Gavin B.

Goodbye Yellow Brick Road would have been better as a single album release rather than a double album. Only about half of the 17 album cuts are keepers. It doesn't help that Bernie Taupin's literary pretensions are at the worst in many of the song lyrics.

The diversity of the album is impressive but songs don't hold together well in any sort of larger creative vision. His previous album Honky Chateau was almost as eclectic, but the songwriting is more accomplished and Elton John's artistic vision was more focused.

If you're going to select a single great Elton John album, Tumbleweed Connection (1970) is stronger album. All ten songs are masterpieces of pop-craft and every song fits perfectly into Elton John's "wild west" conceptual theme.

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There are two types of music: the first type is the blues and the second type is all the other stuff.
Townes Van Zandt

Gavin B.

Overrated Sacred Cow Albums

1. Sergeant Pepper's Lonely Heart's Club Band- The Beatles
2. Pet Sounds- The Beach Boys
3. Exile On Main Street- The Rolling Stones
4. Astral Weeks- Van Morrison
5. Joshua Tree- U2
6. Who's Next- The Who
7. Dark Side of the Moon- Pink Floyd
8. Trout Mask Replica- Captain Beefheart
9. Appetite for Destruction- Guns 'N' Roses
10. Kid A - Radiohead
11. Dusty In Memphis- Dusty Springfield
12. Goodbye Yellow Brick Road- Elton John
13. Odessey and Oracle- The Zombies
14. Sweetheart of the Rodeo- The Byrds
15. Ten- Pearl Jam

I agree. None of the albums on my sacred cow list are even the best albums by each respective artist.

For example, Sargent Pepper's is at the top or near the top of many "all time" lists, but there's too many sugarcoated whimsical pop songs on the album. Examples: Getting Better, Fixing A Hole, When I'm Sixty-Four, Lovely Rita and Good Morning, Good Morning. On the other hand, A Day In the Life may be the best Beatles song ever, if not the best pop song ever.

From my perspective, Rubber Soul, Revolver, Magical Mystery Tour, and the White Album are far better Beatles albums than Sgt Pepper.

__________________
There are two types of music: the first type is the blues and the second type is all the other stuff.
Townes Van Zandt