Elton John [LP]

Rating

Album: Elton John [LP]
#	Song Title		Time
1)	Your Song	More Info...	0:04
2)	I Need You to Turn To	More Info...	0:02
3)	Take Me to the Pilot	More Info...	0:03
4)	No Shoe Strings On Louise	More Info...	0:03
5)	First Episode at Hienton	More Info...	0:04
6)	Sixty Years On	More Info...	0:04
7)	Border Song	More Info...	0:03
8)	The Greatest Discovery	More Info...	0:04
9)	The Cage	More Info...	0:03
10)	The King Must Die	More Info...	0:05

Album: Elton John [LP]
#	Song Title		Time
1)	Your Song	More Info...	0:04
2)	I Need You to Turn To	More Info...	0:02
3)	Take Me to the Pilot	More Info...	0:03
4)	No Shoe Strings On Louise	More Info...	0:03
5)	First Episode at Hienton	More Info...	0:04
6)	Sixty Years On	More Info...	0:04
7)	Border Song	More Info...	0:03
8)	The Greatest Discovery	More Info...	0:04
9)	The Cage	More Info...	0:03
10)	The King Must Die	More Info...	0:05

Performer Notes

Elton John's second album was his first to be released in the U.S., and the difference between it and its predecessor, EMPTY SKY, is palpable and immediate. ELTON JOHN opens with "Your Song," a halting ballad that is one of the most moving love songs in the modern pop canon. The album also marks John's fruitful association with Gus Dudgeon and arranger Paul Buckmaster (who'd previously collaborated on David Bowie's "Space Oddity"). The team came up with a spare orchestral sound that surrounds the singer and his piano with dashes of both classical and rock guitar, synthesizers, carefully arranged drums, and searing strings.
This wasn't all-out pop yet, but rather a striking and singular brand of folk-rock. "Take Me To The Pilot" shows flashes of John's rocking future ("Bennie And The Jets" descended from it), "No Shoe Strings On Louise" is Rolling Stonesy country-rock, and "Sixty Years On" is haunting and memorable. More typical for this session is "I Need You To Turn To," another love song that finds lyricist Bernie Taupin in an unusually direct mode, and features a beautiful harpsichord melody from John. ELTON JOHN cast the mold for the singer's future superstardom.

Professional Reviews

Q (8/95, pp.143-145) - 3 Stars - Good - "...an accomplished diverse collection of...sophisticated material..."

Mojo (Publisher) (p.122) - "The hit single 'Your Song,' still his signature, the gospel-influenced 'Border Song' and the deep meditation 'Sixty Years On' all posited Elton as a most serious singer-songwriter."

Record Collector (magazine) (p.95) - 3 stars out of 5 -- "Here the listener gets a more focused idea of Elton's craft as a tunesmith, the subtle nuances of his chord structures marking him out as an innovative talent."