70's Elton John fans...

[BottomFeeder]

Just purchased remastered versions of:

Tumbleweed Connection
Madman Across the Water
Don't Shoot Me (I'm Only The Piano Player)
Captain Fantastic & The Brown Dirt Cowboy

& All of them sound much better than the originals. Everything's just way clearer & cleaner. If you're into EJ's early stuff, go get these and listen to them all over again! They're great.

I bought them from Amazon & got all 4 for $25, shipping included.

[heiney9]

Just purchased remastered versions of:

Tumbleweed Connection
Madman Across the Water
Don't Shoot Me (I'm Only The Piano Player)
Captain Fantastic & The Brown Dirt Cowboy

& All of them sound much better than the originals. Everything's just way clearer & cleaner. If you're into EJ's early stuff, go get these and listen to them all over again! They're great.

I bought them from Amazon & got all 4 for $25, shipping included.

Awesome! Is that 4 for $25 new discs or used?

[BottomFeeder]

Yup, new discs!

Amazon had a buy 3 get the 4th one free sale. I didn't see it advertised, but only became aware of the deal when I jumped through the hoops to make the purchase. Maybe they're still running it?

[mrmusicman]

Thats a killer deal...I myself own all of those also ,they sound excellant!Elton put out some killer tunes in the 70's if you don't have "Goodby Yellowbrick Road" sacd ,thats a definate must have.:D

[reeltrouble1]

It is a good deal.

I have three of the four in SACD hybrid, 6.99 each at www.yourmusic.com as another alternative for them, just a few bucks more including delivery, the redbook layers are excellent as well.

Tumbleweed and Madman are two of my favorites, good stuff before he sort of went nuts for years with drugs. They also had the Yellow Brick Road for 13.98 a two disc set with a number of releases not on the album along with a video John talking about music.

RT1

[schwarcw]

Yep, great albums. I own SACD copies of Madman, Tumbleweed, Goodbye YBR, and Elton's first. His first album has some great songs. "Your Song" of course, "Take Me to the Pilot Zone", "The Border Song", "Sixty Years On", "The Cage" and my favorite "The Greatest Discovery".

I'm with you RT, some of his stuff after GBYBR, just didn't do it for me. I really liked his 1992 "The One". I've never seen him live, I hear his tour with Billy Joel some years ago was a great show to see.

[heiney9]

Early Elton John is constantly in my rotation. I guess it's time to get the remasters. I do have a MFSL version of Honky Chateau that sounds excellent. No matter some of the inconsistencies later in his career he is a true legend and the man can write a song and play the piano. I had a chance to see him about 5 years ago and he is a great showman. He and Bernie Taupin ahve to be right up there not too far behind Lennon and McCartney.

I also highly recommend Hear and There. Disc 1 is live in London for the Queen and disc 2 in live at MSG and Lennon comes onstage and plays 3 songs with Elton. As it turns out that's the last time Lennon ever takes the stage to play music.

H9

[BottomFeeder]

I also highly recommend Hear and There. Disc 1 is live in London for the Queen and disc 2 in live at MSG and Lennon comes onstage and plays 3 songs with Elton. As it turns out that's the last time Lennon ever takes the stage to play music.

H9[/QUOTE]

Wow! Didn't know that!

Thanks for the tip!

[jgido759]

I also highly recommend Hear and There. Disc 1 is live in London for the Queen and disc 2 in live at MSG and Lennon comes onstage and plays 3 songs with Elton. As it turns out that's the last time Lennon ever takes the stage to play music.

H9

+1 for Hear and There.

Disc 2 hold a special place for me as I was at that particular concert. :D

[reeltrouble1]

I saw him in the 80's at Irvine Meadows in Cali. I was a Manager at the ampitheater back then, I took the night off just so I could sit and enjoy without worrying about all the security logistics things. I remember him as a unique bird, although I never saw the actual contract the scuttlebutt was it had several interesting demands for Elton John, things like, we had to stop the entire flow of out traffic from the parking lot after the show as he was not one for long after show parties and wanted to get out of there, he wanted special things in his dressing room and so on.

The show was absoulutely outstanding, this would of been around 1980 maybe 81, he had the crowd laughing and crying the music was quite stunning, anyway, like you say he lost his way for quite a bit.

RT1

[BottomFeeder]

As far as I know, the most often cited reason for Elton's decline was not drugs, but his parting company with his lyricist, Bernie Taupin. Taupin wrote the words and Elton put them to music. What a combination.

I'm not sure when, but they eventually re-united and that's when EJ's music began to ascend once again.

[reeltrouble1]

He talks about his drug use openly and writing a bunch of really bad stuff, Taupin leaving, not that hard to make the leap as to why. I suppose if your like me and see drugs as a very destructive force, well, then there was Hemingway, effin drunk could write like nobody's business.

RT1

[Danny Tse]

I've never seen him live, I hear his tour with Billy Joel some years ago was a great show to see.

Saw them together several years back at San Jose, CA....you've to see these guys together to believe it. Especially great when they face each other, playing these huge concert grand pianos, and singing each other's classics. Hope they tour again soon. Highly recommended!!

[Texas42]

Which of his early albums had the song "Lady Samantha" on it? I know it was one of his earliest hits and I used to have it on a 'british invasion' compilation album years ago.

[BottomFeeder]

Well... It's on "To Be Continued" & "Rare Masters." Maybe more?

Do a Google search & you'll find more.

[heiney9]

As far as I know, the most often cited reason for Elton's decline was not drugs, but his parting company with his lyricist, Bernie Taupin. Taupin wrote the words and Elton put them to music. What a combination.

I'm not sure when, but they eventually re-united and that's when EJ's music began to ascend once again.

Well that was part of it, but it was mostly his drug use, alcohol abuse, dealing with his homosexuality and a basic depression (because of the former 3) he was in during the 80's. The rift between he and Taupin only made things worse.

He has said many times he is lucky to be alive as not only did he think he would OD, but on a few occassions he thought of taking his own life because of all the misery he felt.

H9

[BottomFeeder]

Hmmmph!

Thanks for filling me in, H9.