"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 (ten years ago) link
Blue Eyesuh 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 (ten 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 (ten 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 (ten 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 (ten 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 (ten 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 (ten 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 (ten 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 (ten 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 (ten 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 (ten years ago) link
I'm a fan of pointless sitar.
― Ⓓⓡ. (Johnny Fever), Tuesday, 20 August 2013 20:46 (ten 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 (ten 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 (ten years ago) link
Holiday InnThis 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 (ten years ago) link
Yeah, it's the 'Wanted Dead or Alive' of its day.
― Ⓓⓡ. (Johnny Fever), Tuesday, 20 August 2013 20:53 (ten 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 (ten 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 (ten 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 (ten years ago) link
wow fuck this song
― what's up ugly girls? (Shakey Mo Collier), Tuesday, 20 August 2013 21:04 (ten years ago) link
lol yeah, pretty much
― Ⓓⓡ. (Johnny Fever), Tuesday, 20 August 2013 21:05 (ten 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 (ten 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 (ten 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 (ten 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 (ten 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 (ten 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 (ten 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 (ten 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 (ten 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 (ten 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 (ten years ago) link
he's so confused by the cee-i-tee
― what's up ugly girls? (Shakey Mo Collier), Tuesday, 20 August 2013 21:27 (ten years ago) link
and the harmonies: ISLAND GIRR-HER-HER-HERRLL
― first I think it's time I kick a little verse! (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Tuesday, 20 August 2013 21:28 (ten years ago) link
My affection for "Island Girl" is no doubt heightened by its presence on the Sun Jammin' comp that spent a fair it of time in my parents car when I was a kid.
― the vineyards where the grapes of corporate rock are stored (cryptosicko), Tuesday, 20 August 2013 21:29 (ten years ago) link
EYE!LAND! GIRL!
― set the controls for the heart of the sun (VegemiteGrrl), Tuesday, 20 August 2013 21:31 (ten years ago) link
42. "We All Fall In Love Sometimes" (1975) [87 points, 3 votes, 1 first place vote]
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UyGzeEuiQos
― Ⓓⓡ. (Johnny Fever), Tuesday, 20 August 2013 21:39 (ten years ago) link
never heard "Little Jeannie" before, i like this. can someone make me a playlist of groovy Elton electric piano and horns songs? he has to have an album's worth of tracks like this, right?
― some dude, Tuesday, 20 August 2013 21:39 (ten years ago) link
just go to the dentist enough times
― first I think it's time I kick a little verse! (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Tuesday, 20 August 2013 21:41 (ten years ago) link
We All Fall... seems very McCartney/Wings to me. I'm sure there was some degree of mutual admiration.
― Ⓓⓡ. (Johnny Fever), Tuesday, 20 August 2013 21:42 (ten years ago) link
The Jeff Buckley version someone posted in the voting thread was the most overwrought rendering of anything I've ever heard. pee-yew
― Ⓓⓡ. (Johnny Fever), Tuesday, 20 August 2013 21:44 (ten years ago) link
I'd like to know if there was any Macca-Reginald connection. Elton and Lennon were the chums.
― first I think it's time I kick a little verse! (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Tuesday, 20 August 2013 21:46 (ten years ago) link
Well I love both of them. Up yours, Fever.
― Ismael Klata, Tuesday, 20 August 2013 21:47 (ten years ago) link
:D
― Ⓓⓡ. (Johnny Fever), Tuesday, 20 August 2013 21:48 (ten years ago) link
Was my no.1 of course, feel like I've made a difference for once. For me it's the beautiful lyrics and melody for once aligning perfectly.
― Ismael Klata, Tuesday, 20 August 2013 21:49 (ten years ago) link
I posted the Jeff Buckley cover, and I may well like his version better. Some of his covers are overwrought ("The Way Young Lovers Do"), but not this one. Also voted for Elton's original version.
― Lee626, Tuesday, 20 August 2013 21:52 (ten years ago) link
I can't get enough of overwrought. Ham it up, Buck, that's what I say.
― Ismael Klata, Tuesday, 20 August 2013 21:53 (ten years ago) link
We All Fall In Love Sometimeswow yeah this is VERY Macca. The double-tracked vocals popping in, the synth line, the rhythmic stop-starts. re: the intro, I feel like George Michael must have cribbed from this a bit for the melody to Careless Whispers...? someone with more musicological knowledge than me could probably speak to this better. The soaring vocal coda is nice, genuinely dig this.
― what's up ugly girls? (Shakey Mo Collier), Tuesday, 20 August 2013 21:54 (ten years ago) link
(xposts) as a musician, elton seems way closer to macca in lots of obvious ways. as a person, the lennon kinship makes all the sense in the world.
― fact checking cuz, Tuesday, 20 August 2013 21:58 (ten years ago) link
Speaking of Lennon, this was my choice for worst song:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ixs7mTQI4lE
― wombspace (abanana), Tuesday, 20 August 2013 22:03 (ten years ago) link
41. "The Last Song" (1992) [89 points, 4 votes]
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dXV_CTFPqCc
― Ⓓⓡ. (Johnny Fever), Tuesday, 20 August 2013 22:04 (ten years ago) link