off
― kurwa mać (Polish for "long life") (Eisbaer), Tuesday, 13 March 2012 00:19 (1 year ago) Permalink
Island Girl is a much better Caribbean track than "Jerk-Off", imho
― Iago Galdston, Tuesday, 13 March 2012 00:21 (1 year ago) Permalink
oooh, Elton singles poll would be nice...
Elton John Greatest Hits Vol. 1
Mo' Elton -- Greatest Hits, 1976-1986 (for Greatest Hits, Vol. 3)
You Wanted It (I Think), So Here It Is ... Elton John's "Greatest Hits, Vol. 2"
― Exile in lolville (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Tuesday, 13 March 2012 00:22 (1 year ago) Permalink
Thanks...those are polls?
― Iago Galdston, Tuesday, 13 March 2012 00:28 (1 year ago) Permalink
yes, polls, merci
haha i forgot that i did those polls way back when.
― kurwa mać (Polish for "long life") (Eisbaer), Tuesday, 13 March 2012 00:30 (1 year ago) Permalink
wouldn't mind a poll that included singles from Elton's wilderness years (which aren't in these threads): stuff like "Ego," "Song For Guy," "Elton's Song," "Nobody Wins," etc.
― Exile in lolville (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Tuesday, 13 March 2012 00:31 (1 year ago) Permalink
Wow, I actually forgot I started this thread! Wonder why I gave it so much time. Can't remember if I voted. Need to listen to the record again.
― Doctor Casino, Tuesday, 13 March 2012 00:33 (1 year ago) Permalink
Off topic, but HOW could EJ play for Rush Limbaugh for a million bucks? Yuk!
― Iago Galdston, Tuesday, 13 March 2012 00:44 (1 year ago) Permalink
you answered your own question!
― Exile in lolville (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Tuesday, 13 March 2012 00:46 (1 year ago) Permalink
David Hentschel for president! :)who dis?
― billstevejim, Tuesday, 13 March 2012 01:06 (1 year ago) Permalink
Word, he has a wikipedia... I think most people assume Elton John played all the keyboards on "Funeral For A Friend."
― billstevejim, Tuesday, 13 March 2012 01:08 (1 year ago) Permalink
man i can't believe "Goodbye Yellow Brick Road" won one of those singles polls, that's like his only '70s hit that i straight up hate.
― some dude, Tuesday, 13 March 2012 01:13 (1 year ago) Permalink
Tiny Dancer was pretty unknown here; again not on the big hits comp. what with this poll and the stuff about changesonebowie in the Bowie poll; i'm realising *just how big* comps really were in the 1970s. i mean even The Beatles had a massive famous comp that became a classic in it's own right in the early 70s! it's weird.
― piscesx, Friday, 16 March 2012 15:30 (1 year ago) Permalink
well back then big acts would release an album every year and each one might only have 1 or 2 big hits, so i can see how those comps were a lot more useful or essential in the pre-pre-pre-pre-iTunes era
― some dude, Friday, 16 March 2012 15:32 (1 year ago) Permalink
The Beatles comp to which you are referring is Rock and Roll?
― Everything You POLL Is RONG (James Redd and the Blecchs), Friday, 16 March 2012 17:06 (1 year ago) Permalink
Red and Blue albums, I think.
― Doctor Casino, Friday, 16 March 2012 17:09 (1 year ago) Permalink
When did these actually come out? They seemed to always be around so I assume very early seventies.
― Everything You POLL Is RONG (James Redd and the Blecchs), Friday, 16 March 2012 17:12 (1 year ago) Permalink
wiki says 1973
― some dude, Friday, 16 March 2012 17:15 (1 year ago) Permalink
"Best Of"s were actually much bigger business in the late 80s/early 90s though.
― Hongroe (Geir Hongro), Friday, 16 March 2012 17:23 (1 year ago) Permalink
Why is that? Just from CDs coming in and boomers throwing out all those musty old records for one convenient little disc with all the favorites etc? Or Gen X/Y types playing catchup?
― Doctor Casino, Friday, 16 March 2012 17:24 (1 year ago) Permalink
well, the music industry as a whole was. but it seems like a lot of the really ridiculously big 10+ million selling greatest hit comps (beatles, eagles) came out in the '70s. (xpost)
― some dude, Friday, 16 March 2012 17:26 (1 year ago) Permalink
Oh yeah, The Eagles, of course.
I bought some greatest hits back in the day such as Hot Rocks but I steered clear of the Red and the Blue albums, they were too unwieldy. Why buy four LPs worth of material with what maybe a quarter of the groups entire output? To avoid "Mr Moonlight" and "Wild Honey Pie"? I think pretty much the entire Hey Jude/Beatles Again album was taking up one of those LPs.
― Everything You POLL Is RONG (James Redd and the Blecchs), Friday, 16 March 2012 17:51 (1 year ago) Permalink
A lot of those grew up with Red and Blue, and as far as no-nonsense comps go they're still exemplary.
― Exile in lolville (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Friday, 16 March 2012 17:51 (1 year ago) Permalink
Fair enough. But I think there was another opinion that they were a little bit on the tamer side of the catalogue, which is where the Rock and Roll comp came in.
― Everything You POLL Is RONG (James Redd and the Blecchs), Friday, 16 March 2012 17:54 (1 year ago) Permalink
Similarly I recall hearing "Don't Let The Sun Go Down" on the radio way more often after the live George Michael duet blew up early '92 which I had forgotten about until like 5 minutes ago.. Although it was on "Greatest Hits" I dunno if it was on the radio all that much throughout the 80s.
― billstevejim, Friday, 16 March 2012 20:54 (1 year ago) Permalink
Yeah, and at the same time I feel like the death of the mass-audience greatest-hits album is sort of a loss, in the sense that an artist could always toss on two or three songs that weren't actually big hits at all, or even just album cuts, and make them part of their canon by fiat. Millions of kids would grow up hearing these kind of minor songs right alongside giant blockbusters in the tracklist. It's like this last chance for the artist/record company to say "No, really, this was a good one, it deserved better!"
― Doctor Casino, Friday, 16 March 2012 21:13 (1 year ago) Permalink
Well, then there's the case of Tom Petty's first comp, boasting songs we've all heard for years and not a single surprise but was and remains a massive seller.
― Exile in lolville (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Friday, 16 March 2012 21:15 (1 year ago) Permalink
Well, except "Mary Jane's Last Dance," but that's a whole different animal of the "new song thrown on the comp," a la Slip Slidin' Away.
― Doctor Casino, Friday, 16 March 2012 21:46 (1 year ago) Permalink
Also, actually, looking at that Petty list some of it is definite non-hit canon stuff, but I don't know how many of them had become giant radio staples by the time the thing came out. I mean, "American Girl" never charted in the US but I assume it was a well-known song by 1993! "Listen To Her Heart" peaked at #59, tying "Here Comes My Girl," "Into The Great Wide Open" at #92, and "Even The Losers" was an album track.
― Doctor Casino, Friday, 16 March 2012 21:51 (1 year ago) Permalink
I mean, we're now pretty far afield of Elton but - I bet that Steve Miller greatest hits would rack up a pretty similar range, those have all become beloved barbecue-and-road-trip classics on the strength of the, what, five or six actual hits that were on it? I could be totally wrong though.
― Doctor Casino, Friday, 16 March 2012 21:53 (1 year ago) Permalink
It kinda blows my mind people not hearing Tiny Dancer a lot. Maybe I just heard it a disproportionate amount because my dad played Madman Across The Water a LOT.
― butvi wouls (Phil D.), Friday, 16 March 2012 22:18 (1 year ago) Permalink
Like some dude, I never really heard it too much until That Movie
― Everything You POLL Is RONG (James Redd and the Blecchs), Friday, 16 March 2012 22:20 (1 year ago) Permalink
thing about Candle in the Wind is I always preferred his solo live piano version where he riffs a bit vocally at the end than the full-band version on the original.
the Di version was an atrocity. The rhyme scheme and meter didn't fit at all.
― Bo Jackson Overdrive, Friday, 16 March 2012 22:21 (1 year ago) Permalink
"Tiny Dancer" peaked at 41 and was on the US charts for seven we
― Everything You POLL Is RONG (James Redd and the Blecchs), Friday, 16 March 2012 22:30 (1 year ago) Permalink
weeks in 1972
Yeah Elton had more than 10 a-sides prior to "Greatest Hits" getting released ..
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elton_John_discography
The 9 biggest hits were all included, and it looks like the 10th song could've been a toss up between Levon, Tiny Dancer or Friends which were all Top 40 (Top 41, whatever)... Levon charted the highest out of those 3.. It's possible Tiny Dancer wasn't included because of its length... Candle In The Wind didn't initially chart at all.
― billstevejim, Friday, 16 March 2012 23:17 (1 year ago) Permalink
And IIRC that album actually has multiple tracklists since CiTW did chart in the UK. Greatest Hits are funky things.
― Doctor Casino, Friday, 16 March 2012 23:27 (1 year ago) Permalink
Just saw "Friends" when I looked at the charts. Wouldn't be able to tell you how that went
― Everything You POLL Is RONG (James Redd and the Blecchs), Friday, 16 March 2012 23:39 (1 year ago) Permalink
I don't think "Friends" had much longevity chart-wise, but it was on "Freedom Rock."
It was also on this "deep cuts" comp that I used to listen to a lot... It had one of those "Nice Price" stickers on it.
― billstevejim, Friday, 16 March 2012 23:47 (1 year ago) Permalink
The only version of "Candle in the Wind" I can listen to is the one most of us knew growing up: the Live in Australia one that became a top ten hit in late '87 or early '88.
― Exile in lolville (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Saturday, 17 March 2012 01:40 (1 year ago) Permalink
yep that one.
― Bo Jackson Overdrive, Saturday, 17 March 2012 01:47 (1 year ago) Permalink
Drunk. Listening to "Funeral For a Friend" on really good speakers for like the first time ever. It may be the best thing ever recorded.
― Doctor Casino, Monday, 3 September 2012 23:31 (8 months ago) Permalink
no wait i was wrong, it's "goodbye yellow brick road"
― Doctor Casino, Monday, 3 September 2012 23:40 (8 months ago) Permalink
specifically the drums
― Doctor Casino, Monday, 3 September 2012 23:41 (8 months ago) Permalink
one thing's for sure it's not the fuckin spotify ads, man do i need to get a new needle post-haste
― Doctor Casino, Monday, 3 September 2012 23:43 (8 months ago) Permalink
Man, I miss those speakers.
― Doctor Casino, Wednesday, 3 April 2013 19:13 (1 month ago) Permalink
yeah peak period Elton loud on great speakers while drunk.. a pleasure i've had many a time.
was there ever a proper EJ poll? i missed it if so.
― piscesx, Thursday, 4 April 2013 18:25 (1 month ago) Permalink
It's in the cards over at the ballot poll order/timing coordination thread! S'what made me think of this thread actually.
― Doctor Casino, Thursday, 4 April 2013 18:56 (1 month ago) Permalink
Love Lies POLLing...
― Vol. 3: The Life & Times of E. "Boom" Carter (C. Grisso/McCain), Thursday, 4 April 2013 19:49 (1 month ago) Permalink
alvin tostig has a poll today.
― fact checking cuz, Thursday, 4 April 2013 20:20 (1 month ago) Permalink
POLL Me Closer, ILXor
― Doctor Casino, Thursday, 4 April 2013 20:39 (1 month ago) Permalink
i have little time for elton john, but i picked up the leon russel collab today in local charity shop .. one listen through - i really enjoyed it.a few more spins required to really feel the old school gospel'd up funk vibe did anyone else listen to it ?
― mark e, Thursday, 4 April 2013 20:56 (1 month ago) Permalink
ahhh ..
A Thread For Elton John-Leon Russell's "The Union"
― mark e, Thursday, 4 April 2013 20:57 (1 month ago) Permalink