My Record Collection 96

Elton – The Pomp.

January 1973 saw the release of Don’t Shoot me, I’m Only the Piano Player, Elton’s 6th real studio album….and what a cracker.  For the next few years Elton would release 2 albums a year, several singles and World tours.  He broke not only in America but became a Worldwide phenomenon.  And over the next four years he was truly unstoppable.  So, the album – well, it leads off with another brilliant single ‘Daniel’, which was almost homo-erotic but turns out Daniel is his brother.  This album also I reluctantly admit contains my most unloved song of his – ‘Crocodile Rock’ – which is frankly crap – but still millions loved it, so what do I know. Other favourite tracks ‘High Flying Bird’, ‘Have mercy On the Criminal and ‘Blues For baby and Me’.  A triumph of an album – what could possibly top it….

Well we didn’t have to wait long because later that same year he released a double album “Goodbye Yellow Brock Road” – which for most fans remains their favourite..  but like most double albums it should have been two separate single records.  Saying that – side 1- Funeral for a friend/Love Lies Bleeding’ followed by ‘Candle In the Wind’ and the fabulous ‘Bennie and the Jets’ is probably the best single side of an old-fashioned album ever.  Simply brilliant.  Other great tracks are the title track and Grey Seal’. ’Sweet Painted Lady’ ‘Danny Bailey’ and ‘Harmony’ are all wonderful.  Never liked Jamaica jerk-Off or Saturday Night.  Still an incredible record, inspired by their mutual love of Hollywood– his best seller too.  Almost too much to take in in one go.

Much better for my money was the slightly under-rated follow up ‘Caribou’ (74).  Elton’s producer Gus Dudgeon later slated the record, saying it was rushed, recorded in 9 days and in his opinion a mess. But I love it; from the wicked opener ‘The Bitch Is Back’ to closer ‘Ticking’ it is fabulous. Every song is quality and so different in feel – there are the ballads ‘Pinky’ and ‘Don’t Let The Sun Go Down On Me’, a couple of rockers ‘Static’ and ‘Stinker’ , a lovely bluesy rolling ‘Dixie Lily’ and even a self-penned lyric ‘Solar Prestige Gammon’ (nonsense but a lovely melody).  This is probably my very favourite Elton album.  I can remember when I first heard it too; I had just been for an interview for a new job (which I got) and treated myself to lunch at a new burger restaurant on Oxford Street, and this was playing on the stereo system.

!975 saw another classic album – Captain Fantastic and the Dirt-Brown Cowboy.  This was actually a concept album of the struggles of Elton and Bernie in the late Sixties – though it hardly matters as the lyric’s remain pretty obscure.  The record was less commercial too, only one single – the beautiful ‘Someone Saved My Life Tonight’ which, although you don’t need to know, Elton’s breaking off a disastrous engagement – the someone was Long John Baldry, who persuaded Elton to not give up on his music.  However; the album.  Well, it is good (of course) and yet it seemed to lack some of the pzazz, the glitter of his former 3 or 4 records.  Maybe he was getting tired – who knows.  Anyway, saying that there are still some great songs ‘We All Fall In Love Sometimes’ and ‘Curtains’ stand out for me.  There was also dissension in the band and before his next album Nigel Olsson and Dee Murray were sacked, though they would later rejoin for various tours and albums.  And that next album for me was a low point.

Rock of the Westies (also 1975) was basically a ‘Philly Soul Sounding album).  Elton, like the Beatles before him. and a year after Bowie, was a musical magpie, and was entranced by the softer smooth soul sounds coming out of Philadelphia in the mid-Seventies. He released a single (not on the album Philadelphia Freedom) which was pure soul and also an EP (The Thom Bell Sessions 1979) both of which are okay but not really my style.  But back to the record – well, it just doesn’t really work for me – and was not his biggest seller either. There are a couple of good songs ‘island Girl’ which was a hit single and ‘I Feel like A Bullet (in the gun of Robert Ford)’ (Robert Ford was the bounty hunter who killed Jesse James).

April 1976 saw the release of a double live album “Here and There”, featuring two 1974 concerts – Here was in London and There was in New York.  Both are excellent, while here is almost acoustic and piano-led, there is a full-on band concert.  Great versions of both early and current songs up to Yellow BrIck Road.  The CD version also has 3 tracks where John Lennon came on stage.  Elton had famously visited John while he was recording Walls and Bridges and had played on a couple of tracks.  Anyway a pretty good live album.  So, Elton was king of the world, he could do no wrong, every album went to number 1.  He was in his Pomp…..

 

My Record Collection 95

Elton John (early days) – well they don’t come much bigger than good old Reg.  And only a handful of Artists are known by one word ELTON.   Elton was in a band Bluesology which I have no music from.  He was teamed up with a lyricist Bernie Taupin by Dick James in the late 60’s – the rest is History.

Elton is a veritable melody machine but has always relied on others for words to his songs.  Usually with great success.  First up is a real oddity – Elton was given the task of making cover versions of current hits as a jobbing singer and pianist.  I picked up these tracks Legendary Covers on 2 free CDs given away by I think the Express.  They are rubbish – but they are Elton.

His first solo album (with Bernie) was Empty Sky (69).  I only bought this after his second self-titled one.  It is quite good actually and I have learned to love it.  Production is a bit clunky but good singing and best songs are ‘Val Halla’, ‘Lady, What’s Tomorrow’ and ‘Skyline Pigeon’ – plus a bonus track of early version of ‘Grey Seal’.  Not a bad start.  Elton John followed the next year and the improvement is incredible.  The production is sweet with great orchestration and some heavier rocking numbers. The first song ‘Your Song’ is possibly the best thing he and Bernie ever wrote and is actually unlike the rest of the record, which is mostly bluesy rock. Some great songs in here though especially ‘take Me To The Pilot’ and ‘No Shoestrings On Louise’ – but I also love ‘First Episode at Hienton’. Your song was a hit and Elton was on his way. Album number three was Tumbleweed Connection and is a country blues album released later in 1970, almost a concept and stands alone in his albums really.  It is of course brilliant too.  In fact I really fell in love with this album and it’s unique blend of Americana and rock.  And for almost the only time in his career Elton did a cover  – ‘Love Song’ by Lesley Duncan (see D), who for a while sung backup vocals in his band.  Dee Murray, Nigel Olssen and Davey Johnstone were now regular players on his records and live.  Best songs; ‘Country Comfort’ (covered brilliantly by Rod), Where To Now, St. Peter’ and ‘Burn Down The Mission’.  The album was a hit despite not really having a single.  Elton was now established as a rising star among the slew of singer-songwriters breaking as the Seventies swung into view.  1971 saw a Soundtrack album ‘Friends’, which I (much later bought, but was quite unmoved by) – only a handful of weaker Elton songs.  But also a live album 17-11-70.  Not at all bad, and a pretty good record of Elton’s early live shows. I didn’t see him around this time, but have been to about three live shows as he became more famous.  There are some cracking versions of ‘Burn Down the Mission’ and ’60 Years On’ and even a cover of the Stones ‘Honky Tonk Woman’ (On album it is singular, not plural.   Actually the original album was much shorter but it was expanded on CD to include much longer versions.

1971 saw almost my favourite Elton album, the superb Madman Across The Water. Wow, what an album, great cover and all.  I bought it on the day it came out and it has remained one of my very favourite albums.  I fell in love with the song ‘Levon’, which may or not have been inspired by Leon Russell, who decades later Elton made an album with.  The title, at the time was thought to refer to newly elected Nixon, though this was denied by Bernie who wrote the song.  The first song ‘Tiny Dancer’ has become a live staple though it was ignored for a few years by Elton.  But I like all the songs; the words seem more worldly, and Elton’s singing has never been better.  The band were also gelling together, almost instinctively, to form the ‘Elton John Sound’.  Other classic songs on the record are the title song, which was recorded for Tumbleweed’ but then re-recorded for this album and ‘All the Nasties’.  But as with most of these early records there isn’t a poor song among them.  I have written before about early Seventies attempts to marry classical and rock, but Elton did it brilliantly; Paul Buckmeister arranged orchestra brilliantly on all of Elton’s early records, so brilliantly that you barely notice it – which is the skill of the thing.

A year later and Elton and crew decamped to France to record ‘Honky Chateau’.  Well, despite having two of his best songs on it, this record didn’t seem to quite work.  A bit too jazzy, too noisy – but then, on reflection – and as so often – on revisiting this record I realise what a great album it really is.   Elton was on the cusp of absolute stardom – he was simply getting better and better and would soon have a rush of hit singles.  So – the album, a tongue in cheek opener ‘Honky Cat’ the incredible ‘Rocket Man’ (maybe my favourite single) and the lovely ‘Mona Lisas and Mad Hatters’ – not to forget ‘Salvation’ and well, take your pick – there ‘ain’t a poor song on the record. World domination was soon to follow……

Why Labour Lost

I had been full of trepidation for days; the truth was that I knew Labour was going to fail.  By how much was the shock of course.  I had expected a Tory majority between 20 and 30.  The scale of the defeat was far worse than I had imagined, but now it all seems so obvious really.  It was just that we (those who desperately wanted Labour to win) didn’t want to hear the obvious.

So why Labour Lost?

  • Brexit – of course. Firstly Labour’s position weas untenable.  It was an attempt to square a circle that simply refused to be boxed in.  I was, and still am a remainer.  But what we all should have realised was that that battle was lost.  We should have been concentrating on getting the best trade deal possible – not trying to stop Brexit.  Labour were simply seen as muddled too; Jeremy’s nuanced position was impossible to defend when people simply wanted black or white.
  • The Brexit party – as soon as their cooked up decision to only stand in labour seats (imagine Cummings, Johnson and Farage dreaming this wheeze up) was announced we should have realised that the writing was on the wall. And it had it’s effect.  On average Labour lost about 6 points to the Tories but in leave areas it was far more, and in many results the extra drop in labour votes was almost all down to the votes for the Brexit candidate.  Many lifetime Labour supporters could not bring themselves to vote Tory but voted Brexit instead.  In fact the Tory vote barely increased; it was Labour voters staying at home or voting Brexit that lost so many seats.
  • Corbyn – the damage was done over the two years since the election of 2017. The slow drip-feed of hatred form the right-wing press worked.  But Corbyn himself didn’t help; he had far too much baggage.  We must not forget however that the decision (by Ed Milliband) to let the membership decide the leader was always going to elect a more left-wing than electable candidate – just as in the Tory party it was always going to be someone more to the Right. That said, we must thank Jeremy for energising so many new members.
  • The Manifesto – was simply too huge, too unbelievable – a wish list that appeared even to Labour supporters like myself to be both unachievable and unaffordable. And it seemed almost daily they were adding more and more goodies, handing out sweets to the children who in the end simply rejected them.  It would have been far better to have simply concentrated on the NHS and low wages.
  • The Anti-Semitism Row – was never put to bed. There had been some awful tweets in the past which had not been adequately dealt with.  Though there is no doubt too that much of this was orchestrated by those on the Right of the Labour Party.  An apology might have helped but this row had been rumbling for months and Labour should have dealt with it.  That is not to say that anti-Muslim words were just as prevalent in the Tory party – but simply saying “you are as bad” is no response.
  • Weariness of the Electorate. 3 General Elections and a Referendum (2 for the Scots) and an unnecessary Euro election in 5 or 6 years meant people had simply had too much Politics to contend with.  The simple message of “Get Brexit Done” was simple to understand and people believed that then Brexit would go away when the truth is…
  • But people never really want the truth, especially if it is complicated or nuanced. Saying all of that I leave you with the thought that it could have been far worse, and it still might be – unless Labour really learn that the public want something far easier to understand.  The tragedy was that many former Labour voters knew that voting Tory was no answer, it was just that voting labour wasn’t either.  We are, like it or not, in a Presidential system, and in this election many people voted for the person they disliked or distrusted least.
  • The other parties didn’t help either. It seemed that Jo Swinson hated Labour more than Brexit, and the SNP only want Independence and Labour have an almighty task to win back votes there.

 

But I do believe that labour will come back from this disaster – it may take 2 or even 3 elections, but Brexit will either be over or a disaster and not an issue then, and hopefully a less radical and more likeable Leader may emerge, though the Tory press will try to destroy anyone, that person will have to be strong and resolute and slowly pick the party up and one day the Tories will be shown up for the nasty party they are.

 

 

 

 

My Record Collection 94

E L O (part 2)  well, after the incredible success of Out of the Blue and a huge World Tour Jeff and the band, who bore very little resemblance to the first incarnation took almost 2 years to release a new album Discovery.  In some ways this was at least a good as the last one and was an even bigger seller.  But Jeff was being influenced more and more by Disco, which was the big thing in the late Seventies (maybe it was an in joke Disco Very?).  Still a wonderful record with songs such as ‘Shine a Little love’, ‘Last train To London’, ‘Midnight Blue’ and of course the fabulous ‘Diary of Horace Wimp’.  It seemed that they could do no wrong at all.  And yet the next album was a bit of a flop, simply titled ‘Time’, it was a real disappointment.  Maybe Jeff was chasing the latest sounds, synths and all, and neglecting the actual key to all good music – the songs.  Only one standout track ‘Hold on Tight’ and the rest of the record just sounds bland and frankly a bit boring.  Oh Well.  I sort of gave up on them around this time – though having bought the box set I have since listened to the final two albums.  Secret Messages came out in 1983, and in many ways it is a return to form.  The songs are much better, even if the production is a bit soft and moving to middle of the road.  But the songs themselves ae quite good – the rocker ‘Four Little Diamonds’, ‘Letter From Spain’ and ‘Rock and Roll is King’ are especially good – but the record feels a touch tired, a bit less exciting.  Or maybe it is just us, the audience – after 10 albums we begin to flag, to be ELO’ed out.  And it is almost impossible for any artist or band to keep going for more than 10 years at the top of their game.  Almost all the greats have either had poor periods or simply taken far longer between albums.  Anyway – one more album came out; A Question of Balance (1985).  And by now the pretence that this was a band effort was completely abandoned.  In fact no orchestra at all, but not such a bad record really.   And that was it…the band broke up – or not quite – they left Jeff and continued, mostly as a live band ELO II.   Jeff went off to become a top producer in America.

Inadvertently I bought a greatest hits album called Gold Collection, not realizing it was actually not by the original band but by Bev Bevan and a few others – and it is really excellent, in fact almost identical to the original studio versions, even though this was a live album.  Some of the tracks were new from ELO 11 too, but a strong reliance on the early ELO records. – best for me was ‘Four Little Diamonds’.  Of course, the voice is not the same, but all in all not a bad effort at all.  I did actually see the original ELO live once at Wembley Arena, and though excellent they played exactly the same as the records, in fact they could have been miming and you would never have known – not the most exciting live show.

I already had a Greatest Hits collection on CD called All over The World.  Excellent of course, and sometimes that is all you really need. Jeff has revived the ELO name recently, but so far I haven’t bought the three new albums…

 

 

E L O (part 2)  well, after the incredible success of Out of the Blue and a huge World Tour Jeff and the band, who bore very little resemblance to the first incarnation took almost 2 years to release a new album Discovery.  In some ways this was at least a good as the last one and was an even bigger seller.  But Jeff was being influenced more and more by Disco, which was the big thing in the late Seventies (maybe it was an in joke Disco Very?).  Still a wonderful record with songs such as ‘Shine a Little love’, ‘Last train To London’, ‘Midnight Blue’ and of course the fabulous ‘Diary of Horace Wimp’.  It seemed that they could do no wrong at all.  And yet the next album was a bit of a flop, simply titled ‘Time’, it was a real disappointment.  Maybe Jeff was chasing the latest sounds, synths and all, and neglecting the actual key to all good music – the songs.  Only one standout track ‘Hold on Tight’ and the rest of the record just sounds bland and frankly a bit boring.  Oh Well.  I sort of gave up on them around this time – though having bought the box set I have since listened to the final two albums.  Secret Messages came out in 1983, and in many ways it is a return to form.  The songs are much better, even if the production is a bit soft and moving to middle of the road.  But the songs themselves ae quite good – the rocker ‘Four Little Diamonds’, ‘Letter From Spain’ and ‘Rock and Roll is King’ are especially good – but the record feels a touch tired, a bit less exciting.  Or maybe it is just us, the audience – after 10 albums we begin to flag, to be ELO’ed out.  And it is almost impossible for any artist or band to keep going for more than 10 years at the top of their game.  Almost all the greats have either had poor periods or simply taken far longer between albums.  Anyway – one more album came out; A Question of Balance (1985).  And by now the pretence that this was a band effort was completely abandoned.  In fact no orchestra at all, but not such a bad record really.   And that was it…the band broke up – or not quite – they left Jeff and continued, mostly as a live band ELO II.   Jeff went off to become a top producer in America.

Inadvertently I bought a greatest hits album called Gold Collection, not realizing it was actually not by the original band but by Bev Bevan and a few others – and it is really excellent, in fact almost identical to the original studio versions, even though this was a live album.  Some of the tracks were new from ELO 11 too, but a strong reliance on the early ELO records. – best for me was ‘Four Little Diamonds’.  Of course, the voice is not the same, but all in all not a bad effort at all.  I did actually see the original ELO live once at Wembley Arena, and though excellent they played exactly the same as the records, in fact they could have been miming and you would never have known – not the most exciting live show.

I already had a Greatest Hits collection on CD called All over The World.  Excellent of course, and sometimes that is all you really need. Jeff has revived the ELO name recently, but so far I haven’t bought the three new albums…

 

 

 

My Record Collection 93

E L O (Electric Light Orchestra)– well…anther biggie, in fact at the height of their popularity they were Massive – and still are.  Roy Wood, Jeff Lynne and drummer Bev Bevan had all been in Roy Woods band The Move who had been quite successful in the British charts in the Sixties.  But the band was falling apart and this trio decided to create a new group which would attemot to amalgamate Classical and Rock music,  This was being done by several bands and most successfully by Barclay James Harvest, almost my favourite band ever.  Their first album, released in 1971 was self-titled but due to a mix-up it became known in America as No Answer. To say that the album was more experimental than accomplished is pretty accurate.  There are a few tracks (mostly by Jeff Lynne) which are better, especially Mr. Radio.  However the preponderence of cello heavy tracks by Roy often seem unfinished and just too chaotic to really enjoy, although opener 10538 Overture is passable.

Now, I got into E L O a couple of years later as the great singles started to hit the charts.  I bought about five of their L.P.s in the Seventies.  But a couple of years ago I bought a box set of all their studio albums (it was really cheap, honestly) and have worked through them.  Their second offering was entitled ELO II (not to be confused by a few members of the band who broke away in the Eighties and called themselves by this moniker.)  So, the difficult second album – and it was complicated by the departure as they were recording of founder Roy Wood, who went off to from Wizzard.  Jeff Lynne recruited Richard Tandy to play piano and a couple of others for violin and cello and soldiered on.  To be honest the album is a bit poor.  Except for the brilliant version of Chuck Berry’s ‘Roll Over Beethoven’ the tracks are overlong and a bit boring.  Still it was becoming clear that Jeff Lynne was now the leader of the band, writing most of the material and helping with production.  It was only on their third album ‘On The Third Day’ (1973) that they started to get into their stride.   The songs were shorter, more punchy, and the production seemed better, less chunky and a new violinist and cello player added quality.  But as ever, it was the songs themselves that made the album;  ‘Ocean Breakup’, ‘Showdown’ and the out and out rocker ‘Ma Ma Belle’ all topped off with a cracking version of the classic favourite ‘In The Hall Of The Mountain King’.  In contrast Roy Wood’s Wizzard were plodding along with only a couple of hits – oh well.

’74 saw their 4th album – the superb Eldorado.  This was the first of their really great period; at last they were a really professional band.  They still had the orchestral bits were moving much more into a straight rock style.  Unbelievably the songs just got better and better and with Jeff Lynne now producing everything, writing all the songs and singing and playing guitars it was becoming almost a solo project. The album ha no poor songs at sll, and just rolls along at a pace, it feels like a concept album.  Best songs – ‘Can’t Get It Out Of My Head’, ‘Laredo Tornado’ and ‘Mister Kingdom’ – not to forget the superb title track.  The album was actually recorded with a full orchestra and is almost symphonic, especially in the three Eldorado sections.  A great step forward.

And yet, Lynne then started to move the band into a more commercial direction with their fifth album FaceThe Music.  The songs were more memorable and the record was their first to go Platinum.  There had been a couple more personnel changes and as usual this was in all but name a Jeff Lynne solo album.  The orchestra were still there but a bit muted on some songs, there were also girl singers complementing Jeff’s singing.  Best songs ‘Strange Magic’, ‘Evil Woman’ and ‘One Summer Dream’.  A gorgeous record, a huge hit and already ELO were being compared to The Beatles (which obviously Jeff loved and would later end up working with George and on two lost Lennon songs on Anthology).   They followed this with A New World Record (1976).  This was another superb album full of great songs and sumptuous melodies, released incidentally at the height of punk, which threatened to blow away all these old pop-rock dinosaurs; well, extinction came a bit quicker to punk.  Well, what can we say – another very good album, although strangely not a real favourite.  Best songs – ‘Telephone Line’, ‘Rockaria’ and ‘Livin’Thing’.  It seemed that ELO could now do nothing wrong – and still the best was yet to come.

Jeff Lynne followed this up with a huge double album which topped the charts worldwide and remains his masterpiece – ‘Out Of The Blue’.    Wow, what an album – a double and almost too long really, it is ELO’s Sargeant Pepper, without the psychedelia.   There isn’t a poor song on it.  Hard to pick best songs as they all just roll on and on, each better than the last.  Possibly ‘Turn to Stone’, ‘Wild West Hero’ and of course ‘Mr. Blue Sky’.   Superlatives fail me in this perfect mix of ‘Pop’ and ‘Rock’.  A great achievement.  And this really was the pinnacle, though Jeff did continue making great ELO and solo records – and, has recently returned to making albums as ELO, after many years a a top producer (George and Travelling Wilbury’s among others).  I haven’t really caught up with his output of late – but you never know.

 Out Of The Blue