'Born To Be A Guitar Star'

We're slap bang in the middle of the silly season and if that's not enough they're already running ads on the telly for this years X-Factor. The concept of it has manifested itself into a sense that is now a given, that training from the bottom up over a period of time to try and get anywhere in the music business has now been parked. Entering in to it's place is the new sense of wellbeing, where dreams are quickly created then crushed into smithereens. For laughs. Here tonight, gone later tonight type of talentless droids. No coincidence in the week that Cilla Black passed either. Anybody who saw the excellent Sheridan Smith (who is brilliant in everything she does) drama on ITV a few month's back will see how it used to be. For any artist that came out of that era, just change the name, their sex and the story follows a similar hard, long path. With added longevity thrown in for good measure. If you can survive the northern clubs in England, then anything is small fry compared to the nightly gauntlet of wheel tappers and shunters.

Luckily though during this down period SKY Arts ran a new talent search show, Guitar Star. Spread over four categories of classical, acoustic, jazz and rock they held open auditions all over the UK and Ireland. The full series is on Youtube, I advise you to check it out. It's a welcome relief to see proper musicians looking to get a chance to prove themselves. No doubting that they are all talented, part of the shows remit was to have them mentored by guitar greats to prepare them for playing in an ensemble and more importantly for the winner, in front of a huge crowd on the main stage at the Latitude festival. A type of environemnt where the also rans are weeded out very quickly. A bit like these football tricksters you see doing a milliom keepy uppies. Put them into a team in front of 40,000 at Anfield and most likely they'll fall flat. So the interaction between their team mates and the crowd is vital.

Borne by nature and nurture, born to do it.

Luckily for us in the Elton world we've got somebody who fits everything I described above. From his journey to stardom, via the apprenticeship route, his ability to play with the best and in front of the biggest crowds imaginable. With staying power. Of course, Elton wears that hat very well but as this post is homing in like an over the speed limit pigeon towards the guitar you know it's only going to be about one man. Taking it as a given that all readers are huge Davey fans, I'll point this out to any waverers. The ones who dilly and dally over whether Davey is the real deal, then, now and in the future take this on board the good ship doubt. Stevie Nicks over a period of 30 years has chosen Davey to play on her solo albums. In her opinion, and who are we to argue, he's as good as the lead guitarist in the band she plays in for her day job. I'll leave that hanging in the air for the time it takes everyone to tune up and get those tones nice and smooth...

When I listen to Davey over the years I hear more than one guitarist, more than one musican. I'm not even going to go into his folk, roots or world repertoire. I'm going to stick roughly to trimmed guidelines of Guitar Star. He could have back in the day auditioned for all four categories and flew out with colours. His ability to play to the fore, aft and in tandem with Elton is incredible. If Elton is the heart, then Davey is one of the veins carrying the music to all parts of the body that are the fans. His harmonising through the various multi tracking techniques he's perfected whilst still allowing Elton to be the main man is truly unique. He found his own voice but never allowed it drown out those around him. Even when a second axe man was in the band rather than retreat to the standard rock star default setting of sulking he found new avenues (his electric playing post Caleb Quaye for instance had Alice in a wonderland and Bats in the belfry all agog to have him on their side) to develop and explore and when John Jorgenson came into the fold his rediscovery of the roots instruments helped bring Elton back full circle to his proper place. Even when an outsider entered the Elton recording world, Tom Moulton, he spotted instantly the hook that Davey's playing on record evokes and pumped it right back up to give the song that extra firepower. Like replacing machine guns with cannons, his sliding the fader up of Davey's guitar lines on Bite Your Lip for the 12'' remix in 1977 showcased his incredible slide playing.  

Fingers and other long bodily parts crossed we'll luckily have a fifth decade in which we'll get to hear another classic guitar solo or several from Davey on disc. If not, there'll be a stewards inquiry. More than the starting pistol will be fired from this end in somebodies direction...to pick one or two or a dozen favourites would be impossible. Every album he played on has them. What I want to do is show off some of cleaner sounding examples, without any major effects. Just the melody mixed with the power of message. So with Leslie amp off and the wah wah pedal undepressed, lets go for a straight run through.

I Feel Like A Bullet (In The Gun Of Robert Ford)

This is one of the simplest yet fulfilling lines he's ever done. Emotionally riveting throughout, his solitary single notes are held tight. Almost dying off naturally, his timing is exemplary in bringing them back in. When he comes around again for the final part of it, he does the simple but nonetheless essential rock trick of just upping the notes and in doing so make the plea even more full of desperation. Why desperation? Read the lyrics, as Davey always does first, then you'll  see why he does what he does. He's being used a conduit for the cries of Bernie, being the added voice (alongside Elton) of the words. If it come's from the heart then the authenticity of it can't be questioned or denied. Finishing off with a slight degree of hope, the continuous unbroken spell he weaved for that brief interlude lives on forever.

A Word In Spanish

A while back I asked Davey on his blog what was the hardest solo he ever had to put down and this was the one. One of the most stylish solo's he's ever laid down, unamplified or not. The rhythm in this one is abundant, he's feeding off the lyric again to bring a flamenco flourish that isn't a cliche nor a pastiche. Rodrigo would be proud. Breaking this down from a pure technical standpoint, something on Guitar Star that they banged on about as to whether was essential or not, it oozes a natural charisma. Every time you listen back to it something new pops out. His fingers working the bass notes, seamless changes that need several listens to really get a better understanding of. You can hear his fingers just floating over the strings. It's neither forced or fake, again the heart input makes it genuine.

The two I've mentioned are just randomly picked, I could go and on about many more. All of them in fact. But before we go I just want to revisit one more solo, this time in the environment that ultimately separates the Heinz beans from the has been's. If you have stage presence then you can work the audience like blu-tak. If you can't then you'll sink to the bottom of the blue yonder. 

Have Mercy On The Criminal (live)

Anybody familiar with the 'people's chord' knows that one down stroke of it can drown out the most potent of instruments. But thanks to clever engineering which solved the age old trick of balancing on the point of a needle or in other words getting the balance between orchestra and electric guitar into some sort of reasonable co-existence, Davey was able to deliver one of his all time live solo shots. Making that connection between the music and the audience as one solid bind. As a complete contradiction to what was playing behind him, he just goes for broke on this one. Created by Davey (as are all his solo's), he slices through with the killer axe, slowly. With each swing he digs deep into the very heart of the music, the cuts opening wider as he turns back in on the song. Pure hard rock, the sound is loud, brash and nose to nose. Like embers spreading slowly, the heat is full of intensity even at the start of it. Subtle effects are used to delay and emphasise the crucial lines, at the very end as everyone comes back in and rises up he finds a route out of there that drops down and then vanishes. A star born for the guitar...

'Elton & Band Live At Lucca, Radio2 Rai Broadcast - Review'

I think it's been a long long time in coming...but finally I got to hear what went down in Lucca.

There's been a strange old sideshow running alongside the summer European tour. On the boundaries of the main event a small three ring circus was parked up. At various times hopping in and out were discussions on modern work practices of security personnel, the rheumatology and orthopedict aspects of knees and the timekeeping and number count of the setlist. Reading reams and reams of rubbish on those matters on the various soapboxes bordered on the bizarre at times, downright maddening the rest of the time. If that's what the soapbox died for then, the suds coming out of it means it truly wept. Quite how we got to this is beyond even this blogger's comprehension...but what is in my control is that none of those pointless topics will be appearing here. I'll say this about the setlist; Elton has spent many years finding one that he is comfortable with and one that fans are equally at home with. The supposedly shortened set...I'd call it streamlined...has been refreshed and rejigged. The simple maneuvering of a few favourites caught a lot on the hop. The same people who demand change, if you please.

Anyway, enough of that boring old guff. On to the show...Lucca over the years has always been radio broadcast, 1999, 2003, 2007, and 2011 are all safely in the files. This year we got the same treatment, complete with malodian mouths talking over the start of each song. Like inebriated people at an Elton show, do they spoil it?! Not if you let them...Elton's piano playing cuts through them to reveal he has still plenty of fresh things to say, even within the confines of familiar surroundings. The power to surprise, the power to please, the power to reinforce the old values. If the curtain is coming and Elton is heading out, then it's at the top of the world, ma.

Confident with the brash opening of The Bitch Is Back, his voice warms up with vigorous jabs and jerks. No ceremony standing here, the sound mix is impeccable. Crucial of course when the new pearls of wisdom that Elton deploys throughout are clear to be heard. Matt on bass, just by doing some simple yet distinctive licks has now entered my top echelons of bass players of all time, alongside Dee, David Paton and Bob Birch. And he's going to get even better! Davey 'windmilling' at the end generating it's own energy reservoir, which will be needed later. 

Bennie And The Jets throws us one the those early pearls, Kim with layers usually underneath suddenly finds them to the forefront on the chorus. Nigel and John combine tightly here; John with ruffled hi-hat caught in the down draft of Elton. Davey's counter melodies on the jam playing of Elton slip away quickly as he slips in some licks before the rhythm section weaves in and out every so often before it boots everyone back into play. 

The sudden appearance of Davey at the start of Alice on guitar is always startling, like someone screaming at your opening front door. Whilst recovering from that shock, he delays the riff entry in order to prolong the 'agony!' The piano is really up for it here, barging to the front you hear the fully pumped lines throughout. PSI heavy...the chorus breaks with Kim cracking the whip on the synth, the after stings of those slash's slow to calm down. Levon starts with an eerie solo vocal, Elton's voice with a dozen or more unseen Elton's heralding Jesus. Kim with razor sharp swipes, taking his cue from the absent 2Cello's to underscore the orchestral arrangement with greater ferocity than normal. The outro again sets a scene of rock and roll carnage on a grand scale. We're going full circle here as Elton goes back to the time when the piano was the premiere instrument of rock, it's brutal and unforgiving pounding come complete with jabs and stabs that are thick and fast. Then space opens up, the bass stops and a struggle between Elton and Davey begins. Who has the stamina to wrestle control, we'll never know as Davey retreats to safer ground. Then Nigel challenges him, his incessant beating of the snare like something out of the Middle Ages using percussion to drive the unclean and unwanted from the village. Elton responds by re engaging gear and heading out of town under his own steam. 

Rocket Man with it's thoughtful intro, open eyes and silent mouth. A raft of emotions are explored here, going further than any Dream could ever dream to do. If the Dreams on TDB were the Moon, we're orbiting Pluto here. His left hand is leading, the right hand co-piloting and navigating through this new atmosphere. For unsuspecting listener's the song with the the most sudden of vocal arrivals now has the most delayed on tour. Great to see that part of Elton's live repertoire beginning to find's it's voice again. The ending is just as delayed, the last vestige of emotion and feeling is slowly expunged for maximum effect and for longer lasting impressions. 

Rush forward to the final chorus of Burn Down The Mission, and then take a deep breath. Because a shiny pearl will appear. Elton digs deep vocally (as he always does here) but deep down in the bowels of the Elton mine shaft he reveals something super shiny. On the line 'Oh if we're gonna stay alive' his rephrasing of it one of the best jewels he's shown us lately. Incredible texture to it. Sorry Seems To Be...has John with a cast of characters ranging from cymbals, triangle and chimes ably supported by other fully paid up members of the percussion union. The union boss, Comrade Cooper, would surely approve. The final playout with Kim tenderly bringing the accordion to the fore with the strings aft. I'm Still Standing starts hurriedly and speeds up after that. Tom rolls in abundance, Davey's solo is surefire quick and a surefire direct hit. Your Sister Can't Twist may be a post ironic statement of late 50's fluff, but the fluff is blown away when Davey bulldozes in with the nasty sounding guitar, like a Teddy boy determined to have a good time. On his terms and nobody else's...especially on a...

...Saturday Night which shows us why 70's rock was the real deal, even when 50's rock found itself in itself in the clothing of flares and big collars it still sounded hot. Chuck Berry live at the BBC in 1972 confirms that but back in 2015 we hear Elton doing exactly what Chuck did and hammer out a word on every note. He's still clear, concise and fully in control of his vocals here. If a court was summoned to judge such matters, then this example of Saturday Night will be the first and only exhibit. On the second chorus another pearl is polished off. Suddenly he slips into a simplistic rhyming of the words. Monotonal with more than a slight hint of leg pulling. And pulled it off he did. The solo ends with a flourish from Kim, a simple device that stands out above other examples. The outro jam again surprise and teases. Davey, like that Teddy Boy of earlier, takes centre stage again, bending strings and wrenching every angry response out of the Les Paul. Elton with heavy left hand and gentle right, teases the riff until the rhythm section peels back. Matt's heavy bass holds it all together, Nigel's hi-hat snuffles in the background, then a cameo from Song For Guy makes a guest appearance. Matt spots him, seizes him and has pounced on him. All in one movement. Until Elton decides to sweep them all aside and heads off again. 

On a whim The One slowly comes into focus. Elton's whim is indeed just that, throw something unexpected in an unexpected place. Unexpectedly of course! But this isn't a whimsical version, the empty stage allows for the words to breath with open passage ways. Which in turn allows Elton to express them with greater depth and control. His pauses and expressiveness is really on another level here. Less pacey than of recent times, the more considered approach pays huge dividends. For Elton primarly...and for us.

This was a terrific broadcast, the yapping announcers had a much as effect as yapping dogs. Ignore them and they'll go away. The concert was a powerhouse first class display from Elton and band throughout, all we need now is for Stray Arc Records to wave their big wand in their little hand and make it into a 'hard copy'...

'It's A Long Walk On A Street Of Right And Wrong'

300 miles. A long walk. But not to freedom.

Ray Mears recent series about the landscapes of the Wild West on BBC4 finished up the other night with a quite extraordinary tale. Just one of many in fact throughout the three episodes, both settlers and natives encountering all sorts of trials and tribulations thrown at them by the diverse nature of the America's. The Donner Party for instance encountering untold problems and dealing with them in totally unforeseen ways. The story in the last episode however ties in nicely with something I had been planning to do.

The Long Walk Of The Navajo as described in the Ray Mears programme has to be one of the longest death marches in history. If the men of Jarrow had their caps at a dignified angle by the end of their march, empty of stomach but still upright, the Navajo certainly kept their heads in an equally proud position by the time the trek ended for them. Which for a lot of them was at all points during the trek. Permanently. Spirit can be hard to crush though.

Yet again, Bernie's essential reference's of US history have to be taken into consideration. Relative to this, Indian Sunset is the most well known both inside and outside the Elton world. But that's only one scene, one tale in a far larger series of events chains. A decade or so later and he would revisit that theme, with a greater sense of anger, a damning testimony and the only verdict to be arrived at.

Before I go on we have to look at how Bernie's chastising unfortunately got lost due to people's Ego's and humours. Like another classic American song from the same era, White Man Danger ended up following The Retreat; consigned to the underbelly of an underselling single. Ignominious at best, a disgrace at worst. J'accuse David Geffen yet again. One day he will have to be brought to book (especially to explain this period) for his machinations that nearly dealt a fatal blow to Elton's recording career. Without going into all the details of it again, this piece here explains it nicely. To recap, the 1980 album by Elton with the correct tracklisting, especially if it had been a single disc could, nay would have propelled Elton back to the top of the album charts. Instead the harder edged songs, both lyrically and soundwise were ditched for a more sweeter flavour. Bad for teeth and ears. Alas, the chance was lost and the quality material that emanated out of the south of France was left to wither on the vine. Not a good recommendation coming from that part of the world.

Anyway, back to now. Bernie is always at his best when rugby tackling the serious issues head on. Unflinching here, he takes out both legs of his opponent. The team in the white shirts. If American Triangle was non partisan, there's no doubting about the colours being nailed here and to what. Bernie's opinionated and justly offered view is atypical of his output over the last 50 years. His early detached, latterly deeply involved insights on many related issues hopefully will be evident on the new album. Whenever that will that be...I must check my piece of string.

Clocking in at over five minutes, it's not lyrically abundant like Indian Sunset but it's short and direct like an arrow flying through the air. And like said arrow it's impact when it hits the target dead on is brutal. Inflammatory in concept, incendiary in description and condemning of his own white race. Just let that idea sink in. The pure uniqueness of it. The setup of the tome is simple, two protagonists in each corner. In the white corner the 'White Man' shadow boxing with certainty of victory. Might is right being his motto, 'he feels no pain'. In the red corner, the 'Red Man' with 'slim chance and none' being equally certain of  victory. The victory of the spirit. In one movement Bernie executes a trial and judgement with the sentence being shame. Unlike some of his other explorations of that vast landscape, this time he employs no use of visual imagery. Lakes, canyons, rivers, plains, mountains or oceans are not needed as extras. Just the representation of two sides, one just, the other powerful. No contest. His taut words sum up the simple premise, extermination may be an exaggeration but to others it may be an undervaluation. The 'White Man' is here and not going away. The 'Red Man' was here but he can stay. But only where and when he's told.

Elton does an incredible job here, from his production outwards. He crafts the music perfect to the lyric with sharpness and directness. The melody is unrelenting once proceedings get underway. His vocal is totally unaffected (the best way) throughout, phrasing precise and decisive. The harmony vocals from the girls adding an extra sense of importance to the chorus. Putting aside the acoustic piano, and leading with one of his trademark sounds of the era, the electric piano, is the correct choice here. It's sharp, glary sound ideal to cut through the heavy sound. The rhythm section of Alvin Taylor and Reggie McBride being one the best studio drum and bass combos he's ever used outside of the best. The drums in particular are huge, the heaviest sound he's used up to that point. In front of that is Steve Lukather's guitar sound; initially like a spaceship coming into land in the desert at the start, circa 1947. Bang on the beat throughout after it lands, it's throbbing, darting sound coupled with that powerful backbeat has slight undertones of new wave. The best influence of 1979 to have been soaked in...the thought's of disco creeping in beyond Victim Of Love too scary to contemplate. The Hammond solo by James Newton Howard with his speedy hand sweeps across the keys adding an almost swinging break in the middle. It's a welcome intervention, musically more interesting at this time in the song than a guitar solo would have been. 

Again another gem from the arsenal of Elton and Bernie that for too long has been filed under the b-sides category to gather dust. There has to be a revisionist look at the back catalogue one day as too much of the really vital material has been left dormant and devoid of the lavish praise it's entitled to. Incredible to think this song has never been released in a digital format officially for instance. I've said it before and I'll say it again, Elton has probably the best catalogue of any late 20th/early 21st Century artist but the worst treatment of it. In terms of what has been released, the structure of it, the final makeup of compilations and formats. 


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'8 Lives A Day'

10 years and 1 day ago an 8 month wait ended...but not without a few challenging final hurdles that had to be negotiated. Oh, the nerves!

November 2004. Aiken Promotions announced Elton was to play outdoors at the RDS for the first time since 1984. Taking my Old Moore's Almanac, I looked at the long range weather forecast for the 2nd of July 2005. Plenty of time to do the anti-rain dance by showtime...don't wish it away but time flew (and still does unfortunately) and it was almost time to take our seats.

The buildup to the week of an Elton should be as stress free as possible, if it's outdoors you want blue skies and light winds. And Elton to be fighting fit. And of course available to turn up. Who'd have thought the latter would possibly become the main issue.

Sir Bob...not looking for effin' money this time

In the week or so before the show Bob Geldof announced a 20th anniversary multi act, multi venue concert to move the Live Aid agenda of 1985 further on, to Make Poverty History. Not to raise money but to raise awareness. So in 8 cities around the world from the same 8 countries taking part in the G8 summit concerts were to be staged on the same day. Hyde Park in London was the UK location, a massive plethora of acts to be assembled. As is always the case, Elton was one of the first acts on Sir Bob's speed dial and it was announced he was to play in London. The date of the concert. 2nd of July 2005.

Uh-oh. How was Live8 going to work? Elton has mastered most things in life but bi-location I don't think has appeared on the setlist. At least not yet. In a moment of gross uncertainty I contacted Aiken and asked them what's the story. They assured me Elton would be there at the RDS on the 2nd. Then in the days leading up the big night the schedule for Hyde Park was set out. Elton was to be an early afternoon slot so playing later that night would be no trouble. Then the threat, sorry, idea was floated of special guests from Hyde Park joining Elton on the plane over from Biggin Hill. Thankfully that payload was never dropped on us.

Aiken realising a huge event was about to unfold and wanting folks to be part of it, they opened the gates at lunchtime in order for the Elton fans to view the Hyde Park show on the big screens at the RDS. With 'perfect' timing, I was on route to D4 when Elton hit the stage. I bet he had an inclination to hit somebody by the time it was over. A spectacular performance from Elton was gatecrashed by the most shambolic live duets of all time he's ever had the misfortune to be intertwined with.

First the good bit. When the DVD of the show was released, Bob Geldof was discussing in an interview to promote it the merits of Elton choice the first two songs he sang. And the wisdom of it for an early afternoon atmosphere. But when he saw the performance and how it established the feelgood factor of the vast crowd early on, setting the tone and precedent for every other act that followed he realised, not for the first time in his own words, just why Elton was still at the top of his game. An uptempo, rollicking set that was ideally gauged and delivered with maximum impact. The lessons of 2001 had been learned. In the space of The Bitch Is Back and Saturday Night's Alright he cranked up the energy, found the locking valve and shut it tight. The last song in the set was to be one of those old hand, new dog coming together type of enterprise. But the dog was doped and it's bark had more than a slight tinge of distemper.

Pete Doherty...shortly after falling out of a Stuka

Sometime's I've been accused of going on a bit too long about Elton things. At the other end of the scale my friend Mr. B. delivered a one word review of Pete Doherty's performance over the phone to me whilst sitting in the sun in the RDS that summed it up perfectly. Dire. And that indeed said it all. Looking like a downed Luftwaffe pilot from some years ago, Doherty took part in a duet of Children of the Revolution by Marc Bolan. Looking and sounding like a right Hun (or a word that sounds like it) in the sun he gave a first class display of performing roadkill. The aural aroma was similarly vile. Elton had given over one of his allotted songs to help him out and the hand that had fed him was severely bitten. In between slurring and rambling his way through the song, he cut a pathetic sight with his BIC lighter in one hand and a Union Jack waving over his head like some trophy of war, hat at an undignified angle. If somebody has said ten years later he would be getting 5 star reviews at Glastonbury it would have just confirmed my suspicion of most music scribes. Singing from the same hymn/rap sheet...

'We're off to Dublin' declared Elton and not a moment too soon. If patience were to be milked dry over 8 month's then the last few drops were being squeezed with excruciating vigour. Because before Elton took to the stage we had the 'pleasure' of a couple of support acts. Nothing much to report here, Rufus with his truly awful singing voice and James Blunt with his truly awful bland material took the Michael indeed. Elton and circumstances were keeping us waiting...but it would be worth it.

The 3 dimensional sound that was the Guy Babylon creation otherwise knows as the Pinball Wizard intro was bright, loud and full of strong colours. Bit like the sun that shone earlier but had now clouded over. Those intros he did over the years are truly terrific and need to be released in some compilation form. It's slow burning buildup giving way to a multi explosive chain reaction that was Elton's piano, Davey's aggressive chords on the Flying 'V' and finally Nigel heavy pounds. 

Perspective is always an ongoing feature of this blog, 30% of the set that night is no longer played. Plus we had something going on that is very unlikely to happen in the future. Two recorded projects almost existing simultaneously. Peachtree Road (brilliant album) had 4 songs in the setlist, whether it was a chart success or not was irrelevant to Elton and the audience. He felt it, the band felt it and the crowd appreciated it. Winners all round. Even though it was only out 8 month's it was already being superseded by a current hit single from another Elton project. Younger readers might not be familiar with the notion of hit singles  for Elton but Electricity was indeed a proper chart hit. Lifted from the stage version of Billy Elliot, Elton's take on it (the best, of course) was a classic case study of why he had so many chart hits over the years. An uncomplicated production, the airy verses with Nigel on harmony vocal soared even higher on the chorus as it swept out into the darkening night sky. Davey's licks on the slide guitar leaving a slowly dissipating glow in the dusk. No wonder it was hit in the charts and the stars. And if that's not enough chart Elton for you, his 1971 voice could be heard on a certain rap hit of the day too...what a time we've lost.

No money in the world can ever recreate that sight

It goes without saying the show was a triumph,  Elton dedicating Sacrifice to Bob Geldof in the Rat's hometown. Classic Elton moments that are no longer with us are peppered throughout, the long and varying from night to night that was the excursion otherwise known as the intro to Take Me To The Pilot for instance. The recently introduced switch over by Davey from acoustic to electric on the extended Rocket Man was to become a byword over the next several years of multi tasking by a multi instrumentalist. Indeed Davey is more than just one guitarist...as was that band lineup more than just a group. The much missed Guy Babylon as mentioned earlier did his usual intricate work all the way through. As did his also much missed colleague and friend, Bob Birch. The sight of him standing behind Elton at the piano as both their heavy hands beat a march towards the final crescendo of Love Lies Bleeding was something we took for granted. Another one of life's pleasures taken from us. Too soon.

It was only the next day when I looked back at the DVD recording of the show (no Youtube of any consequence back then, of course) that you realised the enormity of it. Is poverty history? No, but the first trickle of making it happen had appeared and once it started can't be returned. It also showed how important Elton is the grand scheme of these things. When you want the A-listers, the really big stars, then Elton is no brainer to have on your bill. Glastonbury, can you hear me?! On the day he masterfully navigated his way through getting the crowd in Hyde Park wound up early on, an escaped POW on a bender and of course bi-location. But even more remarkable he played for the first, and so far only and last time, two shows in one day in two different countries. Luckily for me I was on the right side of the Irish Sea that day!

A Dandelion(el) Held Them Tight!

I did this related piece exactly one year ago basically setting out why Elton should be a dead cert for Glastonbury. Another year has come and went and the urgency for Elton appear at it is now as frantic as Euro's flying out of an Athens ATM. If the act with no musical portfolio, otherwise known as Mr. Kim Kardashian, is indeed the biggest then all we have to work out next is the biggest what. Though hasn’t the wife won that accolade several years in a row…anyway, the thing is we're running out of the 'classic' acts to fill up the schedule, especially the marquee slots. Some horrendous characters are waiting in the wings and more likely than not will run on to the rocks. The wrong sort. If Pete Doherty can still get 5 star reviews in 2015 then the game is indeed almost up. 

Further down the menu is where the real attractions lie. I was looking forward to seeing Burt Bacharach opening his songbook but unfortunately despite his best efforts (87 and still oozing charm and a classy touch) even he was dragged down by three singers who were a combination of X Factor rejects and part time cabaret support acts. If you're going to do justice to the songs which span a couple of generations then you have to have a real star vocalist. Not just the ability to sing the song but to connect with the audience. Kind of important when you're stepping into the shoes of Dionne, Sandie, Dusty, Cilla, Petula, Aretha, Karen and Gladys to name but a few. 

As I pointed out last year, the ‘legends’ slot is now fast becoming ‘the’ slot to be inserted into. Sunday evening teatime and basically you can grip the crowd (and a sizeable telly audience) and do with them whatever you wish once you’ve seized power. Lionel Richie did exactly that yesterday (even getting security to join in...I bet some folks think a parallel universe now exists) and like Dolly last year is getting all the plaudits. The Who closing out the entire weekend with a tight, no nonsense set are being equally showered with similar platitudes. All rightly well deserved. If both of them hadn’t appeared then the viewing figures would have been down by more than just me. If I were a betting man...which I'm not...I'd lay good money Billy Joel will be doing that exact same slot within the next year or two. If you put the really big acts on, they never fail to deliver. By the way, that FFS hookup has to be one pop’s great latter day masterstrokes…

So what of Elton. Looking down the guest list over the years his glaring absence is now becoming more evident. Filed under the legend that never won an Oscar category. All his contemporaries, not to mention those that came before him and since, have all played there. I’m not sure what the situation is at the moment, whether the organisers aren’t keen or what. If not, get keen I say. If they are, get on the phone and book Elton for Sunday of next year. They can work out the fine details of whether he’ll do the legends slot or the headline slot in due course. Either way as the slow drop of the curtain is now underway it’s critical that he finally take his rightful place on the roll of honour that is the guest list at the festival. In 50 years time when kids of tomorrow ask why everybody from a self proclaimed God right down to the Wombles pitched up but Elton didn’t what are they to be told? For somebody who has done it all, it would be indeed be the final as yet unrealised achievement. 

One thing I’ve noticed is that the crowds at the US festivals seem to be more reserved than at Glastonbury. Lionel Richie did Bonnaroo a few weeks ago but even he was unprepared for the reaction he got on the English farm. He’s put down a marker as to what is expected. If an old pro like him has indeed felt the force then just imagine Elton going there and by the time FFF/LLB has finished the crowd has given him an injection of a boostful additive into his adrenaline. Which logically could or would possibly mean Elton may deliver a defining late career live performance that would be talked about for years. The crowd connecting back with the artist can indeed be the ‘twelfth man’. A setlist that would keep the ballads to a minimum (Your Song of course!) and push the uptempo aspect of the repertoire to the front would be truly magnificent. Like the hammers of hell he would beat them into submission. Hopefully this time next year we’ll be waking up to headlines of musical celebration rather than confrontation…

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'Look At Dolly, She Did It Right'

'Sincere Flattery'

One of the most common phrases to describe Elton is that he's the ultimate musical magpie. Taking bits and bobs from here and there and making it his own. But he's also a bit of a stork, delivering influences far and wide. 

To highlight this I'm looking at some classical pieces that undoubtedly have possibly lent themselves (at least to this untrained ear!) in terms of influence on Elton and then I'll look at another piece that has an (possibly) unmistakable influence taken from Elton. When he studied at the Royal Academy of Music in London he unconsciously (as do most reluctant students!) took on board more than he thought during his time there. If the building blocks of basic structure were indeed just that, he soaked up how those blocks could be built into a super structure. Like a sponge he took on board the multiple facets of his art. But like a real sponge he works both ways. When you squeeze him a mix of musical juices that were a combination of what he learned and what was his own personality spilled out. The depth, breadth and width of what makes 'Elton John' the composer is truly epic.

Schubert - Impromptu No. 3 in G flat major Op. 90 (D899)

This piece played by the 'go to' interpreter of solo piano pieces, Alfred Brendel, is a fairly clear example of Elton delving into a timeless melody and subconsciously giving it a new twist. A well known piece in the piano repertoire of any student or teacher, the obvious traits of this piece are clear to hear on FFF/LLB, especially on the solo live version with Ray Cooper. The carefully paced steady progression treads a path we know very well. Slower here, Elton's brisker adaption is carefully judged. The contrast of intense and contemplative passages is also trawling familiar ground, never at odds with each other but merely jostling lightly for equal attention.

Mendelssohn Violin Concerto in E minor, Op. 64

The buildup to the climatic conclusion of Carla/Etude has certainly been influenced in no small part here. And what makes this even more special is the fact that's its a non piano work so again Elton's classical studies were broad and engaging. The second movement is what we're interested in here, but only a small part of it. It's great piece but if you don't have time to listen to it in full, then listen from 18:53 to 19:04 to hear a fragment of the theme or motif that appears throughout the movement that has more than hint of familiarity; the progressive nature of the melody is highlighted by the more urgent woodwind arrangement of James Newton Howard replacing the violin interpretation for a subtle yet crucial transfer to the final overture of what is without question one of Elton's (and by default because of it's arrangement, James Newton Howard) finest moments.

Arvo Pärt Cantus in memoriam Benjamin Britten 

This piece is highly unusual but the most striking part of it, the sudden stop, should be familiar to Elton listeners. But that's not the only element of familiarity at play here. The original version of Sixty Years On with the device of it's bare naked strings coming to life is very much in evidence here. Buckmaster's arrangement starts slowly and broods steadily but has possibly been taken one step further here. With the added tolling bell, the individual elements are with a greater sense of foreboding and a quite deliberate corralling of the elements into forming one body mass. At the same time the sound becomes heavier and darker full of self generating power. Almost overwhelming us in grief (as it's intention is) the sudden stop into bleak nothingness is only broken by the fade of the bell toll.

The composer in all likelihood may not have ever heard the original version of Sixty Years On whilst living under the cloud of the USSR, but then again we do know they were resourceful in hearing Western music during those times. So it's not beyond the realms of possibility Pärt may have stumbled upon it, accidentally or otherwise.

What have we deduced? Elton never went down the Eric Carmen route thankfully but as we can see he slipped in tiny, tasteful elements of his vast music knowledge (probably more vast than even the most wildest imaginations can imagine) and making his own material even more fulfilling. Plus we can only speculate on how his own influence has spread far and wide. Maybe further than even he imagines... 

'The Other Men From Shiloh'

There was a terrific two part series on the music of the US civil war recently on BBC Radio 2. Presented by Kris Kristofferson, part one dealt with the music of the war, the second installment dealt with the music inspired by the conflict. Inspired maybe not the right word and being loosely taken as war is no inspiration in reality. War is ugly at the worst of times, a civil war is at the bottom end of the minger scale. I should know having lived in a country that had it's own civil war in the early 1920's after the foundation of the State when we became independent from Britain. More recently of course there was another long running conflict on the island that was a civil war in all but name. The deep rooted after effects become entrenched and are at times impossible to reconcile for generations.

In both cases the legacy of those brutal conflicts lives on. You only have to switch on the telly any night to see how the race conflict is still not quite resolved over there, 150 years after peace broke out. It would be inaccurate to say the triumph of the winner or the pity of the loser is celebrated in the music of the time and thereafter but it does serve as a barometer of the contemporary and the seemingly never ending legacy issues. Not romanticised but merely humansied as is the cost of such mindless escapades.

For us outsiders needing a gateway in to this conflict, we can look no further than to our own bard. Taupin of course has been a great student of such matters, his 'outside looking in' persona was celebrated here a while back. His unbiased view from that standpoint has led him to become our teacher, his snapshots have led us to further explore the little features he presented us with early on. Whilst the first part of the Radio 2 series was very enlightening in it's historical context, part two and the songs that followed on right into the 21st Century had a glaring omission. Namely Elton musically portraying Bernie's tales from the foot soldiers steps.

As per usual, almost by default, it referenced the noted social commentators of Dylan and Springsteen on this matter. And their take on the conflict, how it impacted then and now and how they expressed it through their music. Lesson's not learnt, etc. And of course Elton was overlooked. Not for the first time on these type of programmes, either. There are reasons for that of course, but that's for another day to be expanded on. What should have been in it was Bernie's latter day take on it all, this time from the 'inside looking inwards' perspective.

The 'Men From Shiloh'...nothing to do with the other men who are said to have 'Gone To Shiloh'

The Men From Shiloh weren't just The Virginian and Trampas, but the men of what was by all accounts a bloodbath in another part and another time in US history. The mention of Sherman (not the tank) as name checked in the lyrics was enough to instill fear and loathing down south in the early 1860's. Controversial at the time, still in that category today due to the nature of the 'slash and burn' techniques he employed. But Bernie instills humanity in the narrative; the family left behind as your typical 'Johnny' goes marching off to war. Whether he came back or not we never know, but one thing is for certain. The family left behind irrespective of whether he did return or not would be changed forever. Which goes to prove that the battlefield scare has a far and reaching touch. The entire lyric has to be in Berrnie's top 10, a direct cousin to the Tumbleweed imaginings. It's life in song would travel far with various (and quick) uniform changes.

The version on The Union with two 'outsiders' (though both have strong connections with the south in fairness), Elton and Neil Young stand shoulder height with Leon Russell to take turns in describing the unfolding life changing events of this simple farming family. Lyrically it's looking southwards, but in truth could have been written (as Bernie has done before) from a southern perspective.  The sound is almost shrouded in mist and dense fog, the background sound is hard to make out clearly in the swirling fine vapour. Ah, the producers touch. His light feel in conveying the military sound of the time (brass and drums) is understated. Too much so. The brass in particular hints at something all true Eltonites will find familiar. If Buckmaster had been present to flesh out that arrangement it would have even more pleasing. If a style similar to My Father's Gun had been employed, he could have 'upped' the brass and kept it on top whilst keeping the strings low and below and maybe introducing them higher up near the finale (as he did on My Father's Gun also). The folly of absenting the song of such a terrific embellishment would be clear later on. 

One of the early forays of the song into the live arena was in Italy in Autumn (we don't 'Fall' here!) 2010. The solo shows with Ray Cooper...always full of promise and delivery but with a new song always one to savour in terms of what are they going to do with it. Gone To Shiloh appeared not as pure solo but with Ray plucking the most obvious device from the original and making it a central part of the song's message. Pushing it to the front, he took aim on the snare drum and drove Elton along, proud and upright with defiance. Defiant in showcasing a new song and equally purposeful in it's delivery. The longer, brighter intro was the first clue to that line of intent. A light magical touch from Ray and we had an instant classic live version of the song to deal with. Not the first or last, luckily.

I'll skip over the Beacon Theatre, NY and Roundhouse in London performances with Leon. As they don't really butter my parsnips. Elton and Leon gave some tour de force versions in early 2011 with one version fully of irony. A March 2011 example at MSG, NY with a genuine southern rocker Gregg Allman taking the position (not for the first time) of the other 'Southern Man' is a strange curio. He's been asked to take the role of what would be for him the 'other side' and act it out. No surprise maybe that his performance was unsure and oddly distracted. I wonder...did the irony of ironies become too much.

We return to Italy again for the Lucca festival in summer 2011. This time Elton, the band and the singers are joined by an early appearance of the The 2Cello's. This is where the rubber stamp marked 'definitive' is inked and slammed down. Hard. If Buckmasters arrangement was a wish, then the 2Cellos almost grant it to us. A song that is suited and booted to a tee to their talents, as soon as they quite literally swing into action, the hard sound with it's deeply melancholic lament are all paired perfectly. But of course the 'rock edge' that I love is providing reinforcements. Davey's light bluesy licks are like putty between Elton's vocal on the verse's, holding it all together. John and Nigel split up and weave at various times during the engagement. John on solo snare again shows he can be just as adept as Ray when it comes to marking out his own territory. Nigel, sure footed as ever, quite literally and very explicitly drives the rhythm on both kick drums. What a sound! If the 2Cellos are masters of the lower ranks, then up loud and proud is Kim. He boosts the brass and makes it as it should be. On the battlefield it had to be strong to try and compete with the artillery bombardments and flying bullets. The marching bands of the era were vocal and purposeful and that is what we hear. 

But we hear even more from Elton. His vocal, which in turn is led what is by now a more experienced understanding of the song, has given him a more insightful take on it. The final chorus and it's vocal lift and jump testifies to that. But it's his harmonising with Tata Vega on the chorus that needs further noting. Her vocal is slightly behind giving it an eerie echo at times, the completely contrasting voices never drown or smother.

As was noted on the programme the strength of the songs to be still remembered 150 years after they were first appeared is an epitaph to the men featured in them. Their relevance may have changed but their legacy has not. I think Bernie has got both elements nailed down.