Elton John General Discussion And Random Thoughts Thread

the little he's played live from TDB has struck me as much more engaging and exciting than on the album (Home Again was a revelation with his lovely backing girls, the 2 Cellos and the all-important horn).

 

I am your piano
and I'm programmed to shag you..

 

Louder Than Concorde! (..but not quite as pretty!)

I don't know about having sex with piano's but when I first got the VHS boot of that Earls Court "Westies" band gig I was almost orgasmic!

 

Yes, 'Horn Again' was the original title of the song. Apparently!

 

Singing songs for old time's sake about getting the horn again!
If I could get the horn..
If I could get the horn.. etc.!

Oh ho! A laugh a minute!

 

There's probably more truth in that for the old dear than there is in the original lyric!

 

Random thoughts?

Elton John is pretty good.

Good voice in his prime and a great piano player.

More people need to check out Goodbye Yellow Brick Road. It's a hidden gem.

 

Literally no worse than the original...

 

Glad some of you are liking the thread. Yes, debate and disagreement without personal attacks are welcome here. This is not an "appreciation thread".

However, I cannot debate you on "Ticking" as I also think it's a masterpiece. But, I would be happy to spend hours telling you all why "Daniel" sucks.

 

OK, why does Daniel suck?

 

TimM takes the bait!

I don't like it because it is missing the final verse that is supposed to explain the entire song. Elton said he thought the song was too long so he took a red marker and put a big X over it. Apparently, it got thrown away because Taupin cannot recite it to anyone, either. I do think it would be cool if it got found and Elton started playing it in concert like he used to do with the extra verse of "Holiday Inn".

And the other reason I don't like it is because Elton almost always plays it (except this year) and I just hate sitting through it show after show thinking about what I would rather hear in its place. So, for the last decade or so I have used "Daniel" as my designated piss break (even if I don't have to go) at any show I attend.

I have also considered "Nikita" to be like a better sequel to "Daniel". And I think that song is a masterpiece. Beautiful lyrics and the middle synthesizer solo is gorgeous. And that song goes largely forgotten by Elton in concert. So, I blame "Daniel" for that, too.

Anyway, I'm happy "Daniel" was a big hit for Elton. It's an okay song but it is just way too popular for me. And I skip it on every compilation it is on. And I would just rather listen to almost anything else.

 

Try to listen to the whole song. It tells a story and builds to a climax. There is a part in the third verse when Elton plays gunfire on the piano while the synthesizer grows in the background. Powerful song as relevant today as it was 30 years ago.

 

If I could, I'd turn down the Liberace camp to an Elton circa Honky Chateau. I respect more than words could say his philanthropic work but for me, his serious early work starts to turn into a cartoon with later work as time goes by. Saw him a few years ago and was very close and moved....he started Don't Let The Sun and the crowd floated out of their seats and gathered around the stage. They stayed there for the rest of the show, but it was so sweet and respectful the ushers didn't even think of breaking it up...it was quite a moment, I'll tell ya...

 

That show will be available on DVD/Blue Ray June 30th.

 

Daniel's awful in concert in a stadium setting. It's just not the right kind of song. Different to GYBR or Someone Saved, which have some emotional singalong clout to them.

It never replicated the simple lovely mellifluous lines of the recorded version. The electric piano sound isn't analogue enough and the basslines played by the subsequent bass players never flowed as wonderfully as Dee's bassline did on the record.

 

I was lucky enough to see him do this live in about 2000, on his solo tour around England's country houses. A powerful song indeed.

 

It's even better when you're up onstage in those golden moments the glint in Elton's tired old eyes really glimmers through when you're close up and you can see just how much he still loves performing to this day.. the reaction he gets from the crowd inspires him to greater things, it really is a magical thing to witness him on top form. If he continues to tour and doesn't retire altogether I'll soon be in triple figures

 

I was like a kid in a candy store on that tour. I must have seen practically every show all around the country on that one.

 

that last verse in Daniel apparently told of a ship's captain with one eye and a dog (called Paul - the dog, I mean, I kid you not!) and it apparently explained the whole story.. but I reckon Elton loved to leave it a bit more ambiguous, the cheeky gap-toothed little devil! Can you imagine the original with that weirdness at the end?! It would never have been a hit if Elton hadn't deleted it, so deleterious-ly!

 

I suppose he knew what he was doing. I'd still like to hear the verse, though. I've always had a soft spot for 'Daniel' (shut up!). It was a hit just before I started taking an interest in the charts in 1973, so I missed it's radio days. When I got the GH LP, it became a bit of a favourite. It sounds suitably despairing, without actually knowing what it's all about. Looking forward to hearing it on MCA 'Don't Shoot Me' soon!

 

That soft spot could develop into a hard spot if you're not careful!

Oh yes! The MCA DSM! Not the DJM DSM!

 

That makes a lot of sense. Daniel is such a great pop song, I still get chills when I hear it. (I suppose it helps that one of my oldest and dearest friends is named Daniel, and he's like a brother to me... but I digress.) I haven't seen Elton live since about 1981, but I imagine that Daniel doesn't resonate emotionally like some of his other beautiful songs.

Also, I can relate to what tonyc said about it... every time I see McCartney, I take a break (pee or mental) when he does Let It Be... and when it's time for Hey Jude, I'm ready to hit the parking lot! Such a shame that two great songs have (forever?) been ruined for me.

 

Possibly not. At my time of life!

AF 'Rock Of The Westies' came today. Expecting DSM towards the end of next week.

 

I saw Elton last month in New Orleans and he was fantastic. He was in pretty good voice. He can't hit the high notes, but his vocal delivery was forceful and he sang very well considering his age. The band was excellent and he played for three hours nonstop. After each song he'd get up from the piano, walk around the stage and flail his arms about, then sit back down and go into another tune. My favorite moment of the night was his solo piano rendition of "The One" which was amazing.

 

I missed out on Birmingham in March in favor of "The Million Dollar Piano" at my local cinema. So, I just bought tickets for Charlotte today. The last time I saw him outside was the last time he played Charlotte in 1995. I would rather see him indoors to not have to worry about the weather but hopefully it will be a nice night. I'm closer to Bonnaroo but they only offer tickets for the whole weekend so paying almost $300 is out of my price range. Anyway, if the setlist is like your show in New Orleans then I will be happy.