Elton John's Goodbye Yellow Brick Road - the POLL

Too many good songs to be narrowed to 1 record. There's really only 1 or 2 songs I skip on this.

The entire 1st LP is solid IMO.

"This Song Has Neither Melody Nor Tune" is pretty bad.

"Grey Seal" (the best nonsense of Elton's career?), "Saturday Night," or "Love Lies Bleeding."

Those are probably my top three. Went with "Love Lies Bleeding." Have possibly heard this album more than any other album in my life, btw. And give or take "Candle In The Wind," "Harmony" might be my least favorite thing on it.

Voted title track on chord structure alone.

xp But it has words and a tune, it says so right in the song

"Funeral for a Friend/Loves Lies Bleeding" all the way. Elton at his schlockiest/awesomest!

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

"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."

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.

elton's vocals are a little limp on it but otherwise sweet painted lady is p great

Like this album but hate hate hate Bennie and the Jets. Cannot ever stomach getting through that entire song.

yeah Sweet Painted Lady i think.

probably the worst cover i've ever heard released on an actual CD is this, while we're on the subject

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r_l_runP4-Q

omg that rules

Grey Seal

benny and the jets, of course

^^^

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

This be the album with "Jamaica Jerk-Off" on it.

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.

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"

oh you'll have fun. This album virtually defines "deep cut."

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.

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.

OTM. such a last song. always feel like i should pick up the needle when it's over.

I pick up the needle when it starts.

Funeral For a Friend/Love Lies Bleeding 4EVA!!!!

'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.

"Something" about the title song always gets me, so I'm voting for it.

GYBR vs Alice

fuuck thats tough

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.

Just listened to this album recently. Probably my second favourite of his after Captain Fantastic.

I went with Harmony, beautiful song.

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

Taupin would often write lyrics apropos of nothing and hand them to John -- a bizarre way to work.

weird...thanks

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.

or James Lipton reciting a page from a cookbook.

From the Carter Inaugural menu?

Automatic thread bump. This poll is closing tomorrow.

It has to be the opening medley, although "Funeral For a Friend" is considerably better than "Love Lies Bleeding". David Hentschel for president! :)

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

tempted to vote for jamaican jerk-off

Island Girl is a much better Caribbean track than "Jerk-Off", imho

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"

Thanks...those are polls?

yes, polls, merci

haha i forgot that i did those polls way back when.

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.

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.

coke gives you tons of energy but it makes you scattered, self critical/confident/doubtful in equal measure. I don't think it can account for bad ideas.

Which albums do you think were lacklustre?

Pretty much everything from Blue Moves onwards.

Grey Seal has grown to be my favorite, I love the way the drums sound on it - that last round of tom fills at the end that are mic'd really hot.

Just discovered the early B-side version recently, that one's great too.

"gray seal" is great for real but "funeral for a friend / love lies bleeding" is just so completely unbelievable, one of the major resplendent '70s prog epics that's way too intense and awesome to imagine new on the radio anytime after 1977, rivaling how synthtastic even "blinded by the light" is

Yeah, it rules.

For no real reason I looked it up and it finished bafflingly low in the classic rock tracks poll, at #312 (tying with My Sweet Lord and Rock & Roll All Nite!). To be fair, in general artists big enough to have their own polls kind of underperformed there (which is understandable) - but resplendent prog epics, save "Roundabout" (#24) also seemed to do poorly, with "Come Sail Away" stuck at #261. That still blows my mind and I'm convinced it Means Something in terms of the ILM hivemind. "Blinded By The Light," which probably gets played the most of any of them on actual classic rock radio, tied "Riders on the Storm" for #108.

it finished bafflingly low in the classic rock tracks poll, at #312

"funeral/love" my #52 (sandwiched between the epic "don't stop believin'" and the resplendent "killer queen"). never thought of "blinded by the light" as a resplendent prog epic and didn't vote for it.

and oh lord "grey seal" yes.

This is a full hi res scan of the working drawing for my Goodbye Yellow Brick Road album cover from 1973 recently rediscovered pic.twitter.com/A3zgKXVmU6

— Ian Beck (@ianarchiebeck) July 10, 2017

cooooooool

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), Friday, March 16, 2012 9:40 PM bookmarkflaglink

the funny thing when I first bought and listened to GYBR is that I realized I hadn't even fucking heard this version, because the version I thought was the original for years as a kid was the infamous Live in Australia one, which works a lot better. album version is very stiff, plodding, a bit lifeless in comparison, version with just a piano and some actual vocal riffing from Elton, with his huskier 80s voice, really made it a better tune for me.

I feel like there's quite a few of these tunes where a remix or a live version of the song is the version I grew up knowing of a song with a completely different genesis. though I don't think "I Want You to Want ME" counts cos I think everybody knows that's a live version.

Listening to this on vinyl right now and thinking, during the "Goodbye Yellow Brick Road"/"This Song Has No Title"/"Grey Seal" stretch, that Side Two of this album might represent the absolute peak of Elton's career, and then boom--"Jamaica Jerk Off" happens.

It's as excessive as anything, certainly a bit bloated - - - does anyone do White Album style single-disc scenarios for this?

I did. I tried to make it a single LP but it was tough. IIRC it was:

1. Funeral For A Friend/Love Lies Bleeding
2. Candle In The Wind
3. Bennie & The Jets
4. Goodbye Yellow Brick Road
5. Grey Seal
6. I’ve Seen That Movie Too
7. All The Girls Love Alice
8. Your Sister Can’t Twist (But She Can Rock ‘n Roll)
9. Saturday Night’s Alright For Fighting
10. Harmony

That's probably 50 minutes so still on the long side.

(I guess I'm the only one who wants "Your Sister Can’t Twist (But She Can Rock ‘n Roll)" leading into "Saturday Night’s Alright For Fighting." Or who feels "Candle" should remain since it's a hit.)

1. Funeral For A Friend/Love Lies Bleeding
2. Candle In The Wind
3. Bennie & The Jets
4. Goodbye Yellow Brick Road
5. Grey Seal
6. I’ve Seen That Movie Too
7. All The Girls Love Alice
8. Your Sister Can’t Twist (But She Can Rock ‘n Roll)
9. Saturday Night’s Alright For Fighting
10. Harmony

pretty much my keepers but I won't be as perverse as to pare this album.

How I ranked the songs three years ago:

he Hague

Jamaican Jerk-Off

Meh

Candle in the Wind
This Song Has No Title
Sweet Painted Lady

Sound, Solid

Roy Rogers
All the Girls Love Alice
The Ballad of Danny Bailey (1909–34)
Dirty Little Girl
Your Sister Can’t Twist (But She Can Rock ‘n Roll)

Good to Great

Harmony
Saturday Night’s Alright for Fighting
Bennie and the Jets
Goodbye Yellow Brick Road
Funeral for a Friend/Love Lies Bleeding
I’ve Seen That Movie Too
Grey Seal
Social Disease

I like more songs on Blue Moves than I really enjoy on this, though I had to listen to the former a lot to get into it.

It doesn't help the case for Blue Moves that side one is the weakest, though.

wow

Funeral for a Friend into Love Lies Bleeding is perhaps one of the greatest openings to a rock n roll album in history.

Candle in the Wind's only good version is the live one from 88

Grey Seal rules

otm xpost

yeah Grey Seal is great.

Title track is the basic choice but I don’t care, I’m basic.

My mother has an unhealthy obsession with Princess Diana and I heard Candle in the Wind every day for a year straight after her death. It would be a good candidate song for torturing prisoners.

I guess this is widely considered his magnum opus but I’m more of a Honky Chateau kind of person.

Too much boring, decadent clutter in Madman and Yellow Brick Road for me

Sorry for the multi-messages, time to go listen to Mona Lisa and the Mad Hatters and go to sleep.

I guess this is widely considered his magnum opus but I’m more of a Honky Chateau kind of person.

Yeah, Honky Chateau is easily my favorite too. Excellent start-to-finish and very cohesive. Yellow Brick Road and Rock of the Westies are the only others I listen to. Outside of that, compilations feel like the best way to explore the rest.

No love for Tumbleweed Connection? Sure it's ersatz Americana but the songs are terrific (and none have been overplayed to the same extent as Bennie, Rocket Man or Candle.) Easily my top choice of EJ albums.

Bird, I'm generally onboard with your tastes but your ranking Rock of the Westies loses me.

And Moka, you've nailed it with Mona Lisas and Mad Hatters. His greatest song ever.

Christgau acolytes point to Westies, but "Island Girl" is easily his second worst #1 of the period, and "Street Kids" and "Hard Luck Stories" are the only album tracks worth a damn.

Caribou's where it's at.

You're *all* wrong - Captain Fantastic is the masterpiece! But there's like a three-way tie for second place, and stuff I love on all the 70-76 albums.

"Elderberry Wine"! "Have Mercy on the Criminal"!

"Island Girl" is easily his second worst #1 of the period

What's the worst?

"Lucy..."

Surprised/not surprised to learn that was a #1. It barely registers for me.

I'm not fond of "Crocodile Rock" either, but, yeesh, at the other two.

Caribou opens with my favorite Elton John track - it was so much fun to finally see him perform it live on the farewell tour. IIRC after it was over, he repeatedly slammed his piano lid over and over again.

Xgau was the reason I gave Rock of the Westies another chance - I never thought there were any real standouts on it and still don't, but played through in its entirety, it sounds pretty consistent and enjoyable to me. Also lightweight and much less ambitious, but it hangs together for me as a set of tuneful modest numbers. I think Elton might've said it was mostly an exercise in breaking in his new band. They're not as good as his old band, but they sound fine to me here.

The nonsense is less tuneful than usual, forcing me to listen to an unusually prolix and incoherent set of Bernie lyrics ("Yell Help," "Feed Me," etc.).

I think I really must be the only person on Earth, apart from the hordes who bought it at the time, that really digs Elton's Lucy. Can't argue with Island Girl as the worst of the #1s, though if we were just talking "worst single from his classic period," it'd be in competition with the obnoxious Pinball Wizard or the relentless and ever-unwelcome Step Into Christmas.

Dan Dare, Street Kids, and Robert Ford are all good to great. Grow Some Funk is such a great performance, but the lyric is a real cringe, and Island Girl doesn't even pass the first test. No matter how many times I listen to the album, the bulk of Side B refuses to stick in my brain. And yet I keep wanting to give it another try.

xxp aw, "Yell Help" is so bizarre it's funny - like what the hell is he going on about?

lol I've never actually paid attention to the lyrics before. what a train-wteck - the Taupin down-home affectation machine, missing its poetic imagery module, and crashing into a bunch of miscellaneous overheard-in-the-studio inanity. "i wish tonight wasn't Wednesday night" is the kind of thing Paul McCartney could MAYBE get away with, if it was an ad-lib in a silly voice during the fadeout...

"Grow Some Funk," "Robert Ford," and "Hard Luck Stories" are good to great.

The weird thing about "Hard Luck Story" is that it seems to be written for a female singer complaining about a man unloading his problems on her (it's credited to the pseudonyms that John and Taupin used for their "outside" writing); but Elton's singing it as a man, and instead of switching the genders, it seems like they reversed all the pronouns and he sings it as the man "explaining" to the woman that she is fed up with him. Surely it would make more sense to sing "All I hear is hard luck stories" rather than "All you hear are hard luck stories".

Anyway, the Westies/Blue Moves band really was great and served those songs well.

I think I really must be the only person on Earth, apart from the hordes who bought it at the time, that really digs Elton's Lucy.

For me the easy expansiveness of Elton's version makes it much better than the tweeness of the Beatles' original.