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

Nick Hogan used to be in the band, but that was stupid.

I really like that first album. A lot.

Live in Australia, I learned, has a lot of songs from the first album.

Um, hello, Empty Sky ?!?! Jeez, if it didn't happen in America...

09. Too Low For Zero (1983) [27 points]

http://www.vinylsurrender.com/Graphics/AlbumCovers2/Elton%20John%20-%20Too%20Low%20For%20Zero.jpg

TOO LOW

:D

Empty Sky has been around in the US for as long as I can remember, but I don't know when it was originally issued here (probably not until he was already famous). It's a nice curio.

Empty Sky is the debut album by British singer/songwriter Elton John, released on 3 June 1969. It was finally released in the US in January 1975, with a different cover photograph, well after John's fame had been established internationally.

Presumably the US release was a stopgap measure, as it had been several hours since he'd put out a record.

WAU @ Too Low for Zero showing

08. 17-11-70 (1971) [30 points]

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

^My #1. I'm very happy that at least two other ppl voted for it. I really love how there's polite applause when EJ is first announced and by the end of the first number the audience is going apeshit. Dee and Nigel are also really prominent on the recording, too, which is great.

I'm just now listening to it for the first time. Very into it so far.

07. Rock Of The Westies (1975) [36 points]

http://www.soundstagedirect.com/media/elton_john_rock_of_the_westies.jpg

This album is just a hanger-on to his imperial phase, imo. Not much to like about it.

Except "I Feel Like a Bullet" I guess. That's nice.

i'm sure the covers of ..Westies and Caribou are what puts people off them. you can see why like.

This was one of the records I picked up in my weekend splurge - heard it in full for the first time last night. I do like how after something as ambitious (and in retrospect a bit too self-important) like Captain Fantastic, EJ assembles a new band and knocks out this much more laid back and funky album. One of Gus Dudgeon's best production jobs too.

The lyrics and vocals to "Island Girl" and "Grow Some Funk..." still irritate though.

on the other hand "Hard Luck Story and "Street Kids" sport good lyrics.

This album has goofy nothings like "Dan Dare" but I love how hard it rocks.

RotW is one I kinda struggle with. I find "Island Girl" to be such an irresistible cheeseball that I'm already regretting not finding room for it on my ballot, and "Grow Some Funk of Your Own" is fun. The rest of the album feels, to me, like variations, pulled off with varying degrees of success, on that latter track, ambitious enough that it definitely belongs to the cycle of "classic" era Elton records, but occasionally a bit too IDGAF in its approach. But Elton definitely hadn't yet stopped caring at this point.

Also, it and Honky Chateau are the only Elton records that Christgau gave an A- rating to. Somehow, that makes sense.

06. Don't Shoot Me I'm Only The Piano Player (1973) [67 points]

http://www.vinylrecordsuk.co.uk/images/Wimg/art_112/w11208_Full.jpg

My fave Elton record!

RotW, iirc, is the first one where Elton didn't compose the material completely sober. I think it shows.

dislike "Daniel," almost voted for "Elderberry Wine" and "Have Mercy on the Criminal."

for those of you who worry about Bernie Taupin, "Elderberry Wine" sports the following couplet:

"You aimed to please me/Cooked black-eyed peas me."

05. Tumbleweed Connection (1970) [105 points]

http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51I1QW1hHWL._SY300_.jpg

Too low!

This album largely goes in one ear and out the other for me.

elderberry wine is great, i dont care abt the lyrics

Just finished 17-11-70 and holy moley what a good live document.

never seen the fuss with this, don't dig their country rock cowboy stuff at all.

04. Captain Fantastic And The Brown Dirt Cowboy (1975) [106 points]

http://cdn.songonlyrics.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/02/r37907_300.jpg

03. Madman Across The Water (1971) [120 points]

http://www.qpratools.com/gallery/0002/elton_john-madman_across_the_water-front.jpg

His album covers are kinda meh, imo.

The original gatefold of Captain Fantastic is neato, but otherwise I agree.

How would he be regarded if he had quality control? If he had a discography the size of Zep's, say, and the aesthetics of Roxy Music?

r.i.p. Caribou, you deserved better

Maybe he'd taken over QPR instead of Watford?

madman and captain fantasic are kinda sorta the same album.

also, best results thread title ever.

i used to think the Madman cover was one of the worst most generic album covers ever, but knowing that it was embroidered on a jean jacket and not just drawn or whatever softened my view somewhat. still not great or anything.

thread title sucks tbh

like it's fine and good to joke a little at Bernie's expense but to have a big harshly worded insult right in a thread title celebrating his life's work is a bit much.

haha I didn't know it was embroidered! As it looks on the page it IS the worst ever.

so bland for such a strong evocative album title too

It always looked to me like the corner of a much larger cover.

02. Honky Château (1972) [138 points]

http://g-ecx.images-amazon.com/images/G/01/ciu/7f/23/c15cc060ada025ce6fa5c110.L.jpg

01. Goodbye Yellow Brick Road (1973) [187 points]

http://31.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_moklqtg3OJ1spo63jo1_1371527957_cover.jpg

no surprises – my two favorites

::camera pans down to a psychopath sitting on the edge of a river, embroidering a jean jacket::

xp I kinda like the <i>Madman</i> cover as an image. I pretty meh about the record inside though. <i>Tumbleweed</i> is the only pre-72 studio LP I really rate.

No issues with #1 and #2 - voted for both.

i possibly noticed this before and forgot, but the cover of "GYBR" shows the corner of the poster from "Don't Shoot Me"

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