can you tell I need a drink?
― first I think it's time I kick a little verse! (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Thursday, 22 August 2013 20:11 (ten years ago) link
voted for "love lies bleeding" only, ad "funeral" has not aged well. i assume those kind of votes were included here?
― fact checking cuz, Thursday, 22 August 2013 20:11 (ten years ago) link
ad = as
― fact checking cuz, Thursday, 22 August 2013 20:12 (ten years ago) link
Yeah this was the FM radio epic he had to deliver at some point.
― sup (billstevejim), Thursday, 22 August 2013 20:12 (ten years ago) link
Votes for both and for either were included in the total points.
― Ⓓⓡ. (Johnny Fever), Thursday, 22 August 2013 20:12 (ten years ago) link
The fanfare is like WHOA LOOK OUT ELTON AND SYNTHESIZERS
― first I think it's time I kick a little verse! (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Thursday, 22 August 2013 20:12 (ten years ago) link
weeee I'm flying
― set the controls for the heart of the sun (VegemiteGrrl), Thursday, 22 August 2013 20:13 (ten years ago) link
it reminds me of the Jim Steinman keyboard freakout intro to Bat Out Of Hell
I still like it as a whole. I recall hearing it for the first time while my parents were listening and I asked "is he ever gonna sing?" about 3 seconds before the singing part begins.
― sup (billstevejim), Thursday, 22 August 2013 20:14 (ten years ago) link
xp to Ismael =
http://www.redhotvelvet.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/68f7043833.jpg
― piscesx, Thursday, 22 August 2013 20:14 (ten years ago) link
for the record if anyone shows up to my funeral wearing a polo shirt over a longsleeve shirt I will come back to haunt them
― set the controls for the heart of the sun (VegemiteGrrl), Thursday, 22 August 2013 20:15 (ten years ago) link
but the kiss tie is totally welcome.
― fact checking cuz, Thursday, 22 August 2013 20:16 (ten years ago) link
05. "Bennie And The Jets" (1973) [486 points, 18 votes, 4 first place votes]
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8vLlpJc9mW0
This was my early guess for the poll winner, but until the final couple days of voting, it hadn't even secured a place in the top 10. I do ILM wrong, I guess.
― Ⓓⓡ. (Johnny Fever), Thursday, 22 August 2013 20:16 (ten years ago) link
blech
― the vineyards where the grapes of corporate rock are stored (cryptosicko), Thursday, 22 August 2013 20:17 (ten years ago) link
love the bridge in this song
― Lee626, Thursday, 22 August 2013 20:17 (ten years ago) link
xp NO!
It is divine!
― Ⓓⓡ. (Johnny Fever), Thursday, 22 August 2013 20:17 (ten years ago) link
Frank is a fan! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GS_K2eg7Gx8
― piscesx, Thursday, 22 August 2013 20:18 (ten years ago) link
biz markie version http://vimeo.com/5125762
― sup (billstevejim), Thursday, 22 August 2013 20:18 (ten years ago) link
Gosh, thought this was a sure winner. It's the one instance of Elton going right out there that really works imo.
― Ismael Klata, Thursday, 22 August 2013 20:18 (ten years ago) link
xp so is Mary J. Blige
― Ⓓⓡ. (Johnny Fever), Thursday, 22 August 2013 20:19 (ten years ago) link
I guess I've gotten used to "Bennie" by now, but its a song--unavoidable due to classic rock radio, GYBR and the otherwise fantastic first Greatest Hits volume--that has been annoying me most of my life.
― the vineyards where the grapes of corporate rock are stored (cryptosicko), Thursday, 22 August 2013 20:20 (ten years ago) link
The original an R&B #1 iirc
― first I think it's time I kick a little verse! (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Thursday, 22 August 2013 20:21 (ten years ago) link
r&b #15 actually. his highest r&b charter except for his part of r&b #1 that's what friends are fo"
― fact checking cuz, Thursday, 22 August 2013 20:23 (ten years ago) link
Piano on Bennie is my favorite thing
― set the controls for the heart of the sun (VegemiteGrrl), Thursday, 22 August 2013 20:23 (ten years ago) link
I love the little squelchy synthy things the increase as the song goes along. But yeah, the piano is key!
― Ⓓⓡ. (Johnny Fever), Thursday, 22 August 2013 20:24 (ten years ago) link
he had five r&b chart hits, by the way. david bowie had two. so there.
― fact checking cuz, Thursday, 22 August 2013 20:25 (ten years ago) link
Bennie.. is a classic case ofclassic albums with (oddly enough) one live track on them.
― piscesx, Thursday, 22 August 2013 20:25 (ten years ago) link
that's not actually live, though.
― fact checking cuz, Thursday, 22 August 2013 20:26 (ten years ago) link
dead?
― the vineyards where the grapes of corporate rock are stored (cryptosicko), Thursday, 22 August 2013 20:27 (ten years ago) link
Except it's just "live", but not really live.
― Ⓓⓡ. (Johnny Fever), Thursday, 22 August 2013 20:27 (ten years ago) link
for a song that's all hooks it's just rilly boring
― resulting post (rogermexico.), Thursday, 22 August 2013 20:27 (ten years ago) link
The story goes that Elton and the band and Gus Dudgeon didn't know what to do with Bennie, and then someone started slapping some reverb and audience sounds on it and everyone liked it. I'd love to get a listen to the non-"live" version.
― Ⓓⓡ. (Johnny Fever), Thursday, 22 August 2013 20:28 (ten years ago) link
took me some time to figure out why spotify's full of live versions, but I couldn't find an original
― Ismael Klata, Thursday, 22 August 2013 20:29 (ten years ago) link
mm we had this same live/ not-really-live debate on that actual thread about this and many other 'live' tracks.
― piscesx, Thursday, 22 August 2013 20:29 (ten years ago) link
After recording the song in the studio, John and the band worried that it was too plain and unoriginal. According to guitarist Davey Johnstone, "'Bennie and the Jets' was one of the oddest songs we ever recorded. We just sat back and said, 'This is really odd.'" While mixing the album, Dudgeon came up with the idea of creating a "live from Playhouse Theatre" sound for the track. He added reverb effects, applause and other audience sounds from John's previous concerts and a loop from the Jimi Hendrix live album Isle of Wight, plus whistles, giving it the "live concert recording" feel that has since become a sort of trademark.(from wiki)
― piscesx, Thursday, 22 August 2013 20:30 (ten years ago) link
04. "Goodbye Yellow Brick Road" (1973) [531 points, 21 votes, 2 first place votes]
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RZ3Bb4UsXhU
― Ⓓⓡ. (Johnny Fever), Thursday, 22 August 2013 20:31 (ten years ago) link
lol ilm
― resulting post (rogermexico.), Thursday, 22 August 2013 20:33 (ten years ago) link
I was sure this or Tiny Dancer would be number one.
― Kitchen Person, Thursday, 22 August 2013 20:33 (ten years ago) link
xxxxxps massive lol at the Soul Train crowd dancing like they're the crowd in any indie club
― Ismael Klata, Thursday, 22 August 2013 20:34 (ten years ago) link
I love this poll btw. imo we got the top three exactly right.
― resulting post (rogermexico.), Thursday, 22 August 2013 20:36 (ten years ago) link
unless... we blow the order... ::suspense::
― resulting post (rogermexico.), Thursday, 22 August 2013 20:37 (ten years ago) link
Not sure why I didn't vote for "Bennie and the Jets." Always liked it, didn't forget it, just didn't vote for it. I'd add it to the short list of Elton's quasi-glam moves.
"Goodbye Yellow Brick Road" I've never liked.
― clemenza, Thursday, 22 August 2013 20:38 (ten years ago) link
GBYBR is my alltime favorite elton song by a mile
everything about it makes me long for ~something~ and I get all emotional and it's totally just because of the way he sings those lines, it's so great
― set the controls for the heart of the sun (VegemiteGrrl), Thursday, 22 August 2013 20:38 (ten years ago) link
I can see that. "You can't plant me in your penthouse" makes me laugh, but it wasn't until years later that I took notice of it.
― clemenza, Thursday, 22 August 2013 20:41 (ten years ago) link
oooOOOoooh aaaAAAaaaAAAH oooOOOoooh...
― resulting post (rogermexico.), Thursday, 22 August 2013 20:41 (ten years ago) link
MAYBE THEY'LL GEEEEET A REPLAAAAAAACEMEEENNNNT
― set the controls for the heart of the sun (VegemiteGrrl), Thursday, 22 August 2013 20:43 (ten years ago) link
the pastoral taupinisms are hysterical but, welp, see thread title. huntin' that toad, y'all!
― resulting post (rogermexico.), Thursday, 22 August 2013 20:43 (ten years ago) link
this one's another set of legit good Taupin lyrics - at least in my humble opinion
― set the controls for the heart of the sun (VegemiteGrrl), Thursday, 22 August 2013 20:44 (ten years ago) link
Anyone seen his Live Aid perf of BATJ? Solid.
― first I think it's time I kick a little verse! (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Thursday, 22 August 2013 20:45 (ten years ago) link
Fake glam bands: Ziggy Stardust & the Spiders from Mars, Bennie & the Jets, and I bet no one remembers Ricky & the Balloons.
― clemenza, Thursday, 22 August 2013 20:47 (ten years ago) link