Elton John General Discussion And Random Thoughts Thread

The Roland sound is a rack module. Basically it's the sounds from the RD1000 without the keyboard. Connected by midi to the Yamaha grand

 

Right! Thanks!

I have to say that I liked the way his piano sounded before..

 

That's Idol-atry

 

Billy Idol meets Roger Daltrey!

 

Just wanted to let to know that I did eventually play that Don't Shoot Me MCA CD you found for me. It's very nice, as you said it would be!

How was the SHM-SACD of Elton John? Best version?

 

Oh gawd.. I totally forgot I'd bought that SACD! Thanks for reminding me!

Glad you like the MCA CD, fairly certain its a unique mastering now I've compared it with UK & WG DJMs, etc.. though there's a Polydor CD of DSM with full artwork to the rear inlay but with different logotype and graphics compared to every other CD version that I've still got to check out just to see what the heck that sounds like!

 

I can't believe you've had that SACD so long and not tried it! Yes I can, me and DSMIOTPP ?! Let me know what you think of it when you do. Did you like the SHM-SACD of GYBR? I know you had the Blu ray. Which did you like best? GYBR is on Mastered For iTunes now if you fancy another copy!

 

Finding the best versions of the 70's albums is a pain in the xxx!

 

If only you could trust the most recent remasters (now 2o years old, in most cases) and be done with it!

 

Yeah, and people on this forum seem to have many different opinions about the best versions.

 

You could just pick one batch of masters and then not read any more posts about them on here!?

 

Its a bit daft isn't it.. but a lot of different masterings of the same old stuff gets buried in the piles! Haha, yes it took you that long to get around to the Don't Shoot Me MCA, so nerrr.!! The SHM-SACD of GYBR was good, very good in fact.. but I still preferred the old DJM fatbox when I compared them, it just had a bit more "oomph" you know?

 

Yes, that's probably the best way to do it! Use my own ears. Gonna take some time and cost some though..

 

The old UK DJM CDs for the 70's and Phonogram CDs for the 80's do it for me nearly everytime

Notable exceptions are the Audio Fidelity Gold CD of Rock Of The Westies, the Rocket Remastered expanded 2-CD set of Here & There and Gus' remaster of Blue Moves with the whole thing on 2 CDs.

I also like the remasters of 2Lo40 and A Single Man, mainly for the excellent bonus tracks.

 

Thanks, I have Audio Fidelity Rock Of The Westies and DCC Greatest Hits. Other than that I have the recent remasters and/or the Rocket-cds.
Where do I find UK DJM CDs? Have not tried those...

 

There's always a few up for sale on eBay (around half a dozen titles at any one time, Yellow Brick Road the most common it seems) mostly from sellers in the UK and Europe but many ship internationally and US sellers also do have the DJMs from time to time.

It's been said here and elsewhere before that some of the old MCA and many of the old Polydor CDs are digital clones of the DJMs, various threads on this forum on the subject over the years.

 

Yes, I recall you being partial to a bit of oomph!

 

fredblue is right about the remaster of A Single Man, BTW. When I first heard this LP back in the day, it was rather a WTF moment. It did grow in time, but the five bonus tracks on the CD turn it into an amazing album.

 

Thanks, I don't have A Single Man, but I just bought the remaster on eBay uk.

 

It may take a little time to grow, but it's worth it. How it sounds is exactly how it was released. Somewhere between Blue Moves and 21 at 33! Nice album, and you'll know Song For Guy and Part-Time Love straight away, I'd think. Georgia is great.

 

Of the bonuses on the remastered CD of A Single Man, I particularly like Strangers and Lovesick..

Randy Meisner did a curious little cover of Strangers (not unusually, I prefer Elton's version)..

I Cry At Night is interesting, as it's one of the songs Bernie wrote for Blue Moves that Elton rejected at the time as he thought it was just too down and sad..

Flinstone Boy is another interesting one, words & music by E.John (it's said to be semi autobiographical).

I so wish Gus had been around to do all the 80's CDs (and of course I wish he was still around period) not for the remastering necessarily but for the effort and care he put into those albums he did remaster with all the bonus tracks and so on.

 

LOVE Georgia (its very Tumbleweed-lite.. but with a football team for a choir!)..

Return To Paradise is a pretty little tune and Madness is great, terrific piano work. It Ain't Gonna Be Easy is a but of a slog but when I'm in the right mood it's a little epic pot boiler.

Oh and of the other bonuses on the remaster, there is of course.. EGO..!! Real underrated gem imho. Written almost 5 years before A Single Man came out, it was constantly put on the back burner (and it was another intended for Blue Moves at one point afaik).

 

I Cry At Night too down and sad for Blue Moves? It was hardly an album of Agadoo like stompers!

Yes Gus did a good job putting the remasters together. Better than the 2003 series that should have had a sticker saying 'They are remastered. Honest. It's not just a cash-making venture replacing perfectly decent sounding albums with almost totally identical new issues'.

I suppose that is a bit much to put on a sticker...

 

A SINGLE MAN is one of my favorite Elton albums. Always has been.

 

Ego is a beautifully constructed song. Perhaps a bit complex and over-wrought for a single though? It wouldn't have sat well on Blue Moves. My neighbour loved Ego. It's what turned her onto Elton. Mind you, she was deeply into the Little River Band at this juncture, so perhaps a change was necessary!