You have got to be joking. Can you name anything in rock that preceded Sixty Years On? Paul Buckmaster himself called the whole album innovative, and said that Elton’s music was “brilliant, a turn-on”. By Madman, his reputation for innovation was well established. Alec Dubro wrote in Rolling Stone in 1972 that Tiny Dancer “has the delicate melody, virtuoso singing, and innovative arranging that have marked Elton John since Your Song.” Billboard published, “John’s album has been long awaited and his two great virtues are happily here: he vocally attacks the scale as conquerer and his piano is more a drum than a drum.” And Ed Kelleher, of Circus, wrote, “If the live LP and the Friends soundtrack were somewhat less than fantastic, they only whetted the appetite for another helping of pure and original material. Madman Across The Water should quench the thirst of those who spotted Elton ‘back when.’”
You didn’t mean to say Liberace, you meant to say Mozart.
Nope, Liberace. So, you remember when rock was young do you? I can think of a lot of things to say about Elton John, but ‘innovative’ isn’t one of them.
When you’ve had professional critics and peers alike call your work “innovative”; when you’ve won Tonys, Grammys, and Oscars for your work; when you’ve had 35 gold and 25 platinum albums spanning a 35-year career — get back to me.
Meh. When you’ve stop posting in every single thread going with ‘i’m right because Liberal says so posts’ get back to me.
I’ve read a lot about music, I know a lot about music, shit, I own Yellow Brick Road on vinyl and this is the first i’ve heard him called that. Piano playing bad wig wearing whiny drama queen who bitches because his life must be so hard seems a lot more appropriate to me.
Now i’m going to back to polishing my Grammy, Tony and MOBO awards in the dining room, all for Berserker: Live at Budokan (EMI, 1979). Thankyou very much.
Anyone who is making the money the Sir Elton is from the musicals “Lion King” and “Aida” doesn’t have to work again ever. He also is working on “Interview with a Vampire” with Bernie Taupin as the lyricist.
Sir Elton, as supremely talented as he is, seems to be woefully insecure. I really do think it is rooted in the fact that he feels unattractive. For years he dressed up in garish outfits and drank like a fish to detract from the fact that he was uncomfortable in his own skin. Face it, he’s short, fat and bald and he really, really wants to be movie star handsome. (We can’t all be George Michael, Elton.) As he’s aged, he’s mellowed out a bit, but at his core he is still Reginald Dwight – a geeky, albeit brilliant, musician with few true friends. And unlike most people, he KNOWS he’s a geek with few true friends. Mick Jagger has yet to figure it out and that’s why he’s a fun guy to be around.
Re Madonna. I’ll admit I laughed my ass off at his comment. Did anyone catch the clip of her speech in Israel on the The Daily Show? “We all want a peaceful world without violence!” As the audience clapped, she turned to them like a 5 year old would do after performing “I’m a Little Teapot” in front of the grandparents, beamed, and did a tiny little curtsey. Oh. my.
Actually, what I posted were quotes from experts and professional critics of music.
Yes! That was hillarious!
I’ll agree with that. His best days are probably behind him. That’s what made me think of the Einstein comparison. The poor old codger spent his waning years searching for the ever-elusive Unified Field Theory and bashing quantum mechanics.
Elton John, well, with songs like Funeral For a Friend/Love Lies Bleeding, Madman Across the Water and others, he was certainly treading new ground. I don’t think I’d go so far as Mozart, Lib (though I don’t think you were either; I get your point). Some of his orchestrations cross the line from ‘innovatively breaking the rules’ to ‘amateurish’, IMHO.
Still, I would never argue that he wasn’t one of the best in his day, and he still puts out decent, though mostly insepid, music at least on par with the rest of the pop world, which is where he’s living these days.
I know, it’s because he used to be innovative and musically crafty, and he’s lost it - that’s why he’s turned grumpy.
I saw him in concert a couple years ago when he was on tour with Billy Joel. I went for Elton John, but I left rooting for Billy Joel. He stole the show! Elton just seemed bored and irritated. I imagine he’s probably getting tired of the routine and maybe he doesn’t know how to escape it.
