Disc of the day
Heaven 17 - Penthouse And Pavement
From Sheffield, synth pop and funk to stick it to Thatcher. Currently being played live!
Features Disc of the day
Elton John
Madman Across The Water
(UNI/DJM, 1971)
Pop superstardom beckoned, but the American south still cast a spell on Messrs John and Taupin…
Between April 1970 and November 1971, Elton John released five records. In that whirlwind 18-month period he released three studio albums, a soundtrack and a live set – an astonishing statistic even by the standards of the day. Elton and lyricist Bernie Taupin’s seemingly inexhaustible supply of songs and ultra-prolific work-rate had already produced one major hit single (Your Song – Top 10 on both sides of the Atlantic) and a classic album of cinematic Americana (Tumbleweed Connection). Hot on the heels of that record came Madman Across The Water, its songs bridging the gap between Tumbleweed’s country-honk narratives and the polished pop sounds of 1972’s Honky Chateau. Levon, a elegiac nod to The Band’s Levon Helm, and minor US chart-botherer Tiny Dancer are propelled by the sort of super-strength piano melodies that, in those days, seemed to fall from John’s fingers on an almost daily basis – the latter a firm live favourite even today thanks to its inclusion in the dreadful Almost Famous. Indian Sunset and the title track are two lengthy, mournful epics that make perfect use of Paul Buckmaster’s ingenious string arrangements and, although it doesn’t hit the same peaks as Tumbleweed’s Burn Down The Mission, the gospel-tinged All The Nasties is an ambitious choral anthem that acts as a fine primer for the finale of Goodbye. But best of all is John’s voice: underpinned by that convincing southern twang, his vocals are effortless, precise and authoritative. Each of his next six albums would hit the US top spot, turning him into the biggest solo superstar of the decade. Madman… is the lost gem that proves he already had everything in its right place.
Ross Bennett
Posted by Danny_Eccleston at 6:00 AM GMT 25/09/2008
Further Listening
Elton John – Tumbleweed Connection (UNI/DJM 1971)
Jackson Browne – Late For The Sky (Asylum, 1974)
Van Morrison – Tupelo Honey (Warner Bros. 1971)
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