Elton John - Madman Across the Water [MFSL UDCD 516] (1971)
EAC Image (WV+CUE+LOG) - 221 MB | Booklet & Covers (300 dpi) included
Genre: Rock
EAC Image (WV+CUE+LOG) - 221 MB | Booklet & Covers (300 dpi) included
Genre: Rock
The magical period of 1970-1978 now known as Elton John's "Classic Years" yielded many wonderful albums in a short frame of time. Many people seem to single out "Goodbye Yellow Brick Road" as his best. This may be because of the fact that Sir Elton was at his most popular by that time.
In my opinion, "Madman Across the Water" is his best. Recorded in 1971, it contains some of the most soulful songs Elton John and Bernie Taupin ever created.
Yes, it contains the commercial hits "Tiny Dancer" and "Levon" but unlike some of Elton's late 70s albums, this one goes a bit deeper than that. The title track is a haunting epic that evokes frightening images while leaving a melody in your head that urges to sing along. "All the Nasties" and "Goodbye" also stand out as favorites, but as a whole this album works better than any other EJ recording.
One major reason is the overall sound. On many of the songs, orchestration is used to intensify the emotional anthems to higher levels than a piano will allow. Also, the album gives some room to breathe between the more serious songs like "Indian Sunset" with transitions to more fun songs like "Razorface" and "Rotten Peaches", which are all great tunes in their own right.
This was the album that really got me rolling on my Elton John collection. I would also highly reccommend "Tumbleweed Connection", "Honky Chateau", and "Captain Fantastic and the Brown Dirt Cowboy". But start here. You won't stop.
Tracklisting:
1. Tiny Dancer (6:19)
2. Levon (5:21)
3. Razor Face (4:44)
4. Madman Across the Water (5:59)
5. Indian Sunset (6:46)
6. Holiday Inn (4:17)
7. Rotten Peaches (4:58)
8. All the Nasties (5:09)
9. Goodbye (1:46)
Total Time: 45:19
Line-Up:
- Elton John - piano, keyboard, vocals
- Paul Buckmaster - conductor
- Tony Burrows - vocals, background vocals
- B.J. Cole - steel guitar
- Roger Cook - vocals, background vocals
- Ray Cooper - percussion, tambourine
- Terry Cox - drums
- Brian Dee - harmonium
- Lesley Duncan - vocals, background vocals
- Jack Emblow - accordion
- Herbie Flowers - bass, electric bass
- David Glover - bass
- Sue Glover - vocals
- Davey Johnstone - synthesizer, acoustic guitar, guitar, mandolin, sitar, vocals
- David Katz - violin
- Chris Laurence - bass, acoustic bass
- Sunny Leslie - vocals
- Diane Lewis-Steinberg - synthesizer
- Barry Morgan - drums
- Dee Murray - bass, background vocals
- Brian Odgers - bass
- Nigel Olsson - drums, background vocals
- Alan Parker - guitar
- Roger Pope - drums
- Caleb Quaye - acoustic guitar, guitar, electric guitar
- Barry St. John - vocals, background vocals
- Chris Spedding - guitar, electric guitar, slide guitar
- Terry Steele - vocals, background vocals
- Liza Strike - vocals, background vocals
- Sue & Sunny - background vocals
- Sue - background vocals
- Sunny - background vocals
- Les Thatcher - acoustic guitar, guitar
- Rick Wakeman - organ, keyboards
