You can absolutely tell this is the return of the original Elton John Band. Those harmonies, the drum fills, the bass line...perfect. And does Stevie Wonder not have the most distinctive harmonica sound?
Yeah, and just like back in the Elton Golden Era...every song is good to great. And just like when Elton was with the original band (Nigel Olsson drums/vocals, Dee Murray bass/vocals and Davey Johnstone guitars/vocals) the famous creative quickness in recording was back...two weeks to write and record Too Low for Zero.
Billy Joel and Elton John both acknowledge each other’s ability as the top “piano men”. They toured at least once together. I saw them in the 90s where they played and sang each others songs which was wild.
There was a period they were touring together all the time! They would sell out multiple dates in the same city (of course) and one night Elton would start, then Billy would join him, then Billy would would finish, the next night they switched.
@@Gordy63 I like them both but I have always preferred Joel’s work and respected the way Billy tells stories, and writes lyrics as well as melodies. To my mind he is the greatest piano playing singer-songwriter of the post-war era but I also think Elton John is an incredible artist.
The remaining "S-tier" song from Sir Elton is "Someone Saved My Life Tonight." He has many more A or A+ ballads as that is probably his true forte, so I'll highlight a few of his remaining upbeat songs you must hear: "Honky Cat" - a great New Orleans vibe on what may be his most fun tune, "Philadelphia Freedom" - a Philly soul vibe, and "Bitch is Back" -- more of a hard rock side.
Probably my fav Elton song. So evocative. Watch the video to get the context of a boyfriend going off to do 1 years national service in the British army in the 50s and leaving his girlfriend behind Oh and that’s Stevie Wonder on the harmonica. Such a distinctive style
@@allisonreed7682I’m embarrassed to admit I never knew it was Stevie, even though I’ve loved this song for 30 years. And his sound is so undeniable, I feel like a fool to have not noticed lol
Heard Bernie Taupin in a radio interview just a few weeks ago where he said that he wrote the lyrics for each song and sent them to Elton and then forgot about them. Elton would then add the music and sing. He never changed any of Bernie's lyrics and Bernie never interfered with Elton's melody. It was the perfect partnership. On this song, add Stevie Wonder into the mix on harmonica and how could it not be amazing!
I’m 59 and l saw Elton play 17 times in 43 years. l was never disappointed in any of his concerts! Going to miss not seeing him live! What a professional entertainer👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻
Wow. Only once for us. Early 2000s maybe. Just him and a piano on stage for a couple hours in Chattanooga. When he slid from Bennie and the Jets into Chattanooga Choo Choo, the world stopped for a minute. Can't imagine how many memories you have like that. Pretty cool.
For your next Elton John song, I recommend "Someone Saved My Life Tonight". Elton and Billy Joel once toured together. Elton said that "Piano Man" is the perfect piano song, like Dylan for piano. Joel is from Long Island, NY.
"I simply love you... more than I love... life itself". What an impactful line that perfectly describes why he would feel so much despair at being without that special person.
One of his most slept on songs and one of the most slept on slow jams of the 80s IMO. Beautifully written, expertly executed. And the music video really works for the song. Great classic.
I saw that show. It was fantastic. About an hour of Billy, then an hour of Elton, the two hours of them together. It was a four hour gig and nobody in that audience wanted it to be over.
Growing up listening to the radio, this song feels like it’s off the soundtrack of my life. I’m going to suggest another Pianist from the 80’s Bruce Hornsby-“The Way it is”
One of my favorite Elton John songs. Thanks for hitting it. I’m still waiting for someone saved my life tonight, which has some of the most powerful lyrics and rhythm of any of his songs.
Im 22 years old and Elton John is one of the greatest artists of the past 60 years. The next songs you should do are Kiss The Bride, The Bitch Is Back, Funeral For A Friend, Honky Cat.
I always get excited when you guys hit up Elton. He has been my favorite artist for years. Unbelievably, you haven't hit any of my three favorite Elton songs yet..."Levon", "Someone Saved My Life Tonight", and "Empty Garden". Looking forward to those reactions! You won't regret it.
I spent prom night, in a full length leg cast, with my best friends in a pickup truck, dragging main street; singing this song at the top of our lungs. This song always brings me back to that night. ALWAYS. ❤❤❤
The duo of Elton John and songwriter Bernie Taupin is one of the greatest things to happen to the music world. Everything they touched turned to gold 🔥
Stevie Wonder's harmonica on this song is the icing on the cake,another great 80's song Stevie does it to is Eurythmics There Must Be An Angel (playing with my heart)
Have you guys done "Levon" yet? Incredible song that needs to be on your list for next EJ song. I saw EJ and Billy Joel in concert together with their grand pianos side by side. Great show.
Bernie Taupin getting inducted into Rock Hall of Fame this month, finally. (EJ 1994) Elton will play there, but he's done touring. Congrats to Bernie, who also released his memoir "Scattershot ". A bestseller.
This was the third single off of Too Low For Zero and was the biggest hit. That’s rare for those days. Usually the lead single was the biggest hit. This was a #4 and I’m Still Standing was #12 although it now is considered one of his signature songs. This is also a reunion album for Elton’s most iconic 70s band consisting of Nigel Olsson on drums, Dee Murray on bass and Davey Johnstone on guitar. Nigel and Dee were replaced after Captain Fantastic was recorded in 1975. I remember being shocked by that news. Couldn’t understand it. Dee passed away in 1992 and Davey and Nigel are still with Elton today. Davey is the musical director for the band.
With all the classics you have done by him,, I have to admit that I'm shocked that you still haven't reacted to,, Elton John "Levon"..TRUST ME on this one my music lovin' brothers!!!
Somewhat overlooked song these days, sadly. For me, it's still one of Elton's top songs, the orchestration, harmonies, and beautiful lyrics cannot be rated as anything less than top tier. I'm glad you guys picked this gem, cause a gem it most certainly is, and that way you remind some people, and introduce many others to this great song.
Apparently this was a favorite of my mother-in-law's. A short Jewish woman from the Bronx! May she RIP. Every time I hear this song I think of her. Excellent recording. THANKS, guys.
A&A, you'll love his "Philadelphia Freedom" and "Honky Cat"!! You should post your reaction to "Saturday Night’s Alright For Fighting" from the album review in June.
I had been in the Army for several months and was stationed all the way across the country from the love of my life when this song came out. I will never forget the first time I heard it and how it made me feel.
Usually, I wouldn't say watch a video instead of listening to just the song, but in this instance, the video lifts the song up a level.. .Symbiance achieved
I've never heard anyone say this, but when we older folks thumbed through records at the music shop, JOEL and JOHN were right next to each other alphabetically in the bin. My theory is this reinforced a connection.
There' actually a third co-writer on this song: guitarist Davey Johnstone. Davey had played with Elton almost non-stop since 1972, and is still with him today as his musical director. I love your take on Elton being Willy Wonka from The Moon haha!
do you guys know that Elton never wrote a single lyric? Bernie Taupin wrote the lyrics, Elton wrote the music. Bernie was upstairs, Elton was downstairs, they didn't work hand in hand, all of which makes it all that more magical.
Elton & Billy toured together for decades in and out. Saw them in the 5th row at a show in the late 90s. They played each other's tunes back and forth. Elton opened up with "My Life" and Billy opened up with "Bennie & The Jets"
It was my second concert at around the same time (Goodbye Yellow Brick Road tour), could have been 73 or 74, not sure.. even at that young age I was a super fan.
Elton John's best song. Lyrically, musically, and his voice was in that sweet spot between the 70s when it was higher and the mid 90s and beyond when it got much deeper.
I will never forget this song. It became popular the same time I was going through Basic Training. I remember watching the video in Tech School. Really, really brings back some memories.
"Rolling like thunder - under the covers" Andy has DEFINITELY LIVED this song! All three times this line was sung, Andy had a smile of a sweet memory!!! A beautiful thing!!
Possibly Elton’s best ‘80s song. Bernie wrote these lyrics for his then-new second wife. Stevie Wonder on harmonica. Please do Someone Saved My Life Tonight next.
Big up Watford, UK. Elton’s home town. I love how he bought the football club and I lived one road away from the stadium. So in the 80’d he’d do live performances at the stadium (to raise money to buy players) And we’re not talking US size stadiums, it was small. I’d go see him. Great times.
I think most people sleep on what is the true musical genius of EJ. Yes, it’s been noted that Bernie wrote sheets of “lyrics” (really “poems”) in one place, sent them to EJ, who then wrote full, structured, sectioned melodic SONGS around them. But IMHO, few stop to truly imagine -and appreciate- what’s required for that process. I mean, C’mon!! Sure he admits to “pruning” or “shuffling” words here and there…but always, (most of his) songs are structurally complex, with pre-choruses, bridges, modulations, variable phrasings and rythyms, etc along with the usual V+C….all created by EJ out of essentially random collections of written prose or poem. I mean it: Spend a moment with THAT mind experiment! The sheer massive musical facility required for this, for hundreds of songs, simply boggles. I think of myself as somewhat musically sophisticated w/ SD, Joni, WR, SW, PS, JT and others as my touchstones. But what EJ does is another thing entirely, and every truly talented musician/writer has to marvel at EJ’s FREAKISH ability to build - almost reverse-engineer-so many songs full of great melodic, harmonic, and structural choices, and to build them around sheets of words written, in most cases, in isolation by a guy unconnected to any *musical* aspect of the song. Songwriting is one thing. But *how* EJ composes is something else again…it’s, dare I say it, almost…magical! Bow down!
Sixty Years On-album, 11/17/70. This LIVE version of the orchestral original is incredible. Only a few months following his troubadour debut. 23 yr old EJ, bassist Dee Murray, drummer Nigel Olsson & Bernie's lyrics, wow. EJ has said it's almost depressing because he doesn't know if he'll ever play that good again. Wow. The whole album is great, Patreon maybe...one of my faves!❤
I was so excited when this album came out. My old Elton sound was back! 70's Elton couldn't be reproduced but this approached it as much as possible. ✌
Stevie Wonder on the harmonica is the cherry on top of this incredible song
I never knew that!
You can absolutely tell this is the return of the original Elton John Band. Those harmonies, the drum fills, the bass line...perfect. And does Stevie Wonder not have the most distinctive harmonica sound?
I did think it sounded like Stevie, didn't know it was. Cheers for the info!
Magic Dick has the most distinctive harmonica sound
I remember thinking that when i first heard the song. Checked the album credits and sure enough it was Stevie.
Yeah, and just like back in the Elton Golden Era...every song is good to great. And just like when Elton was with the original band (Nigel Olsson drums/vocals, Dee Murray bass/vocals and Davey Johnstone guitars/vocals) the famous creative quickness in recording was back...two weeks to write and record Too Low for Zero.
Kinda disappointed you guys didn't also watch the official video that accompanies this track, which was shown(seemed like forever) on MTV in the 80's.
Billy Joel and Elton John both acknowledge each other’s ability as the top “piano men”. They toured at least once together. I saw them in the 90s where they played and sang each others songs which was wild.
There was a period they were touring together all the time! They would sell out multiple dates in the same city (of course) and one night Elton would start, then Billy would join him, then Billy would would finish, the next night they switched.
Billy wrote a short piece for Rolling Stone and acknowledged that Elton kicks his ass on piano.
Funny, I always liked Elton John and never liked Billy Joel. Something about Elton’s style that resonates so much more with me.
@@Gordy63 I like them both but I have always preferred Joel’s work and respected the way Billy tells stories, and writes lyrics as well as melodies. To my mind he is the greatest piano playing singer-songwriter of the post-war era but I also think Elton John is an incredible artist.
@@scottboswell6406
11:41
The remaining "S-tier" song from Sir Elton is "Someone Saved My Life Tonight." He has many more A or A+ ballads as that is probably his true forte, so I'll highlight a few of his remaining upbeat songs you must hear: "Honky Cat" - a great New Orleans vibe on what may be his most fun tune, "Philadelphia Freedom" - a Philly soul vibe, and "Bitch is Back" -- more of a hard rock side.
Couldn’t disagree with any of those choices
Honky Cat is great! I always enjoyed that song more that most of his others from Honky Chateau.
I love all of these songs
Good choices! Any of them could rate an "S" on the right day. Especially "Honky Cat"!
Nah, I think Sacrifice and even I Want Love are much better than Someone Saved My Life Tonight.
Probably my fav Elton song. So evocative. Watch the video to get the context of a boyfriend going off to do 1 years national service in the British army in the 50s and leaving his girlfriend behind
Oh and that’s Stevie Wonder on the harmonica. Such a distinctive style
We sang it, on the parade ground, en-masse before setting off on deployment to Iraq in early '03.
Love the video and the song.
Elton John and Stevie Wonder. What a wealth of magical talent. Damn. ❤️
Living legends
How about the collab with Stevie, Dionne Warwick and Gladys Knight- That's What Friends Are For
Legends
And the harmonica on this tune sounds so Stevie!
Unmistakably Stevie!@@jeffreymosher6334
That’s Stevie Wonder on harmonica!!!
👋
I came here to say the exact same thing!🖖🏼
@@Shadowrider1872 Hey John!!!
@@ThePittsburghToddy once you know it, it’s unmistakable!
@@allisonreed7682I’m embarrassed to admit I never knew it was Stevie, even though I’ve loved this song for 30 years. And his sound is so undeniable, I feel like a fool to have not noticed lol
Heard Bernie Taupin in a radio interview just a few weeks ago where he said that he wrote the lyrics for each song and sent them to Elton and then forgot about them. Elton would then add the music and sing. He never changed any of Bernie's lyrics and Bernie never interfered with Elton's melody. It was the perfect partnership. On this song, add Stevie Wonder into the mix on harmonica and how could it not be amazing!
I’m 59 and l saw Elton play 17 times in 43 years. l was never disappointed in any of his concerts! Going to miss not seeing him live! What a professional entertainer👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻
Now that's dedication!!! 😎
Wow. Only once for us. Early 2000s maybe. Just him and a piano on stage for a couple hours in Chattanooga. When he slid from Bennie and the Jets into Chattanooga Choo Choo, the world stopped for a minute. Can't imagine how many memories you have like that. Pretty cool.
Best line from the song:
"While I'm away, dust out the demons inside"
They called Stevie Wonder for the Harmonica solo. One take! So much talent here! Next, The Bitch is Back, Honky Cat. Just an endless supply ..
Love Sir Elton John!! “Levon” is still my favorite!!🤘🔥
I love "Levon". I'm not sure I could pick a favorite Elton John, but that's a top contender.
So beautiful!
Madman Across the Water - his greatest album.
Elton & Billy toured together. Back to back pianos, singing each other's songs. They love each other. 2 very different , amazing piano men.❤
For your next Elton John song, I recommend "Someone Saved My Life Tonight". Elton and Billy Joel once toured together. Elton said that "Piano Man" is the perfect piano song, like Dylan for piano. Joel is from Long Island, NY.
"I simply love you... more than I love... life itself". What an impactful line that perfectly describes why he would feel so much despair at being without that special person.
One of his most slept on songs and one of the most slept on slow jams of the 80s IMO. Beautifully written, expertly executed. And the music video really works for the song. Great classic.
Elton made some terrific videos. I'm Still Standing is my fav.
Lord have mercy this was ALL over the radio throughout the early/mid 80s. Always loved it
Elton John and Billy Joel toured together...had two grand pianos on the stage. Lots of videos of them on RUclips.
And Billy is from Long Island, NY
I saw that show. It was fantastic. About an hour of Billy, then an hour of Elton, the two hours of them together. It was a four hour gig and nobody in that audience wanted it to be over.
I think his 80's songs were definitely a large notch below his 70's, but this is one of the better ones. In the 70's, he could do no wrong.
His sings from the 70's sound outdated.
I shed a lot of tears to this song over the years - different times, different people.
Someone save my life tonight is an Elton John S tier song......
Growing up listening to the radio, this song feels like it’s off the soundtrack of my life. I’m going to suggest another Pianist from the 80’s
Bruce Hornsby-“The Way it is”
Great suggestion.
Yes! Bruce Hornsby is an incredible pianist and vocalist. Also "Look Out Any Window" and "The Valley Road"
Absolutely!
One of my favorite Elton John songs. Thanks for hitting it. I’m still waiting for someone saved my life tonight, which has some of the most powerful lyrics and rhythm of any of his songs.
Yes! Beautiful!
And Nigel's drums! Powerful!
The moment the harmonica kicks in is magical
This and Sad Songs Say So Much are arguably my favorite songs by Elton. Two amazing songs from his 80s renaissance.
Mine too. ❤
Love that song too
This is the definition of a "sing along song" for me, such a beautiful and catchy melody wrapped up in a sad song.
Im 22 years old and Elton John is one of the greatest artists of the past 60 years. The next songs you should do are Kiss The Bride, The Bitch Is Back, Funeral For A Friend, Honky Cat.
This, along with "Empty Garden", are my Elton faves! More please!
"Empty Garden"...a tribute to John Lennon. Beautiful song!
Written about his friend John Lennon after his murder
Bernie Taupin's words are half the power of the song. A marriage made in heaven.
I always get excited when you guys hit up Elton. He has been my favorite artist for years. Unbelievably, you haven't hit any of my three favorite Elton songs yet..."Levon", "Someone Saved My Life Tonight", and "Empty Garden". Looking forward to those reactions! You won't regret it.
Get the tissues for Empty Garden. A poignant ballad about John Lennon's death. EJ & Bernie loved him. It hits hard. Beautiful.
"Levon" is in my top 3 favorite Elton John songs and is so underrated. "Empty Garden" is also a great song.
I spent prom night, in a full length leg cast, with my best friends in a pickup truck, dragging main street; singing this song at the top of our lungs. This song always brings me back to that night. ALWAYS. ❤❤❤
The duo of Elton John and songwriter Bernie Taupin is one of the greatest things to happen to the music world. Everything they touched turned to gold 🔥
Stevie Wonder's harmonica on this song is the icing on the cake,another great 80's song Stevie does it to is Eurythmics There Must Be An Angel (playing with my heart)
Have you guys done "Levon" yet? Incredible song that needs to be on your list for next EJ song. I saw EJ and Billy Joel in concert together with their grand pianos side by side. Great show.
I saw Elton and Billy together in concert. FANTASTIC SHOW!
Me too. It was amazing
They have a king now boys.
Bernie Taupin getting inducted into Rock Hall of Fame this month, finally. (EJ 1994) Elton will play there, but he's done touring. Congrats to Bernie, who also released his memoir "Scattershot ". A bestseller.
Didn't know, TY!
Love this song. Try the Bitch is Back for an uptempo rocker. Oh I'll say it... Banger
Two other Elton John songs from that period I would recommend is Little Jeannie and Sad Songs Say So Much.
All the young girls love Alex...
This was the third single off of Too Low For Zero and was the biggest hit. That’s rare for those days. Usually the lead single was the biggest hit. This was a #4 and I’m Still Standing was #12 although it now is considered one of his signature songs.
This is also a reunion album for Elton’s most iconic 70s band consisting of Nigel Olsson on drums, Dee Murray on bass and Davey Johnstone on guitar. Nigel and Dee were replaced after Captain Fantastic was recorded in 1975. I remember being shocked by that news. Couldn’t understand it. Dee passed away in 1992 and Davey and Nigel are still with Elton today. Davey is the musical director for the band.
Elton and Billy were on the road together in 94 on the Face to Face tour. Was an amazingvexperience.
GOOOOOOOOD AFTERNOON A&A FAMILY!!!!
☮️💟♾️
@Shadowrider1872 Hello!
With all the classics you have done by him,, I have to admit that I'm shocked that you still haven't reacted to,, Elton John "Levon"..TRUST ME on this one my music lovin' brothers!!!
Somewhat overlooked song these days, sadly.
For me, it's still one of Elton's top songs, the orchestration, harmonies, and beautiful lyrics cannot be rated as anything less than top tier.
I'm glad you guys picked this gem, cause a gem it most certainly is, and that way you remind some people, and introduce many others to this great song.
He was knighted by QE2 in 1998, so officially a Sir. No need to petition the queen, since she’s busy being all dead and whatnot.
I am a great fan of music, and to my ears, there will be no other in the music industry like Sir Elton John, no other. my favorite singer of all time.
Apparently this was a favorite of my mother-in-law's. A short Jewish woman from the Bronx! May she RIP. Every time I hear this song I think of her. Excellent recording. THANKS, guys.
A&A, you'll love his "Philadelphia Freedom" and "Honky Cat"!!
You should post your reaction to "Saturday Night’s Alright For Fighting" from the album review in June.
I never realized how much heavy lifting the bass guitar does in this song and I've heard it hundreds of times.
I had been in the Army for several months and was stationed all the way across the country from the love of my life when this song came out. I will never forget the first time I heard it and how it made me feel.
Usually, I wouldn't say watch a video instead of listening to just the song, but in this instance, the video lifts the song up a level.. .Symbiance achieved
I've never heard anyone say this, but when we older folks thumbed through records at the music shop, JOEL and JOHN were right next to each other alphabetically in the bin. My theory is this reinforced a connection.
I simply love you more than I love life itself - what a line, one line amongst so many in such a beautiful song !!! Great reaction
“Border Song”, “I’ve Seen That Movie Too” and “Harmony “ are amongst my favorites.
All three great tunes!!!
There' actually a third co-writer on this song: guitarist Davey Johnstone. Davey had played with Elton almost non-stop since 1972, and is still with him today as his musical director.
I love your take on Elton being Willy Wonka from The Moon haha!
Me too. Great!
do you guys know that Elton never wrote a single lyric? Bernie Taupin wrote the lyrics, Elton wrote the music. Bernie was upstairs, Elton was downstairs, they didn't work hand in hand, all of which makes it all that more magical.
A friend of mine was blessed to see Elton John and Billy Joel in concert together. I wish I had been there. I have seen them both, they were amazing.
This is the Blues of lovers separated by events. He asks his love to remember their good times, to wait until they are together again.
Elton & Billy toured together for decades in and out. Saw them in the 5th row at a show in the late 90s. They played each other's tunes back and forth. Elton opened up with "My Life" and Billy opened up with "Bennie & The Jets"
Elton was my first concert in 1975. I was in 7th grade. Fantastic show that I will never forget!🎹🎤
1976 for me, and the 5th grade 😊
1976 for me too - I was a freshman in high school.
It was my second concert at around the same time (Goodbye Yellow Brick Road tour), could have been 73 or 74, not sure.. even at that young age I was a super fan.
@@vespoint Ditto. Just thanked my parents again for letting me go!
Love this song soo much - the video is good too. GJ Gents ♥
***Someone saved my life tonight! ITS A MUST!!***
And now for the banger that repeats, “I guess that’s why I always have the blues “ at the end: Blues From a Gun by TJAMC. The video’s a banger, too.
My hubby was overseas in the US Navy during our first year of marriage! This hit hard while he was away ! ♥
I can honestly say things can only get better...
Elton John's best song. Lyrically, musically, and his voice was in that sweet spot between the 70s when it was higher and the mid 90s and beyond when it got much deeper.
Best song??!!
There will only be one Elton and his voice. Paired with Bernie, the two made many great songs together. Legends.
I will never forget this song. It became popular the same time I was going through Basic Training. I remember watching the video in Tech School. Really, really brings back some memories.
"Rolling like thunder - under the covers" Andy has DEFINITELY LIVED this song! All three times this line was sung, Andy had a smile of a sweet memory!!! A beautiful thing!!
Noticed that too!
Others have recommended Someone Saved My Life Tonight, and so will I. We will not rest until you hit this incredible Eltonand Bernie song.
This song is timeless and sounds as good as the first time I heard it 40 years ago.
Awesome song from my youth.
I had forgotten how much I like this song. Thank you for featuring it.
Thanks for sharing!
I've always loved this song. Maybe it's because sad songs say so much.
Undeniable talent. All around brilliance.
Awwww….man…..this song gets me every time. It takes back to a place and time and the memories and tears cloud my vision.
One of his best for sure...!
Possibly Elton’s best ‘80s song. Bernie wrote these lyrics for his then-new second wife. Stevie Wonder on harmonica. Please do Someone Saved My Life Tonight next.
This brought Elton back to me
This is really my favorite of Elton's "later" hits.... pretty much because it reminds me of his early songs in its flow and changes.
I'd forgotten how much I enjoyed this song, thanks for lending me some new ears
I love this song, I think it is one of Elton's best in so many ways.
No one mentions his song, The One. Great tune. Has that epic feel like his older songs.
I can vividly remember when I first heard this song. I was on a date with a girl I just met. We went to a house party.
One of my fav Elton songs. Stevie is wonderful - ha ha
This was the first Elton John song/video I ever saw back when it came out.. when I was 8 😎👍
He's just REALLY sooo good...great quite often
Big up Watford, UK. Elton’s home town. I love how he bought the football club and I lived one road away from the stadium. So in the 80’d he’d do live performances at the stadium (to raise money to buy players) And we’re not talking US size stadiums, it was small. I’d go see him. Great times.
I have blown out the speakers in my car (and still do) with this song!!
NEXT: PLEASE do "Someone Saved My Life Tonight"! It's equally as great!
This is my #1 seed Elton song of all time. So good
I think most people sleep on what is the true musical genius of EJ. Yes, it’s been noted that Bernie wrote sheets of “lyrics” (really “poems”) in one place, sent them to EJ, who then wrote full, structured, sectioned melodic SONGS around them. But IMHO, few stop to truly imagine -and appreciate- what’s required for that process. I mean, C’mon!! Sure he admits to “pruning” or “shuffling” words here and there…but always, (most of his) songs are structurally complex, with pre-choruses, bridges, modulations, variable phrasings and rythyms, etc along with the usual V+C….all created by EJ out of essentially random collections of written prose or poem. I mean it: Spend a moment with THAT mind experiment! The sheer massive musical facility required for this, for hundreds of songs, simply boggles. I think of myself as somewhat musically sophisticated w/ SD, Joni, WR, SW, PS, JT and others as my touchstones. But what EJ does is another thing entirely, and every truly talented musician/writer has to marvel at EJ’s FREAKISH ability to build - almost reverse-engineer-so many songs full of great melodic, harmonic, and structural choices, and to build them around sheets of words written, in most cases, in isolation by a guy unconnected to any *musical* aspect of the song. Songwriting is one thing. But *how* EJ composes is something else again…it’s, dare I say it, almost…magical! Bow down!
I don’t think anyone has more. “S” tier songs than Elton. Great reaction guys!
Sixty Years On-album, 11/17/70. This LIVE version of the orchestral original is incredible. Only a few months following his troubadour debut. 23 yr old EJ, bassist Dee Murray, drummer Nigel Olsson & Bernie's lyrics, wow. EJ has said it's almost depressing because he doesn't know if he'll ever play that good again. Wow. The whole album is great, Patreon maybe...one of my faves!❤
I can hear the orchestra now! Great great song.
Seen Elton and Billy live several times, both as good as each other.
Many thanks to Andy & Alex! 💎
70s Capt. Fantastic wasmy favorite Elton Era..... Try The Bitch Is Back for a jam
50plus years of greatness….
The song BLESSED is beautiful!!!
I was so excited when this album came out. My old Elton sound was back! 70's Elton couldn't be reproduced but this approached it as much as possible. ✌