I Would Trade My Ruby Slippers For This

Goodbye Yellow Brick Road by Elton John

Okay, what is the first thing you think of when I say "70's music"? Disco crap, and we need to stop perpetuating the myth that it was all that existed back in those bad old days. For example.there is 70's muzak that plays in the hallways of the corporate giant that I work for, and most of it is pretty bad. Just what I DON'T want to hear when I am walking down the halls is Undercover Angel, Funky Town, or anything by The Bee Gees.

But this 70's (originally) release by Elton John is one that can be listened to yet today without cringing. As a "double album" (relatively expensive and rare back in those days), it has only a couple of tunes that are pop-y and unlikeable. For the most part, the tracks are original, crisp, and timeless. Of course, smattered throughout are the piano solos John was famous for back in the 70's.thumping honky-tonk improv and emotional, quiet insights.

Other than Madman Across the Water, Goodbye Yellow Brick Road is probably John's finest work. And the cover art ain't bad either. (A young, slim Elton wearing ruby colored shoes walking down a yellow brick road.) If you've only heard Sir Elton since 1990 or later (when he started doing all the Disney soundtracks), you need to go back in time to his pre-soft sound that actually rocked and had some bite to it. Yes, Jimmy, I said BITE.

There are 18 tracks on this album, but I am just going to hit the highest (and lowest) points in this review. Don't want to spoil it all for you! Here's just a sampling.

Funeral for a Friend/Love Lies Bleeding
Incomparable. Starts out the album with an organ-whispering-church-like movement that quickly turns into a screaming frenzy of fingers flying over keyboards (piano, electric keyboard, organ) that will take your breath away. "Funeral" is 100% instrumental, and begs to be played at full capacity of your sound system. If you are in your car, crank DOWN the windows, no matter the outside temperature, and be prepared to rock and roll. Blow away those blue-hairs listening to Montavadi.they don't need to nap on the road anyway. The final measures are downright orgasmic in their conclusion, that's right, I said orgasmic and you will feel the earth move.

The segue from "Funeral" to "Bleeding" is magnificent and cannot be ignored. "Bleeding" tells the story of love lost, at what cost. Interpret it as you may:

"And love lies bleeding in my hand,
Oh it kills me to think of you with another man,
I was playin' rock and roll and you were just a fan,
But my guitar couldn't hold you so I quit the band.
Love lies bleeding in my hand."

The piano solo following the second chorus is unmatched in it's simplicity, sweetness, and poignancy. If the old chestnut "what 10 songs would you take to a desert island" were asked of me, I would take "Funeral/Bleeding" as one choice, two, or all ten if need be. It's just that dammed good.

Candle in the Wind
Much as I liked and respected Princess Diana, I was really disappointed in the re-write and release of this track after her death. While it's easy to make the comparison between Diana and the heroine of this song (Norma Jean Baker aka Marilyn Monroe), I felt it was a capitalization on her death to do so. Just a little commentary; I still enjoy this song for it's story-telling and sensitive viewpoint of a cultural icon (Monroe).

Bennie and the Jets
I hated this song when it was on the radio, and I still hate it today. It's just an irritating little ditty that was written to make money, and it has no socially redeeming qualities whatsoever. It's even more annoying than Goodbye Yellow Brick Road which is the next-to-most hated song on this CD. Both of these were put on the radio as singles, and overplayed, overplayed, overplayed. Still overplayed on the classic rock stations as far as I know. Skip these two tracks and you won't miss a gol-darned thing.

Sweet Painted Lady
Many of the songs on this CD are ballad-esque, this one included. A tune about sailors visiting prostitutes when on shore-duty (prostitutes, another recurring theme in this album), it contains my absolute favorite line ("Opportunity awaits me like a rat in the drain,"). Couldn't tell you why I like it, but I do. Rest of the song is sweet and gentle.

All the Young Girls Love Alice
Tell it as you like, this one still rocks, no matter if you like the subject matter or not. (Young girl who prostitutes herself to rich men's wives is found dead - there's that prostitute thing again!) And my sister-in-law is named Alice, so it always makes me laugh, at least a little. The verse is the fast moving rock and roll, get up and shake your booty; the chorus slows down and turns into a ballad-like movement before picking you up and tossing you around again on the next verse.

Social Disease
Doesn't really fit in with the genre of the rest of the CD, but it's definitely one to get you going. I love this song; it makes me smile everytime I hear it. The storyteller laments about getting older while still maintaining his party lifestyle:

Oh, the ladies, they're all getting wrinkles
And they're falling apart at the seams
While I just get high on tequila
Seeing visions of vineyards in my dreams.
And I get bombed for breakfast in the morning.
I get bombed for dinner-time and tea
I dress up in rags, smell a lot,
And I have a real good time,
I'm a genuine example of a social disease!

Okay, so maybe it glamorizes the whole party 'till you fall over lifestyle, but it's a fun tune that gives a little perspective on the outcome of all that partying. Overall feeling is just happy happy happy.and it can make me feel great on a depressing day.

Your Sister Can't Twist
Imagine Barnum and Bailey meeting The Beach Boys and you have the gist of this song. It's kind of a demented Twist and Shout with circus music in the background. Fun, and wacky.

Harmony
One of my favorites, mainly because I had this music when I was a teen and could actually play it, sing along, and make it sound like the record. One of my biggest disappointments as a kid was spending money on music, taking it home, and realizing that the "accompaniment" was just a piano part playing the vocals, with maybe a little bit of a chord thrown in. BORING. This one was accompaniment only, ergo, I didn't have to improvise to make it sound cool. Good song too; another ballad with sentimental lyrics.