POO: Elton John songs

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I've finally decided on Goodbye Yellow Brick Road over Rocket Man. They're the only two I can tolerate at all, mind. Odd that I really quite enjoy both.

― derrick (derrick), Friday, 28 February 2003 07:20 (twenty-two years ago)

"Funeral For a Friend/Love Lies Bleeding"

― Alex in NYC (vassifer), Friday, 28 February 2003 07:25 (twenty-two years ago)

"Harmony"

― Kenan Hebert (kenan), Friday, 28 February 2003 07:26 (twenty-two years ago)

Notice which album is being agreed upon.

― Kenan Hebert (kenan), Friday, 28 February 2003 07:26 (twenty-two years ago)

We've done this before I think, but since Alex already said "Love Lies Bleeding", and someone else will eventually say "Saturday's Alright for Fighting", I'll say "All the Girls Love Alice"

― James Blount (James Blount), Friday, 28 February 2003 07:28 (twenty-two years ago)

Tough. I have a weakness for almost everything he did up until 1975, and then a fair number of songs afterwards. So, I'm changing the direction with my choice to DOO (Destroy Only One)...

"Crocodile Rock"

― paul cox (paul cox), Friday, 28 February 2003 07:28 (twenty-two years ago)

OOh. I seriously can't stand "Honky Cat."

― Kenan Hebert (kenan), Friday, 28 February 2003 07:30 (twenty-two years ago)

"Johnny B. Goode"

― James Blount (James Blount), Friday, 28 February 2003 07:34 (twenty-two years ago)

DOO: Daniel.

― derrick (derrick), Friday, 28 February 2003 07:35 (twenty-two years ago)

DOO: "Sad Songs Say So Much"

― Alex in NYC (vassifer), Friday, 28 February 2003 07:37 (twenty-two years ago)

DOO: Daniel

"Daniel"? Why on earth would you bother hating such an innocuous and pleasant song?

― Kenan Hebert (kenan), Friday, 28 February 2003 07:48 (twenty-two years ago)

DOO: "Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds"
POO: "Grey Seal"

― Arthur (Arthur), Friday, 28 February 2003 07:49 (twenty-two years ago)

Why on earth would you bother hating such an innocuous and pleasant song?

Well, it was POO. It was the first that came to mind; never liked it much at all. It has been a while since I've heard it, so maybe another try is in order.

In that case, I'll be the first to say 'Candle In the Wind'.

― derrick (derrick), Friday, 28 February 2003 07:56 (twenty-two years ago)

POO Blue Eyes

― kevin brady (groeuvre), Friday, 28 February 2003 08:02 (twenty-two years ago)

I'll be the first to say 'Candle In the Wind'.

Indeed. Shoulda thought of that one myself.

― Kenan Hebert (kenan), Friday, 28 February 2003 08:07 (twenty-two years ago)

"Border Song", though you have to ignore the annoying preachy crap near the end. (Which, apparently, is the part that Elton John added, the good part of the song having been written by someone else?) So, that's my pick for POO & DOO.

― Dave Fischer, Friday, 28 February 2003 08:13 (twenty-two years ago)

Without Bernie, Elton is just a piano player.

― Kenan Hebert (kenan), Friday, 28 February 2003 08:15 (twenty-two years ago)

Without Bernie, Elton is just one of the most impressive piano pop composers ever.

POO: Mona Lisas and Mad Hatters
DOO: Jamaica Jerk-Off

― My name is Kenny (My name is Kenny), Friday, 28 February 2003 08:17 (twenty-two years ago)

the melodies are much stronger than the words

― James Blount (James Blount), Friday, 28 February 2003 08:20 (twenty-two years ago)

I'm changing the direction with my choice to DOO (Destroy Only One)...

"Crocodile Rock"

Fair enough, as long as you spare his performance of same on The Muppet Show, complete with a chorus of alligator puppets.

(My one pick -- for praise, not destruction: Goodbye Yellow Brick Road.)

― Paul in Santa Cruz (Paul in Santa Cruz), Friday, 28 February 2003 08:32 (twenty-two years ago)

"I'm Still Standing"

― dave q, Friday, 28 February 2003 11:23 (twenty-two years ago)

"philadelphia freedom" or "daniel"

― Tad (llamasfur), Friday, 28 February 2003 11:43 (twenty-two years ago)

Someone Saved My Life Tonight

― Chris V. (Chris V), Friday, 28 February 2003 12:43 (twenty-two years ago)

Favorites are "Mona Lisas and Mad Hatters" and "My Father's Gun"

"we dug his shallow grave beneath the sun/I laid his broken body down below the southern land"

I always blame "Island Girl" for the demise of EJ. Before it you can always find some good stuff on his albums, after it it's all junk.

― zaxxon25 (zaxxon25), Friday, 28 February 2003 13:18 (twenty-two years ago)

Best - "Goodbye YBR"

Worst - "Made In England"

― Tom (Groke), Friday, 28 February 2003 13:27 (twenty-two years ago)

lets make it interesting - 80s Elton only! i still quite like 'I'm Still Standing'

'Made In England' is indeed the worst, but lets not negate the godawful 'Sacrifice' and those bloody Lion King songs

― stevem (blueski), Friday, 28 February 2003 13:29 (twenty-two years ago)

Best 80s Elton is "Nikita" obv.

― Tom (Groke), Friday, 28 February 2003 13:31 (twenty-two years ago)

i like "island girl" -- what's there to not like about a song about a Caribbean hooker in midtown Manhattan? or the lyrical pun ("just another John who make a mistake?")

tom's OTM re "Nikita" being elton's best eighties song.

― Tad (llamasfur), Friday, 28 February 2003 14:03 (twenty-two years ago)

OPO: "Your Song"!!!!!!

― Al (sitcom), Friday, 28 February 2003 15:04 (twenty-two years ago)

"Benny and the Jets"

― sundar subramanian (sundar), Friday, 28 February 2003 15:22 (twenty-two years ago)

toss-up between "rocket man" and "benny and the jets". sundar is OTM

― weasel diesel (K1l14n), Friday, 28 February 2003 15:23 (twenty-two years ago)

i like "song for guy" too. it *moves* me

― weasel diesel (K1l14n), Friday, 28 February 2003 15:23 (twenty-two years ago)

"Writing"

― matt riedl (veal), Friday, 28 February 2003 16:24 (twenty-two years ago)

POO: Goodbye. (from Madman Across the Water)

made me cry the first time i heard it.

― Jack Battery-Pack (Jack Battery-Pack), Friday, 28 February 2003 20:15 (twenty-two years ago)

"Levon"

― Mr. Diamond (diamond), Friday, 28 February 2003 20:41 (twenty-two years ago)

The Bitch Is Back

― Anthony Miccio (Anthony Miccio), Friday, 28 February 2003 22:10 (twenty-two years ago)

"Your Song"

(me absolutely not hot 'bout 80s Elton)

― t\'\'t (t\'\'t), Friday, 28 February 2003 23:11 (twenty-two years ago)

POO 80s "I Don't Want to Go One With You Like That"

― James Blount (James Blount), Friday, 28 February 2003 23:12 (twenty-two years ago)

80s: I Guess That's Why They Call it the Blues. (I think that's the title, it's the catch-line at the end of the chorus...)

I pretty much buy zaxxon's "Island Girl" theory, however.

― Paul in Santa Cruz (Paul in Santa Cruz), Saturday, 1 March 2003 03:00 (twenty-two years ago)

80's-wise, I'm going to have to go with "I'm Still Standing".

― Alex in NYC (vassifer), Saturday, 1 March 2003 03:25 (twenty-two years ago)

"Benny and the Jets" or "Goodbye Yellow Brick Road." "Teacher I Need You" is an okay song, I think.

I remember my brother saying how bad Rock of the Westies was, but then I recently saw that showing up on some muso best of lists. I wonder what I would think of it now. I don't remember anything about what it sounded like.

― Rockist Scientist, Saturday, 1 March 2003 03:26 (twenty-two years ago)

I have to admit I like "Tiny Dancer" a lot too.

― Rockist Scientist, Saturday, 1 March 2003 03:30 (twenty-two years ago)

i like "grey seal" too (bernie ponders "i am the walrus")

― george gosset (gegoss), Saturday, 1 March 2003 04:42 (twenty-two years ago)

i totally cannot pick one only: i pick, empty garden, island girl, little jeannie and benny and the jets. DOO: obv diana version of candle in the wind.

― di smith (lucylurex), Saturday, 1 March 2003 08:41 (twenty-two years ago)

oh god and the passenger song is a complete abomination: thin out its numbers.

― di smith (lucylurex), Saturday, 1 March 2003 10:09 (twenty-two years ago)

eleven months pass...

how good is the 'goodbye yellow brick road' album?!!

bought it out of curiosiy in light of many recent reviews of both the scissor sisters and rufus wainwright records saying they sounded
like his peak-period. most money seems to be on '...yellow brick road' as his best and i'm way way impressed with so much of it.
is this as good as he got? is 'captain fantastic' all it's cracked up to be ? there sems to be a certain amount of 'the early stuff was beter' chatter among actual fan-type fans rather than latecomers like me.

who's the elton expert?

crikey but he tailed off spectacularly in about 1976 didnt he ?
i've heard interviews where he writes off whole decades as sounding
'like a dead person'.

― piscesboy, Monday, 2 February 2004 14:25 (twenty-one years ago)

"Bennie and the Jets"

― Matthew Perpetua (Matthew Perpetua), Monday, 2 February 2004 14:27 (twenty-one years ago)

It's a hard battle between 'Have Mercy On The Criminal' and 'Texan Love Song', but I will have to chose the former.

― Jay Kid (Jay K), Monday, 2 February 2004 14:31 (twenty-one years ago)

"Mona Lisa And Mad Hatters", why of course!

I'd like to destroy all the new mixes of "Are You Ready For Love?".

― Kornél Kovács (Kornél Kovács), Monday, 2 February 2004 14:40 (twenty-one years ago)

"Song For Guy", though I don't want to have to leave out "Sorry Seems to be...", "Sweet Painted Lady", "Idol" and others...

― Tom May (Tom May), Monday, 2 February 2004 15:20 (twenty-one years ago)

"Someone Saved My Life Tonight"

― LondonLee (LondonLee), Monday, 2 February 2004 15:41 (twenty-one years ago)

I think Don't Shoot Me I'm Only the Piano-Player is good, maybe more consistent than Yellowbrick Road.

― Rockist Scientist (rockistscientist), Monday, 2 February 2004 17:17 (twenty-one years ago)

Definitely less overplayed.

― Rockist Scientist (rockistscientist), Monday, 2 February 2004 17:31 (twenty-one years ago)

God! None of you have picked "Amoreena"! What's that about?

― Keith Watson (kmw), Monday, 2 February 2004 20:06 (twenty-one years ago)

Elton John is THA MAN! While I've never felt the need to buy one of his LPs, I've also never felt the need to change the station when he comes on the radio. And I honestly don't know if Bernie Taupin's lyrics are any good or not 'cause I don't know 'em, and have no desire to learn. So long as Elton keeps piling on those unforgettable piano/title hooks, I'm happy. I'll take "Goodbye Yellow Brick Road", although "Rocket Man" is the one that I actually know many of the lyrics to.

― Myonga Von Bontee, Monday, 2 February 2004 21:51 (twenty-one years ago)

I'm with those who picked "Someone Saved My Life Tonight", although that entire album is marvellous

― Geir Hongro (GeirHong), Monday, 2 February 2004 21:52 (twenty-one years ago)

seven months pass...

'this song has no title'.

― piscesboy, Saturday, 18 September 2004 09:01 (twenty-one years ago)

I'll go to my grave defending Tumbleweed Connection. Not a shabby song in the bunch (and it has "Amoreena"). While a good deal of EJ's output is wretched, TC would easily make my top ten albums of the 70's.

Madman Across The Water is pretty solid as well. Besides that, it's a smattering of singles and album tracks (most listed above and all done prior to about '75) that aren't utter shit.

― Will (will), Saturday, 18 September 2004 15:28 (twenty-one years ago)

At one time, I might have said "Candle in the Wind", but that song has been ruined for me since 1997 (other people here must be in the same boat).

So I'll say "Empty Garden", with "Rocket Man" as my alternate. I see a lot of people picked the latter uphthread.

― Barry Bruner (Barry Bruner), Saturday, 18 September 2004 15:32 (twenty-one years ago)

ELTON JOHN! Yay!

"Rocket Man"'s OK as an obvious answer to "Space Oddity," but for pure EJ goodness I'll take "Bennie and the Jets" (I think this was the first song I was ever full-on obsessed with) or "Funeral For A Friend/Love Lies Bleeding" (Alex OTM right out of the gate). When I saw Redd Kross cover the latter in 1991 I was totally startled and pleased, having almost completely forgotten about EJ over the preceding 15 years. ...Captain Fantastic was a solid album too -- from what I recall, "Meal Ticket" rocked pretty hard. Might have to revisit that record soon. I stopped listening abruptly after Rock of the Westies, having discovered punk rock, so cannot comment on anything after that.

― snazz, Saturday, 18 September 2004 15:57 (twenty-one years ago)

< / twelve-year-old>

― snazz, Saturday, 18 September 2004 15:58 (twenty-one years ago)

Oh, for me it's always been "Philadephia Freedom." A work of utter genius (as Greil Marcus pointed out in his discography for the "Stranded" compilation). I do like "Island Girl" and "Benny and the Jets" too. "Rocket Man" is a cool song but I hate the production; "Honky Cat" is nice. "Love Lies Bleeding" is another good one, as is "Take Me to the Pilot." "Your Song" is one of those "standards" I acknowledge as such and I would be happy to have written it, but I don't really like it. "Tiny Dancer" is such an amazing melody and I love those strings, but it's an idiotic song actually.

― eddie hurt (ddduncan), Saturday, 18 September 2004 16:16 (twenty-one years ago)

I'll give a shout-out to Paul Buckmaster -- really, the key component to the success of Reg's early stuff.

― Naive Teen Idol (Naive Teen Idol), Sunday, 19 September 2004 01:58 (twenty-one years ago)

POO: Crocodile Rock
DOO: Candle In The Wind

― Atnevon (Atnevon), Sunday, 19 September 2004 22:42 (twenty-one years ago)

oh i want to add another to my list. "princess", its sooooo toto.

― The Lady Ms Lurex (lucylurex), Monday, 20 September 2004 07:57 (twenty-one years ago)

one year passes...

Just came accross your site by accident and having read all the postings still not sure what Poo and Doo are.

As a piano player I take my hat (but not my pants) off to EJ. I don't know anything about Bernie Taupin other than his name shows up as co-author of most songs EJ has recorded - I always figured he was EJ's favorite head/bum-boy. When the old bum-stabber married his Canadian buddy last year, I was appalled but I guess that just tells me what an old relic I am.

I think his few good songs are Rocket Man, Honkey Cat, Yellow Brick Road, Your Song and Bennie. Note that they all have outstanding guitar work but placed secondary to the piano. Who was that playing guitar for EJ on those tracks?

As far as I am concerned, the rest of his stuff is rubbish or worse, (Don't let your son go down on me?)especially the one for that twit of a princess. Heaven help england if Charles becomes king. That moron actually told his misteress that "he wished he was a tampon then he could live in her trousers forever".

Griff

― Peter Charles Lacelles-Griffiths, Sunday, 30 April 2006 04:38 (nineteen years ago)

Heh heh, "Poo and Doo"! We're all a bunch of preschoolers who haven't learned how to cuss properly yet. (Seriously, tho: That's "Pick only one" and "Destroy only one".)

I just want to announce that shortly after my original post, I finally purchased my first-ever EJ albums. (GYBR and the first two best-ofs.) I was familiar with much of the contents anyways, after 30 yrs of exposure.

― Myonga Von Bontee (Myonga Von Bontee), Tuesday, 9 May 2006 16:01 (nineteen years ago)

POO: "Amoorena", thanks to "Dog Day Afternoon"

― Badvuggum (Badvuggum), Tuesday, 9 May 2006 16:13 (nineteen years ago)

"I Feel Like A Bullet (in the Gun of Robert Ford)"

― Alfred, Lord Sotosyn (Alfred Soto), Tuesday, 9 May 2006 16:38 (nineteen years ago)

one year passes...

ELTON!

― pisces, Friday, 4 April 2008 06:05 (seventeen years ago)

don't let the sun go down on me

― remy bean, Friday, 4 April 2008 06:13 (seventeen years ago)

ok so was Peter Charles Lacelles-Griffiths a regular trolling unsuccessfully or are there Elton John fan-googlers who swing into a forum and break out the homophobia first thing 'cause if so wow

― J0hn D., Friday, 4 April 2008 12:31 (seventeen years ago)

Well, there's actually supposed to be an "s" in Lascelles; it's a surname with connections to minor British royalty. But this rum old cove rings a bell - I'm sure I remember a spate of his (lengthy) comments popping up on some of the blogs I read, a couple of years ago. Maybe they were even on my blog. Potentially libellous allegations about the British royal family, if I remember correctly.

― mike t-diva, Friday, 4 April 2008 13:07 (seventeen years ago)

I heard Don't Go Breaking My Heart in a club the other day and I've been humming it ever since. What an uplifting record.

― Daniel Giraffe, Tuesday, 8 April 2008 09:22 (seventeen years ago)

Pick Only One: "Billy Bones and The White Bird," perhaps the rockinest thing he ever did.

Destroy Only One: You always had to pick and choose with Elton, but how about "Don't Go Breaking My Heart?" it seems such a craven sellout--even for a guy who ALWAYS wrote for the charts. Like he was trying to write the stupidest music he could for the worst lyrics he could find.

― SecondBassman, Tuesday, 8 April 2008 16:50 (seventeen years ago)

eight years pass...

I think Benny and the Jets is one of my favorite tracks of the era. Those weird-sounding, slightly off-rhythm audience handclaps really make it for me, that and the famous piano lick.

― socka flocka-jones (man alive), Friday, 12 August 2016 16:06 (nine years ago)

Bennie and the Jets...

― Iago Galdston, Friday, 12 August 2016 16:16 (nine years ago)

Whatever, fuck Elton John

― socka flocka-jones (man alive), Friday, 12 August 2016 17:51 (nine years ago)

Elton John
Madman Across the Water *** 1/2
Trading the cinematic aspirations of Tumbleweed Connection for a tentative stab at prog rock, Elton John, the old bum-stabber, and Bernie Taupin, his favourite head/bum-boy, deliver another excellent collection of songs. GRIFF

― dinnerboat, Friday, 12 August 2016 20:02 (nine years ago)

one year passes...

Song for Guy. What else?

― Ich bin kein Berliner (alex in mainhattan), Friday, 25 May 2018 16:50 (seven years ago)

tell me, grey seal

― reggie (qualmsley), Friday, 25 May 2018 17:11 (seven years ago)

"Benny and the Jets" (esp. his falsetto at the end) is pretty good too but hasn't got the same emotional impact on me than "Song for Guy". Which also has the big advantage that he hardly sings on it.

― Ich bin kein Berliner (alex in mainhattan), Friday, 25 May 2018 19:21 (seven years ago)

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