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

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and not the fun kind of Donovan/Marc Bolan gibberish, just malformed attempts at compelling imagery

― what's up ugly girls? (Shakey Mo Collier), Tuesday, August 20, 2013 3:03 PM (9 minutes ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

17-11-70 cover always reminds me of this:

http://www.herbmusic.net/album/cover/2012/07/7326_elton_john_17_11_70.jpg

http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/bryanburnett/2008/05/images/300_r_rex_electric_warrior_400v.jpg

Lee626, Tuesday, 20 August 2013 19:31 (eleven years ago) link

49. "Too Low For Zero" (1983) [81 points, 4 votes]

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

Ⓓⓡ. (Johnny Fever), Tuesday, 20 August 2013 19:33 (eleven years ago) link

crossing my fingers for track-by-track trolling from shakey mo

i am.. a maven (Matt P), Tuesday, 20 August 2013 19:36 (eleven years ago) link

I hope he's up to it!

Ⓓⓡ. (Johnny Fever), Tuesday, 20 August 2013 19:43 (eleven years ago) link

the affection for TLFZ is awesome!

first I think it's time I kick a little verse! (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Tuesday, 20 August 2013 19:46 (eleven years ago) link

hahaha, ditto

GYBR cover would have been 100000x better with him stepping off of it, I agree.

xp

cops on horse (WilliamC), Tuesday, 20 August 2013 19:47 (eleven years ago) link

I'd remembered this song before voting time, but the past couple weeks of listening has made it a favorite of mine for sure.

Ⓓⓡ. (Johnny Fever), Tuesday, 20 August 2013 19:47 (eleven years ago) link

Elton's visual statements were his glasses, not his album covers, guys. this is so obvious.

some dude, Tuesday, 20 August 2013 19:52 (eleven years ago) link

48. "Border Song" (1970) [82 points, 5 votes]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3VIH11m6QGk

Ⓓⓡ. (Johnny Fever), Tuesday, 20 August 2013 19:52 (eleven years ago) link

Hmm, a favorite of five people who are nowhere to be found, apparently. Holy Moses.

Ⓓⓡ. (Johnny Fever), Tuesday, 20 August 2013 20:05 (eleven years ago) link

47. "Blue Eyes" (1982) [83 points, 3 votes]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4CiyKeSnSxk

Ⓓⓡ. (Johnny Fever), Tuesday, 20 August 2013 20:07 (eleven years ago) link

Aretha's version of "Border Song" is okay I guess.

I voted for "Blue Eyes"!

first I think it's time I kick a little verse! (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Tuesday, 20 August 2013 20:07 (eleven years ago) link

I think I voted for Blue Eyes too. it should be corny as all get out. Somehow it's not.

set the controls for the heart of the sun (VegemiteGrrl), Tuesday, 20 August 2013 20:09 (eleven years ago) link

There's an Orbison-esque quality to this song, mixed with a hotel lounge performer's schtick. I dunno. It's working for me.

Ⓓⓡ. (Johnny Fever), Tuesday, 20 August 2013 20:13 (eleven years ago) link

Too Low For Zero -
lyrics to this are pretty good actually, although totally unrelated to the feel of the music. I suppose that could be intentional but just makes me think that it's the kind of thing Steely Dan or Bryan Ferry would do in a much different and better way. melodically basic but serviceable, wears out its welcome at 6 minutes, that's for sure. strange song to play at Live Aid or whatever that show is. backing band is atrocious.

what's up ugly girls? (Shakey Mo Collier), Tuesday, 20 August 2013 20:14 (eleven years ago) link

xxpost yeah, good call re: orbison! it feels legit sad not just 'ahm in lurve with a gurl who has blue eyes'

set the controls for the heart of the sun (VegemiteGrrl), Tuesday, 20 August 2013 20:14 (eleven years ago) link

couldn't bring myself to vote for "blue eyes." it's monumental in my memories. that melody. that vocal. but ouch that lyric. gary osborne, who wrote it, does not hold a candle in the wind to bernie taupin. i complain about bernie as much as the next guy, but his words really do sound good coming out of elton's mouth. gary's words somehow sound even worse when subjected to as good a melody and vocal performance as this.

fact checking cuz, Tuesday, 20 August 2013 20:16 (eleven years ago) link

Border Song
why is he appealling to Moses, I don't get it. the bad water/back to the border bit makes it sound like he went to Tijuana and got diarrhea. first he complains about being around people who aren't like him and then he wants to live in peace... what? the inscrutability here is pretty irritating. as torch songs go the piano refrain is fine, melody is sort of just there, feel like the backing gospel vocals are there to give the song an emotional heft that the narrator and lead vocal line can't deliver by themselves. not bad but pretty unremarkable.

what's up ugly girls? (Shakey Mo Collier), Tuesday, 20 August 2013 20:21 (eleven years ago) link

the bad water/back to the border bit makes it sound like he went to Tijuana and got diarrhea.

HA!

Ⓓⓡ. (Johnny Fever), Tuesday, 20 August 2013 20:22 (eleven years ago) link

"harmony," which i did vote for, is what "blue eyes" would sound like if bernie taupin was there.

fact checking cuz, Tuesday, 20 August 2013 20:22 (eleven years ago) link

Blue Eyes
uh the word "blue" doing a lot of heavy lifting here. godawful synth sounds, like the opening theme to some 80s daytime soap. vocal performance seems like the saving grace, something affecting in his dips into his lower and upper registers here and there. again not really impressed with the melody, so many times it feels like Elton's building up to a halfway decent hook or refrain and then things just... peter out.

what's up ugly girls? (Shakey Mo Collier), Tuesday, 20 August 2013 20:26 (eleven years ago) link

TIE-45. "Are You Ready For Love?" (1977) [83 points, 4 votes]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4jw7MtB2fm0

Ⓓⓡ. (Johnny Fever), Tuesday, 20 August 2013 20:26 (eleven years ago) link

^ This is an awesome song that I may have skimmed right past when doing my listening. I'm LOVING IT right now.

Ⓓⓡ. (Johnny Fever), Tuesday, 20 August 2013 20:33 (eleven years ago) link

Are You Ready For Love?

pretty good Philly soul feel, can totally hear the Spinners or the Chi-Lites rockin this. fairly standard straightforward lyrics nothing special, but a thankful respite from the incoherent nonsense he's usually working with. needs more of the goofy squelchin synth sounds from the end. it seems a bit slight, a throwaway, not that there's anything wrong with that.

what's up ugly girls? (Shakey Mo Collier), Tuesday, 20 August 2013 20:39 (eleven years ago) link

It's from the sessions he did with Thom Bell in Philadelphia, so your ear is serving you well.

Ⓓⓡ. (Johnny Fever), Tuesday, 20 August 2013 20:40 (eleven years ago) link

I dunno why you guys (ahem Shakey) are concentrating for better or worse on lyrics. "Blue Eyes" is about John's vocal and the keyboard harmonics.

first I think it's time I kick a little verse! (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Tuesday, 20 August 2013 20:42 (eleven years ago) link

eh I'm a 50/50 kind of listener

what's up ugly girls? (Shakey Mo Collier), Tuesday, 20 August 2013 20:43 (eleven years ago) link

TIE-45. "Holiday Inn" (1971) [83 points, 4 votes]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=666JAioPDhM

Ⓓⓡ. (Johnny Fever), Tuesday, 20 August 2013 20:44 (eleven years ago) link

shakey will be playing the role of Simon Cowell for this rollout

set the controls for the heart of the sun (VegemiteGrrl), Tuesday, 20 August 2013 20:44 (eleven years ago) link

here's one I don't know.

first I think it's time I kick a little verse! (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Tuesday, 20 August 2013 20:44 (eleven years ago) link

I'm a fan of pointless sitar.

Ⓓⓡ. (Johnny Fever), Tuesday, 20 August 2013 20:46 (eleven years ago) link

There's just so much you can say when a song's lyrical premise is eye color. I voted for "Blue Eyes" for the great melody, and good vocal delivery even if the lyrics are unexceptional.

I like alot of stuff from the Thom Bell sessions, but none stood out enough to make my ballot.

"Holiday Inn" probably would have made my top 25

Lee626, Tuesday, 20 August 2013 20:48 (eleven years ago) link

Gary Osborne's lyrics for "Blue Eyes" are just right: they don't strain, they decorate the melody.

first I think it's time I kick a little verse! (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Tuesday, 20 August 2013 20:50 (eleven years ago) link

Holiday Inn
This is pretty good! The orchestra breakdowns, the fake sitar, the mandolin picking running through the whole thing. The arrangement effectively shifts the parts of the composition around instead of just relying on bombast or repetition. sentiment of the song isn't all that compelling but whatever, the world always needs another song about world-weary musicians amirite...

what's up ugly girls? (Shakey Mo Collier), Tuesday, 20 August 2013 20:51 (eleven years ago) link

Yeah, it's the 'Wanted Dead or Alive' of its day.

Ⓓⓡ. (Johnny Fever), Tuesday, 20 August 2013 20:53 (eleven years ago) link

Are You Ready For Love? got a second life in the UK circa five years ago thanks to a remix (for no obvious reason). Thought that might've got it a few more votes tbh, it's excellent.

Ismael Klata, Tuesday, 20 August 2013 20:57 (eleven years ago) link

44. "Island Girl" (1975) [84 points, 5 votes]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ml9K8K8KwpY

Ⓓⓡ. (Johnny Fever), Tuesday, 20 August 2013 20:57 (eleven years ago) link

oh dear

first I think it's time I kick a little verse! (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Tuesday, 20 August 2013 20:58 (eleven years ago) link

wow fuck this song

what's up ugly girls? (Shakey Mo Collier), Tuesday, 20 August 2013 21:04 (eleven years ago) link

lol yeah, pretty much

Ⓓⓡ. (Johnny Fever), Tuesday, 20 August 2013 21:05 (eleven years ago) link

Forget the lyrics. The arrangement makes my skin crawl.

first I think it's time I kick a little verse! (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Tuesday, 20 August 2013 21:08 (eleven years ago) link

I was gonna say it's at least partially redeemed by the musical arrangement but then the marimba came in lol

what's up ugly girls? (Shakey Mo Collier), Tuesday, 20 August 2013 21:09 (eleven years ago) link

I kinda like the electric slide guitar part (v Mick Ronson) but the rest ugh what were you 5 voters thinking

what's up ugly girls? (Shakey Mo Collier), Tuesday, 20 August 2013 21:10 (eleven years ago) link

43. "Where To Now St. Peter?" (1970) [85 points, 4 votes]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mOHLQg4VfqE

Ⓓⓡ. (Johnny Fever), Tuesday, 20 August 2013 21:11 (eleven years ago) link

I love ROTW but it's pretty much his New Jersey. "Island Girl" his last instant #1.

first I think it's time I kick a little verse! (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Tuesday, 20 August 2013 21:11 (eleven years ago) link

"island girl" is is also a case of elton uncharacteristically getting tripped up by taupin's lyrics. "in the big ci - i - tee" doesn't scan and doesn't work.

and um yeah that marimba.

fact checking cuz, Tuesday, 20 August 2013 21:14 (eleven years ago) link

yes! the first line of "st. peter" makes better use of the word "blue" than all of "blue eyes," and is its equal melodically.

fact checking cuz, Tuesday, 20 August 2013 21:16 (eleven years ago) link

I still wonder what it's like to sit down and write lyrics without music as if they were poetry. Maybe Taupin believes they are.

first I think it's time I kick a little verse! (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Tuesday, 20 August 2013 21:20 (eleven years ago) link

Where To Now St. Peter?

this feels like it was written for the opening montage of some 70s bildungsroman film. production touches are a little hamhanded, could be worse I guess. shitty sub-Dylan imagery but fcc OTM about that opening "blue" bit.

what's up ugly girls? (Shakey Mo Collier), Tuesday, 20 August 2013 21:26 (eleven years ago) link

island girl ugh ugh ugh

WHY IS HE SCREAMING

set the controls for the heart of the sun (VegemiteGrrl), Tuesday, 20 August 2013 21:27 (eleven years ago) link


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