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>"Ticking" from "Caribou": I don't think Taupin was generally
>a good lyricist but he actually does a really good job here,
>and John comes up with a very natural storytelling line - one
>that sort of mimics how one might relate a tragic narrative.
>The simple arrangement - just piano and Elton's solo voice,
>with the occasional bits of overdubbed harmonies and some very
>sparse synths... it also has one of my favorite Elton piano
>moments, the set of dissonant chords played over the "you
>offed a negro waiter who tried to calm you down" line (around
>2:40 I think)
>http://youtu.be/yYJIGYerpLg
>
>
>"Talking Old Soldiers" from "Tumbleweed Connection": Another
>great example of how Elton solo could really own a song.
>Taupin turns in another pretty strong lyric here, and Elton,
>like in 'Ticking', crafts a pretty simple song but brings in a
>lot of variation (like the little detour around the "graveyard
>for a friend" section)... again, like in Ticking, this one
>just seems very natural, which was when Elton sounded best, I
>think. I think Bettye Lavette covered this a few years ago
>but I don't remember whether it's worth a look or not.
>http://youtu.be/GE2MmwUbC_E
>
>"Sugar on the Floor", circa "Rock of the Westies" (1975)
>Another tune w/just Elton at the piano - brilliant. I didn't
>realize until just a year or two ago that this wasn't an Elton
>song, that it's actually a Kiki Dee song... which is kind of
>interesting. Etta James took a real strong liking to it
>(several youtube performances of her doing it in concert even
>pretty late...). http://youtu.be/et5wlqbHObs
>
>"I Feel Like A Bullet..." - from "Rock of the Westies"
>Seriously, I think RotW is in my top three Elton records...
>it's a very different, more visceral side of Elton. His vocal
>range on this cut is unfuckwithable; as a composition, it's
>actually pretty daring (if I remember right, the chorus is
>actually in a different key than the verses, but you don't
>notice it unless you're listening for it).
>http://youtu.be/PEfReTjAcyg
>
>"This Train..." from "Songs of the West Coast"
>Pulled this album out recently and was struck with how well it
>held up... I'd probably say this is the best cut, though at
>least half of the album is really memorable. A good simple
>lyric - maybe a bit overwrought, but whatever - and, most
>importantly, an almost-too-catchy melody that still manages to
>be really emotive. The other single from this lp, "I Want
>Love," has grown better w/time, too.
>http://youtu.be/SsuHAn54wPs
>
>
Thanks! , this is why i still come to the lesson (well this and maxxx) dude
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