Elton's First Live Album - Japanese LP Sleeve Version
Lonnie E. Holder | Columbus, Indiana, United States | 11/11/2006
(4 out of 5 stars)
"In the early 70s Elton John had quite a few firsts, all in the span of a few years. Elton almost exploded onto the American music scene in 1970, and was so popular that albums could hardly be released fast enough. From a business perspective, it made sense to release as many albums as possible from a young artist that hit the top 10 with his first two U.S. releases. Further, live albums were relatively popular in the early 70s, and it appeared important for Elton to have one. Thus, this album was one of four 1971 releases for Elton. This particular release went to #11 in the charts.
The energy on this album is fantastic. A young, very energetic Elton John pounds out blues flavored rock. Included is an eighteen and a half minute single that includes "Burn Down the Mission," "My Baby Left Me," and "Get Back." This particular combination creates a free-wheeling rocker that seems to go on forever. Elton was clearly having fun with this set, with his piano and drums often at the forefront. Later the style changes to the blues, consistent with the way the album begins.
This album also includes "Can I Put You On," a track from the "Friends" soundtrack, which is included in its entirety in the "Rare Masters" collection. The movie was relatively forgettable (though I actually saw it in a theater), but the soundtrack was decent and a foreshadowing of the many soundtracks that Elton would later write and perform.
"Honky Tonk Women" is a well-performed cover of the Rolling Stones' classic. The song starts without instrumental accompaniment, to the amusement and delight of the audience. Unsurprisingly, the song is played with blues overtones, and Elton's piano is also flavored with a bit of honky tonk.
"Amoreena" is another "Tumbleweed Connection" song that appears, in addition to "Burn Down the Mission." While many of the songs on this CD are embellished or even changed, "Amoreena" survives in the style in which it was performed on "Tumbleweed." This song has always been one of my favorites, and the live version is a bit pared down from the album, as the special effects used in the studio version are missing.
"Take Me to the Pilot" and "Sixty Years On" from the "Elton John" album are both given excellent treatment in extended versions. "Sixty Years On" particularly is well performed in this live setting.
In several cases, I prefer these recordings over the studio versions. Elton and his band had time to improve their style over the course of a year or more of playing the songs and being together. "Burn Down the Mission" and "Sixty Years On" are two examples of songs that I think came off quite well in this CD. It may also be that Elton's young voice and incredible energy show so clearly in this CD that they infuse every song with an essence that sometimes gets diluted or disappears in a studio setting. Elton John has always been a great performer in front of audiences and this CD proves he had this talent back to the beginning of his career.
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Track Listings (7) - Disc #1