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8. Caribou (1974) Album Review
13 Plays23 days ago
The clock is ticking on Dominic & Anthony's longest single episode so far, as they review Elton's eighth studio album; can Caribou top the Elton v Elton charts, or is it a stinker?
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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, , 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' & Focus on 'Caribou'
00:00:00
Speaker
It is 24th of June 1974. In the USA, President Nixon only has a couple of months to hang on before he resigns in shame. But Elton John, he's still going strong, releasing his fourth consecutive chart-topping album.
00:00:19
Speaker
But what do we think of it? It is time for Caribou with me, Dominic. And me, Anthony. And you are listening to Elton vs. Elton, the album battle.
00:00:48
Speaker
Welcome everyone. We're on episode 8. Goodness me, how did we get to episode 8 so quickly? This is the Elton vs Elton Album Battle podcast where two pals, Anthony and Dominic, who love the music of Elton John, we rage over which of his albums we love the best and the least best. So we're obviously indebted Elton John. everyone who's brought Elton's music to the masses and to James Cook and Paul Savage for the inspiration for this show's format.
Podcast Format & Trivia on 'Benny and the Jets'
00:01:17
Speaker
We've got seven previous episodes. We are doing these albums in the order in which they were released in the UK, these studio albums. We've also got a trailer pod. You can go back to those if you would like to. or you can just start here if this is where you found us. Absolutely. Now, every episode, Anthony asks a question. And um those of you who listened before know that I'm pretty out and proud as an autistic man. And I'm horrified at myself, at myself as a self-proclaimed autistic, as a diagnosed autistic, that I didn't know the answer. And it's one of these where I'm like, oh, my word, how did I not know the answer to Anthony's tibiotreason? Tibiotreason? Tibiotreason?
00:02:00
Speaker
I can't even say it. Trivia teaser question. How did i not know? The question, if you didn't hear last time, was what's the difference between the UK and and the North American release of Benny and the Jets?
00:02:17
Speaker
And the answer is an answer that I absolutely thought I would have spotted living in a household where there were US imports as well as UK releases. Oh my word, Anthony, put us out of our misery. So if I'd have written the question out in full, Dominic, you would have seen it when you read it for the first time. So the difference is the UK release of Benny and the Jets was spelt B-E-N-N-Y.
00:02:47
Speaker
Whereas the North American, so US s and Canadian release of Benny and the Jets, Benny was spelt B-E-N-N-I-E. That is the only difference. The music was the same. Everything else is the same.
00:03:01
Speaker
That's it. i i don't understand it, really. Maybe it's just a bit of inconsistency or is someone having fun? Who knows? But that's definitely a yeah a black belt Elton question. LAUGHTER
00:03:17
Speaker
ah Anyway, that was from our previous episode where we spoke about the previous album, Goodbye Yellow Brick Road, you might see in your podcast
Context of 1974 and 'Goodbye Yellow Brick Road'
00:03:26
Speaker
feed. We split it into two episodes because it is a double album. It was released in October, 1973. The album that is not the podcast. It reached number one in the UK and the US. s Loads of tracks that you will have heard of, even if you're not an Elton fan. Candle in the Wind, Benny and the Jets, Saturday Night's Alright for Fighting, Goodbye Yellow Brick Road, as as well as many others that weren't singles, but are still relatively well known. So we're we're following on from that very well known album to one that maybe people won't know so much about.
00:04:07
Speaker
This one was released in 1974, Dominic. What was going on in the world in 1974? A lot, Anthony. At the end of March, the Volkswagen Golf was released. In May, India became the sixth country in the world to have nuclear weapons. On June 17th, a bomb exploded in Westminster, hall the oldest part for the british houses of Parliament. The halls annex, housing offices and a canteen were destroyed by the bombing, attributed to the by the police to the provisional wing of the Irish Republican Army.
00:04:43
Speaker
Now this album was released two months before nixon's resignation after the Watergate scandal. Now we always say ah what the number one singles were at the time of the album's release in the UK and the US. I only know one of them this time. This is the first podcast where ah the UK number one is a song I've not heard. And that's probably because it's by a disgraced singer by Gary Glitter, who I don't think many people are like, oh, let's dig out our old records by him. Always Yours is a number one single that I'm unfamiliar with. I'm far, far, far more familiar with what was the US number one at the time. You Make Me Feel Brand New by The Stylistics.
00:05:30
Speaker
Yeah, decent, decent. So that's the global context.
Elton John's Personal Life & Album Recording Challenges
00:05:33
Speaker
In terms of what's going on in Elton's life at this time, I generally refer to his autobiography called Me, that's narrated by Taron Egerton. If you listen to the audible version of it and you're like me and you don't like sitting still and reading a book, So but he was beginning his struggle with cocaine addiction at this time. He described it as a love-hate relationship, also struggling with bulimia. So it's fair to say that, you know, there were there were struggles going on despite this success that's going on. um It's around about this time that his friendship with John Lennon really started to blossom. Apparently, Elton fostered a close bond with Lennon, helping him reconcile with Yoko Ono. It was at this time that he famously bet Lennon that if the song Whatever Gets You Through the Night hit number one, then Lennon would join Elton on stage, which happened at Madison Square Garden on Thanksgiving 1974.
00:06:34
Speaker
for And he is still in a relationship with his manager, John Reed, at this time. Dominic, we like to go through who is on each album.
00:06:47
Speaker
There's several folk who are on this album that we've seen in the last few albums. The band's pretty consistent here. And there are some there are some additions that we've either not seen recently or not seen at all. Yeah, this is the penultimate album. ah to feature the Elton John band. ah the The next album will be the last one for quite a bit. They do get back together, but there's a big, long gap after Captain Fantastic. So we've got Nigel, Dee, Davey, and Elton joined by a whole load of folks on the horn section. There's the Tower of Power playing, and definitely the horns are very, very prominent. Now, this is one of those records where there are...
00:07:30
Speaker
guest collaborators who may as well not be on there because you know i'm the biggest fan of dusty springfield and i'd forgotten that she's credited with backing vocals on the bitches back you wouldn't know you wouldn't hear you know it's like and the same what didn't realize was um that we've got ah members of the beach boys as well doing backing vocals on track nine again does Does it make any difference? Is it just like rubbing shoulders with like famous people for the sake of it?
00:08:04
Speaker
I don't know. I will say, go back to what you're saying about John Lennon and whatever gets you through the night. That was the B-side to one of his 90s singles. I'm kicking myself trying to remember which one. I think it might been Made in England. So, yeah, that ah John Lennon. collaboration with Elton was one of the yeah first up there with the first Elton songs I actually owned and it's you know mighty fine one where definitely the collaboration makes a huge difference this album's being produced by Gus Dudgeon which is a very joyful thing indeed Yeah, good old Gus. We like Gus. um I always find it amusing to see which different instruments Ray Cooper has played on each album. if if It feels a little bit like Ray turns up at the recording, sees what instruments are lying on the floor and is like, yeah, I'll have that Because, i mean, he's generally playing percussion things, but sometimes you'll just see him playing an instrument. like, oh, I've not seen that listed next to to him. So we've got, amongst other things, the water gong.
00:09:06
Speaker
The Caribou album, Ray's latest purchase at the local music shop. So this album, I think, Dominic, this is the first time that this has happened. This album was released earlier in the US than it was in the UK. Normally it's the other way around or they're released at the same time. Only by four days,
00:09:26
Speaker
Caribou was released first in the in the US. But I think that's the first time that has happened.
Critiques of 'Caribou' Production & Cover Art
00:09:31
Speaker
But listeners will give you an email at the end of the show that you can write into if you disagree. Elton says himself that this album was recorded very quickly in January 1974, with only about nine days to get everything recorded because he and the band were under enormous pressure to finish the album and immediately embark on a tour of Japan.
00:09:53
Speaker
Gus, who we have referenced, the producer of the album. Who we have praised, who we've said how great his production is. What does he say about this answer? He says it's a piece of crap. this The sound is the worst. The songs are nowhere. The sleeve came out wrong. The lyrics weren't that good. The singing wasn't all there. The playing wasn't great. And the production is just plain lousy. It sounds to me like Gus needs to take a walk and have a couple of hobnobs or something. It sounds to me like he's the I'm going to respectfully disagree with Gus on that one, but it's ah worthwhile hearing his opinion. The name of the album is the name of the recording studio, Caribou Ranch Recording Studio in Nederland, Colorado, where part of the album was was recorded, i.e. the musicians playing. So in the in the studio back in the UK is where all the production stuff was done. But that's following on from a theme because Honky Chateau was sort of half-named after Chateau d'Hérouville, where that one and other albums were recorded too. This album was nominated for a Grammy.
00:11:03
Speaker
in 1975 and in the charts did very well, reached number one in the UK, the US, s Denmark, Canada and Australia, number two in Japan, number three in Sweden, number four in Spain, number five in Yugoslavia.
00:11:18
Speaker
He's doing well Elton, he is getting his stuff out there even in places where English is not the first language. Dominic, is this one of those albums where this was more or less the first time you've heard the album?
00:11:33
Speaker
Oh, that's exactly right. And my intent was to just listen to it one time, because I thought my week was going to be busier than it is. um I actually mentioned to Anthony before we started recording that today, as a self-employed person, I've been doing some of my tax return, and I've had Caribou playing repeatedly start to finish. And yeah, I feel now that that I've come to know it very well. But Prior to recording this podcast, i'd'd I'd never listened to it. Despite knowing the album before, Goodbye Yellow Brick Road, and the album after, Captain Fantastic, super well, and having both of them as kids, like a lot of people, I think this one, there was just so many released, wasn't there? So many released.
00:12:19
Speaker
you do well if you've listened to them all and and I hadn't. Had you Anthony, did you know Caribou? Yeah, so my memory works in funny ways so I know that I was 17 when I had this album. There's just a random memory that I attribute to you know listening to a certain track of this. So this was probably about the sixth or seventh Elton album that I owned. So I've i've known the tracks for a long time. And um yeah, well well, we'll hear what I think about it in a bit. But... Anthony and I haven't discussed this beforehand. So I'm really, really interested.
00:12:56
Speaker
i have got really strong... strong opinions on this album as someone who's just heard it now and previously on our show sometimes Anthony says well I thought this when I was a lad and now as an adult I think differently and I'm so interested so interested because I'm hearing it through the ears of someone in you know we're recording this in 2026 and I'm 46 so yeah I'm so interested what you make of it Well, I think probably what's going to happen, Dominic, is you're going to reveal that the song Don't Let the Sun Go Down on Me is actually really, really horrifically problematic. And so when I was going to give it a 10, I actually can only give it a 2 now because it's pissed all over. We'll see. We'll see. grateful to have my awareness raised. So please don't listen to me. Let's start casting our opinions, starting off with the cover art. We really praised Goodbye Yellow Brick Road, the previous one. um I'm not going to praise this one. I think it could be. It could be lovely, but it it feels like they've just got a picture of a mountain range and Elton's worn a rug and stood in front of it. And that's...
00:14:09
Speaker
That's it. I just think, oh, goodness me, you've you've done all that work on Goodbye Yellow Brick Road. And then then he's wearing this tawdry jacket. I'm not I'm not a fan of this one. What about you? If you had read those comments from Gus Dudgeon criticising this album before listening to it and then also before listening to it, saw this cover art. One of Gus Dungeon's points, at least one of Gus Dungeon's points is definitely correct. I mean, it's awful. It's a really, when you've got just around the corner, the amazing artwork of Captain Fantastic. And, you know, I was quite hard on Goodbye Yellow Brick Road when we were reviewing it, but I cannot have a word said against the magnificent drawings on the LP. And then how has this come to be? How is this? I mean, we thought Honky Chateau was... take Honky Chateau's cover over this one. Yeah. Oh, really? Yeah, i can see where you're coming from. I mean, this, like i said, I use the word tawdry. He's he's wearing like a like a tiger skin jacket. It looks like UK listeners might be familiar with Only Fools and Horses and the yeah the seat cover on Del Boy's car.
00:15:27
Speaker
in in his Robin Reliant. And it looks like that. It's disgusting. Yeah. I think we should move on. I think we should move on from the cover of art and start reviewing each track's
00:15:56
Speaker
The Bitches Back. So going from one of the worst album covers to definitely in my top 10 Elton John songs. And I'm horrified that there are some Elton John greatest hits that don't have The Bitches
Song Analysis: 'The Bitch is Back' to 'Grimsby'
00:16:10
Speaker
Back on. The Bitches back is an absolute masterpiece everything about it is phenomenal that said listening to it in the context of the album and some of the songs that come after has made me think of this song that i've known for so so many years
00:16:27
Speaker
a little bit differently anthony yours and my first experience was the same place the final song of side one or cd one of the very best of elton john like the climax the ending track of cd one the better of the two cds and i really earned its place there it's uh it's Phenomenal, phenomenal. And hit hits all over the place, wasn't it? Canadian number one, was it? Yeah, Canadian number one, number four in the US, number 15 in the UK. But yeah, it's is' well thought of, this one. It's been covered by people as well. Perhaps we'll get to that in a minute. I've read somewhere that the that the lyric was suggested to Bernie by his wife at the time, Maxine
00:17:19
Speaker
Fiebelman, Fiebelman of Tiny Dancer fame. The song Tiny Dancer was apparently written about her. She would say the bitch is back when Elton was in a bad mood. um and And that was the inspiration for this lyric.
00:17:36
Speaker
I really... So if we remove the lyrics... I think this song is solid gold pop music. I don't actively dislike the lyric. I just, I don't know. I've i've never really resonated with the the sentiment of it. and Right, let me get my queer pride jacket on. So I'm going to do the exact... Yeah, yeah i want to I want to hear. I want to hear. My reverse argument for why I dislike...
00:18:03
Speaker
All the Girls Love Alice of the previous album. I think this is a super queer song, a super queer song. I think that it's, you know, in that kind of way where certain things were said on radio or TV that were a bit double entendre and could slip under the radar because sexuality was such a hot potato like it could, and indeed did for Elton John have devastating effects on their career. um Dusty Springfield, devastating effects on her career, devastating, like devastating to to even see it as a possibility, you know. So um I think that...
00:18:47
Speaker
is a real gay, I think it's knowing, I think it's knowing, I think it's real gay pride, I think it's real like drag queen terrain, and I think that in gay subcultures, I think that drag queens arose from, you know, LGBT folks being treated really, really badly, and a little bit of a, well, screw you, kind of attitude, sort of coming back, and I think that the music matches the lyrics, so there's so much attitude, and so much,
00:19:17
Speaker
humour in there i think that I think that it really is a big queer anthem. I can really ah really appreciate that and i think I think when I first heard the song like as ah as a much younger boy,
00:19:34
Speaker
I didn't have that reference. And so it it just felt really mean. Like it was, you know, I understood the the term bitch to as a derogatory one to a female and it, it, it just felt mean. But I think having that context that you've given there. It's hard, isn't it? Because I have laid into songs like Dirty Little Girl that I consider mean spirited. And for me,
00:20:01
Speaker
the joie de vivre in the energy of the vocals and yeah i am looking at it through the eyes of 2026 knowing that elton's gay i think he owns this in the way that he owns saturday night's all right for fighting both things can be true you can be a working class lad in a working class pub surrounded by working class men who like to fight and that be something that you own and speak a little bit critically of it You know, my best friend floats in the bottom of the glass, like the words of Saturday Night's Alright Fighting.
00:20:35
Speaker
And the same person is capable of like, you know, raising cane, I spit in your eye, you know, I bitch the best at your social dues. Like you you could... one person can be both those things. And it's the I pronoun, I think, in my opinion, that makes it not mean-spirited. Whereas, like, you know, Dirty Little Girl is is very much, look at her, look at what she is doing. yeah I think that... um Yeah, no, i'm i'm I'm with you there. And and actually, when i when I say, oh, the lyric, I'm not a fan of the lyric, it is it is just that chorus, I'm a bitch, I'm a bitch, the bitch is back, where I was kind of like struggling to understand the reference point. But actually, the verses are really, I mean, you've quoted some of them there, Dominic, but really great turns of turns of phrase. It's is fantastic. Speaking of the lyrics, I remember when I listened to...
00:21:28
Speaker
the Two Rooms album and listening to Tina Turner's version, her changing the lyric. She does not speak about sniffing glue. No, she talks about getting high from just thinking about the things I do, which is interesting. And she says in the sleeve notes to that, about how that wasn't her first recording of it. So Tina Turner sang the song in concert for, you know, many years and possibly had even recorded it previous to...
00:21:58
Speaker
two rooms but yeah 1978 wow yeah so ah yeah it's a great version really really stunning yeah yeah I think they fell out quite spectacularly actually Tina Turner and Elton John whilst whilst recording something together I seem to remember reading in Elton's autobiography. Other people who've covered the song, Miley Cyrus covered it for the the Restoration album, which is reimagining Elton's songs. um I really recommend that whole album, to be honest. um It's also the first song in the Rocketman biopic.
00:22:33
Speaker
Oh, and it's so good. It's so good. Like the acapella beginning. And then, yeah, it's like an easy joke having like a tiny little child saying, bitch, bitch. it so you know it's It's controversial for for, you know, controversy's sake.
00:22:50
Speaker
And it works and it's brilliant. It's so well done in that. You know, it's everything you want from music, a whole street party of characters dancing around to a big crowd.
00:23:02
Speaker
choral number. It's wonderful, wonderful, wonderful. The last thing I'll say about this song, which I adore everything about, is I listened to it in a different light. Now I'm familiar with songs like Stinker.
00:23:18
Speaker
I think that a lot of the songs on this album, one could argue, have silly words. And I've never considered The Bitch Is Back.
00:23:30
Speaker
To be silly, I've considered it anthemic and proud and defiant, but maybe I'm reading a lot of my own autobiography i'm a gay lad who was really bullied at school and got the very best of elton john in my teens and connected to this hugely and never in a million years thought that it was silly of course it was bernie torpin a heterosexual fellow who wrote the words knowing that elton was gay you know being very supportive of his friend and uh musical partner. i I still love it, but I see it in a slightly different light thinking, oh, this came from the same pen that had written the words, Solera Prestige, come on, you know. like No spoilers, no spoilers. No spoilers. um
00:24:22
Speaker
I think um when we were reviewing Honky Chateau, I did suggest an alternate running order for that album because I felt that it was a bit up and down, ah the the sequencing of Honky Chateau.
00:24:38
Speaker
And I kind of feel a little bit that way about Caribou as well. I think...
00:24:47
Speaker
song, a song I hadn't heard until preparing for this. I wonder ah wonder how Pinky would sound if it was later in the album. Pinky is quite a straightforward love song. I think it's i think it's it's really, really lovely.
00:25:04
Speaker
I don't like it as much as Blues for My Baby and Me. I like it more than I've seen that movie too. I think that the lyrics are poetic and interesting. I think that Crowbarred between The Bitch Is Back and Grimsby, which we'll talk about in a bit, it makes the first three songs all over the place. And I think if we'd have had, let's say, You're So Static as track two, I think it would have...
00:25:35
Speaker
been an easier follow into the record i think pinky is in a in an odd place well we should we shall revisit it once we've gone through all tracks i think we should give you the option to present an alternative running but let's let's hear about each track first so if listeners haven't heard the tracks yet they can pinky what what's your opinion i love the sound of pinky i think there's a lot of songs increasingly as we're doing this project chronologically synthesizers are coming in more i mean towards the end of the 70s we're going to hear a lot of electric synthesized ah sounds coming from elton but here it's adding real lovely harmonies and counter melodies really beautiful really nicely balanced as well i love the lyrics mostly there are a couple where i'm kind of like okay i'm not
00:26:28
Speaker
quite sure with that that means but but that's okay it's just it's just painting a picture of as a whole isn't it of you know ah a peaceful sleeping romantic partner right i assume we're we're going for here but perhaps perhaps not perhaps not there's definitely strong feelings between the the speaker and pinky and Yeah, it's it's dreamy, isn't it? I really like the last stanza for there's toast and honey and there's breakfast in bed on a tray. Oh, it's 10 below zero and we're about to abandon our plans for the day. I think that just paints a lovely, lovely picture. I do agree with you that the ordering of things does kind of spoil things ah a little bit here because it's such a contrast to the bitches back. But yeah, musically speaking, which is is how I come to music first, I'll listen to the overall sound. And only after I've listened to it probably four or five times do I start to actually listen to individual words. Musically, I think it's... it
00:27:34
Speaker
does a great job of showing that the talent of the band and Elton's composition. Yeah. um i mean, I'm generally hard to sell on, on love songs. Like I, I think that I think Pinky is a great title. It's a great name. It's a, it's a, it's a better than average lyric for a love song. However, one of the reasons I love Bernie Taupin's words so much is so many of the songs especially the earlier
00:28:06
Speaker
elton John's songs aren't about romance and yes sometimes that leads us to songs like Social Disease where I'm like oh why is he written about you know that that that's that's a that's an unpleasant take on something that you know could have been written about with a different tone but I'd rather that than just a whole album worth of uh of of just you know you have blue eyes Yeah, yeah.
00:28:35
Speaker
No, i'm'm I'm a fan of Pinky, I will say. I'd i'd say as love songs go, you could do far, far worse. And yeah, I think that something I noted down as well was we're not doing rhyming couplets. for the lyrics in in Pinky. that that It's sort of like if it's a four-line stanza, maybe lines two and four might be a half rhyme, but but lines one and three won't rhyme at all. And I think that works quite well in the tone and the dreamy feel of the music in that it just feels like someone's just...
00:29:09
Speaker
stream of consciousness listing how they're feeling yeah i'm i i think a decent album track would be my assertion for pinky i'm keen to talk about grimsby because in my head i've just got the introduction just going over that wrap but but but bu but but but but it's it's a really striking was aggressive start to the song. Striking is one word. So again, i was reading other people's reviews of Caribou and a lot of people love this album. When you look at like
00:29:44
Speaker
every Elton album ranked, often Caribou links high, then you get the odd one where it's like Caribou is one of the worst albums. Caribou is one of the worst albums.
00:29:55
Speaker
I think there is an argument for Caribou being, that there being certain things, certain things. I think it's amazing that on Captain Fantastic that that so much attention to detail was played. I'm going to put forward shocking argument comparison for you out. This is fighting talk I'm going to give you now.
00:30:15
Speaker
I think that Caribou by Elton John is his equivalent of Oasis's Be Here Now. Go on, say some more. By which mean...
00:30:27
Speaker
By which I mean that there's an absolute ton of cocaine and it sounds like it. I think that the start of grins but Grimsby just sounds so confident. I think a lot of the starts of the songs, a lot of the starts, I dislike the starts. Oh my God, I mean, when we get to Dixie Lily, but we'll come to that in a bit. too What? What? But back to Grimsby. Yeah, I think that it settles into itself, but...
00:30:55
Speaker
I think it sounds... And and I was thinking, do i just have this opinion? Because I know I've read about how drug use became prominent. But like, yeah, and you know, what must it be like? What must it be like to have something as massive a hit as Goodbye Yellow Brick Road and have that pressure from the record executives? Churn out another hit. Churn out another hit. It must be really, really hard. I'm not against...
00:31:23
Speaker
a lyric about the town of Grimsby I've just realised that we might have international listeners who are like they keep saying this word Grimsby what is a Grimsby what is a Grimsby um a Grimsby being a uh an English town um and uh Yeah, I'm really, like I say, I'd rather have town's about grims grimsby songs about Grimsby than a whole album of love songs. It's a little bit different.
00:31:49
Speaker
Yeah, i I'm just less keen on the start. The start to me just sounds a bit, for me, it doesn't quite match the rest of the the the songs. is There's an aggressiveness, I think, to the start, which then isn't,
00:32:02
Speaker
continued I'm glad it isn't continued. I think the i think the words are really good. yeah i would I would agree. it' it's In terms of the sound, just to come back to what you said about the sound, it's not a sound I could listen to for every track. But in previous episodes, we've talked about other albums where in the Elton John album, you've got a song like The Cage that's really aggressive or in Don't Shoot Me, I'm Only the Piano Player.
00:32:30
Speaker
Oh, help me out, Dominic. Well, I mean... Don't Shoot Me, I'm only the piano player. Yeah, I suppose i suppose some Teacher I Need You is quite up-tempo, isn't it? but i I don't mind this kind of sound in in in one track or or or two tracks. Oh, we're going to disagree when we get to Rock the West, aren't we? Well, we'll see, we'll see. That's a whole album of Grimspey, isn't it? No, I think...
00:32:58
Speaker
Grimsby is bit more raw than Rock of the West days um as as in general. um But absolutely agree with you on the point of let's have more songs about Grimsby, i.e. Lincolnshire, town, or certainly near to Lincolnshire, close to the heart of the lyricist. I much prefer that than songs about... America where Bernie's never been. And fine, he's fascinated by it, but just I i don't dig i don't I don't feel the authenticity there. right I can appreciate his fascination and his love of it. But actually, there's a brilliant now deceased folk musician called Vin Garbutt. And he was from Teesside, the northeast of England. And one of his big things is he would say, why is it in American country music, they'll sing about the local towns and villages and roads and things like that. Whereas in Britain, we we don't do that. You don't hear songs romanticising about the A42 or singing about Tamworth or what have you. So I'm absolutely all for
00:34:01
Speaker
a song waxing lyrical about yeah my my local town and and sure they only sell fish and chips but actually i prefer that to any cord and blow cooking i'm paraphrasing bernie's lyrics here you know i don't want to go to the ritz i want to go to the skinner's arms you know i i think that's brilliant that's beautiful and i do agree with you that it doesn't quite fit the sound I've suggested answer to your question ah by Van Garber, why don't we sing about it? And maybe there could be an answer when we compare American sitcoms, both now and back then in the 1970s, to British sitcoms, both now and back then. i think American sitcoms are usually quite aspirational, quite hopeful. They're about characters who you know often really want to do the right thing. And British sitcoms are very self-depreciating. They're often about losers who are in bad situations. you know When you were talking about A-Rose, immediately I was thinking that's something like Alan Partridge would say. like Any town. And like, yeah, it sounds like an Alan Partridge sketch or like, you know, um peep show or or The Office, you know, like you you talk about. But it doesn't have to be. It doesn't have to
00:35:23
Speaker
It doesn't have to be. And but I think that's what we fight against. What I'm saying is that in America, I think there's already that um culture of that, of of of of yeah more pride rather than self-depreciating.
00:35:36
Speaker
Yeah, and that's fun and I like that. I like our self-deprecating humour in the UK, but there's there's no reason why we can't take pride in our you know our local communities and say, well, you know, it's not... Fine, it's not called Route 66, but the A38 goes through lots of lovely towns in the West Country and blah, blah, blah. um And I... Yeah, I...
00:35:57
Speaker
I think it does a lot of good to celebrate these things. So I grew up watching football and football is still a big part of my life. And a big part of football is the partisan nature of things and we're the best, but the others, they're horrible and they're bad. And i knew Grimsby as a town because Grimsby Town... played in the same league as Watford who are my team and Elton's team as well and you know you sing songs about the other sets of fans and what have you and Grimsby it's all about you know oh it's stinking of fish you know all you all you do is eat fish all day or whatever um and I think it's great to to
00:36:37
Speaker
you know, celebrate different idiosyncrasies of, which is what this song is doing, isn't it? The lyric is celebrating the idiosyncrasies of a town that is local to Bernie. and I think very similar to the Bitches Back, someone could listen to this lyric and Bitches Back and think they're silly lyrics, but actually I don't think they are silly lyrics.
00:36:58
Speaker
But I don't think the instrumental beginning of Grimsby does it any favours. I think it's set up like, light yeah. So um I really, and also just like i say, all the connotations of just having a northern town as a as a name. And even Pinky, I mean, here in Manchester, I've got a friend whose name is Pinky, but I met her quite recently. i think even Pinky, like, on its own, if you're just looking at song titles, it could be like, that that seems a bit silly. what's what's this about, you know? Yeah, yeah. Little finger, you know? and hair
00:37:34
Speaker
Yeah, quite. But before we move on to the next track, I do just want to mention musically about Grimsby and the previous track, Pinky. There seems to be a thing, and it happens in the next album too, Captain Fantastic. There's quite a distinct, a distinctly different sound between the verses and the choruses, which doesn't always happen in music. But like the tempo is changing or the complete texture of the music, maybe even the key that's being played in. That happens in Grimsby, happens in Pinky too. And I find that quite interesting to listen to. It kind of draws your attention. It's sort of, if you've been... I don't know, getting into the flow of it, it just changes things. And I think that's really nice. They do these nice little post-chorus riffs too. So in Grimsby, they completely change the tempo and it's like and then back into the verse. And it's a clever little structure. And yeah, whether it's cocaine-fuelled and quite aggressive or playful is up for debate and we won't sit around here all day debating it. But I thought that was worth noting. It's definitely a different sound.
00:38:52
Speaker
to previous albums. um And final little trivia point from me, all these things that Bernie is waxing lyrical about of of Grimsby, the Skinner's Arms doesn't seem to be a pub that exists. Though perhaps it did in 1974, but that um I've seen a few few sites online saying, yeah, that doesn't seem to exist.
00:39:12
Speaker
um And that was 20 years ago, but maybe it did, or maybe it did in the 50s and we've lost all record of it. We're going transform ourselves from Lincolnshire.
Song Discussions: 'Dixie Lily' to 'I've Seen the Saucers'
00:39:22
Speaker
Where would you say Dixie Lily is ah based? so Somewhere on some sort of river in the States, so I would say. Oh, it's based in Bernie Taupin's lack of creativity after being so invented for three songs.
00:39:40
Speaker
Right, I mean, I'm i'm fuming about the toot toot at the beginning. Absolutely. fu lagged off the sound effects on a lot of goodbye yellow brick road and they're back with abundance i you know it's like it's like rage babes that dode dude you have to get that off get that off the record i think, as I'm a poet, and I try and make my poems sound different to other poems that I've written before.
00:40:06
Speaker
And, you know, there came a point in my hormone riddled twenties where I thought you've written enough poems that are just about menu fantasy, Dominic. Try writing about enjoying a, you know, vegan kebab or, you know, going for a nice walk or, you know, something different. ah And,
00:40:26
Speaker
Yeah, how I do think we must judge Dixie Lily compared to all the other many songs. Like, what lyrically or musically does this bring you to the table? I'm still bringing anything new at all. like Why does Dixie Lily exist, Anthony? Why? Well, I've got three theories. Good.
00:40:48
Speaker
that that some are more cynical than others. So one is Bernie loves writing about stuff from the States. They're spending a lot of their time there now. And so every album, he just has to scratch that itch by putting one in there. Okay. So there's, there's that. The other is pressure from the record label. They're saying, well, these were good. Like, can we, can we have some more of your American stuff? So which which might feed into the fact that this does feel a little forced. And like you say, that the imagery that's conjured from it perhaps or lyrically isn't as strong as other Americana sounding things. Or do they do they just all love it and they're all just saying like, come on, let's do another one. let's Let's go for this sound. We've done ah we've done a whole album of sort of bluesy country sounding americana in in tumbleweed connection we've experimented with it in other ways let's let's do one that sounds like steamboat willy with a honky-tonk piano and then and all of that it is catchy i mean i keep groaning but it's it's it's catchy you know uh you know early 80s elton would have given a lot to have written a melody this catchy wouldn't he it's slight it's really catchy and it's short as well like it's it's just again i think it's all the drugs makes folks overconfident and I just think that yeah it's almost like a parody of Tumbleweed Connection it's almost like a parody because it's just so jaunty I would I would dial down the jauntiness a little um not just of the tutu but all the kind of
00:42:30
Speaker
you know, how very upbeat. It doesn't feel sincere upbeat to me, comparing to country comfort, which is joy. pure joy country comfort, you know, authentic joy. yeah I mean, there's definitely folk that this appeals to. I mean, I um i remember when I was eight, nine, 10 years old, really enjoying Honky Cat and but because it was lively and because I was someone that played the piano. And so hearing it being played in the same way, I mean, again, like children who play the piano, often when they discover ragtime, Scott Joplin's music, like the entertainer that everyone will know. du did du do du do did do Like things like that, where it's like, oh, wow, this instrument, like that's so accessible. All you do is push a finger down and it makes a noise.
00:43:15
Speaker
That's why the piano works so well. And it's got such a range. Like, oh, we can play with it in a way that sounds lively. So I think I would have loved Dixie Lily when I was eight, nine, ten years old. And I mean, we've we've said that it's not as strong as other American evocative stuff. But actually, there's so many country and bluegrass covers of this song. really? Really? Yeah, I mean, Lonnie Donegan did one, which maybe has then popularised it and other people have sort of covered Lonnie Donegan's cover, in that make if that makes sense. But yeah, I mean, when I was doing the research for this episode, far more covers of this than, i mean, even more than The Bitches Back. You know, this is the most covered song of the album. guess Grammy Award winning album, country being so big in the US. site Yeah, I guess that makes sense. We could do a lot worse, couldn't we? I feel like I've actually come out a bit too harsh on Dixie Lenny.
00:44:12
Speaker
it's this It's the kind of song that I think if you're in the mood for something a bit jaunty at the time, fine. But I think as soon as it finishes playing, you've forgotten it. um I'm going to say two things about musicians. We love Davey Johnston on this podcast. I don't like what he does with the guitar in the chorus. I think, no, horrible. Lenny Pickett, who does the sax solo in this.
00:44:34
Speaker
man Not great, but we didn't mention him in the Bitches Back and the sax solo he does in the Bitches Back is awesome, in my opinion.
00:44:46
Speaker
um Dominic and I both just paused then because we both, I think, looked at the running order and thought, it's time. It's time to talk. Anthony, before my friendship with you, I didn't know Solo Prestige Ecomon existed. You've brought this back. My life will never be the same because you have inflicted solar precision upon me and I will never be cured. It's in me now. And I know knew this.
00:45:14
Speaker
I recognise this point about, I don't know, four or five weeks ago, i think you mentioned that you'd not heard caribou ever. And I thought, then My two thoughts were he's not heard Solar Prestige, Gammon, and he's probably not heard Ticking either.
00:45:30
Speaker
And I thought, I'm really interested to kind of almost in real time. watch somebody discover those two very different that songs. So come on, let's... For folk that have not heard Solar Prestige Agamon, I'm going to do my best to summarise it. It is a nonsense song, sung apparently, the verses, apparently Elton's trying to do like an Italian It's a bit operatic, isn't it? Like, meor i like a big butzza pi that's so what is' like that so Except you could teach that sentence in an English grammar. So the prestige, come on, contains about one in two or one in three words are real English words, but they they don't make any sense to. Shall we read the lyrics out, Dominic? would love to hear you them, Anthony. Okay.
00:46:23
Speaker
Omakamiomolesting Kipapora for tea SolaPrestige Agamon Lantern or Turbot Porqui SolaPrestige Agamon Kulka Kiri Ke Samon There's elements Pig Latin that.
00:46:43
Speaker
you aware of the, of Pig Latin? I'm not aware of Pig Latin.
00:46:54
Speaker
ray indie paco agamon solar prestige apaco canord there's elements of um pig latin in that are you aware of the of pig i'm not aware of pig latin I do think that Tim Rice... It's not worth elaborating on. oh is it? Okay. I think Tim Rice may have been influenced by this writing Hakuna Matata. I think, yeah, this might have been the ah embryo of that. um You know what, Anthony?
00:47:25
Speaker
So I love Pix's band of the 80s, like really aggressive, really mad. Their first song is called Caribou. I don't think in any way connected to this album. Unapologetically crazy. I'm really... into into that i love this song i love solar procedure come on virtual i genuinely love it for what it is for what it is i think it doesn't belong on the same album as pinky and my word does it not belong on the same album as Don't Let The Sun Go Down On Me. I mean, what is going on What is going on?
00:48:03
Speaker
um I complained about Goodbye Yellow Brick Road being buried in tone. I mean, my word. I think that this song is short. And I think it's very clear what it is.
00:48:16
Speaker
And, you know, I'm someone who defends the time warp from Rocky Horror Show. You know, I think that if something is like catchy and fun and silly, um it's great. This song is even further improved, Anthony, by something I know you've not yet heard.
00:48:34
Speaker
Penal of um Cold Hearts with Dua Lipa and Elton Faye on their books. say good morning to the night album uh they have a song i'm gonna have to look up what it's called because it's not called solar prestige it's not called that but um it's the third song on their uh good morning to the night album and it's like dance version of this and I had no idea, no idea when ah Black Icy Stare is the name of the song, Black Icy Stare, which also samples Cold Highway, the B-side too, The Bitch is Back, so like nice little caribou thing, but yeah, basically it's a dance version of this song and it's it's brilliant it's brilliant what this song is is what this song is okay okay I'm cross at this song yeah
00:49:32
Speaker
ah
00:49:34
Speaker
because I think without the lyrics I think it's a really good piece of music that showcases like Elton's great at song composing he can compose a series of chords and and a way a melody can flow throughout that like he's really versatile the musicians he's playing with are great i mean that there's a synthesizer solo in this this that's great it's really nice i i um was a bit tongue-in-cheek derisive of ray cooper earlier on in this episode his bit on vibes in this is fantastic brilliant brilliant brilliant and
00:50:15
Speaker
We get elements of what the guys are doing as they become more and more successful as sometimes being bit, ah, we can do whatever we want here. You know, Bernie... Have we mentioned that they're on cocaine? Have we mentioned that? Yeah, there is that too. I mean, like, if they want exhibit A, your honour, exhibit A...
00:50:40
Speaker
But then is, I mean, is that also a complacent, arrogant? Yeah. To say, you know, we're so good that actually we can do this on drugs. I don't know. Obviously, that's a gross. I think this is better than anything of an oasis is be here now.
00:50:56
Speaker
That's not high praise. No. It is. You know, I think what you've said in critique of it, i think you could apply that to nearly any song by the B-52s. People are really dismissive of the B-52s. It's got a wonderful sound and they're gleefully silly and they've made that their whole identity. And every now and again, you get a song like roam where you want to, you know, roam around the world, which is a little bit more authentic. But that's not their personality. Their personality is rock lobster. Most of their songs sound like rock lobster. I think rock lobster, like the bitches I think that um Grimsby is about something a bit otherly. Bitches Back is something a but a bit otherly. I think that Solar Prestige, you can't get more otherly than that. I think for what it is, I do think the words really match the music. I don't even think that... Oh, I didn't say they didn't match the music. As someone who has tried to write nonsense words, i think this is a really, it's hard. Like, Edward Lear is a hugely celebrated nonsense pilot. This kind of thing isn't effortless. Like, you know, the most seemingly simple things are often challenging to emulate. I think that they're good nonsense words. What i do question is, I think that Pixie and Dixie Lily...
00:52:20
Speaker
aren't capturing that otherly weird energy for very different reasons. Pinky and Dixie Lily aren't in that category. and This album for me is a little bit all over the place, but I do think Solar Prestige and Grimsy Beat and Bitch sound like they belong on the same record. Yeah, I enjoy listening to it because I can just block out the lyrics and I can hear the i can hear the melody and and what have you. And and yeah, i i I do like nonsense poetry. I just i just don't i don't understand it in the context of the album and ah I feel like it's a it's a waste. and And I don't... ah it The whole...
00:53:03
Speaker
We're guilty, arguably, of you know further pedestalling individuals by the the whole nature of this podcast. We're saying this person's great. These people are great. And stardom of the scale that Elton is experiencing at this stage in his life and still does now is not a natural thing. So I'm not really personally attacking him for for doing anything. But i I don't like the idea of somebody that's been...
00:53:30
Speaker
you know worked hard and been successful at xyz and then if i get a whiff of oh we can do whatever the hell we like now people will lap it up that i think there's a lot of that on this album i think there's a lot of that on this album i think there's a lot of that but i don't think the words to this are an example of that i think that they are good words i would rather this than like to the tune you know baby's got blue eyes and that's a gary osborne lyric but like that would be a terrible lyric to this thing and that you could have just put like a generic love song thing vernie torpion himself has done pretty middle of the road lyrics i i think that recognizing that nonsense is a different genre i think that it is a good example of it i really do
00:54:22
Speaker
Okay, well, I think we need to start constructing a Elton nonsense or at least tongue in cheek playlist and we can put I think I'm going to kill myself and other such things. I like this more than Hakuna Matata and Hakuna Matata is massively celebrated. People adore Hakuna Matata. They love it. I prefer Hakuna Matata. I get quite emotional about that song, actually. Anyway, that's not on this album, so we we shan't discuss it.
00:54:50
Speaker
Let's move on to, are we on to the other side of the record now? Yeah, You're So Static. i think I think we are. Let's have a look. Oh no, You're So Static is the last one on side one. So Dominic, I've written a note down here that I'm noticing with this album, even if I'm not the biggest fan, of each of the songs each of them has got earworms and riffs and melodies that just stick in my head and i remember saying that about empty sky there's several songs on empty sky that are not my favorite but my goodness do they get stuck in your head and you're so static simile has got a really distinctive sound Yeah, maybe it's not a unique sound for what we've heard from Elton thus far chronologically. But it's again, it's got it's got riffs and bits in it that ah that stand out. I've mentioned how the the choruses and the verses are very different in some of the songs in this album so far. For me, they're abruptly different in this one. Here, I think they get it a bit...
00:55:58
Speaker
a bit too coarse whether that's intentional or not but who knows but um this i've done a note here that i often do dominic which is ask dominic about the lyrics and to explain it is is you're so static about a sex worker or is it am i inferring something that's not there It's about a woman taking advantage of of somebody.
00:56:24
Speaker
I think that it is implied that you know it certainly could be about that. We're going to ah eventually come on to Island Girl, another song about a sex worker. Oh, we could do a whole podcast on that one song, couldn't we? And we've had Sweet Painted Lady, um so it's not...
00:56:47
Speaker
isolated ah company similar to Ireland's girl um there's also kind of illusions that could be read to be being about um STDs you know when he's saying I have a constant ache in the morning light it could be that he's been robbed it could be that he's been called static, that he's like, you know, boring and square, or it could be that he's caught a venereal disease, you know. It's, um yeah, it's it's ah it's a it's got a silly start. It's got a silly start. It's got a sort of tango-y thing at the start, which, similar to how I feel about Grimsby and the toot-toot of Dixie Lily, I think, oh, you know, I'm not against Elton
00:57:34
Speaker
having a little bit of tango. But um it's ah it's a bit, there's a lot going on in this song. It's quite a long song as well, isn't it? It's quite long, this one. Whereas, you know, Dixie Lily and Sola short. This is less so. Yeah.
00:57:49
Speaker
I really like the the brass in this, just as an isolated thing, as someone who plays the trumpet myself. Like, it's it's really powerful. but I mean, it doesn't elevate the song to one that I'm going reach for to to play again. I think musically it's interesting. Like I say, there's there's critiques that I've got of it in terms of how abrupt the verse and chorus transitions are, that the subject matter doesn't particularly interest me or resonate with me in any way at all. I've not had i've not had someone say, thank you, honey, forget about the money, this pretty watch will do instead, nor is it a place I particularly want to imagine. Yeah.
00:58:28
Speaker
yeah I'm not sure I get what the words are about. And I mean, Island Girl is so open to interpretations, but because it's a massive hit, there's a lot more people discussing what it means online. I've struggled to find discussion about what this is about online. So I don't really know.
00:58:46
Speaker
who Being the woke, hemp-wearing lefty that I am in 2026, it's very possible i could take offence to it, but i don't think I understand it enough to be, you know, and I'm really aware, I mean, I say that like tongue-in-cheek, like, you know, I'm really aware this is album made at the time when it was made and sensibilities were different Yeah, I don't know. i don't know. I think all the songs I've cut the start off, I've cut the start off, just get to where the song's actually the song, you know.
00:59:17
Speaker
That's why. Even I've Seen the Sources. I really like the start of I've Seen the Sources, our next track. it's it You've got these clangs and this you can you can hear the spaceship taking off.
00:59:34
Speaker
metaphorically in in what the music's doing. I think that's possibly the strongest part of I've seen the sources. Maybe I've been poisoned by the toot toot of Dixie Lily. Like, I am so easily swayed by songs about spacemen. I've spoken a lot about my love of David Bowie, Lady Stardust, a Hello Space Boy, all of his space oddity type stuff. Absolutely adore it. And considering Rocketman,
01:00:03
Speaker
is so huge and as you mentioned maybe the record label was saying with dixie lily give us another country one i'm surprised that they weren't you know rocket man was his second massive global here only hit number two really globally so i'm surprised that you haven't gone back to it i haven't heard sources as often as you've heard it I just found it a little bit... I mean, now I'm backing down because you're like, oh, isn't it lovely? And I found it a bit silly and I'm feeling bad.
01:00:37
Speaker
Oh, no, I didn't say lovely. It's it's it's evocative. Like, I mean, if if you played the first the first instrumental intro to each of the 10 tracks... And you said, which one of these is called I've Seen the Sources? No clues from the lyrics. Yeah, that's not praise. Which one's called Dixie Lily? Toot toot to that one. No, I'm not.
01:00:58
Speaker
now Yeah. No, i'm I'm not saying it's praise. I'm saying for me it's the best part of the song. No, the best part this song is his voice. He is. He is. He is earnest about something silly and going back to B-52s or Pixies or Bowie, that's what sells it. They're not, you know, comedy singers doing like doing a bit, doing like a cheeky parody, you know, like Bowie is sincere when he says there's a star man waiting in the sky. He is sincere. And like Elton's voice is stunning. Like the, the, intensity with which he sings the chorus. I think it's a bit slow and a bit long. And I wrote on my notes, sound effects, sad emoji. That's what got on my notes. Sound effects, sad emoji. Yeah. ah So I definitely agree with it's it's too slow. i mean i mean, maybe that adds to the sort of ethereal wandering quality of the lyric. I'm going to disagree. ah I mean, don't get me wrong. I don't actually particularly like this song. I want to make that clear. I don't know that this is silly. I wonder whether that's a 21st century rendering and this. I'm wondering if in 1974...
01:02:12
Speaker
it out And Elton's singing quite sincerely about this and and and whether many people in the 70s would be sincerely wondering about what's out there and, oh, goodness, is is this a real thing? So, i yeah, I don't think it's a ah joke song or or anything spoof in that regard. The question I've got, Dominic, is, is the narrator of this, have they been violated an alien? Yeah. Because there is a line. Go on, what line? What line? second half of the chorus. I've seen them. I've been there with them. I can tell you all you want to know. Something touched me and I was only sleeping. I think, I think this, i think the scene has been violated.
01:03:02
Speaker
But yeah, other than that, other than that, everything else is is quite sort of wondering and, oh, goodness me. Yeah. Yeah. What I dislike... Dirty Little Girl is it's so on the nose and usually Bernie lyrics such as Stinker, which we will come on to, are kind of more suggestive and open. I think the line you suggest, I think probably 46-year-old Dominic is like, well, he probably knew what he was doing. He's probably like chuckling to himself as he wrote that. But it's like open to interpretation. It's not so out there that, you know, it's going to get censored. And yet Bitch is the single, which did get censored by loads of radio stations wouldn't play it back in the 70s. So how odd that, that that that but yeah, yeah. um
01:03:54
Speaker
Yeah, I think, you know, there are far worse albums. I was ready to hate this album. I say I've read a handful of reviews that are like this album is so overrated. It is one of his worst.
01:04:06
Speaker
And I was really ready to hate it. And the more I've listened to it, the more I've liked it. And I admire... that yeah, there aren't many sources, like songs, it's very different to Rocketman. It isn't, you can't say, oh, it's just Tumbleweed Connection, part 93. You can't say that. is It is new terrain for them both. Okay, you've mentioned Stinker. We should move on to that one.
01:04:33
Speaker
I feel like there's some negative things to say about this, but I want to get some positives in first. Towers of Power, sorry, Tower of Powers, providing the brass, I think do really nice thing. I think if you were going to a, I don't know, a funk night or something like that, and you've got a horn section in the corner of the stage bringing what they're bringing, Absolutely fantastic. Chester Thompson on the organ as well. Perfect. I get a criticism I had of Empty Sky. Too much organ. Turn the organ down. But I think Chester and probably Gus is in charge of the levels. Get that. I've put organ double tick, horns double tick, bass double tick. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Absolutely. And just for a nerdy musician thing, this is in 6-8, which gives it a very different feel. Like, I mean, you dance a polka to a 6-8 or something like that. So it's got a different feel to it. Should we talk about the lyrics, Dominic?
01:05:34
Speaker
Is Bernie punching down? Is he punching down or is he actually talking about an animal? You know what? He probably... I don't know. He probably is. He probably is. But you know what? On first listening, and this is just my subjective reaction, it never even occurred to me that this could be another social disease type song. Because we have had Saucers and Grimsby and Solar Prestige, I just thought, yeah, it's a skunk.
01:06:02
Speaker
is scar Well, I mean, on on the face of it, every lyric, I've kind of gone the opposite way to you. So whenever I listened to this, I assumed he was talking about a person that he had a a poor opinion of. And then in preparation for this show, I thought, well, actually sit down and read the lyrics and and just, you know, you need to be able to back yourself if you're going to bring that opinion. And there's nothing that explicitly...
01:06:27
Speaker
implies that he's referring to person. Nothing. But then I don't feel like the music... And he's on the album as... Then, like that music, a song about a skunk. B-52s. B-52s. I think the problem is that Elton's got expectations set because he's the person who wrote your song and Candle in the Wind and has recently had a massive hit at the time of making this record with Don't Let the Sun Go Down on Me. So that's our expectation. expectations and he
01:07:00
Speaker
stuff like Dirty Little Girls. So we, you know, it's been listening to it in context. But, you know, if it's like, oh, here's Elton John, your support act for the B-52s, and, you know, you've got this prior to Rock Lobster, I would just be like, yeah, it's contextual. And because this album is so varied in context, far more so than Captain Fantastic, which is the better album for having its stronger identity,
01:07:29
Speaker
in terms of words and sound you know i mean this sound similar to sources being a very very different sound it is a very different sound and why not if you're going to have a sound a time signature ah a production a band that is so different Why not lyrically choose something very different? and And again, it's just my individual take, but I never thought it was about person. I thought, oh, this is odd music for Elton. Here are some odd words for Elton. Yeah, yeah. i'm I'm wondering, the more that we're talking about this album, I'm wondering whether it should be too...
01:08:07
Speaker
five-track albums. I'm saying those numbers off the top of my head. i don't know whether it is an even split. but but like It's not an even split. no but It's not. But like that the album art, we've already picked on the album art, but like that doesn't speak to a nonsense joke album or or something that's a completely different departure. that it's It's fitting in with some of the poorer album arts that we've seen from him already. And so there's no clues that things like this are...
01:08:35
Speaker
are just a complete departure and you've got, you know, conventionally normal and excellent pop songs in there, which is is where the confusion comes in. as ah As a holistic piece of art, it doesn't work, does it? But you could see how you could twist the context and and then it makes great sense. I'm going to give another lyrical interpretation of Stinker, that it's in the same category as The Bitch Is Back, that it's an otherly song, it's an other, that it's not criticising someone, it's not doing... So a later Elton John song, um Hard Luck Story on Stinker,
01:09:13
Speaker
west is is a song where it's clearly a parody, like he's singing it in first person. But even though it's in first person, it's so, so self-critical. You could say that the stinker is the same. You could say, okay, it's sung in first person, but actually it's not first person. It's it's a parody character it's a character making fun of himself. Or you could say like bitches back that this stinker is proud of being a stinker. That stinker is a metaphor for I am a reject to society. And guess what? I'm the rotten eggs to your system. I don't give a monkeys about your stinker.
01:09:50
Speaker
hierarchy, your ideas of power. I'm going stink things up because I think you're all stupid. And there's a defiance in stinker because he sings it quite joyfully, doesn't he? Yeah, yeah, yeah.
01:10:04
Speaker
So I think that it does... bitlong And this is what I mean when I say i went back and listened to Bitches Back in a bit of a different way when listening to many of the other lyrics. i was like, oh, right. Also, he was in he was often in that kind of mood, was Bernie, you know. yeah I really like it. I really like Stinker. Yeah, it's, goodness me, an episode of surprises. Now, another surprise.
Debate on Key Tracks: 'Don't Let the Sun Go Down on Me' & 'Ticking'
01:10:28
Speaker
Ding!
01:10:29
Speaker
was George Michael performing on stage in, when was it, 1991, and then halfway through, singing a cover version of Don't Let the Sun Go Down on Me. Ladies and gentlemen, Mr Elton John!
01:10:41
Speaker
When I was a kid, dreaming of being a famous artist, I used to imagine. Ladies and gentlemen, Mr Dominic Berry! Woo! Woo! And now that's what happens. Well, maybe. It's what James Kent come true. Elton was frustrated with his own vocals in this. He wanted to scrap the whole song.
01:11:03
Speaker
Now it has to be said with hindsight. this is This is one of the champion songs, isn't it? Certainly in terms of... being a celebrated piece of music, well-known song for Elton, was released on in single number one in Canada, number two in the US, number 16 in the UK, the seventh best-selling song in Brazil across the whole 1974. What are your feelings on this one, Dominic?
01:11:29
Speaker
It's not my favourite Elton song. I think you've criticised him sometimes having too many choruses. Like sometimes in other Elton songs, he'll have a chorus and then immediately do the chorus again. I'm fine with that. I would prefer that to a verse and then no chorus. We're going do another verse. I think, you know on the Lost Boys soundtrack, Roger Daltrey does a cover version of this song. And oh, my gosh, it's such a fun soundtrack. Does it bring the mood down? Does it really show these sounds? It's like, oh, I think even with the. So my first ever Elton John proper album that wasn't a greatest hits was Duet, which has the George Michael album. version on and the final verse where Elton comes on is stunning and when I hear this version I can't help but do the kind of just because you think just because yeah I have to these cuts I have cuts I have baby love baby love baby love that is brilliant that bit is brilliant but George Michael on his own oh
01:12:36
Speaker
Oh, it goes on. I think the first half of this highly acclaimed song is too long. i think the song is too long. i think when it gets going, it's great, but I think it takes a while to get there and I'd i'd like to speed it up a little bit. Perhaps with hindsight, once you've listened to it once or a few times or what have you, you're more willing to put up with the the slowness and the the lengthiness. of it perhaps i i i really like this there there are some of elton's hits that i sort of think i could take it or leave it i could i could live with never hearing that again like um i'm always honest criticizing it honestly yeah go on to be honest
01:13:21
Speaker
To be honest, that the bitch is back. i could I could live with never hearing that again. like i think I think it's a great piece of music, but it doesn't do something to me. But I mean, maybe it will now. I've heard your take on it, Dominic. I'm always grateful for these new insights. But but this one I i i really love. i i i think it's fantastic. I think there's lots of metaphor in in the in the like wow i mean the title. is is a metaphor isn't it and yeah it does a lot there's going be times when i this isn't the kind of song that i want to listen to but i think it's got a lot going for it sentimentally the lyric musically i mean we joked about well what's the point of the beach boys being in this like the opportunities for for harmonizing with the main melody uh are all throughout it as as is evidenced in the live version with george michael so i
01:14:17
Speaker
I think it it works really well. Interesting bit of trivia is that we we mentioned Dusty Springfield appearing in the Bitches Back in the backing lyrics. um She was part of the original backing vocalist group here, according to Davy Johnston, the guitarist. Oh, no, no, different Johnston. Bruce Johnston of the Beach Boys, who was handling the vocal arrangements. But he said everyone was afraid of one another and he couldn't get a performance out of anyone. But I think in in the end, i think it comes together really, really nicely. Elton composes some really fantastic timeless songs. And for me, that this is one of them, in in my opinion. And i I get how it's not for everyone. um And I think you can... We've talked about Dixie Lily saying, goodness me, why has that got so many cover versions?
01:15:06
Speaker
This one has got a ton of cover versions. Elita Adams. I can't stand up far more. Elita Adams. It was a single as well, the Elita Adams version. Yeah, yeah. Dolly Parton did a collaboration in 2023 with him on this one. some Some fantastic stuff. The George Michael live version that we have spoken about ah was released in its own right and reached number one in the UK.
01:15:31
Speaker
and the US. So it's it's safe to call this a successful song. It's a huge success, but why? so like Pinky is sincere, but you can just about believe that Pinky belongs on an album with Solar Prestige.
01:15:47
Speaker
But like, I would say... Yeah, Pinky could belong on the same album as Don't Let The Sun Go Down Me. But oh my gosh, is it a sharp left turn after Stinker to follow up with this?
01:16:03
Speaker
Like, this is... Because it's so earnest, this song. It's so serious. It's like, yeah, it's it's a bit of a kind of... If I bought this single and I was like, can't wait for the Don't Let the Sun Go Down on the album, put it on, and so prestige, what would you... I mean, but then people loved it, nominated for Grammy, but I would, I would have.
01:16:30
Speaker
As someone who loves Leonard Cohen... you know I would be um surprised at the tone of the album. Elton was famous for doing songs just as singles.
01:16:41
Speaker
Philadelphia Freedom. you know all right Maybe a lot of the standalone singles that were huge hits came a Pinball Wizard and, you know. Not much later. Not much later, you know, Don't Go Breaking My Heart. You know, this could have been ah standalone single. And then the album could have been the, um you know, the B-50. I know B-52s didn't exist at the time of this being made, but it could have been, yeah, this is our fun album where we're, you know, we're really, drugs jokes aside, we're just, you know, we're just experimenting with sound, with tango, with opera, you know, we're just really having fun. I think there would have been a clue if you'd have bought the single of Don't Let the Sun Go Down on Me as to what the Caribou album would have sounded like, because the B-side was Sick City, which doesn't appear on Caribou. It does appear in the 1995 re-release as a bonus track. But that has also got a very distinct sound to it. And um yeah, I think that's it.
01:17:45
Speaker
That's a nod to the that the dominant sound in Sick City, which doesn't match. Don't let the sun go down on me. But yeah, I think it's... um I'm a big fan of this one. As I am for the last track of this album, ticking seven minutes, 34 long, goodness me. And unusually, just on a personal note, very often the songs that I love of Elton's are ones that to play on the piano...
01:18:12
Speaker
are great fun or flow really nicely have got wonderful beautiful chord progressions this one's boring as on the piano there's like three chords it doesn't do much very often he'll just sit on one chord and just do loads of arpeggios but it's I really like it's a dramatic song it's effectively just him singing and playing the piano we do have synthesizers coming in as the song sort of builds to a climax towards the end about about five and a half minutes in. The subject matter is gun violence, I guess, in the UK. In the UK? In the US. You've got a child, a young man, turning a gun on people and then his own life. ending to and the fallout of that. It sends a chill down my spine, this one. I think particularly because this was written in the mid-70s and I think Elton and Bernie have been quoted as saying they put this together and thought it would
01:19:14
Speaker
I hope I'm not conflating things here, but they they thought it might make a difference or it might draw attention to this horrid thing that I suppose relative to now when we've had 50 more years of gun violence in the US and other parts of the world. But then it might have felt like a a new thing. Oh, goodness, let's hope this thing stops. But, you know, the the countless stories that mirror this fictional, I think this is a fictional account, isn't it, Dominic? I don't think it's based on a...
01:19:43
Speaker
real shooting? I do not know. i'm holding back on my opinion because we promote this as ah raging about it. And I've got a mirror image opinion of this song to Andy. He said politely, very British, I've got a mirror image opinion.
01:20:02
Speaker
yeah I despise this song. Really? Oh, let's hear more. I love him on Solar Prestige and I despise Ticking. Would you that from me, Andy? Well, I predicted you would love one and hate the other,
01:20:18
Speaker
i Yeah, i okay. I mean, I really hold this up as like one of my favourite Elton songs to listen to. And you are not alone. And I and i welcome a different opinion. I'm fascinated hear it. And this song is popular enough to take my critique. There was a massive poll on which were the favourite deep cuts of Elton John. And this was number two, falling only behind Mona Lisa's Mad Hatter's as the second most favourite deep. cuts. People adore this song.
01:20:48
Speaker
I'm a poet. I remember going to one gig and there was a gentleman on stage who came on stage and, you know, he was ah with one arm and one leg and he performed a poem about how, due to a really extreme accident in which he was featured, he had an arm and leg amputated as a result.
01:21:10
Speaker
And I looked around at the audience as he was speaking and I thought, I really feel for this poor gentleman. However, what a thing to make such an inherently interesting subject so very boring. This is like the most boring piece of writing. And that is a challenge because I am nosy. And, you know I feel for this man. I really, you know, I really I'm nosy. I want to know. But not through this dull poem that goes on and on and on and on. bit like ticking. Like, oh my word.
01:21:41
Speaker
um You know, ah i will draw attention to there's a couple of racial slurs in it, which, you know, it was made in the 70s and different time and all that. I don't think the character piece is strong enough to just I was thinking, well, you know, Nick Cave uses is racial slurs. Nick Cave's allowed to do it. He's Bernie. And it's like, I feel like the characters, there's, you know, I don't know. I thought, well, Vietnam was going on, you know, like.
01:22:10
Speaker
Oh, you know, I don't know. i think I think that even the racism doesn't make it interesting. Even the racism doesn't make it I think that that's give me something to be offended at.
01:22:23
Speaker
And I've got a reaction. But oh, my word, there's like... barely a melody to it and he's so earnest like after an album of fun like give me Dixie Lily all is forgiven because Dixie Lily they sound like they're enjoying themselves this is just so sincere and what would argue about Leonard Cohen is even in something like Sisters of Mercy which is a deeply delicate song Leonard Cohen to me sounds like
01:22:55
Speaker
he enjoys the experience of doing, which, yeah, that's a subjective view. people Leonard Cohen sounds like he's enjoying himself. The most miserable musician. I'm not alone in saying that I do think he does, am I? That's a personal point of view. My personal point of view is I just think Elton's trying too hard. i think Bernie's trying too hard. If a kid in one of my writing workshops came with these lyrics, I would look at them and I'd be like, well done.
01:23:23
Speaker
Now let's take the best bits and just use the best bits let's get rid of some of it and just choose what are the very best bits to keep that's what I would say yeah so I I completely understand where you're coming from with with all of that and I think if if all Elton did was write songs like this, Talking Old Soldiers, and that sort of thing, where it's like, I picture him in a, you know, a smoky jazz club, just a spotlight on him and the piano, and and he's playing slow chords and and and what have you. I mean...
01:24:02
Speaker
There are points in this where it's when he's doing his arpeggios, where it it sounds a a bit quicker. But, you know, it's it's that sort of feel and it's storytelling. it's it's not It's not poetic in the way that a song has a rhythm.
01:24:17
Speaker
there's There's not really a rhythm to this. I mean, that there's points where we've got a bit of a chorus, chorus. and refrains that keep coming back or there's a, you know, there's the, now you'll never get to heaven, mama said, and then we've got don't ever ride on the devil's knee, mama said, you've slept too long in silence, mama said, that they're the opening lines of the closest thing we've got to a chorus. I think if that was all that Elton did,
01:24:41
Speaker
he would have better versions of this, this type of thing. I just quite like in, in the same way that, you know, we've spoken about stinker. I've seen the sources, solar prestige, come on. They're experimenting with different sounds, different tempos, different ways of conveying a subject matter. And,
01:25:02
Speaker
communicating something musically. I'm a fan of, at the end of an album, like like we had with Tumbleweed Connection, although I think it was the penultimate one for Talking Old Soldiers in in Tumbleweed Connection, having a song where where it's it's literally a ballad. It's very simplistic musically, and he's he's telling a story, and I couldn't listen to a whole album of it. Is Songs for the West Coast a whole album of ticking? Yeah.
Album Re-release & Mixed Feelings on New Content
01:25:31
Speaker
So I bought that album. I'm trying to bring specific songs to my head. I want love this train. Don't stop here anymore. Original sin. Emperor's new clothes. I listened to that album because um I was well aware that um I ended up with more time on my hands. I thought I'm going to buy an album that I've not heard before. And I ended up buying. um Too Low for Zero. I've never heard Too Low for Zero and I bought that.
01:25:58
Speaker
um But I listened to a few, just not the full album, but, you know, just skipping forward. And and I just, I looked at what I considered the the really big ones. I thought, let's do my research. And I had kind of quite high hopes because um Patrick Leonard of Madonna fame, ah you know, doing her ballads, then worked with Leonard Cohen, did great things for his career. And Patrick Leonard's the producer of that. And I found that,
01:26:22
Speaker
a little bit like a whole album of ticking so yeah i don't know when i feel because i know like i don't really know the diving board that's i do know the captain of the kid and oh my word i've owned that for about a decade now and i love the captain the kid but that's jaunty that's got rhythm i think you've you've hit the nail on there that one of my problems with this is the lack of rhythm and I hadn't realised that it's a very subjective view I'm not saying I'm right but yeah it's ah um I'll do what I always do Dominic when you have a new opinion on something to me is I'll listen to the song again bearing that in mind However, I will be giving it a 10 today because i I really love the style of it. And and and I think i I too would notice you know the the choices of language that you know can can be considered problematic, understandably. Understandably, I'm not i'm not challenging that.
01:27:18
Speaker
i I see it as a pastiche, at ah a storytelling thing that's a moment in time. And it's not necessarily condoning. It's it's not just that. I mean, the... Oh, you know, my favourite album, you know, Ziggy Stardust starts off with the much celebrated five years where, you know, um you know, David Bowie uses the word queer and black as nouns to describe people. And, you know, again, it's it's it's ah I would defend five years by David Bowie because it is of its time and and a document of its time, an important document.
01:27:56
Speaker
to be a document and I think I think that they're you know I said before at least racism is interesting racism is horrific listeners that um regular yeah but you know um I think that yeah there's there's there's there's a different discussion to be had about like this than like you know Jamaica jerk-off or or you know they're they're different different conversations.
01:28:22
Speaker
I can see why you love it. I'm giving this a score out of 10 too, and my score out of 10 also has the number one in it. Excellent. Well, we should we should get onto those scores. Before we do, we always talk about re-releases of the album and is often the case.
01:28:41
Speaker
This album was re-released in 1995. Some interesting choices for bonus tracks, Dominic. Yeah, the aforementioned Sick City from the B-side of Don't Let the Sun, the aforementioned Cold Highway, as sampled alongside Prestige Gammon on Pnau's record. Step into Christmas, which had been a hit in the Goodbye Yellow Brick Road era. Elton's song featured on so many Christmas compilations as a bonus track and the absolutely exceptional Pinball Wizard the song that was originally by The Who on the Tommy soundtrack and the
01:29:20
Speaker
I believe the only song not written by Elton John feature prominently in the Rocketman soundtrack, the movie soundtrack. I might be wrong there. I remember thinking that when I watched it, thinking, oh, they've put Pinball Wizard in it. That's odd. Well, it goes very well. What a good thing. So, yeah. Yeah.
01:29:41
Speaker
for worthy inclusions on the re-release. Yeah, they're they're good. They are some good tracks. And um and Cold Highway and Six City, I think ah we've been talking about how much of the album doesn't fit together. Curiously, both of those, I think, fit into the album really well. but perhaps Perhaps because of that eclectic nature of it. Maybe I could have just done a Don't Let The Sun Go Down On Me EP, just that pinky
Track Ratings & Overall Album Scores
01:30:12
Speaker
and ticking. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Yeah, yeah, yeah. That, God, I mean, that would in terms of length, that would have almost been the side of a normal yeah noble album anyway. We need to get on with these scores, Dominic. we We've been talking over an hour and a half and we haven't got the scores. Ten out of ten for bitch. Ten out of ten.
01:30:30
Speaker
um i'm gonna give it an eight i can't give it more than that but i acknowledge it's a very strong piece of music pinky i'm also gonna give an eight yeah i think musically it's great and i i like the imagery It's really solid. I give it seven. Grimsby. Oh, now that is tricky. What am I going to give? What have you given Grimsby, Dominic? Eight.
01:30:53
Speaker
Eight. I really like it. More than Pinky, less than Biff. I'm going to give it seven because I really applaud the subject matter and the sound I can bear for one track. Did you say seven or the same? Seven.
01:31:09
Speaker
Oh, okay. For that one. Dixie Lily, when I was in my early teens and even earlier, I would have given this an eight or a nine. I'm going to give it a five. Oh, wow. Okay. I thought that I was harsh. Now I'm giving it seven. It's really short, really catchy.
01:31:26
Speaker
If you can just block your ears for the two, two. Yeah, definitely a seven. And Solar, nine out of ten. Four, but just Just have it as an instrumental. I won't i wouldn't say I'd double it, but it wouldn't be far off.
01:31:42
Speaker
You're so static. i gosh This is where the album really lulls for me. You're going for an eight. Goodness. Yeah, I think it's really, really good. yeah Musically.
01:31:52
Speaker
great but yeah i i just don't dig the imagery and that i'm gonna give it a six because i'm looking at what the scores i gave for empty sky dominic and and actually i i might try to be listening to some of empty sky than than the middle of this album i would say i've seen the sources i can't go higher than six um i'm going for six i'm gonna go for seven stinker what have you gone for eight You're consistently about one one mark higher than me. I'm going for seven on that one. Don't Let The Sun, I'm giving 10 out of 10. Nine. And I think our biggest disparity of the whole series so far, I am giving Ticking 10 out of 10.
01:32:37
Speaker
And Dominic, I inferred from you that you're giving it a one. Yeah, I like it less than I like Dirty Little Girl. Yeah, well, Dirty Little Girl, you gave two.
01:32:49
Speaker
Jamaica Jerk Off, you gave one. So yeah there we are. So scores on the doors. After those last two, my average score has shot up to 7.1.
01:33:03
Speaker
Before then, it was considerably, considerably lower. Dominic, your score is 7.4. point four So that puts it your second lowest so far your lowest being goodbye yellow brick road for me yeah second lowest good bye yellow brick road lois goodness a joe i stand by that i stand by that i mean because it's out of this it's not out of his entire career it's out of this peak early period so yeah and i thought i think we both said that if we were to pick 10 tracks from goodbye yellow brick road and make it a normal length album then that that average score would go up. But it's it's let down by lot, isn't it? Okay, we don't just rate the songs, though, listeners, if this is your first time with us. We are rating some other things, too. So the album name. I don't dislike the album name. I think I'll give it a seven. It's different. It's evocative of a different place that they're recording.
01:34:01
Speaker
I'll give it a seven. Five. Five for Dominic. Harder to please. Artwork. I reckon there's worse, but not by much. Come it's one. It's a one. It is the worst so far. I'm giving it a two.
01:34:17
Speaker
it's really but It's really badly put together. it It would have been better. This is why I said the Elton John album, the artwork, is basic. It's just picture of him in shade. That's why I think that that one was decent.
01:34:31
Speaker
uh cover the right cover versions i'm giving five out of ten and you know it's really hard working this out because there are loads of cover versions i quite like some of the bitches back cover versions i generally dislike most of the Don't let the sun go down me. Maybe I should rate it higher because the dance cover of Prestige, Solar Agamon, is so beautiful, but i'm sticking with five. Yeah, see, I've not heard that one, so this I might retrospectively change my score, but I'm going for a five now, and I will say four of those five points come from George Michael's cover with Elton, but I don't think much of any of the others, including Tina Turner. Even that, say second half. second half yeah second half is stormy but takes a while to get going yeah lyrics oh oh i don't know i don't know what did i give goodbye but i'm gonna give it the same as goodbye gonna give it a five i think i too am gonna give it
01:35:32
Speaker
Am I going give a five? No, no, I'm going to give it more than that because i I think where the lyrics work in this album, they work really well. But then there's quite a few middling ones.
01:35:45
Speaker
I'm going to give it a six as an average. Music, I'm going to score it really quite high. I'm going to give it an eight. I think that's... I'm going to give it a seven, but that's only a seven out ten in comparison to other Elton John albums, you know, like...
01:36:02
Speaker
yeah if you were comparing this to a lesser artist you're like wow listen to the amazing production band elton's talent but yeah compared to the others i'm going with seven our next category is flop dodge if this is the first time you've listened that basically is us saying how well does this album do in avoiding rubbish tracks. If it does badly, i.e. they're all rubbish, it scores 0 out of 10. If it consistently avoids anything that is rubbish, it would get a 10 out of 10. I am going to give this a 3 because I think there are several rubbish tracks. I think rubbish is a strong word, but I'm also giving it three. Yeah.
01:36:44
Speaker
So we've both given that the same mark for Flock Dodge as we gave Goodbye Yellow Bit Road.
Final Ranking & Podcast Conclusion
01:36:48
Speaker
And our final category is Dominic Hits and Anthony Hits. I am going to say that the last two tracks are Anthony Hits. The rest are not.
01:37:00
Speaker
So I will give that a five for Hits. I'm going to say my Hits are Bitch, Grimsby, solar prestige i don't i'm not gonna um but i don't count sun as it is it is it i know i gave it nine out of ten kind of half a mark for sun half a mark stink i'm gonna give it a four four is my score the scores are in then and i oh i can reveal we have just reviewed Chronologically speaking, our least favourite Elton album, 59%. Almost a whole 10% lower than Empty Sky. Well, if you've not yet listened to our version that, i mean, Empty Sky is one of my favourites. I absolutely adore it. Give me Empty Sky over Honky Chateau or Elton John. You know, I i adore Empty sky so yeah i stand by that
01:37:59
Speaker
I think teaser trailer teaser trailer we might have a contender for new first place next time or maybe not maybe not I mean you know the album a lot of people could buy Yellow Brick Road is their favourite but I'm super excited about talking about Captain Fantastic and I think you could flip almost all the criticism I've made out this for praise for Captain Fantastic um I'm so excited excited it was recorded May 23rd 1975 and yeah we are going to have a teaser trivia question from Anthony that we're going to ask now and then reveal the answer
01:38:44
Speaker
on that podcast. So Anthony, what's our question this time? Well, the last one I gave was so tenuous, you know, what's the difference between the American release and the yeah UK release? And it was the spelling. So I've given you a binary question now, or maybe there's three options to it if you're being tenuous.
01:39:01
Speaker
So as we've said, the 1995 re-release of Caribou featured Elton's cover of Pinball Wizard, Pinball Wizard originally being written by The Who. Did Elton's single version of Pinball Wizard that was also released as a single, like The Who's version was, did Elton's chart higher or lower than The Who's original version? And I will make it easier for you and tell you that they didn't chart in the same place. So there are only two options, higher or lower. Oh, good question. And good podcast, Anthony. Thank you for bringing this album into my life. I'm never going to be the same now that Solar Prestige is in my consciousness. and Thank you, everyone, for listening to us. You could get in touch with an email. Anthony and I, you know, we weren't alive when this album came out. So people who were younger than us who were discovering out for the first time or ah saying, I was there, man. I was there. You don't understand what ticking did to me when I was a kid listening to it when it first came out. message us at elton the elton pod at gmail.com we would love to hear your views uh if you want to check out more about us i'm a poet with a website dominic berry.net and anthony's on two other podcasts enough of a flapple which has a vegan week and vegan talk episode on which I sometimes feature and there's also the Brambling Along podcast on which Pat is in the residence.
01:40:29
Speaker
So until next time it is goodbye from me Captain Domtastic and him from Brown, Dirt and Coy. Goodbye. Goodbye.
01:40:42
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 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.
01:41:17
Speaker
Thank you.