Slip us a rope and sail on 'round the bend

I bought my first record when I was thirteen years old. The year was 1975; naturally, the LP was Captain Fantastic And The Brown Dirt Cowboy, by Elton John.

For my first review at Thirsty Ears, it seems fitting that I should choose another Elton John disc:  Tumbleweed Connection.

Elton John is a singles artist but Tumbleweed Connection doesn't have a hit single on it. The best known track is "Burn Down The Mission". Here's a recent performance:



Don't spurn this disc because of the lack of a hit single. It's a concept album; maybe the only one that Elton ever pulled off.

The cover art signals that we're being transported to the Wild West. The concept probably succeeds because Bernie Taupin (Elton's lyricist) always fantasized about the USA in general and the Wild West in particular. It's a topic that gets Taupin's creative juices flowing, so he was able to write an album full of tracks on the theme. (OK, with a couple of love songs thrown in. What's a pop album without love songs?)

Elton's writing became formulaic as the years passed, but at this stage of his career (1970) he hadn't discovered the formula yet! Hence the lack of a hit single — but ultimately it isn't a weakness. This album is distinctive, not to be mistaken for anything else in Elton's recording career. It sets a mood with the first track and sustains it throughout the disc.

That's not to say that every song sounds the same — not at all. There are ballads ("Come Down In Time", "Love Song"), a country-inflected tune ("Country Comfort"), and a stand-out track consisting of solo piano with a powerful vocal ("Talking Old Soldiers"). The up-tempo tracks ("Ballad of a Well-known Gun", "Son Of Your Father", "Burn Down The Mission") might be described as roots music, with one foot firmly planted in the blues tradition. There's even a bit of jazz to be found in the 30 second intro to "My Father's Gun".

In sum:  it's a highly original disc featuring plenty of variety, yet the album hangs together very well.

And the sound? I am deeply impressed by how well Elton John's discs were recorded. Look for the discs which say "The Classic Years" to the left of the artwork — those ones have been remastered. I have plenty of discs from the 70s which sound muddy — downright crappy, even — but the sound quality of the Elton John discs is consistently fine.

I'd go so far as to say that the beginning of "Amoreena" is a good track to test the quality of your stereo system. First, a tasty bit of solo piano; then (bam!) in come the drums, bass, organ, and guitar. Each instrument is distinct in the mix; each has real punch. Listen to the overall effect, listen again to whichever instrument happens to grab your attention. It all sounds good.

Songwriting:  ★★★★☆
Performance:  ★★★★☆
Sound quality:  ★★★★☆
In a word:  Exceptional.