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

"Razor Face"
Realizing that I prefer it when Elton gets shrill with the falsetto + harmonies. I dunno why, can't put my finger on who it reminds me of. This is good though, has that mid-tempo 70s throb, nice guitar work. Unnecessary accordian, not sure what that's supposed to be evocative of (old people?), seems out of place in the arrangement.

Realizing that I prefer it when Elton gets shrill with the falsetto + harmonies

which he does on "Robert Ford" on the "I know what a paid assassin is" bit

"I've Seen That Movie Too"
I think I dozed off about halfway through this, so repetitious. what is that, six choruses at the end? wtf. briefly roused by the backwards guitar screeching in the middle and for once the lyrics aren't terrible they're actually a bit clever with the bitterness.

37. "High Flying Bird" (1973) [108 points, 4 votes]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D6ien507T3Y

Definitely in a rut of ballads right here.

xpost

Yay!

I voted for this one. Had never even heard it till I bought a used copy of the album a few months ago.

36. "My Father's Gun" (1970) [111 points, 5 votes]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R_p0lbEuKzk

High Flying Bird ended up being my number two. The backing vocals are just so amazing, especially at 2.16. I feel like this is one of the songs Ben Folds pretty much based most of his ballads on.

THRILLED to see High Flying Bird make it. Reminds me that Elton is an artist I really like, but where I've neverreally done time in fan forums or w/e, so I have no idea which are consensus picks and which are things only I've discovered. HFB still ''feels'' like the latter, just this underhyped gem at the end of an underhyped record. Amazing delivery throughout: ''she thought I was the archer'' could be one of the dumbest conceits in the catalogue (really? She thought you were an archer?) but the sense of error or failure on the singer's part, his failure to live up to or otherwise convey his non-archer status, is perfect. The last chorus is just incredible too. I didn't see the Vietnam connection til Marcello's review and haven't yet decided if that enhances the listen for me.

I really like "Bullet"; good song about an under-utilized plot (really, how many great songs are there about feeling like a puppy-kicking heel even though the relationship maybe needed to end?). Here the conceit really is labored though...when you have to google the figure named in the title for the song to work, something may be amiss. But then there's ''I'm low as a paid assassin is / you know I'm cold as a hired sword'' which is great, oddball stuff. If they really were steamrolling pop hacks they surely would have simplified all of this; not sure I entirely buy xgau's claim that 'poetry' by this point was part of the necessary package for pop product. (For one thing, it certainly needn't be THIS kind of poetry, right?)

35. "Crocodile Rock" (1972) [113 points, 5 votes]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1YmXD3pSfqY

I hate to admit it, but I'm coming around on Crocodile Rock.

now there's a 70s tune I can get with

Muppet Show version is ace.

Muppets is the only way I can remotely stand this

When I was a kid, my neighbours, which my family didn't much like, would occasionally throw loud parties in their backyard, which annoyed my folks. In retrobution, my older bro once aimed the speakers out the open back porch screen door, crank up the bass, and blast "Crocodile Rock" to annoy the neighbours. It was the first time I heard the song, and for many years the last.

It's impossible for me to judge "Crocodile Rock" as a piece of music at this point. For me, it will always be just something you use to retaliate against noisy neighbours.....

retribution, sorry i kant spel

For me this song goes in the same mental trashcan as Seger's Old Time Rock N Roll.

have we ever participated in a poll in which so many of us have said "eww" or "gross" or variants on "I hate this song"?

I think if the Eagles were ever polled you'd get the same ratio, imo

But yeah it's funny how almost every song is someone's hated song

I've already made my attempts to defend it and I sha'n't again, but really, the Seger comparison is cold.

You can tell everyone
that I hate this song

And you can tell everybody / that you hate this song
It may be quite simple but / now that it's done

34. "Mellow" (1972) [115 points, 7 votes]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IqWSL4F2bok

oh ffs
There I was trying to be a good boy scout and get the parody lyrics somewhat like the original, and in my earnestness I got ninja'd.

Huh! Didn't see that coming. Will have to give it some more spins when I get home, it's never really jumped out at me.

see also Eric Clapton & his rock n roll heart
dudes getting misty-eyed over jukeboxes jeans & chevys is just kinda ugh to me I guess

and I like all of those things! and I like old timey music!

Elton would also've been a great subject for that The Eagles project, except it'd take about two years

"Mellow" in my top fifteen.

haha never picked out all the words to it either

''Don't forget the beer, my little dear / it helps to sow the mellow seed''

Yeah, Mellow is definitely one of his best pre GYBR tracks (which seems like as good a place as any to break up his 70s output).

i didnt have room to vote for Mellow but I love it

xpost I love Crocodile Rock but didn't vote for it. I really like how it's tucked away at the end of the album too, it just seems to really work before High Flying Bird.

One thing I like about Crocodile Rock that I haven't mentioned is the weird insistence on this ONE dance, perhaps even a secret dance, something our narrator and Suzie got up to while other kids were doing something else. That the ''rock just died'' and Suzie takes off isn't played for tragedy either, this isn't a full-on coming-of-age nostalgia trip (although I do rep for ''Night Moves''), but the bite in the chorus suggests either that he's still sort of bent out of shape about this turn of events, or maybe that the Crocodile Rock was always a little more dangerous than the falsetto and the wimpy organ would have you believe. I dunno, I don't think it's brilliant or great, but it's got a little more variety and interest than an off-the-shelf blue jeans and cornflakes bit.

this (Bullet) is a great song, 'though the arrangement on RoTW is a bit heavy handed ... When Elton did it solo live, with just piano, that's what sold the song for me.

elton never gets enough credit for what a great live performer he is, and, yeah, he can easily sell just about any song in his catalog by sitting alone at a piano.

33. "I Don't Wanna Go On With You Like That" (1988) [123 points, 7 votes]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wyi9AbfUa1E

Didn't think about "Mellow" when compiling my ballot, but very happy to see it place.

A propos of nothing, I really regret not re-listening to Blue Moves before voting now. I fear that nothing from it is going to place (except maybe "Sorry Seems...") which is just wrong.

The TLFZ singles were ones that I was familiar with, and Sad Songs from Breaking Hearts as well, I guess, but I Don't Wanna was the first one to come around at an age where I was paying attention to radio WHILE an Elton single was in heavy rotation and I can't hear it even now without feeling 14 years old.

Which is a good thing.

"I Don't Wanna..." is his biggest eighties hit yet I don't hear it much.

I love the programmed finger snaps and the gusto with which he sings.

32. "The Ballad of Danny Bailey (1909-1934)" (1973) [124 points, 5 votes]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2y3EMjrjIqk

also: Elton piano solo in 1988!

as pop guys go, he is a great piano player, but that 1988 solo is kinda terrible.

A propos of nothing, I really regret not re-listening to Blue Moves before voting now. I fear that nothing from it is going to place (except maybe "Sorry Seems...") which is just wrong.

― Jeff W, Wednesday, August 21, 2013 1:34 PM (25 minutes ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

Blue Moves would be my pick for better-than-its-reputation EJ album

31. "All The Young Girls Love Alice" (1973) [129 points, 7 votes]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=40A816ZPujw

31 	All The Girls Love Alice 		7 	129
32 	The Ballad Of Danny Bailey 		5 	124
33 	I Don't Wanna Go On With You Like That 		7 	123
34 	Mellow 		7 	115
35 	Crocodile Rock 		5 	113
36 	My Father's Gun 		5 	111
37 	High Flying Bird 		4 	108
38 	I've Seen That Movie Too 		5 	95
39 	Razor Face 		4 	93
40 	I Feel Like A Bullet (In The Gun Of Robert Ford) 		5 	90
41 	The Last Song 		4 	89
42 	We All Fall In Love Sometimes 	1 	3 	87
43 	Where To Now St. Peter? 		4 	85
44 	Island Girl 		5 	84
45 	Are You Ready For Love? 		4 	83
45 	Holiday Inn 		4 	83
47 	Blue Eyes 		3 	83
48 	Border Song 		5 	82
49 	Too Low For Zero 		4 	81
50 	Little Jeannie 		4 	73

...so far

for the official record, actual title "all the girls love alice."

love the drop-out choruses.

made my ballot

Yeah, that's how I had it on the spreadsheet, but then I started looking up youtubes and they all added the "young" and I got discombobulated.

30. "Captain Fantastic And The Brown Dirt Cowboy" (1975) [131 points, 6 votes]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zT-7meAF-_g

overlooked in the discussion upthread of elton's album artwork is how awesome the inner gatefold artwork of GYBR is.

http://rgcred.files.wordpress.com/2010/01/elton-john-goodbye-yellow-brick-road-inside.jpg

"from the end of the world to your town"! the unexpected change into the chorus at 2:32 is thrilling. (also, first chorus at 2:32!)