Elton John

[Super Goalie]

I love Elton John, and was fortunate enough to see him in concert live late last year. It was just the most amazing show I've been to. 2.5 hours of solid Elton John classics, with 3 or 4 new tracks mixed in. His ability to not just perform, but entertain, is astounding. If anything, I would have liked to have seen a little more of variety in his play list, the tracks played seem to follow pretty much the same order they do for most of his live performances, but that doesn't detract from an amazing show.

My favourite Elton song, and indeed, what I believe to be the greatest song ever, has to be Benny and the Jets. Check out this clip at the 'For John Lennon' show in '76 and you'll se why:
[youtube]fh07rblGS2c[/youtube]
Turn up the sound, and you can feel the atmosphere the crowd and his electricity projects come right through the speakers, an amazing solo with an emphatic climax at 4:15-4:50 onto that powerful note that is the backbone of that song. Sends a shiver down my spine everytime .

After recording the song in the studio, John and the band worried that it was too plain and unoriginal. According to guitarist Davey Johnstone, "'Benny and the Jets' was one of the oddest songs we ever recorded. We just sat back and said, 'This is really odd'." The song was sent to producer Gus Dudgeon, who added the "live" sound to the track. Dudgeon added applause and audience sounds from John's previous concerts, plus whistles and a hand clap on the off beats. According to Dudgeon, "English audiences always clap on the off beat, they're always on when they're supposed to be off, which drives me crazy."
The use of live sounds has the effect of using the audience itself as a musical instrument

Thoughts on Elton/Benny?

 

[raskolnikov]

I'm an Elton fan but I don't particularly like Benny and the Jets. I Guess That's Why They Call It the Blues would be my favourite song.

 

[Bombers_Forever]

I saw him live last year - 2 and a half hours non-stop was mind blowing. I rate him as the greatest musician of our time. Even his new stuff (like Postcards from Richard Nixon and Tinderbox) are great songs.

 

[Heisenberg_]

love the clip of him doinf Bohemian Rhapsody with Axl Rose
[youtube]9o8f34Mfm[/youtube]

 

[SorryIHammerChicken]

Good artist, only have one of his albums but songs like Yellow Brick Road, Someone Saved My Life Tonight, Saturday Night..., Take Me to the Pilot are all classics from the great man.

 

[Bretski]

Indian sunset for me

 

[Pessimistic]

His voice was shot earlier this year in melbourne - shouted a lot of the high notes.

Should had a black chick backing band to cover up.