'Let Me Fly To Distant Lands'

One of those questions that regularly pops up is where would you like to see Elton perform, if could choose one location. Madison Square Garden springs to mind first. Sydney Entertainment Centre, the scene of my first Elton album, is another. But If I had to choose one place to see Elton and the band, it would be Brazil. He's just finished his second tour in a row there. On the tour last year we were lucky to be able to watch a live stream of the Sao Paolo show which was incredible. This year from indoors in Rio to outdoors in the big football stadiums that will be used in the World Cup in the summer he's rocked like a samba. I've been lucky to be able to follow fans on Facebook from that part of the world travel around the country to attend the shows. The fans are mental (in a good way!) down there and don't have any cynicism that you see elsewhere. They couldn't give a flying fig if all or nothing from an album is played. 

But if Elton didn't play this one they'd dismantle the place brick by brick!! Skyline Pigeon speaks for itself...quality...he's done the solo version many times over the last number of years but the band version really injects power and strength. I was lucky enough to see him perform the band version for the first time ever in Thomond Park in 2009. Since that tour it's only appeared in that form in Brazil. The song is special enough down there as it is, but Elton saving it for them makes it a little bit more for keeps. This time Davey is playing acoustic guitar on it rather than the electric double neck he used up to this.

A few other comments about the Brazil tour. Elton changed the setlist around every night, Daniel (band version) appearing for the first time in a while and Nikita ventured out of Europe. It seems Elton is mixing it up a bit more than usual and bringing a surprise element to the set. It’s a pity I’ve Seen That Movie Too only lasted a few shows in Canada, but if Elton doesn’t feel it back from the audience he gets disheartened very quickly. Same thing goes for albums of a more recent nature, shall we say. No danger of him waiting for the day in Brazil when he doesn’t get it back…

'The Drover's Story' *(Updated Oct 2015)

Before I do my latest rambling...a big thanks to everyone who has checked the blog out over the last six month's.  The whole idea of it is to give Elton's music the due care and attention it deserves. The feedback I've been getting has been terrific, thanks for that also, the blog has a knowing audience. Plenty more to come over the next while.

For this latest update I've decided to highlight again one of those tracks that sort of went under the radar over the last few years. Elton has been well known for his soundtrack work and this song is one of his best contributions he's done. When I did a post on the Friends sound track album a while back I mentioned did it matter whether you'd seen the film or not and how it affected your view of the album. I have to confess I've never seen Australia...film or country...but this song's impact is no less for me.

Lyrics are by a combination of folk...Baz Luhrmann, Anton Monsted & Schuyler Weiss...with music by Elton of course. The lyrics being a briefish synopsis of the films concept. A ballad in the true sense of the word. Lurhmann, who also directed the film, being no stranger to Elton's music having used it in his earlier film Moulin Rouge. 

The song is as rustic as you get. More Honky Chateau than Tumbleweed I would say. Exquisite brush work from Nigel, a part of his style often overlooked (not here) gives it that organically produced feel. Not be outdone in that department, Davey's prickly picked banjo nails the point. Filled out by acoustic guitars. Ballad by name, ballad by nature. Elton's vocal is very strong here, the mid tempo ease of it suiting him well. The piano is strong with equal ease. Both these elements are clearly demonstrated in the version that played over the closing credits. The mid tempo beat never lets up until the bridge (with a classic Davey line on that part in the band version). The orchestral version is a shorter affair, but has a full sound that Elton's piano and voice is more than capable on their own of producing. 

I think what this song demonstrates is that...Elton who produced it by the way...is that those around him are quite capable of stepping up and creating a sound that is in keeping with the material provided. The sound is right, the delivery is right, the end result is classic Elton alright. 

* Now since I did that piece nearly two years ago I've been privileged to see the film in it's entirety. I'll not give any spoilers needless to say it's a terrific piece of work. The twin devices of the Australian outback and the actual WWII events that took place on the same soil is a narrative cinema has rarely bridged. A long film but well worth sticking with. Even though at the start Nicole Kidman hams it up so much the slices become as thick as slabs. Thankfully she settles down and thins out her performance.

Again not giving any spoilers away and going back to what I mentioned earlier about not having seen the film and does it matter as to what impact the song has. In some cases it doesn't but having now seen the film it certainly has a deeper context. The climatic scene where Elgar's Nimrod is stitched together with a brief musical interlude from another musical act into Elton's orchestral version of the song is emotive and for the almost seamless crossover made for each other. I don't think it's any coincidence that Nimrod is one of Elton's favourite pieces of music (as mentioned on Desert Island Discs) and the climax of the film is well served by it. Elton's main melody appears sporadically throughout the film, it's motif cuts through the dust of the desert and the carnage of falling bombs with decisive sweeps. 

Like I said earlier, this song has been completely ignored and forgotten.On it's own it stands head and shoulders above most others, in the context of the film it moves beyond the idea of it merely being the soundtrack of the audience getting up and going 'walkabout'.

'Keep Right On'

Once upon a time when you reached 65, you were entitled to many social payments on reaching that venerable milestone. Not any more...

Nigel has reached that number today. But it's only a number. This blog is a Nigel zone, so heaping praise on him today is the same as it every day. Nigel is for life, not just for other days...so I'll post what is for me anyway the best EJ/BT song that Elton never released himself. According to a question I asked Davey on his blog a good while back Elton did record a version of it during the Made In England sessions but obviously it never appeared. However this gem was handed to another diamond and he did a terrific job on it.

If anyone hasn't got Move The Universe, then why not. It's essentially the EJ band of the day (2000/01) with Fred Mandel and Kiki Dee putting in appearances too. So it's high on quality, personnel wise. Even higher on performance. Recorded around the time he came to the band (a time as we all remember was a moment to rejoice). Nigel is a terrific singer, he's a got a laid back style that oozes ease and sophistication. Kinda like his drumming. 

The song is classic Taupin lyrics, descriptive imagery with plenty of rhyme that seem to have no reason to them. What's it about...answers on a postcard to the usual address. Needless to say Nigel's delivery makes even the most cryptic of Taupin's visualizations seem real and tangible. The bridge is classic Elton, the sudden tempo change in tandem with the change in Nigel's vocal delivery. Beautiful!!

I've always had a couple of dreams about Nigel...no, not those kind...but about something I'd love to see in concert one day. Firstly him singing this during an Elton show. It's been done before, Nigel doing his bit so to speak, so who would object. Nobody here I suspect. Secondly for him to jump down from the kit and stand at the mike and sing Too Low For Zero just like on the 1984 tour. If that happened, I suspect I may not want to see much more after that. Or Davey to sing Keep Right On which Nigel (and Elton) played on...or maybe...just for Nigel to keep the beat going on and on and on...

'Now We've Seen It Too'

Every so often...in other words every show...Elton pulls something special out of his bag of tricks. But once and a while he delves real deep and produces more than a rabbit. In this case one of the quietly burning, slowly but surely climbs to the summit. And what a peak it is...

Whatever way you look at it, the GYBR 40th is currently grabbing some big headlines. The various formats it's being released on in March has got the web shops all in a fluster. But what is even more fluster inducing is the inclusion of a sizeable chunk of the album live on the current tour. Putting to bed the canard that Elton can't sing the old songs in his current vocal incarnation. All the songs he's done so far have been flawless. This one being the exception to the rule. Because it's positively beyond reproach. Or equal!!

The most recent addition from GYBR to the setlist has been I've Seen That Movie Too. Thanks to my friend Richard who was at the show, we can now see it here. The heavy piano, doomy with emotionally wrought lyrics. Elton's vocal...the 21st Century edition...gives it more depth of feeling. With an angrier tone than before. His life experiences adding that bit of method to the delivery. The piano playing is spot on with the recorded version but as per usual live it, it's wider. With nothing screened off. The mindset of the song is laid bare in CinemaScope quality.

The band aren't supporting actors here. Their names are in big letters (slightly smaller than Elton's of course!) but sill appearing prominently on the poster. The song is painstakingly reproduced. It has to be. So many parts in it are key to it's attraction. Nigel's trademark slow drumming at the start is a soundtrack in it's own right. His gig wide fills hammering in their contribution. Kim playing the mountainous string arrangement by Del Newman has every line nailed. No ad libbing here, it's sticks to the perfect script. Angular movements with sweeping and graceful poise. Davey throwing licks in when Elton's vocal leaves the scene free. The instrumental breaks are terrific, it's as if the camera pans over the scene to survey the damage that the drama being played out is wreaking on the characters. 

But then Davey gets his big moment. Scene stealing...possibly. The solo on the album version is one of rocks greatest appearances. The backwards effects giving it a demented sensation. A mind all muddled up and confused. On stage he delivers the big lines. With no flinches. The desperation of the lyrics seep through the solo, the guitar wails in sympathy with the songs attitude. On the second part of the solo, the strings return. Weighty and foreboding. Davey is pushing it to the limit. Overwrought without hamming it. The final chorus has Elton with chest pushed out repeating his position...defiant right to the end.

Elton continues to wow the crowds. Diehards and the floating voters. Who could ask for more...just the rest of the album maybe...

'It's A Whiz Of A Whiz'

We should be grateful that they've at least recognised the fact the album has reached a milestone. Even it is a year late!! I'm not sure what benefit another remastering will bring to this. The dvd of the Bryan Forbes doc is definitely a must have. Hopefully they've remstered the picture and sound on it. The book looks great too, the artwork of the album both inside and out is pretty iconic. As iconic almost as the material on the disc. The covers disc...why?!?! Though in saying that, Imelda May from This Town of mine appears doing Your Sister Can't Twist. Anyone familiar with her will know that song is well suited to her style. If not, check her out.

The Hammersmith Odeon concert was probably picked due to the fact that it has the most songs performed from the album in one location during that tour. Hollywood Bowl might have been a better choice due to Elton not being as congested as he is at Hammersmith. Another odd thing about the Hammersmith show is how 'twangy' Davey's guitar is on that show. I'm sure the guitar people would know more about that. It'll be interesting to see if they tweak it like the did with the 60th birthday show. Otherwise it's a great snapshot of Elton at that moment. 

As far as I know there are no demo's for the album. Everything was written and then recorded pretty much in the same movement. Again out takes are seemingly non-existent, everything that was recorded in those sessions ended up being used in one form or another. Depending of course on how many takes they took to record each track, any variations would be minimal. So the vaults didn't really have much to throw out.

As a sidebar to all this Elton has brought back in I've Seen That Movie Too to the current setlist. Coupled with the songs he's already doing from the album it's possible he could maybe do as near to possible the whole thing sometime this year. He has already done Harmony, Roy Rogers, Sweet Painted Lady in recent years so adding Danny Bailey and Dirty Little Girl for example should be no problem. I've a feeling he could be on a gradual walk down the Yellow Brick Road to that rainbow...

'To Russia With Love'

Bernie writes about the people, Elton's music makes it for the people. This time Elton dispenses with the music and uses his own words. About the people and for the people.

As people may be aware, the Winter Olympics kicks off in the next while. There's a lot of focus on Russia at the minute and the ongoing human rights issues there. Over the border in the Ukraine the scenes in Independence Square (a venue Elton played twice in recent years) are also causing a headache for those in the Kremlin. However, as this blog is apolitical I'm not going to start an autopsy of the region. If anyone wants a broader view of the situation, listen to this link that was broadcast last night on BBC Radio 3. It should put into context Elton's position as outlined before Christmas and in his recent statement. 

A blog post I had lined up to do was one rounding up last years tours. Unfortunately for reasons beyond my control, I decided to park it. The crowning glory of it would have been Elton's broadside on stage in Moscow at the end of the year. A speech that gained a lot of publicity at the time. So in the context of the Winter Olympics getting all iced up and frosty fashion, maybe now is a good time to recall it. It may not have immediate effect, but it'll have set in motion or even accelerated a change. Tune in again in several years for an update on that one.

Oddly enough I had the A Single Man In Moscow CD on recently. Anyone familiar with the machinations behind the scenes to get that tour off the ground will know Elton went out on a limb for that one. One which ultimately paid off. A desire to connect with his fans there whilst at the same time dancing a neutral line on the politics issue. So his connection with Russia is not in doubt or up for discussion. So when he spoke late last year, he addressed the powers that be directly. The location was merely the conduit for the message. Reports from the show mentioned hecklers in the audience. One, two or too many is an odd state of affairs. Lost In Translation is the only generous spin I can put on it...

Questions were raised as to why Elton went. Not for the first time he had ventured into a market that was under scrutiny. He went to South Africa in 1983 and of course he shouldn't have gone. There was a cultural boycott in operation at the time. A couple of years later he did express regret at going and vowed not to return until change came about. Which of course it did. And he kept his promise. Nobody has a monopoly on having a cupboard devoid of skeletons. Skip forward to today. The fact is Elton defied the threats, intimidation and still entered the lions den. To speak eloquently with sincerity about the rowing back of basic human rights in Russia. All this from a man who has relied on others to supply words for his craft over the years. Nor for the gain of money or any other such fringe benefits of going there at this time could bring. So quite an achievement all round.

One thing is for sure, everyone is now more aware of the situation in Russia than they were before. Thanks to Elton's contribution. Even the haters. The messenger is not for turning...

'Elton & The Band Live at Grand Rapids 24th April 2010 - CD Review'

For the first post of 2014 I've decided to randomly look back on an old show. One from the turn of the decade. Grand Rapids, Michigan 24^th April 2010.

I've said before many times here about perspective. This show at the time may have been seen as a another in a long line of greatest hits run outs. But if you look at the setlist then...and the setlist now...you can see how much it has changed in just less than four years. A mere speck on the Elton timeline. Plus I sometimes quote 2010 as a year zero. If you listen to the Elton/Ray shows from late 2009 and then these tour shows from spring 2010 one thing jumps out at you with clarity. Elton's voice. The master’s voice had shown sign of raggedness in late '09 yet in early 2010 it had recovered to its sublime form. But not only that. If you listen to the performances...the singing, the playing, the expressions, the way the entire delivery reaches out with a sense of enhanced energy is a stunning contrast. Whatever it was, whoever it was that reached down and enabled Elton to add another string to his bow and pluck it off with such panache deserves a medal. Pure gold of course

The recording is taken from the Simfy live soundboard releases of that tour. Recordings that were far better quality than the earlier Concertlive versions. They got the audience mix interwoven much better and gave that sense 'being there' more strength. The band lineup was in the midst of change; Kim Bullard was only a new kid in town but still had knowing fingers on the pulse of Elton's music even by this time. Bob Birch was still with us. It was like he was always there. What was once taken for granted can never be for certain.

Grand Rapids. Not only is it the venue, but an apt description for the opening quarter of an hour. A 15 minute plus ride of white water rafting in music that is called FFF/LLB and Saturday Night's Alright. Next up was the great troika from Madman. The title track is a wandering journey, just like negotiating one of those cold water rapids. Extended, reinterpreted and almost recomposed. Nigel's drumming is heavy handed...both hands laying down sudden beats. Kim said at the recent Elton EXPO playing this song live with Elton was like jazz. Freeforming Elton coasts the breakers, John Mahon on percussion shadowing Elton's choppy chords. And that's just the first solo! Second solo and Elton expressing is freedom, a relentless exploration of his wander through waves and dives. Davey's acoustic guitar and Bob's bass like limpets in the water stuck to the boat's back. Elton takes the song deep into the wilderness, sudden tempo changes, stops, starts, and the song being reworked on the move. All this with another 18 month's to go in which further developments were integrated into it. I know, incredible isn’t it...

Rocket Man with its four movements is a suite of varying moods. First movement. The original song. Elton's vocal on the bridge has some unique phrasing, subtle pauses with a hint of soul. Second movement. A pot pourri mix is thrust upon us, low humming organ with a melodic bass matching each rise and fall. Then the buildup, a chiming guitar note from Davey giving way to a switch back and forth between piano and guitar. ''Rocket Man'' is Elton's mantra. It echoes and vibrates to the heavens. And all points west and east. The band slowly but surely sweeps back in for the final lift off. Third movement. Davey’s switch from acoustic to electric throws caution to the wind. The jangling of the Fender with the jaw bone from John willowing around. Bob’s bass pummels, Davey’s solo is fuzzy; blaring with glaring frankness. Distorted with an almost distressed sound as the whammy bar gives it a good throttling. The sudden stop is climatic. Fourth movement. Elton again works out on the keyboard, gets to grips with the vibe and teasing yet more from it. The final ‘’I’m A Rocket Man’’ explosions are the sound of Elton re-entering the atmosphere. A sunburst of sound and heat with a scorching surface temperature. A lot of fuses burnt out after that one…

People rejoice that Take Me To The Pilot is now missing from the setlist. Why you would not want it with its long intro which on occasions went into double figures time wise is beyond me. Each night Elton played it he virtually, actually he did in reality, compose on the spot. There and then. A unique piece as and when the mood took him. Not a dream number, but a reality. Undetermined length with effortless determination. A deft touch with an unseen weight compounding the mix. His right hand being the precision tool and the left hand giving the power and might to support it. Irrespective of whether you like the song or not, to have Elton freestyling at his work bench is surely an argument to support its retention.

You’re Never Too Old appears a full 6 months before its release. A dull song for the most part, not ideal to preview The Union. But showcasing new albums hasn’t been a strong point in recent years, has it. Something that isn’t dull is the jam on Honky Cat. Crunchy clavinet from Kim and Davey’s twanging banjo escorts Elton riffing Can I Get A Witness to Davey ‘Steptoeing’ (Readers outside of these islands may want to Google Steptoe and Son theme music!!). Without any sense of it sounding forced.

At the end of the show, Elton declares that playing venues like Grand Rapids is crucial to him. It isn’t all about playing venues like Detroit, NY or LA. And to send the good folk’s home in good spirits, an echoey Circle Of Life vibrates the hall. A great way to go and wheel home with their fortune…

One of the reasons I’m showcasing this particular show (notwithstanding the fact it’s brilliant!) is because of the review link I posted below. At the time I emailed the reviewer John Sinkevics, to thank him for such a positive piece. Because up that point some of the reviews were a bit wishy washy tp say the least, I can count on the fingers of one hand the bad ones since then. He conducted a video interview with Davey before the show too. John kindly replied at the time and this is what he said…

Grand Rapids Review by John Sinkevics

‘’Thanks. I definitely have a strong interest in Elton's career and his music, so it's great to hear comments like yours. I've had a chance to speak with Davey several times now and I must say, he and the entire EJ organization are topnotch, courteous and more professional than any other rock act on the road. I guess the brilliance filters through from the top down!

Thanks again!’’

Another show is not another show; it’s a different show with a variation on the theme. I’ve all the shows on CD from that spring tour and they’ve all got their own little tricks up their sleeves. Or up Elton’s to be more precise!! I just picked this one at random but to also highlight how good the backstage and support people are for Elton and the band. What John said above says it all, don’t you think? Oh, and the show was good too…

SETLIST

Funeral For A Friend /Love Lies Bleeding

Saturday Night's Alright For Fighting

Levon

Madman Across The Water

Tiny Dancer

Philadelphia Freedom

Goodbye Yellow Brick Road

Daniel

Rocket Man

I Guess That's Why They Call It The Blues

Someone Saved My Life Tonight

Take Me To The Pilot

Something About The Way You Look Tonight

Don't Let The Sun Go Down On Me

Sorry Seems To Be The Hardest Word

Candle In The Wind

You're Never Too Old 

Honky Cat

Burn Down The Mission

Bennie And The Jets

The Bitch Is Back

I'm Still Standing

Crocodile Rock

Your Song

Circle Of Life