as a whole a hit

five albums (three studio, a live, a soundtrack) alone in the first two years as a solo artist. 15 Albums 1969-1976 (during the same period creates Axl Rose more than a half): you can output these are no longer present. No wonder that the audience was overwhelmed. especially since Elton John in this whole creativity noise almost always kept the quality. and the quality in pop behaves usually inversely proportional to the success that proves precisely the career of Elton John emphatically.

"Madman" is Elton's fourth regular studio album, and it has some predecessors of all three. of "empty sky" the intimacy of "Elton John" the strings bliss of "Tumbleweed Connection" the film-like access. it is the great strength of this so often overlooked albums that all these elements together in perfect harmony.

Take, for example, only "Tiny Dancer" (what a song!) a folk melody collide with country guitar and great gospel choirs. or the title track: sitting on a harsh blues riff an elegant West Coast folk rock piece in the style of Stephen Stills, before suddenly appear out of the fall on the song Musikverein escaped horde classical strings - and make it even better!

Elton John holds the musical level throughout the album, no song will drop the voltage. the typical Elton sound of his early years - folk, pop, country - come here also gospel and soul, which makes the music very colorful.

However, you have to sing the praises of Bernie Taupin here: His lyrics tell a powerful hand, gripping stories, such as short films - the other, they have always something vague, associative, abstract. "Tiny Dancer" for example, is a tribute to his wife, a ballet artist: "Pretty eyed, pirate smile, you'll mary a music man." But then: "Jesus Freaks, out in the street, handing out tickets for God, turning back she just laughs, the boulevard is not that bad." describing the one hand a very harmless Street Scene, but conveys the same time a strange elusive, disturbing mood.

and what exactly is the story of "Levon" meant the world came one Christmas to when the war began? of His Son, Jesus called, because he likes the name? selling balloons on the street, which must inflate Jesus? Jesus wants to Venus and flying with a balloon of "while Levon slowly dies". enthralling, mysterious.

and of course it is risky when the pale Englishman Taupin in "Indian Sunset" in put into a warrior who is faced with the demise of its culture - but Taupin told these Western at all naivety fascinating, sensitive and tight, "and the red sun sinks at last into the hills of gold and peace to this young warrior come with as bullet hole. "

I feel this song as the core of the album - elton john can fall into it from the first, a capella sung lines deep into his role. touching.

as some of the very early albums is also easy to overlook this - perhaps because it has no hits. why it has no hits? because it is as a whole a hit. on some days, I think this is the best ever by Elton John.

the restored sound is gorgeous, warm, transparent, the music justice to. bonus tracks there is not time.