Bernie Taupin Is A Godawful Lyricist Whose Lyrics Sound Amazing Coming Out Of Elton John's Mouth — ILM ARTIST POLL #41: ELTON JOHN

Note to self, when I have a computer in front of me rather than a phone, write out five-paragraph, line-by-line explanation of why ''Captain Fantastic'' is one of the greatest songs in Elton's catalog.

I'd be interested to read it, because that song means nothing to me.

Consulting my newly purchased book of Billboard Top Ten charts, I note that Captain Fantastic, after debuting at #1 and staying there for six weeks and returning for a seventh about six weeks later, fell out of the top ten at the end of September 1975. In November, Rock of the Westies debuted at #1: by any standards phenomenal productivity and sales figures. No wonder he burned out a year later.

I was going to be all "LOL u bought a book of Billboard charts?! hahah" ...and then I saw it was you. As you were. :)

Elton's new album The Diving Board is out today, lyrics by Bernie, production by T-Bone Burnett, stripped down rhythm section consisting of Jack Ashford of the Funk Brothers on drums and Raphael Saadiq (!) on bass. not amazing or anything but pretty enjoyable.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UttbDHa1uSg

Was planning on giving it a spin soon.

Barry Walters gives EJ the icon treatment and rather well too:

http://www.emusic.com/music-news/icon/emusic-icon-elton-john/

Elton talks...lots of unexpected choices. Great comments.

http://www.rollingstone.com/music/pictures/elton-john-my-life-in-20-songs-20131010?utm_source=dailynewsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=newsletter

"Crocodile Rock"
Don't Shoot Me I'm Only the Piano Player, 1973

Don't Shoot Me I'm Only the Piano Player was my first U.K. Number One album. It had "Daniel," which was pure pop, but there were also songs like "Elderberry Wine" and "Teacher I Need You." And of course it spawned "Crocodile Rock," which was the song that probably changed the critics' opinion of me. It was a really blatant homage to Speedy Gonzales and all the great Fifties and Sixties records that we used to love, like Danny and the Juniors' "At the Hop." My career wasn't about "Crocodile Rock" – it was just a one-off thing – but it became a huge hit record, and in the long run, it became a negative for me, because people said, "Oh, fucking 'Crocodile Rock.' " I'd never started off as a hit writer, and I didn't know what a hit was, and it's evidenced on my first four albums. Rolling Stone reviewed it and gave it two stars, and I said, "Oh, fuck off." It was a great fucking pop record. Shut the fuck up. - haha fair enough

''Speedy Gonzales''?

http://youtu.be/O4HT51a4VHY

haha wow that is really blatant

That is an awful, awful song. But wow re: the Elton connection.

i wish there was an audio version of this interview in which scarface recites some classic bernie taupin lyrics.

Oh, and Speedy Gonzales to Bruce Springsteen, also.

Finally digging into Blue Moves after ages of dismissing it based on the cover art and not knowing any of the songs, figured it would just be a wash of faceless dreary ballads. But actually there's some rockin' here, and some really cool arrangements and musical surprises. It's very very well-recorded, for sure. Still getting to know it so I can't call out any specific moments, but I kinda think it's at least better than Caribou as a listening experience, even though it's nearly twice as long, largely underwritten (so many instrumentals!) and lacks that album's two big hits (both true grab-you-by-the-ears standouts). I dunno, it just seems less stupid.

If the same material had just been worked on longer, filling out the instrumentals as memorable songs in themselves, who knows what might have been? It came out one year after Rock of the Westies, also an album with some problems; if he'd been on a 1990s release schedule, the best material from those two together could have yielded a platter at least as good as Honky Chateau or Don't Shoot Me.... Just need to do something about the sleeves...

I never enjoyed recording studios! I loved the process of writing, but I never enjoyed the process of being in the studio. I always felt like a caged lion

--bernie taupin

RFI: With search engine disabled, can't seem to find the thread the title quote is from

it was the elton john voting thread and it was my quote and i can't seem to find it either. but if i had a copy editor, it would've been shortened to "bernie taupin writes godawful lyrics that sound amazing coming out of elton john's mouth."

It might be on the voting thread, but he first time you said it was about a decade ago.

Found it: Elton John

Elton has many great, weird songs.

Hang the fuck on, did 'Song for Guy' not place!?

The worst Elton John mega single.

No room for Captain Fantastic.

^^^ baffling!

(i'd put it #1, is all)

I really like Crocodile Rock :(

My dad is a big Elton John fan and I loved that song when I was like 6. Ditto for the Lion King soundtrack songs, I grew up listening to those. I just can’t actively hate them. I don’t really listen to them anymore but I don’t think they are his worst. Candle in the Wind is really bad though, kudos on that one.

Boy, he sure had a lot of top forty singles, eh?

OTM about 'Your Song', I'm seriously fucking sick of hearing it at this stage.

elton on bernie:

He comes from the wilds of Lincolnshire, I come from the suburbs of London. He lives in Santa Barbara and he’s literally won competitions for roping cattle. I collect antique porcelain and the only way you’d get me on the back of a horse is at gunpoint. Neither of us can write if the other is in the room. But there’s a weird bond between us that I felt the minute I opened the envelope – I could just write music to his words straight away, without even thinking about it – and it’s lasted over 50 years.

("the envelope" referring to a guy at liberty records in london randomly handing elton an envelope full of bernie lyrics in 1967.)

what a great piece

had no interest in seeing this but if herself is on board then I’ll give it a gander

Taron Egerton and Alden Ehrenreich are the same guy, right?

i think so yes

r.i.p. Caribou, you deserved better

feeling this post today. not mentioned anywhere in this thread: the gorgeous "pinky." such a perfectly arranged/played/recorded chorus. i want to take a bubble bath in it. the lyrics are classic bernie, the chorus consisting of four lines that defy you to guess what they have to do with each other. but the last bit of the last verse is killing me right now: "oh it's ten below zero / and we're about / to abandon / our plans for the day." i wish i voted for it.

I thought I did mention it?!

hmm, maybe on the voting thread?

I thought of the Elton poll crew watching his highness shuffle around the stage tonight for the farewell

did anyone else tune in? his band is so good