since posting on here last I've delved quite deep into his classic years. Here's my overivew
-E.J-V.good 2nd debut album (that's supposed to be funny btw).Your song is overplayed and i hold that against it plus the lyrics are ****. Most of the rest are quality if somewhat short of true greatenss. Highlights-1st episode at Heinton and The King must die
-Tumbleweed connection-V.high quality of musicanship is the only thing that rescues some of the ave. songs on here but there are some great songs on it. Elton's accent is all over the place though. Hightlights-Come down in time/My fathers gun/Where to now st.Peter.
-Madman across the water-Didn't really perceiver with it much.Tiny dancer is great, the title track is worth a listen too the rest is meh
-Honkey chateau-again didn't really perceiver but the single are great
-DSMIOTPP-A mixed bag but ultimately a pretty ave. album and The singles are too M.O.R . Highlights-Elderberry wine/High flying bird
GBYBR-Pretty outstanding for the most part although there are a fair few ave songs but only one real stinker.Highlights-I've seen that movie too/title track/Grey seal
CF&TBDC-A quality offering if a little too easy close to easy listening on a few tracks. It's a pleasing listen though. Highlights-Bitter fingers/Curtains

Yeh, I don't like the easy listening aspect of it. I can see though how the nice/beautiful sound or production of the album would make it appeal to people in modern times, but there isn't the variety or strength of songs there is on GYBR.

Rocket Man all the way!!!

you have a great taste in music. love these selections.

short of sounding like Soundgardenrocks, I'll just ask :-

is Goodbye Yellow Brick Road worth it to get on CD? or should I just torrent it?

Whether that is an issue or not depends on how you like to get music. But really why not just listen to it and then decide what you want to do. My opinion has been clear on this thread anyway. Obviously not everyone will have the same opinion, people never do. I honestly don't tend to ask for people's opinion on music, I just listen to stuff and decide for myself.

But my main purpose for this post is I like the signature you have right now, it's funny. :D

One of my favorite ballads.

heard Goodbye Yellow Brick Road (the song)

not bad, not bad at all

I would list his first four most important and popular songs as being, Crocodile Rock, Benny & The Jets, Goodbye Yellow Brick Road, & Your Song. Goodbye Yellow Brick Road as being one of my favorite. Leon and Rocket Man are personal fav's and classics as well. Philadelphia Freedom is OK.

Elton is one of my favourites, I love The Bitch is Back & Tinderbox

Thanks
 

Thanks for the great tunes ..

you know those sad songs say so much but i'm still standing

I've never been a full on Elton fan, but its starting to change after hearing rocketman by him. It is such a good song and I'm sorry to admit it but I have to thank nip/tuck because if they didn't have it on their show I would probably still not really be into him

"Levon" , "Rocket Man", "Daniel", and "Philadelphia Freedom" are all timeless classics.

I have my own greatest hits playlist set up for him. I like his regular albums, but just hearing 80 minutes of amazing, top shelf pop singles is awesome.

Your Song
Tiny Dancer
Honky Cat
Rocket Man
Daniel
Crocodile Rock
Saturday Night's Alright for Fighting
Goodbye Yellow Brick Road
Candle in the Wind
Bennie and the Jets
Don't Let the Sun Go Down on Me
The Bitch is Back
Someone Saved My Life Tonight
I Guess That's Why They Call it the Blues
Border Song
Levon

My favorite song has to be Someone Saved My Life Tonight, with Levon and Goodbye Yellow Brick Road tied for 2nd. This is a great, fairly comprehensive list if you want to just get a taste of what Elton John is all about. It's great putting that list on shuffle and taking it all in.

Hey man, that's a good list. Its quite amazing when you actually start adding all the great singles that he has acquired, as an artist through the years. There are still a lot of other good singles by him that are not on the list.

It's not a comprehensive list imo. It's just the big hits. He's done some great album tracks too.

I think it's fairly comprehensive for his biggest hit singles, excluding the soundtrack stuff he's done.

I agree, he does have amazing album tracks too. Funeral for a Friend/Love Lies Bleeding is an all time favorite song of mine. I just don't include it on that playlist because it breaks up the flow.

just got Goodbye Yellow Brick Road and it's great

except for that faux reggae song

I'm just re-listening to the Madman across the water album to see if I like it any better than I did when I first heard it. I don't. It just doesn't have that je ne se qua

Benny and the Jets is a classic...

Elton John - Goodbye Yellow Brick Road (Yellow Brick Road 4 of 21) - YouTube This song is like a time machine ... whenever I listen to it I almost feel as if I'm sitting in my nan's back garden on a warm summers day in '73 drinking a glass of cider...

The first Elton John that I remember as being his first big hit here in the states (that was actually kinda heavy rock sounding for its time in 72) was Crocodile Rock.

Elton John, Bernie Taupin, and Nigel Olsson.

Nigel Olsson and his vocals with Elton John are some of the best harmonies in rock history. Olsson seems to be overlooked more these days, as being a key player and vital part in Johns earlier music in my opinion.

Strange side note: I constantly forget whether he's living or dead at most points in time.

Urrghhh! I just put the live in Sydny album on and his voice is ****in' awful. He sounds like Mark E.Smith. Shocking! He was one hell of a sweet singer in his classic years. If I could sing like Elton John could on I've seen that movie too...just once in my life I'd die a happy person.

From wiki-This was the last album to feature Elton's old vocal register (or at least what was left of it at the time) prior to his throat surgery which occurred on January 5, 1987

Enough.

I've always enjoyed Elton's beautiful melodies and lovely piano sections. Whilst I haven't delved into his albums yet I'm thinking I might have a go. What do you guys think? Goodbye Yellow Brick Road first up? Honky Chateau maybe?

Goodbye Yellow Brick Road (abum) is awesome, except for Jamaica Jerk-Off

Playing Peachtree rd. now. Played it last night and was disapointed. The only things I've heard that he's done during the past 30 yrs. are singles and one album and that single I need love seemed dreadfully dreary and uninspired, the piano chords seemed basic which is strange considering Elton's probably the best pianist in Rock. The same goes for the songs on Peachtree rd. They're all so dreary and uninspired and it just seems like they're all based around Elton plonking his hands down on some chords when he can be bothered...just a million miles from Bitter fingers and Tower of Babel.

The best - Elton John - Can You Feel The Love Tonigh

No.

Where to Now St. Peter is a great ****ing song. I don't see anybody talking about Elton John around here, but frankly, Tumbleweed Connection is a great album.

the problem with talking about guys like John is that people post comments like "I heard crocodile rock once. good song. love the muppett lol."

Some of his deeper-cuts (personal favorite is Border Song) are really strong songs and have unfortunately lost their presense through time and from being overshadowed. I'll check out St. Peter now.

I nicked Goodbye Yellow Brick Road from my mother a couple of years ago, but haven't listened to it much. Thought I'd go a bit further, and frankly, he's a great songwriter, and I'm surprised to hear so little about him here in the face of that.

Well again, its hard to get beyond the mega-hits. Maybe if we make an MB "Don't be an Elton John newb" album, we could get some real discussion going.

Want to each put 5 songs together?

Do a compilation? I could be up for that, but I'd need to spend more time with the albums I do know.

Part of the reason I'm unbiased is because I really don't have much for prior experience with him, so if you tell me which songs to avoid, I can probably work around them and we'll have a good compilation on our hands.

Well if you're looking to avoid the droll, I'd say dodge the following:

All film tracks
Candle in the Wind
Don't let the sun go down on me
Honkey Cat
Benny and the Jets
Croc Rock

I'm sure there are more I'm missing but you'll know his big ones when you hear them as they're almost omnipresent.

Yeah, I can hear most of those in my head already.

Looking at his discography, I'm thinking bugger a well-rounded comp, and just go for quality tracks. Like a Beginner's Guide to The Rest of Elton John.

Putting on Yellow Brick Road now to get familiar with it again.

This sounds like something I could get behind. Without revisiting his work, 'Funeral for a Friend/Love Lies Bleeding' deserves a spot on this A Young Person's Guide to Elton John.

Count me in.

Fantastic. ET, would you say you have a strong familiarity with Elton John?