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4. Madman Across The Water (1971) Album Review
11 Plays7 days ago
"Take a look at him; he's so insane". But who is he? Richard Nixon? A man inside an institution? Elton himself? Dominic & Anthony cross the water to find out...
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Welcome to Elton v Elton: The Album Battle! This is the podcast where two pals (Anthony & Dominic) & Elton fans rage over which of Elton's albums we think is the best. We'll be keeping score as we go, as we delve into each of Elton's solo studio albums, discussing the tracks individually, the musicians involved, the album art, random trivia, cover versions & anything else in between!
We'd love to hear from you with your ratings, opinions and any other insights into Elton's work you have. Drop us an email via eltonveltonpod@gmail.com
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Thanks go to everyone involved in bringing Elton's work to the bigger stage, James Cook (http://www.jamescookcomedian.com/) & Paul Savage (https://www.instagram.com/savagecomics_/) who inspired the format of this show and Zapsplat.com for the SFX. Research for the show was done using songfacts.com, https://sir-elton-john.fandom.com/ , eltonchords.com, https://www.eltonography.com/ and Elton’s autobiography 'Me'.
You can find Dominic on https://www.facebook.com/dominicberry/ and on his poetry website https://dominicberry.net/
You can find Anthony on two other podcasts: Enough of the Falafel (featuring the Vegan Week & Vegan Talk shows) and The Brambling Along Podcast
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Until next time it’s goodbye from Captain Dom-tastic & the Brown Dirt Ant-boy!
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Transcript
Introduction to 'Elton vs. Elton: The Album Battles'
00:00:00
Speaker
It's November the 5th, 1971. We've heard that Elton John was a prolific album writer in the early 1970s, but he has gone for a whole year without releasing one.
00:00:11
Speaker
Not for long, though, because now it's time for Madman Across the Water. I'm Dominic. And I'm Anthony. And you are listening to Elton vs. Elton. The Album Battles.
Podcast Format and Trivia Teaser
00:00:40
Speaker
Welcome everyone. This is episode four of Elton versus Elton, the album battle. That is the podcast or rather this is the podcast where two pals, me and Dominic, who love the music of Elton John, we rage over which of his albums. We love the best. So obviously we're indebted to everyone who's brought Elton's music to the wider stage and to James Cook and Paul Savage who gave us the idea for this format. If you want to hear a bit about us, we've got a trailer podcast you can go back in your feed and listen to. And set at the top, this is episode four. We're going through these solo studio albums chronologically. So there's three more before this one that you can catch up on next.
00:01:25
Speaker
If you want to do things in order. Yeah, you don't have to, though. It's fine if you want to dive straight into this. Although we are going to give the answer to the trivia teaser that we had in the last episode. So last episode, we asked at the time of Tumbleweed Connection being released, Elton was on tour in the US. and One night, a recording was taken from one of the performances in New York, which became Elton's first live album.
00:01:54
Speaker
What was Elton's first live album called? Do you know the answer, Dominic? Do you know I'm going to kick myself when you tell me? I've not listened to it. I know that much.
00:02:05
Speaker
I don't know. What is it? It is, well, depending on where you're from, it's either 11-17-70 17-11-70. It's the date that the recording took place and obviously North America, the dates are phrased differently to here in the UK. I would say i had I have this album. I think it was about the eighth or ninth Elton album that I bought. And I'd really recommend it, particularly if you like the Elton John album, Tumbleweed Connection, if you like this one that we're reviewing today, Madman Across the Water.
00:02:40
Speaker
There's songs from that, but also there's the feel of those albums in there as well. It's just Elton. Oh, now I'm testing myself. It's Elton Drums and Bass. There's Dee Murray. um I think it's Nigel Olsen on drums.
00:02:56
Speaker
I've got a sneaky feeling that one of them isn't the usual drummer or bassist, but I'm pretty sure it's Dee Murray and Nigel Olsen. Well worth a listen. I mentioned Tumbleweed Connection. That was the previous album that Elton released. That was on the 30th of October 1970. And indeed, it's our previous episode. The album charted at number two.
00:03:17
Speaker
in the UK, number five in the US. And both of those chartings were kind of in 1971 as the album was released sort towards the tail end of 1970. Tracks you might have heard of from that one, Amarina, Country Comfort, Burn Down the Mission. It's not hit heavy in terms of singles that you might have heard on a best of compilation. in that it's more of a concept album, but definitely ah an album that both myself and Dominic rated highly. Yeah, I hadn't actually heard the album ever before until doing this podcast, and I love it. I bought it. It's beautiful. Probably my favourite so far. But what about Madman Across
Historical Context of 'Madman Across the Water'
00:03:59
Speaker
the Water? Well, this was released 5th of November 1971. And let's give some global context. What else was happening around that time?
00:04:13
Speaker
Well, Muhammad Ali is losing his 31 fight winning streak, losing to Joe Frazier. Starbucks is six months old.
00:04:25
Speaker
There's something that I wouldn't have known if Anthony hadn't told me. We lost Louis Armstrong. ah He died of a heart attack in this year and we had the fourth landing on the moon. Now, on the 5th of November, when Man Man Across the Water was released, the UK number one woa was Maggie Mae by Rod Stewart.
00:04:47
Speaker
Although, out of the songs were number one in the UK and the US, the US number one is my choice. That was Cher with Gypsies, Tramps and Thieves.
00:04:59
Speaker
I'm sure I'd recognise that track, but from the name, I don't recognise Gypsies, Tramps and Thieves. Would I definitely know it? Actually, Um, Cher is a prolific recording artist. There are so many. I think you might do. Yeah, it's a brilliant song. Really excellent.
00:05:16
Speaker
I'll check it out. I'll check it out.
Elton John's Rising Fame
00:05:18
Speaker
So in Elton's life at this time, things have changed significantly. compared to his previous albums in that tumbleweed connection and the elton john album were both released before he was really celebrated or or known at all so this album is the first one that's been released since he's been gaining some fame he's not necessarily a global superstar at this point but he is putting himself out there and enough people have heard of him to justify tours, not just around the UK and the US, but Japan, Australia, New Zealand.
00:05:55
Speaker
The US is where he's really making it work. He's starting to meet some of his heroes um There's a I'd really recommend Elton's autobiography. It's just called Me. There's a really great anecdote of him meeting Brian Wilson from the Beach Boys and being a bit freaked out because Brian Wilson seems to just be singing lyrics from your song at him and not especially talking to him. But he's he's meeting loads of his heroes. Management especially are falling over themselves to work with him. The musicians that are working with him at the moment.
00:06:24
Speaker
are kind of, as we'll see, they're still kind of like studio artists, really studio recorders. But in terms of people wanting him on contract, him on their record label, wanting to manage him, people are falling over themselves. We're starting to see a bit of the fancy
Recording of 'Madman Across the Water'
00:06:40
Speaker
clothing. In his autobiography, he mentions it's around this time that he makes his first big purchase, which is an Aston Martin car. and As we've mentioned, the 11-17-70 album was released about six months before this in April. It got to number 20 in the UK, got to 11 in the US. But a lot of reports suggest that that would have been even higher had it not been bootlegged so prolifically, like there was ah an unofficial recording of that album. that did the rounds and probably reduced the height that the album got to. And obviously he was recording this album, Madman Across the Water. um At this time, it was record. There was one recording session on the 27th of February, then a big gap.
00:07:27
Speaker
And then 9th, 11th and 14th of August in 1971 was when this was recorded. But who was on it, Dominic? We've got um the the list of people that are on these albums is getting longer and longer each time, isn't it?
00:07:40
Speaker
Oh, it really is. It really is. We'll eventually come to the point where the Elton John Band is formed. And I think, Anthony, is this the first record that Davy Johnston appears on? Yeah, yeah, it is. He's he's not on every track. but it's the first time we see him. He's on he's on Tiny Dancer.
00:08:02
Speaker
Yeah, playing acoustic guitar. And then he also plays elsewhere, sitar and mandolin. He previously worked with producer Gus Dudgeon with the band Magna Carta, and he would go on to be the boyfriend of Kiki D. Dominic will always crowbar Kiki D fact in. If you've not found out from previous podcasts, I'm a Kiki D obsessive. The Kiki D drummer, Roger Pope, is drumming on some of these tracks. Nigel Olsen being on many of the others. We've got um Ray Cooper doing some percussion, tambourine.
00:08:37
Speaker
Paul Buckmaster still doing orchestral arrangements. Leslie Duncan, who wrote and sang Love Song on the previous record, is still doing some backing vocals, including Tiny Dancer. We've got Caleb Quay on guitar. A lot of good people. Dee Murray, not mentioned Dee Murray yet, the wonderful bass player and lots of backing vocals. And, oh, this album does have super harmonies on it. Mm-hmm.
00:09:05
Speaker
Yeah, yeah, it does. My favourite name in the list of artists contributing this is bass guitar on tracks four, five and seven, Herbie Flowers. What a great name. Oh, yes. Wonder whether that's their real name. So things to note for this album.
Album Performance and Initial Impressions
00:09:21
Speaker
This was one of Elton's lowest charting albums. album efforts. I suppose he's not necessarily reached super global stardom at this point, which I i think contributes to that. I think had he released this album even two years later, it it it would have charted much higher. So the highest it got was in the US and in Australia, um where it reached number eight. In the UK, it only reached number 41, which ah I think is really surprising. Featured in Canada, Italy, Japan, Spain as well, sort of around about the 10, just about in the top 10 in some of those countries. Interestingly as well, um in the US, they do sort of year-long charts, so which which album has sold the most over the whole calendar year. And Madman Across the Water was actually the 10th highest selling album in the US across 1972, but
00:10:19
Speaker
probably virtue of the fact that it came out just at the end of 1971. So add a whole 12 months to have a good run up at it, but certainly not one that's charted really well. But Dominic, what what are your sort of personal sentiments to this? you You mentioned this is the first time that you've been coming to this album because of this podcast project. Yeah, so when I was a kid, I owned many full Elton John albums, including Empty Sky, which we covered on a previous podcast, Honky Chateau, which we'll do next time round.
00:10:53
Speaker
But I've never heard Tumbleweed Connection. I've never heard this before. So I've only listened to this album. And I've had a busier week than I had when we were doing Tumbleweed Connection. So Tumbleweed Connection, I just had on repeat. This one, i was like, oh, you know what? I'm probably only going to get to listen to it one time.
00:11:11
Speaker
I have listened to it three times, but all the opinions and views I give are going to be really different than they are on something like Honky Chateau, where, um you know, I'm super familiar with it. That said, even though I have, because I've done my homework,
00:11:27
Speaker
pre-thought out my scores out of 10 for each song because Anthony asks me that and I'm like oh what am I going score it so I've done my homework and glancing down i actually don't know which one is going to get the higher score I think both albums are quite varied Honky Chateau and Madman you know there's there's a lot of variety uh in many ways Anthony uh did you own this one when you were younger I've never owned this, but I've been aware of it sort of ah as long as I have been really taking a proactive interest in Elton's music. I've sort of passively knew about Elton's music the first sort of 10, 15 years of my life. But when I sort of turned 14, 15 years old, then I really started to... get into his music and wanting to collect stuff. And um it was just the case of, you know, what CDs were in CD shops. And sometimes
Album Artwork and Teenage Resonance
00:12:20
Speaker
you'd go into a secondhand shop and you might find something could never find this one could never find It it wasn't one that was re-released in 1995 you'll hear us talking about a lot of elton john's albums that were released in 1995 this wasn't one of them and i think um most of the ones that i got in my mid-teens were ones that were released then so i i was aware of certain tracks there was um there was a greatest hits compilation of elton's
00:12:50
Speaker
just at the turn of the new century about 2002 i think and tiny dancer was on that not sure if leave on was on it too so i was don't think it was no but i i'd heard that from another source i you know i've i've known those two songs bon jovi sings leave on doesn't he john bon jovi on the uh two rooms tribute album yeah But it's, yeah, it's always been one I've been interested in because it's nestled amongst other well-known ones, but it was just hard to get that. So I've probably only listened to this one, you know, in the last five, 10 years, I would have thought. Wow.
00:13:26
Speaker
And as Anthony says, you know, we're just two friends. We're not professing to be musicologists or experts in the career of Elton. And I didn't know what you just said, that it wasn't re-released because my honky chateau was that night you know night ah reissue which had the ah extra version of Slave on the end, the fast version. with the and And I think, had this been in the re-release, had I bought this instead of Honky Chateau, as a teenager, I think I would have preferred this to Honky Chateau. I think there's a big teenage energy. That's not an insult. It's ah it's a good thing. you know ah
00:14:06
Speaker
I think I would have adored A teenage energy which is arguably continued onto the album art in that it does look like someone's just got the crayons out. like I do like it. I have to say, no, I will say what I really like is the, a few if you open the the sleeve of the album, i I have seen the the album art that's on each of the individual pages. That's really lovely. It's got kind of like a washed out denim colour to it. And like the, the, some of the words are stitched on if you'd like, not, not literally, but it's, it's got that impact, but the actual album cover itself is, um is pretty basic, isn't it? It's pretty rough and ready.
00:14:46
Speaker
Yeah, I would compare it to Tumbleweed that I think in terms of cover artwork, it's almost there for me, but it just doesn't quite land in the same way that the iconic artwork for Goodbye Yellow Brick Road does. Or even Don't Shoot Me, I'm Only the Piano Player. That's a brilliant photo, in my opinion. This artwork...
00:15:08
Speaker
Yeah, it's eye-catching and I definitely prefer it to Honky Chateau's artwork, which is just Elton looking grubby. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Yes, and yeah, it does. I mean, i have to say, ah like the idea of the of the artwork here.
00:15:26
Speaker
but it it does look rushed and and I can't help feel that it was done at the last minute or they'd ran out of budget or something like that. But it says what it is, you know, it's very clearly saying Madman Across the Water, to Elton John. That's about all you're getting from it really, isn't it?
00:15:41
Speaker
But we should now get into talking about these tracks, starting with Tiny Dancer.
'Tiny Dancer' and 'Leave On' Analysis
00:16:07
Speaker
Very well-known track, this one, isn't it, Dominic? Like, it's probably the best-known song on this album, I would say. Well, it is, but that's not saying a lot, considering this isn't a better-known album. I am shocked that my first-ever Elton John compilation, my first ever Elton John CDs. I think possibly the first CDs I ever bought, the ah double disc, the very best of Elton John that came out in 1990, has nothing from this. It chooses to have Honky Cat over Tiny Dancer, which is blasphemy. ah So yeah, I didn't actually know Tiny Dancer until quite recently. Yeah, it seemed to have a bit of a renaissance, I would say, at the turn of the century. It was, um it well, there were, it's been featured in lots of popular culture. It's been in series three, episode one of Friends.
00:17:02
Speaker
It's been in lots of bits of popular culture, including a DJ Ironic and Chipmunk remix of a song, if you can call that it. But yeah, I became aware of it in that 2002, think it was, or 2003 album. Yeah.
00:17:18
Speaker
best of album i read I will say I really love this song. Sometimes i will criticise an Elton John song for being way longer than it needs to be. I was shocked to see that this is six minutes, 17 long, because ah for me, I...
00:17:35
Speaker
I'm not wanting the song to end. it For me, it it really showcases brilliant piano work, which we can say about a lot of songs, but actually there's a gentle buildup of the element, other elements in the song. So it's it's not like you have two verses, then all of a sudden a full orchestra comes in. There's a lovely little bit of steel guitar towards the end of the first verse. We've got some lovely, Dominic mentioned backing vocals and harmonies in the third verse they come in and they're absolutely perfect i don't know about you Dominic but I think my favourite part of the song is not necessarily chorus it's the bridge between the verses and the chorus where you get these really short sharp almost staccato notes the the first time round is when Elton's singing oh how it feels so real was it standing here or lying here And it's um it just completely changes the feel of the song before we go into the the chorus. And it I think it's a really good example of how you don't need to completely change what you're doing to change the feel of a song. Like it it just twists it subtly. And for me, it's ah it's a perfectly formed
00:18:43
Speaker
pop song? would would Would you say it's a pop song? For me, it's it's it's ticking those boxes. Yeah, it's a pop song and it's a love song. And one of the reasons I love so many of the lyrics of Bernie Taupin is that he often writes about topics that aren't romantic love. We said before, Empty Sky doesn't have a single...
00:19:03
Speaker
romantic song on there. It's so easy to write a bad love song. Looking at, again, the very best of Elton John, I adored the UK number one Healing Hands, the double A side with Sacrifice. Not on there. Healing Hands isn't on there, yet they put on Blue Eyes, that the 80s. Oh my gosh, when we get to that, we'll get a low score. What awfulsome awful song, awful song, Blue Eyes.
00:19:30
Speaker
Awful song, sung awfully, terribly produced, awful. And like Tiny Dancer is so detailed, so specific in its lyrics. It's about Bernie Taupin's real girlfriend at the time.
00:19:45
Speaker
It says really specific details about, you know, sew patches on jackets and jeans. It's compared to the generic lyrics of Blue Eyes. You this is how you do a love song with real intent, real...
00:20:02
Speaker
detail it's it's it's excellent it's it really is a masterpiece yeah it was released as a single um not in the uk i should mention um it reached number 29 in the us cash box tops 100 um its highest chart position was number 13 in australia lots of cover versions of this song ah probably my favorite is by Ben Folds um listeners might have heard of the Ben Folds 5 but sometimes he will do stuff just himself on the piano and there's a great live version of this that he does I mentioned DJ Ironic and the Chipmunks that actually peaked at number 3 in 2009 in the UK charts There's been ah a version that some listeners might be aware of because it's quite recent. In 2002, Elton teamed up with Britney Spears. 22, wasn't it? 2022. It was really recent. Yeah, is that is that not what I said? You said 2002. That would be wrong. Yes, yes, you're right, Dom. Four years ago, as as we're recording now, the song's titled Hold Me Closer. So obviously it's taking a bit of the lyric. And like a lot of these collaborations that Elton's done in the last 10 years,
00:21:13
Speaker
Things have been sampled or they've they've taken little bits of it out. I'm not mad keen, you know. And I'm saying that as someone who adores Say Good mal say good Morning to the Night. I adore that. And when I saw Elton, he started, that was like playing...
00:21:30
Speaker
turn around say good morning tonight that dancey one that's brilliant and i think that's the same producer who did hold me closer with britney spears i think i might be wrong there i think it's the same guy who also did the uh duolipa um cold cold heart which again i'm not keen on i think turn around say good morning to the night is stunning but yeah Yeah, it was interesting hearing Elton talk about Hold Me Closer. like He was so confident that it was um going to be a massive, massive hit. um He didn't play it, but it was played as like exit music as people were going. He did play one song off of this, though. He played Leave On, which is indeed...
00:22:14
Speaker
song two it is song too i'm going to quickly throw in some last tiny dancer elton john nerd facts fit for those of you that like that sort of thing um some radio stations banned the song because there is um the opening of the second verse leads with jesus freaks out in the streets which at the time could have been there seen as blasphemous by by a larger proportion of listeners than perhaps would Consider that now the case. We've mentioned before the Rolling Stone magazine's 500 greatest songs of all time list that they renew every 10 years or so. 2010, this was ranked But then
00:22:51
Speaker
in twenty twenty one it was ranked forty seven the forty seventh greatest song of all time five years ago as we record it. And I found it interesting to read just as a last one. John Frusciante of the Red Hot Chili Peppers has performed the song at least 50 times during Red Hot Chili Peppers shows, which is not something I would have guessed. But I've already delayed us talking about Leave On. It's arguably my favourite song on the album. So let's get to it. Really?
00:23:19
Speaker
Yeah. you know what? It's a song I keep forgetting existed. And I'll tell you why I think it is. i think I think, and this is my theme for the album as a whole, I think there's a lot of really hard, traumatic lyrics on this album. It's really, this is why I say I think it's a teenage album and why I think that Dominic, who's listening to stuff like Murder Ballads by Nick Cave and Nirvana and Placebo. I think I would have adored Madman Across the Water because it's so raw.
00:23:54
Speaker
Leave on... oh it makes me cry hearing him do it it was like oh I'd forgotten this song existed and then he sang it in concert and I did I did weep it's just oh it's so intense it is intense isn't it it's it I think it takes a lot of what Tiny Dancer does and it just ramps it up a level and I think because it's not a a traditional love song it stands out a bit more that that maybe works against tiny dancer because there's an infinite number of love love songs out there but this is about a father and his son isn't it or a son and his father i'd say the son is the protagonist arguably or it's being sung from his point of view he is leave on leave on is the son alvin tostig is the uh father interesting name um
00:24:45
Speaker
Levon wears his war wound life crown. He calls his child Jesus. Oh, beg your pardon. Another Jesus reference on this record.
00:24:56
Speaker
um So yeah, Levon dies. Spoilers! And like, it's it's really interesting talking about intergenerational expectation and conflict. Like, um I mean, Levon's job is is selling a balloons with cartoons on them. It's hardly like the most ah capitalist consumerist career ever. It's quite a jolly sounding career. But like, you know, Jesus ah rejects this, isn't interested, sees that as like,
00:25:29
Speaker
not what he wants to do at all. And yeah, it's ah it's a heart-wrenching lyric, really well-written lyric. think there's a lot of space between the words, yeah just to sound really pretentious. But I do, a poet myself, I think there's a lot of, we talk about the fourth wall in theatre, like what do the audience bring to an experience? And we say that good writing is where there's a lot implied so people can insert their individual experience. I think Leave On has a lot of that. It's a great balance between very, very specific writing, but really open to put your own your own spin
Analysis of 'Razorface' and Title Track
00:26:11
Speaker
on it. Yeah. Regular listeners will know that I often struggle to hear the the lyrics that are being sung just in in any in any music. um but particularly when Elton's putting on an affected accent. um But this doesn't fall into that trap. And it's, yeah, it it leaves you doing lots of thinking. I love the fact that it's cartoon balloons that are being sold because it's it's such a, musically, it's such a
00:26:36
Speaker
profound dramatic piece of music you know you know you've got a lot of strings in there it's it's an epic it's well over five minutes long and we're talking about these dramatic things and then just in the middle of like the second or third verse you've just got oh yeah for a living he sells cartoon balloons it's like like that's a brilliant little counterpoint to that yeah it's um I'm not moved to tears very often, but Levon definitely gives me the the tingles. it It was released as a single in Australia, Canada and the US. Highest position was number six in Canada, 24 in the US, 94 in Australia. An interesting fact that I read in terms of like the background, like you've got these names. Alvin Tostig doesn't ah appear anywhere as as someone as a...
00:27:25
Speaker
a figure when the song was being released. However, there is now a modern indie folk artist named Alvin Tostig who has released some songs. i'm I'm assuming that they've taken that from this lyric.
00:27:38
Speaker
However, the name Levon Apparently, Bernie Taupin has said he came up with the name Leave On from The Band. We've spoken about The Band on previous episodes. That is a band called The Band. The drummer and singer and co-founder of the band was called Leave On Helm. And the band were apparently Elton and Bernie's favourite group at the time. According to fellow band member Robbie Robertson, Levon Helm did not like the song, quoting him as saying, Englishmen shouldn't, F expletive removed, ah with Americanisms. So that was not taken well. And talking of naming, Elton's first son, Zachary, was born on Christmas Day, as as mentioned in this song many, many years before. And they have Levon as one of their middle names. So Zachary has Levon. in the name you mentioned the John Bon Jovi cover earlier Dominic what how do you find that one I personally prefer this version
00:28:41
Speaker
Oh yeah, um I love it. I love it though. I mean, gosh, you know, um i was discovering I was gay when I was a teenager and I was very much in love with Jon Bon Jovi. And yet, and yet, and yet, I mentioned on a previous podcast that I only really listened to side one of that Two Rooms tribute album. Side two didn't resonate quite as much. But I do remember being really quite, oh, that's intense, that lyric, even as a, teenager So maybe I wouldn't have loved this as much as I keep presuming I would have. Because that song, I did think, oh, that's a lot. That's a lot. That makes me feel big things. Yeah, yeah, it it does. And that is reflected in the music. I mean, I would say arguably the musical arrangement of this compared to Tiny Dancer is a really interesting duo to open the album with because there are many similarities and many differences and I'd say the musical arrangement is more on the nose and a bit more blunt with with leave on but I think the lyric is so strong it it gets away with it really I think arguably Tiny Dancer is musically a lot more carefully
00:29:50
Speaker
produced and it it builds up really carefully whereas leave on just basically everything's turned up to the max from about verse two onwards you've got drums you've got massive strings you get everything's going and it's glorious i think should we talk about razor face Yeah, another very full on song with a lot turned up to 11. I think that Elton John sings amazingly on this. There is some glorious falsetto and oh, his voice goes really deep on some bits, the the resonance. Again, I find Razorface quite hard hitting, especially if you listen to it after Leave On. So actually on my second listening to this album,
00:30:36
Speaker
I started playing from Razorface and my experience of listening to Razorface stand alone was very different to listening to it straight after leave. And was like, oh, this old man, what's, yo, all these old, all these old people, like in the winter of their existence. Oh, whoa.
00:30:56
Speaker
Um, But yeah, what a what beautiful piano as well. I mean, check me actually talking about the the musicality, but it is a stunning composition, isn't it and Yeah, it is. And that we see this a bit in, well, no, quite a lot in this album. um And also in Honky Chateau, which we'll talk about in the next episode, he's doing a lot of adding extra beats or skipping a beat or just changing time signatures halfway through. And there's a bit of that in the in the chorus here. It doesn't flow exactly how you might expect it to, which which really works. ah yeah with
00:31:34
Speaker
Talking about piano, like regular listeners will know that's my main instrument that I play. I do also play a piano accordion. I i do Morris dancing on on a Tuesday night just to keep myself entertained. No way! I'm learning something new about you every Tuesday. Yeah, absolutely. And in this in the summer, we'll go outside pubs and things. And yet occasionally I will play a piano accordion if if we need someone, ah someone half talented, to because the yeah the the very talented people aren't there. And this is one of the very few Elton songs that has an accordion in it. Just at the end, it's it's it's just like a little busker walking through or something. It's not really a main feature. of the song but it it does add that image of yeah like you say this sort of husky old man wandering around trying to find somewhere to settle down walking down a street and there's someone just twiddling away on the accordion yeah yeah
00:32:33
Speaker
How does it feel to know you can't go home is one of the lyrics. its Oh, dear me. And and when it's repeated that again, that the harmonies in this one, I'm just going to quickly scan through all the other songs in the album.
00:32:50
Speaker
Yeah, I will step my stick my neck out and say I think they're at their peak. in Razorface, the backing vocals are put together in a really nice way. Not like a big gospel choir, like from Border Song or anything like that, just really subtle. And it gives a really haunting feel to it even though it's not it's not a slow wistful song is it at all it's it's almost quite jaunty yeah yeah almost quite jangly you know it's uh yeah yeah yeah i think have to be in the right mood to listen to it uh when we score i will score it high but it's it's not um deny the person jerking who are again i could play that all day Before we move on, I want to commend the organ playing on this too. It's Rick Wakeman who's doing it. And um yeah, when listeners listen back to our first episode, Empty Sky, there's a couple of points where I say that the organ playing is a bit too on the nose.
00:33:56
Speaker
This is just right. I think it is a really great piece of music, really well balanced. This is Rick Wakeman who was from... is he from yes is that the group that he's from yes yes it is says dominic scanning wikipedia as he speaks yeah he did um uh life on mars and space oddity with david bowie uh morning is broken cat stevens according to wikipedia i'm just quoting these things as fact here and it's not always uh 100 is it but um yeah rick wakeman i do know he's he's he's
00:34:32
Speaker
popular, yeah critically acclaimed artist for sure. Yeah, indeed, indeed. Well, we've had a strong start to this album and now we are moving on to track four.
00:34:43
Speaker
The title track, 5 minutes 57, Madman Across the Water. So dramatic. Title track, title track and end of side one because, of course, these are the days when there's a side A and side B. And I do think if you listen to records in that manner,
00:35:02
Speaker
it's a different experience. So side B of Madman Across the Water is not nearly as intense. I mean, we're going to have a song about Holiday Inn coming up. It's not got the same gravitas. Madman Across the Water...
00:35:16
Speaker
I'm not overly familiar with it, to be honest, even though, again, it's on um two rooms, isn't it? I think it's Bruce Hornsby who performs kind of comparable version of it. um But again, it was on side two, so I don't know it that well.
00:35:33
Speaker
Is it... is it Yet another Prisoner song, isn't it? He loves his Prisoner. I mean, I'm not even the only one on this album. I think, you know, Rotten Peaches appears to be. Yeah.
00:35:47
Speaker
Possibly. and Yet another Prisoner. Bernie, what's going on? Yeah. This is... some More Prisoner songs than love songs. Yes, yes. It's the on-the-nose madman across the water title suggests that maybe it's it's somebody who's not necessarily in ah incarcerated because they've broken the law. it it might be for other reasons, but it's um it's dramatic. And I mean, there's such... i was going to say pointed lyrics. I don't think I mean pointed, but that meant poignant, maybe that's the word I was trying to ah say, but that the chorus... will come again next Thursday afternoon. The in-laws hope they'll see you very soon. But is it in your conscience that you're after another glimpse of the madman across the water? It's, to me, I've i've written down operatic. I think it it really has that that drama to it. And it's, mean, it's the best part of six minutes long. There's long sections without any words in there, played in a minor key. It's another one that like faf, sarap, faf is the wrong word. right No, I think there is a faf. I think there is a faf. There's different like times, isn't there? You know, sort of beats all over the place, which again matches the words. I mean, you know, the words come first from Bernie and then Elton creates something
00:37:13
Speaker
you know, to accompany them. And yeah, it's, ah it's manic, isn't it? yeah burst So you mentioned faff and then you mentioned something else, which I think is done well. So I think there's ah there's a, there's a string section in the middle that becomes quite instrumental. And for me, that is, that is the faffy bit. um in that It's not especially melodic. I mean, maybe it's evoking the madness, but there's, they're almost just playing in octaves. They're just kind of going... Like it's it's not really doing much or or rather it is, but it goes on for like two minutes and you could have achieved that effect in maybe like 15 seconds or something. But the changing in in times and rhythms and and starting bits when you're not expecting it and making bits go on, I think that's that's really effective because he's only doing it quite subtly.
00:38:07
Speaker
He's only like... missing a beat or adding an extra beat. So it's it's not like that element is is dragged out and it's repeated as well. So you do get used to it so that there's a bit where it gets a bit quicker. The lyric is, I can see it very well.
00:38:23
Speaker
So it's going, dirt de du du du de du du de du du du I can see it very well. And it like it changes quite quickly. And that's repeated at least three times. And that for me, that works really well. But yeah, not a fan of the faffy string bit in the middle. Could lose that.
00:38:39
Speaker
Would you say, Dominic, this is another one where you've got to be in the right mood to listen to it? Oh, goodness me. Goodness me. Yeah, it's intense. I think that about the whole first half, I think that Tiny Dancer sounds very different in the context of these four songs.
00:38:57
Speaker
But Madman Across the Water, I can't ever imagine it not being a full-on experience. Yeah, yeah, for sure. it And and it's it's not a song for any occasion, is it? For sure.
00:39:10
Speaker
No, no. There's an interesting story, which I had to read again because I couldn't quite believe it Paul Buckmaster, who we've mentioned in the last few albums, he first came on board for the Elton John album, Elton's second, adding orchestral arrangements. And he did did play the cello on there as well.
00:39:31
Speaker
Apparently... the recording for this, which stretched over like four days. He he was staying up late to write up the arrangement in full, and write the music down for it to be performed, and then knocked a bottle of ink over the only score, ruining it. Elton flew into one of his stereotypical rages, and apparently that was the catalyst for them stopping working together for a number of decades afterwards. Like, flipping heck. Wow.
00:40:03
Speaker
Despite the fact that Paul then rewrote it within 24 hours. i think it was quite a costly mistake. It lost them a day's recording or or something like that. But Elton does say even when Paul screwed up, he screwed up in a way that reminded you he was a genius. Bernie Taupin says that back in the 70s, people said that Man Man Across the Water was written about Richard Nixon, which was not Bernie's intent. He thought that that was genius. I never could have thought of that. Yeah, yeah. This song is a bonus track in the 1995 re-release of Tumbleweed Connection.
00:40:41
Speaker
I will say it's not that different. It's not like they're completely different songs altogether. we've We've mentioned there's in Honky Chateau album that we'll talk about in the next episode. There's two very different versions of Slave on the album. That's not the case here. I would i would say this is a favourite Alton track of mine, Madmon Across the Water. But... Oh really? Yeah, yeah not not one you're going to put on foot for all occasions, as we have said. Well, I'll tell you what isn't a favourite of mine as we come to the conclusion of Side A and Turnover Side B.
Critique of 'Indian Sunset' and 'Holiday Inn'
00:41:17
Speaker
The very, very popular Indian sunset. I agree, i agree, i agree. I'm really cross at this song.
00:41:25
Speaker
Wow, go you go first. Why are you cross at Indian Sunset? i like i'm I'm cross at this song was because the first four songs of this album, for my money, are the best opening four tracks of an Elton album so far. We're going to come to songs that i I really like as well. There's a couple of average ones in there. But for me, this drags the album down so, so, so, so far. I've heard the much better known Ghetto Gospel, which was released posthumously.
00:41:59
Speaker
It's got a two pack music in there. It was produced by Eminem, released in 2004 with samples of this song, Indian Sunset Inn. And I heard that before I heard the original.
00:42:11
Speaker
Yeah, I heard it first. And I can't believe I'm saying it, but I much prefer that. Much, much, much prefer that. Personally, Dominic, I think this song's all over the place, apart from a really nice, a decent two minutes in the middle where the melody is a bit more predictable. but Acapella is a tough thing to do. So I'm a massive fan of Jim Morrison and the Doors, and they've got a song called My Wild Love. that is acapella and whenever I play that album and my wild love comes on, I'm like, oh, oh, we've to trudge through this now.
00:42:46
Speaker
And that's how I felt on my three listenings. I mean, when I say three listenings, I skipped it on the third one. When I skipped it forward to the middle of the song to be like, maybe it's just the beginning that's so Not great. And I was really praising Elton's stunning singing on Razorface. What an underrated album track Razorface is. But I just don't think it sounds good, really, the acapella. It really doesn't.
00:43:13
Speaker
It really doesn't. it's So as regular listeners will know, I've done a lot of delving into cover versions of Elton songs and listening to them. And a big critique I will have is that very often it sounds like the singer doesn't actually know the tune and and and doesn't know the words that much. They end up kind of changing the scansion of it um and and fitting bits of lyric in in ways that it's really not meant to do. And it sounds like they've done that because they've forgotten exactly how it goes. And it sounds a bit like that. It sounds like he's not quite sure what the tune should be. He doesn't quite remember how the word should scan.
00:43:51
Speaker
it's a bit all over the place, really. um And and for for an epic six minute 45, it's nearly seven minutes long, this track. Like having effectively two minutes, almost completely acapella. It starts off acapella and then there's very little backing that comes in. It's got to be stronger than that. Like, goodness me, maybe I...
00:44:13
Speaker
I don't think we can be accused of having a ah stereotypically 21st century attention span, Dominic, can we? like we' We'll sit down and attention to things for a very long time. Yeah, there's quite a few long tracks on Captain Fantastic and the Brown Dirt Cowboy, and I'll listen to them all day. No, it's it's not good. And there there are several songs that we'll talk about, I imagine, in in future Elton albums where we'll perhaps talk about the risk of judging him by modern standards in terms of things politically that might not seem right. islands girl i was thinking jamaica jerk off actually but no yeah but um yeah this this one again i don't want to come too heavy down on him because this was recorded 1971 you know but it It sounds like a white man who doesn't know what he's talking about, singing about a Native American. And yeah, I think i think the world would be better off if this track didn't exist.
00:45:17
Speaker
ah Well, we wouldn't have the UK number one of, ah you know, ghetto gospel, would we? I reckon we'd have some other way of posthumously honouring Tupac's work with the production of Eminem. I'm going to stick my neck out and say there would have been a different way of doing that. That single, like you say, it did top the chart in the UK for three weeks in 2004, as well as in Australia, Czech Republic and in Ireland, reached number three in New Zealand. Elton says about the original, just just to drag it down even further, people People think it's a protest song. It's not a protest song. It's just a story. It's like, oh, you've got to claw something back there.
00:45:57
Speaker
Yeah. He also says that he does occasionally play it live. ah he's He's done a version with ah Ray Cooper. And he says that it gets a standing ovation every night. A six-minute movie and a song is his own review of the song. I wonder whether it would have got a standing ovation every night pre-2004. I really do think the Tupac imagination kind of lends it some gravitas that it's not due. For me, it's if we're going chronologically, this is the worst song that we've listened to thus far. Well, I am to nod whether the worst song was this one or Holiday Inn.
00:46:42
Speaker
And having listened to Holiday Inn three times, and that's the the only three times, that is not a large amount of times, but it's grown on me, Holiday Inn. When I first heard it, I was like, oh, what is this nonsense? Like, petty lyrics about, I mean, it could have been, like, a lot more scathing, but it just seems to be him moaning about...
00:47:04
Speaker
maybe being on tour perhaps like saying it um was it was more scathing they they removed a verse that expressed frustration with life on the road mentioning um cold french fries and poor room service there was another verse that they cut like he's that he's more scathing but again it's not it's not like you know someone's been murdered and I found them under my bedsheets. It's not that, is it? Which I think would be more fitting with the kind of madman across the water, razor face, leave on deck. You know, Holiday Inn just seems so surface level, but...
00:47:43
Speaker
I don't know. I don't know if it massively fits the rest of the album. i mean, we're going to have Rotten Peaches in a little bit and that takes us back into more familiar terrain. It seems in in an age where B-sides were a thing, a single would be released and there'd be a song not on the album on there.
00:48:02
Speaker
I do think... does Holiday Inn belong on this album? As a song, I think it's good. That's ah our Davy Johnston on this one, isn't it? Yeah, yeah. Mandolin is another instrument that I dabble in occasionally. And um yeah, he's he does a great job on the mandolin. He's got a solo as well. he's He really announces himself in this album. He's not in every track, but yeah, he he gets in there and you can see why he's Subsequent albums he he features, well, universally. And for me, I'll stick my neck out and say he's the second best musician in the Elton John band. I really rate Davey. I think he brings an awful lot to the party. I don't mind this song. I would...
00:48:48
Speaker
it' Great harmonies, isn't it? Great harmonies. Yeah, absolutely. if If I were ever staying in a Holiday Inn or sometimes staying in a Travelodge or at a Premier Inn, if this was playing as ah as I drove up into the generic car park where you could be anywhere in the UK, yeah, it it would raise my spirits a little bit. And yeah, I think it's i think it's not trying to be anything other than what what you see. ah In terms of why is it on the album, I think this one, and All the Nasties, which we'll come to in a moment, I think those two are simply songs being written by a pair who their previous albums, when they were written and performed, they weren't famous.
00:49:30
Speaker
And now they are a little bit. And I think, you know, this one's talking about life on the road. All the Nasties is talking about critics. And I think that, you know, that was a new part of their life. And so it it was relevant to to write about and record about.
Discussion on 'Rotten Peaches' and 'All the Nasties'
00:49:45
Speaker
you know 50 plus years later it reminds you of that it reminds that they weren't born as superstars but yeah it doesn't doesn't linger much beyond when when you've heard that mandolin solo fading into the distance as the track comes to an end you've forgotten it already haven't you but it's it's a decent poppy song isn't it yeah for sure for sure and then we go on to rotten which although it's only track seven out of the nine songs, it's the, i would call it, it's the final traditional Elton song, because the that if if if you're listening to this podcast before listening to the album,
00:50:26
Speaker
There are surprises to come. Rotten Peaches does, I think, think it fits really, really well. I like Rotten Peaches. Yeah, what do you read make of Rotten Peaches, Anthony?
00:50:38
Speaker
as I've said already many times, the way I'll first listen to a piece of music is I'll just listen to the music. I might notice the melody that the singer is singing, but I really won't pay much attention to the words unless there's a really loud or repeated word. And I really like the sound. of this one there's a kind of like echoey resonant quality particularly to the chorus it's like they're recording it in the bathroom or something like that the blend of musical instruments as well is is an interesting one then after the fourth or fifth time of listening to it start thinking so what is this rotten peaches thing all about and then look at the lyrics and i really like the lyrics i'm gonna read them out if that's okay domino please do Spoiler alert, prisoner song number two or number 17 thus far.
00:51:28
Speaker
We've moved on six miles from where we were yesterday and yesterday is but a long, long ways away. So we'll camp out tonight beneath the bright starlight and forget rotten peaches and the places we've stayed.
00:51:41
Speaker
I left from the Dockland two years ago now, made my way over on the SS Marie, and I've always had trouble wherever I've settled. Rotten peaches are all that I see.
00:51:52
Speaker
Rotten peaches rotting in the sun. Seems I've seen that devil fruit since the world begun. Mercy, I'm a criminal. Jesus, I'm the one. Rotten peaches rotting in the sun.
00:52:04
Speaker
There ain't no green grass in a US state prison. There is no one to hold when you're sick for your wife. And each day out you'll pick, you'll pick rotten peaches. You'll pick rotten peaches for the rest of your life.
00:52:18
Speaker
Oh, I've had me my fill of cocaine and pills, for I lie in the light of the Lord. And my home is 10,000, 10,000 miles away. And i guess i won't see it no more.
00:52:31
Speaker
ah just reading the lyrics in isolation, like it it just takes the song to a new level for me. I i kind of thought, oh, this is a bit unique. This is ah an interesting sound. Rotten Peaches keeps coming up.
00:52:43
Speaker
And then you're just like, bam, wow, this this means something completely different to the quite jolly tone, I would say, to the song. Yeah, yeah. i looked up other people's reviews of um this album and I can't remember the name of the reviewer. I wish I could, but um this reviewer really laid into the Elton John by Elton John album. saying that it was the turning point for Bernie Taupin starting to write nonsense lyrics, you know, take me to the pilot. And that reviewer lays into the words this album and says that the whole album is like full of like nonsense lyrics that suggest but never go deep enough.
00:53:28
Speaker
And I could not disagree more. I could not disagree more. And I think that Rotten Peaches is a lyrical highlight. It's stunning, stunningly good.
00:53:40
Speaker
I mean, I think it probably depends on your frames of reference, doesn't it? You know, and when we've been talking about Leave On earlier on, like if there's personal resonance there, or not necessarily for the whole song, you don't need to come from a family of cartoon balloon sellers, but like there just if there's something...
00:53:57
Speaker
that that resonates, then that feels powerful. And then that gives you the benefit of the doubt for other lyrics. And I think, yes, perhaps if perhaps if the whole album I'd been cross with the lyrics and then this one came along, maybe it would take me a bit more persuading. But now I think it's a great metaphor, the rotten peach. I think I'm goingnna i think i'm going to take that with me. You know, the the sweet, furry,
00:54:23
Speaker
delicious looking peach but but deep beneath it there's something rotten to the core that's gonna mar your enjoyment of it and all i've ever had is rotten peaches like yeah i know i'm i'm really into it but a critique i'd have of the song is sometimes i feel like elton will repeat things just to fill some time um i feel like that happened a little bit on empty sky there were a few repeated choruses where i was like hmm not sure what we're getting from the second time around. In this song, the chorus is repeated back to back, but the
00:54:56
Speaker
Second time round, it's just backing vocals for the first couple of lines. And in a sense, that keeps the echoey feeling going along. I guess maybe if we're picturing prisoners in an echoey cell or cell block or something, maybe that works quite nicely. But I don't know. I really dig it. I would have liked to have just heard it. I'm contradicting myself. I would have to heard the full version for a second time. We've gone far too long since I've talked about Kiki D. And and on the Kiki d um Loving a Free album, there is a Bernie Taupin Elton John composition, which I bet you've not heard. The last good man in my life. you familiar with that? Yeah, not heard that. Oh, Antony is peak. And the reason I bring it up is it is one of them where she sings the chorus and then as soon as the chorus is up, there's no verse. It's just straight back in. But it's such a good chorus. You're like, yeah, but it's like it's like some kind of like 90s dance cop tune. It's like, yeah, Bang out, because it's that good. It is that good. Just bring it out. It is one of my favourite Elton Burnie. And it's not even on the album. It was the B-side to the first single, but, like, it's obviously on re-release. This is a bonus track. But, yeah, the last good man in my life. Stunning. Elton on piano. Brilliant.
00:56:13
Speaker
Nice. I like it. Final thing I'm going to say about this one. ah Correct me if I'm wrong, Dominic, and all listeners. I think this is the first time Elton sings about drug use. I don't think he was a regular drug user at this point. No. so Measuring up when the album was recorded and, you know, having read his autobiography a couple of times. i think it's the first mention of it. So it's though he is speaking as a character in this. It's um a little prophetic, isn't it?
00:56:43
Speaker
Yeah, I mentioned ah different, like, 90s artists I was into, like, you know, Placebo and Nick Cave. And another 90s artist I was really into is the trip-hop person, Tricky. ah Tricky is a really out-there artist. And the next song, All the Nasties...
00:57:03
Speaker
Kind of that has a bit of a Tricky feel for me. What Tricky? There's this wonderful documentary of Tricky going into a school and doing a workshop with kids on making music. And it is, oh, Anthony, all your music training, you would be like blocking your ears up with corks, you know, and Tricky's like replaying the kids are going, bam! And he's like, oh, that is such a beat, that. Because for him, it's all about the rhythm and just taking random samples that don't necessarily ah fit harmoniously at all. And, I mean, I'm not saying that that's what all the nasties are like. I'm not saying that. I'm not saying that.
00:57:44
Speaker
But, the you know, to compare the harmonies earlier on the album, you know, stuff like... ah Holiday Inn even to All The Nasties. They do kind of come out of nowhere a bit. And it's like, yeah, it's it's arresting. It's arresting All The Nasties. it's ah It's a really different song to anything that Elton John has released so far.
00:58:08
Speaker
And it's a bit it's a big jangly and jarring. But, you know, I kind of feel that's the point, that it's meant to be jangly and jarring. Yeah, maybe. Maybe. i mean, i mean we've we've spoken on previous episodes about the way that Elton himself and the band in the studio will produce these songs. And it is a very quick process. And I'd be interested if, I don't know, some A-level music students or something like that were to take the elements of All the Nasties and and pull it apart, I think there's potential in there for something really, really good. For me, it's, yeah, it is a bit arresting and almost experimental. It's long as well, isn't it? Oh God, it's long. Honestly, again, i feel a little cross at this one, not as much as Indian Sunset, but I i feel like without this and Indian Sunset, this would be well up there with one of my favourite Outland albums, but
00:59:11
Speaker
this this drags it down a little bit. I clocked at about three minutes that I thought the song was ready to finish. And then it just goes on this repeat and this repeat and this repeat for another two minutes, nearly half, you know, another half of the the total length of the song. It doesn't do it for me. I think there's real potential here, particularly the Cantores in Aklesia choir, who I think are awesome, but I just think that the lines that they're singing and that the makeup of the song is...
00:59:40
Speaker
yeah not quite right. I think it's fair enough as someone who's been thrust into the public spotlight to be cross about people. Every Tom, Dick and Harry critiquing them as we are doing now. um i think that's fair enough to feel bitter about that. I felt that in my life when I when i launched ah a cafe in the middle of my local city centre and Dominic, obviously you perform your poems in a very public way and it it is a thing, like I would say, we're we're human animals. I don't think having hundreds and thousands of people giving their opinion on what you've just done is a particularly natural thing to happen.
01:00:19
Speaker
it it It is normal in our society now, but it's I think it's fair enough for Bernie to write about it. But yeah, the combination of things is not not their best work, but a decent effort, fair enough. All right, i I'll do a little bit of counter-praise then. i think that like Leave On and ah ah many of the other songs, I think the words are kind of quite open. so there's a website called Genius. Genius is a website where just lyrics are written and any old fan can...
01:00:49
Speaker
interpret the lyrics and at the moment, I mean, I'm sure Genius is one those sites a bit like Wikipedia that are constantly being updated. So by the time you listen to our podcast, this might not be there, but someone has emphatically written that all the nasties is about closeted homosexuality.
01:01:08
Speaker
Oh. I don't think it is. I don't think that Bernie Taupin and Elton John had had those kinds of conversations. I think, you know, Elton John very much not out. I i think that it's like it's a really good interpretation of the song. And I think that it shows that it is a lyric that is both specific and open, that it could have that reading.
Final Track 'Goodbye' and Podcast Wrap-Up
01:01:31
Speaker
But I myself, as a gay man, I don't think that's the only reading of all the nasties.
01:01:37
Speaker
No, that's an interesting one. I'm going to slightly contradict you, Dominic, in that I think I'm right in saying that from the details of his autobiography, i think he had just started a Oh, there was good John Reed, wasn't there? With his manager. yeah yeah And several years before then, he he was engaged to a woman. And I remember that kind of things came to a head because him, Bernie and Long John Baldry, were out drinking one night and Long John Baldry was just like, what why are you engaged? You're clearly gay. are you doing this? And they ended up having a big row and then and I think Elton ended up sheepishly breaking off the engagement. So there is the chance of it it. It wasn't my reading of the lyrics that that's what this is about. It's not something I have a personal experience of. But I was going to ask you as a poet, can you shed any light on that this phrase that keeps coming back in the chorus that the the choir is singing?
01:02:41
Speaker
Oh, if only then and only then they would understand they'd turn a full-blooded city boy into a full-blooded city man. I don't know if I'm thinking too hard about that. Like, is it is it just about going from being a boy to a man?
01:02:54
Speaker
I don't understand how that fits into a song where you're laying into your critics. The innocence of childhood, which is to be celebrated and cherished, being destroyed by the realities of society, being cynical and judgmental. So becoming a man, not necessarily being a good thing in this context, is my reading.
01:03:17
Speaker
Right, so it's it's basically these viperish critics are destroying the innocence. I think so, yeah. yeah yeah Which which is is fair comment when you've got a 17-year-old Bernie Taupin writing the one of the best love songs ever um in in your song, age 17, to then criticise him for something else that he's done. A full-blooded is great because that could be a good or bad description. i do I do think it's a good lyric, All The Nasties. And to go back to my tricky comparison, I don't think it's a complete failure. I think that it stands out as an interesting song.
01:03:58
Speaker
I'm not going to give it a 10 out of 10, but I am going to give it a high score. I am not as high score as I'm going to give...
01:04:07
Speaker
Yeah, well, it's another one where you've got a song that's like five minutes and arguably two minutes too long, followed by one that's less than two minutes long. And personally, I was begging for it to continue. Yeah, I really like this one. Really like the um the way that Elton's tune goes, like the the the tune that he's singing, I'll Waste Away. He repeats it six times at least. And it's...
01:04:35
Speaker
It is like someone wasting away, like the, not just the volume of it, but like the the tune of it. is a did didoooo doooooooo do it's it's It's brilliant. I think this is a beautiful song. It is beautiful. I'll tell you something that it kind of puts me in mind of. And if you've listened to the podcast, you'll have heard every now and again me singing. slag off the early 90s record, The One. The last song, what a masterpiece. The like the final track off of The One is a really, but I mean, it's a longer song. It was a single, but it's just piano and voice, and it's haunting and beautiful. And when we get to The One, I Shall Score, The Last Song,
01:05:18
Speaker
10 out of 10 is a masterpiece. I'm not going to give goodbye 10 out of 10, but it does in its short-stay, southern comparable feelings. It's really, really beautiful.
01:05:31
Speaker
emotive I'm going to put you on the spot again, Dominic, but give you bit of thinking time, because again, I wrote down in my note, ask Dominic what he thinks this lyric is about. I'm going to just briefly, while Dominic's composing his answer, talk about the the musical composition to this, because I think this is a really good example of how...
01:05:50
Speaker
the strings and how the the backing instruments really complement things. it it really flows and just sails over the top of things. There's a few tracks on this album, including Leave On, which I really like, but in Indian Sunset, it's the case too. that For me, it sounds like someone has selected strings on a Yamaha keyboard and has just started hitting that keyboard. That's not the case here. It's it's really beautifully done. that Really lovely, short piece of music. What do you think the lyric is referring to then, Dominic? Because I was...
01:06:20
Speaker
I couldn't quite get it. It's been ages since I've compared the words of Bernie Taupin to Leonard Cohen, which I did quite a lot on the Empty Sky era. i think that I think it's about loss. I think it's about grief. It's possibly about death. It's about changes. you know there's There's imagery with things like you know lambs and you know suns coming and mirrors and moons. There's quite a lot of ah stuff that...
01:06:49
Speaker
aren't uncommon in poetic writing, but so concisely, yeah, I think it's about, i think it's about death. I can definitely imagine um teenage Anthony post-breaking with the latest girl that he's broken up with. Or should say, the latest girl that's dumped him.
01:07:12
Speaker
On repeat. The fact that it's two minutes long would not do any favours there. I'd be ah wearing out the previous track. And when we get to the album, The Fox, that was my ultimate um just been dumped by a girl listen to this album on repeat album it was fantastic for that but yeah if i was making a mega mix i would have snuck in the song goodbye there as well maybe to top and tail it so i get two doses of it and that concludes the album
01:07:50
Speaker
Short and sweet, some long tracks, as well as that very short one, nine tracks long. And what we can't say, Dominic, is that there's been a subsequent re-release of the album in 1995.
01:08:03
Speaker
However, we've got a a deluxe edition quite recently. We have, we have, yeah. um On 10th of June 2022, the album was released as a deluxe edition for its 50th anniversary, featuring 18 unreleased tracks, including demos, outtakes, alternative takes, a 40 page book detailing the album's creation with notes from John and Torpin and the unreleased Rock Me When He's Gone. I've never heard Rock me when he's gone. I definitely need to put together a playlist of all the extra tracks that we've mentioned in this podcast. Perhaps I'll ah ah share it in the show notes for listeners to to listen to, but I'll add that one to it. So I'm i'm interested as how we're going to score this, Dominic, because I would say the first three episodes, we have slightly mirrored one another in that when one of us has been waxing lyrical, the other has been not sure. Whereas I feel like we're feeling similar things
01:09:07
Speaker
for this one generally speaking give higher scores than i do for these but let's let's reveal our scores to see to see if indeed we are saying similar things for this one or there are still discrepancies what are you going to say for the first track tiny dancer 10 on 10 10 on 10 i've given it a nine yes absolutely leave on 10 on 10 Yep, that is a 10 for me. Whee! Yeah, a rare Anthony 10, can you believe it? um Okay, what about track six, Razorface?
01:09:42
Speaker
Absolutely fantastic, I'm gonna say 9 out of 10. I've scored that a 6. Whaaaaat? Which is a harsh, it is a harsh 6. That's amazing, why?
01:09:55
Speaker
What are you doing you know what? I'm going to move it up to a seven. then and And it's been interesting looking back at some of my old scores, having had the conversations and listening back to them.
01:10:09
Speaker
I'm more inclined to be generous. Yeah, I reckon if I review all the Elton songs again in like 10, 20 years time, Razorface will keep improving. But yeah, perhaps the lowness is on the first few listeners. What about Madman Across the Water?
01:10:27
Speaker
Nine. Yeah, I've given that one an eight. Now this is going to be interesting. Indian Sunset, first one on the B side. I have given that a three, by far the lowest score I've given anything so far.
01:10:41
Speaker
I'm going to give this by far the lowest score. I'm being slightly more generous than Anthony. At the moment, let's see what I score blue eyes when we get to the 1980s. I'm going to give this a five out of 10.
01:10:54
Speaker
Yeah, wow. So your lowest score up until this point You gave No Shoestrings on Louise a six. Yeah, I like that more, yeah. Yeah, that that's but that's the only six you've given thus far. so that's and And in fact, you've only given two sevens, um other tracks on that album. First episode at High Intern and 60 Years On. So to give a five is quite the low score.
01:11:21
Speaker
What have you given Holiday Inn? I'm going give that a seven, you know, a like maybe I'd score it higher if it was in a different context, but it is a lesser score for just coming across as so throw away on an album that's deep.
01:11:37
Speaker
Yeah, I've given it a six. I think if the lyrics were different, if it was writing about completely different topic, it could be much better because actually musically, I i really like it. and Yeah.
01:11:48
Speaker
a Big fan of the mandolin, definitely much more so than the harpsichord, which I'm delighted to hear did not feature on this album at all. um The next track, Rotten Peaches, I've given that a 7 and I'm inclined to increase it to an 8, but...
01:12:05
Speaker
No, I'm going to stick it a seven. I'm going to stick it a seven because there's only so many times I've listened to it. What about you, Dominic? Mine is an eight. Yeah, we're mirroring each other quite well, I would say. I don't think we will on the next one. I'm giving All The Nasties eight. I do think that it's a good experiment and I have listened to it multiple times. And if this was Elton on a tricky album, it would fit in well.
01:12:29
Speaker
Yeah, yeah, I've given it a six because there's just a few musical bits in it that I'm... There's a key change in there that we didn't mention when we were talking about it in more depth that just seems completely random. I i wonder whether just the experimental, quite quick way that they put things together means that sometimes there would just be things they try that maybe if they revisited it seven days later might be like, shall we not do that? But yeah, for that reason, it's a six. And then final track of the album Goodbye, I've given that an eight.
01:12:58
Speaker
I'm giving it a nine. Excellent. Right. Which means, where where do you reckon you've ranked this then, Dominic, out of the first four albums? Where do you think this would come?
01:13:09
Speaker
Oh, I mean, it's less than Tumbleweed, isn't it? Maybe it's third? It is by a naps crotchet third. It's only just higher than Elton John. So you've given this 8.33 average. um You John For me, it's which is also my third best. For me, it's almost as high as Tumbleweed Connection, which again, that's kind of why I'm cross with Indian and Sunset, because that really drags the score down. If if that was like a ah six out of 10, even, then that would be comfortably the second best one for me. But that lets it down. But we don't just review the tracks on this podcast. We look at other things. So album name, I've given this a nine out of 10. because I think this is a really evocative album title. It's, um yeah, it's dramatic.
01:14:07
Speaker
And it doesn't necessarily state what it could be. It could be referring to Elton himself. You know, he's the madman. He's he's gone across the Atlantic Ocean to the US, even though, you know, he's starting to get played on...
01:14:20
Speaker
UK radios and his albums doing okay. He's gone to another continent or like you said earlier, Dominic, Richard Nixon, people thought he was referring to him. um Obviously, when you hear the song, it seems to be referring to someone in a maybe a mental health institution or something like that. What do you give?
01:14:40
Speaker
the album name dominic nine what about the artwork six i think i'm giving it a very generous eight i i appreciate it in spirit but yeah it could be executed a bit better cover versions we've mentioned a few not laden with them though is it I mean the Bon Jovi lead one is great, I mean he's got such a great voice, you know. Yeah, Ben Phong's Tiny Dancer is is is really strong. I mean there are cover versions that that we didn't mention actually when we were reviewing things. There is a Mary Travers cover of Indian Sunset, which in my opinion is no better. than the original. There's an Alison Scott version of Madman Across the Water, which i I would recommend folk listen to, as well as Jefferson John version of Leave On. I've given it a six because there's, so I mean, with previous albums, pretty much every track has been covered by people and and done well. Yeah. Whereas this, there's there's several tracks that no one seems to have touched. Six is fair. Yeah, six is fair. Yeah. Lyrics, Dominic, let's come to the poet first. What do you give it out of ten? Oh, I mean really high, really high. Nine.
01:15:58
Speaker
I've given it an eight, which is my equal highest for the lyrics. Musically, I've also given it an eight. would I'll also give it a nine. Flop dodge. So for context, if you completely dodge any sign of a flopped track, then that is 10 out of 10. If every track on an album is a flop, then that would be a 0 out of 10. I've given this an 8 because I think...
01:16:23
Speaker
Other than Indian Sunset, I think it it doesn't come close to a flop. All the nasties is touch and go, but Indian Sunset is such a flop. I had to drop two marks. I'm being a bit contradictory. I'm going to give it a seven and I'm judging Holiday Inn in this context, even though as a song, I did give it a seven, which isn't a terrible score. Yeah, I'm giving seven for that. and then finally hits and just again for context we're not talking about which sold the most records or anything like that it's what anthony classes as an anthony hit dominic cast is a dominic hit what have you i've given that an eight because i think the ones that i do love on here i really love i think there's some really strong ones So all the scores are in.
01:17:12
Speaker
That give Madman Across the Water to a score of 76.61%, which puts it in third place. It's about 2% shy of Elton John and about 6% short of Tumbleweed Connection. You've dragged down Empty Sky. You've dragged down you with your... with your empty sky bias.
01:17:37
Speaker
I listened, I listened between ah last recording and this to the re-recording of Skyline Pigeon. And I'm like, nah, nah, give me that harpsichord. Where's my, where's my old friend, the harpsichord? Do you know what? I gave that one nine out of ten, so that wasn't the issue. I think get Gus Dudgeon producing Empty Sky and we'd have a whole different average score. Interesting. For me, it was just a bit too raw. But yeah, Madman Across the Water coming in in third place thus far. But there's many, many albums to go. Oh, aye. We're going to have Honky Chateau as our next record. That was recorded May 1972. Anthony, are we going to have a teaser trivia question?
01:18:25
Speaker
Oh, we have to, Dominic. Otherwise, people won't come back. What else? for yeah really simple teaser trivia this time the question is where is the honky chateau you don't need to give a postcode where is it it is a place or rather it's referring to a place I don't know. I don't know the answer to that. But thank you, everyone, for listening to us. Antley and I really enjoy making this. If you want to get in touch, send us an email to eltonveeltonpod at gmail.com. You can find me on my website. Antley's mentioned I'm a poet. DominicBerry.net is where you'll find out about my poetry malarkey. And Anthony does two other podcasts, the Brambling Along podcast and also Enough of the Falafel, a vegan podcast on which I often feature as well. But until next time, it is goodbye from me, Captain Domtastic, and goodbye for it from him, the brown dirt ant boy. Goodbye. Goodbye.
01:19:28
Speaker
Goodbye.
01:19:34
Speaker
This podcast is hosted by Zencaster. We've used some sound effects from zapsplat.com. We've taken information from songfacts.com as well as sireltonjohn.fandom.com, the wiki. And I'd also really personally recommend you read Elton's autobiography, which is called Me. I listened to the audio version. It's narrated by Taron Egerton, which is excellent. We're indebted to all all those who've helped create and share Elton's music. And thanks again to James Cook and Paul Savage, who inspired the format of this show.