A country song that could have replaced Take Me Back. The very cleverly titled Can't Get Over Getting Over You:
21 at 33 is generally a good album, and though its two big singles were great, its saving grace for me for a long time was the wonderful, late night disco breeze that is Give Me the Love. Would've been a massive floor filler in an alternate universe. And I am way too late for this thread. Lol.
Never too late quoting an Elton song. We always welcome visitors to feel free to go back and discuss previous albums.
Welcome to the thread. I have always really really liked Give Me the Love lyrically and find it very musical. Should’ve been a hit, if not by Elton then someone else.
An alternate "21 @ 33" track list: Tactics Little Jeanie Dear God Sartorial Eloquence Two Rooms At The End Of The World Chasing The Crown Hey Papa Legba White Lady White Powder Can't Get Over Getting Over Losing You Give Me The Love I spelled Little Jeanie as it appears on my CD. I'm always amazed when there are errors like this on pressings. And it was the hit single. So, we have this and Benny And The Jets. Any other record company spelling mistakes?
Tom Snyder interview right after Central Park 1980 including a complete impromptu performance of Cartier:
Yeah, but the girls look nice. Not sure if anyone's posted this yet, but here's the Tom Snyder show performance (below) I referred to in my earlier post. It's my favorite version of "Little Jeannie", and EJ appears noticeably better than in the "Chasing the Crown" video:
Yes. Nice version of Little Jeannie. I like how Elton says before Sartorial Eloquence: "Radio is saying Don't You Want To Play This Game No More. I don't know..."
I always wondered about Steal Away Child and Love So Cold. I wonder if they would have made any sense in an album setting. Love So Cold has a bit of a jokey thing going on but it has a very catchy melody and a nice rhythm track. Steal Away Child is a beautiful, heartfelt ballad. It's funny how so many of these songs turned up in odd places only to be first properly collected last year. Also, I found this clip amusing when I first noticed it. EJ was only into his nasty coke habit for a few years here and looks none too pleased having to perform this song (rolling his eyes at 0:48 for example). I must admit, it is one of his songs I rarely revisit. There's something about it that makes it a bit unsettling. It could easily have stepped aside on the record for the benefit of one of the many other songs available at the time. EDIT: Wanted to see if there were any interesting info on Wiki about Sartorial Eloquence, only to find out that it changed little since I first created the entry 13+ years ago! Lol.
This the third EJ recording in a row that I'm hearing for the first time. The previous two, Thom Bell and Victim Of Love, feel out of place in the catalogue; the former a handful of tracks from a difficult and abandoned recording session (not fully released for a decade), and the latter an odd foray as a session singer of questionable material. With 21 At 33, EJ presents his first proper album since A Single Man, and both seeming to share some similarities: produced over a relatively prolonged stretch of time, utilizing various writing partnerships and recording studios. At the time of its initial release I pretty much ignored it, and it appears that others did as well. I remember seeing it in the record stores at the time, and I probably picked it up and had a glance at it, but I never felt compelled to purchase a copy. The "Little Jeannie" single certainly didn't encourage any further interest. However, I was very curious to finally give this one a listen. "Chasing The Crown" Yeah, this isn't one of Bernie's better lyrics; for me it's missing that little twist that typically makes his work more interesting. I like Elton's playing on here, but don't care much for the squiggly sounding guitar throughout the track, which sounds dated to me. Even the backup singers come across as something from the past, and tend to get annoying as the album goes on. Which is unfortunate, because overall this song is alright, certainly one of the better ones here in my view, with a strong enough melody and energy to carry it through. "Little Jeannie" Never particularly cared for this one, and this revisit doesn't change much for me in that respect. It's a pleasant enough song, but I can't help hearing a poor man's version of "Daniel". The arrangement just takes it further into a sort of bland, MOR territory. "Sartorial Eloquence" It's probably just me, but I couldn't help trying to get past the pretentious song title. It wouldn't be so bad if the rest of the song and lyric delivered something more than a breakup tune with syrupy synth strings and more of that wash of generic backing vocals. Elton's performance saves it from being a total loss, but this one hints at where his music would head over the next decade. "Two Rooms At The End Of The World" I want to like this song, but I wish they would put those backup singers away for a while, and drop the dated keyboard accents. The little brass break is O.K. A decent John/Taupin song nonetheless. "White Lady White Powder" Maybe the oddest track on this album. A bouncy, catchy melody and arrangement combined with a somewhat dark and too close for comfort lyric. Is this song about regret? Or is it a celebration? And there's that squiggly guitar again. I want to imagine a different lyric, or even a gritty style and arrangement. Instead, the song just comes across as peculiar. "Dear God" This one never gets off the ground. Is it supposed to be spiritual? Those little "bell" accents are cropping up in various EJ tracks and it's getting annoying. Fortunately, the backing vocals are actually quite nice here and don't grate, but overall the song doesn't have the soul or emotion that you might expect. Again, it's O.K., but forgettable. "Never Gonna Fall In Love Again" Tom Robinson had been a pretty decent songwriter in his own right, but I'm not sure that his lyrical contributions here are particularly noteworthy, and yet, this is an enjoyable track, with an arrangement that's somewhat of a relief next the other songs on this record. A brief but tasteful sax solo, and a very nice performance from Elton. "Take Me Back" A cute little tune. While it may never become a classic, it benefits by being another fresh sounding track here. The fiddle break is a pleasant addition. "Give Me The Love" There's that 80's groove that'll permeate some of Elton's later music. Again, I can do without the backing vocals. This is another song that has some potential, but the arrangement really drags it down, making it sound more like an outtake from some second rate, quasi-L.A. studio band, and that's despite the David Foster strings, which seem respectable all things considered. Though, it does work as a closer for the album. I will admit, this album was a little better than what I was expecting, but what really surprised me is how much of Elton's 80's sound and style was being established at this early point in time. There's hints of it, both in his singing style and choices of material, but he would refine it to some extent over subsequent projects. I gave this album a few spins, letting it sink in before I formed any definite opinions about it. Still, in relation all of his regular studio albums up to this point, I find this one to be the weakest. There just aren't the standout tracks on this one, the better ones being just passable, IMO. Plus, I find the production and arrangements dated, as though there's more a trend to imitate the 70's, rather than explore the 80's. I wouldn't have expected Elton to try and compete with David Byrne, or Sting, or even Bowie, at the time this album was being put together. But I do believe that Elton needed a proverbial kick in the pants to move beyond the staid and ordinary music he was making during this period. Fortunately, things would be changing in the not too distant future.
I don't think this can be overstated enough. Elton did move into a MOR / AC style in the 80s. He didn't take as many chances musically - and when he did, it was brief. There is no doubt there was an assembly line of album making in the 80s, a la the 70s, but it was different. Elton was a superstar already, established, easily selling out massive arenas worldwide. He could coast on that, and his lifestyle was overtaking the music. It's been widely reported he was often absent in sessions - leaving as soon as he laid down his parts (even Elton has admitted this). He just wasn't interested in the final product. The difference was, an album might spawn one Top 40 hit instead of three, but when you make an album a year, that's three top 40 hits in three years. His albums still sold. And his back catalog carried him. But he just wasn't as invested in the process. Honestly, he wouldn't be until Made in England, in 1995.
Before we leave 21 at 33, if there are any musicians out there, here's the entire album songbook I found online - rather hard to find music for this album: Elton John - 21 at 33 - [PDF Document]
His substance abuse issues aside, I'd say he was pretty invested in making Sleeping with the Past. No? Wow. Thanks for sharing that. I used to have the North American version of that one; it was the only Elton John piano book I ever had. "White Lady White Powder" was the last piece I tried to learn before quitting formal piano lessons for good when I was about 13. But I swear my copy of the book presented the song in E major, not its real key of F (as seen in that version, the British version). (If anyone around here has the American version, please double check that for me. I may remember that incorrectly but I'm pretty sure that was so, and I haven't my copy of the book anymore to check.) I later learned the song by ear in B flat major, then finally tried to play along with the CD and discovered that it was really in F. I love that opening.
■The Fox (1981) -TRACKLIST- 1. "Breaking Down Barriers" MY TAKE: The piano riff is a lot of fun. A good rocker and opener. Elton's voice here is reminiscent of the early 70's. Peaked at #36 on the Billboard Mainstream Rock Airplay chart. 2. "Heart In The Right Place" MY TAKE: Bluesy rocker that's about the negative, scoundrel-like critics. The drumming by Alvin Taylor is awesome! 3. "Just Like Belgium" MY TAKE: A very good pop song that could've been a hit. The piano playing is so good and I love when Colette Bertrand's voice comes in speaking French...adds an extra flow to it. 4. "Nobody Wins" MY TAKE: Different and very synthesizer heavy. I like when Elton goes off the beaten path like this every once in awhile. Peaked at #21 on the Billboard Hot 100. 5. "Fascist Faces" MY TAKE: Another good piano pop song about fascism. Very interesting, but very good. With a great choir lead by James Cleveland. 6. "Carla/Etude" ▪︎Song has gone together with "Fanfare" and "Chloe". MY TAKE: Nice piece of music. Love the piano playing. 7. "Fanfare" ▪︎Song has gone together with "Carla/Etude" and "Chloe". MY TAKE: Fun synthesizer instrumental, written by James Newton Howard. 8. "Chloe" ▪︎Song has gone together with "Carla/Etude" and "Fanfare". MY TAKE: One of my favorite songs...period. Love the feel of it and how Elton sings it and sounds on it. Also, love the music video. Peaked at #34 on the Billboard Hot 100. 9. "Heels Of The Wind" MY TAKE: Fancy free lyrics with another good piano riff. Fun, cheesy pop song...I like it! 10. "Elton's Song" MY TAKE: A song about unrequited love, that a male has for another male, especially if you go by the music video. Although, in my opinion, the lyrics are for anyone who wants to be with anyone, that maybe what lyricist Tom Robinson wanted to convey went he wrote the song. A beautiful, honest song with melodic piano playing by Elton. 11. "The Fox" MY TAKE: Bluesy ballad that has great guitar playing by Steve Lukather. This song is one of those breezy, feel good Elton songs. MY TAKE ON WHOLE ALBUM: Elton changed labels to Geffen and Chris Thomas, for the first time, produced part of the album. It's different, in a lot of ways, to Elton's previous albums. It's underrated and experimental in places. I like this album and I often play it. Every song has a music video, way before that was even popular, and the collection of videos together is called Visions, only released on laser disc and VHS in 1982, a year after the album? Hopefully, one day, we'll get every video on Elton's YouTube channel and get Visions released on DVD/blu-ray.
I really like The Fox. I rate it third among Elton's 1980s albums, behind only Sleeping With The Past and Breaking Hearts. There are no bad songs here, although I do think the quality trails off somewhat after "Chloe". The hodgepodge origins of the album actually create more interest and distinction from track to track and I think that makes it a more invigorating listen. Side One is much more in my wheelhouse than Side Two being that it consists largely of uptempo, rock-flavored material, with the notable exception of "Nobody Wins", which I remember first hearing on Top 40 radio in 1981 and loving for its European darkness. It's a great song and might be the most underrated of Elton's hit singles, or at least among them. "Breaking Down Barriers" is a good opener with a serviceable Osborne lyric. I'm not much of a fan of the lyrics to "Heart In The Right Place", but the music is bluesy and cool. "Just Like Belgium" has a nice Taupin lyric and it a great little pop-rocker. However, my favorite track on the album is "Fascist Faces", which is one of the heavier rock tracks Elton did in the 1980s. There's a nice wailing guitar solo on the fade and some rather pointed Taupin lyrics that almost certainly were directed at Margaret Thatcher and the Tories. The use of Rev. James Cleveland's gospel choir adds a lot here (they were used on Blue Moves as well). The piano solo is reminiscent of the one in "Bennie And The Jets". This is one of my favorite Elton tracks of the 1980s, and it sees Nigel and Dee back in the fold (no Davey though; Richie Zito plays the guitars). Side Two starts out in a Blue Moves sort of mood, with a lengthy instrumental leading into a top notch Elton ballad. "Carla/Etude" is beautiful and calls to mind the first half of "Tonight" from that earlier record. "Fanfare" seems tacked on but does form a nice bridge via crossfade into the opening of "Chloe". Musically, "Chloe" is a top-shelf Elton ballad. Unfortunately, the lyrics are pedestrian and could have used Taupin's spark. Despite it not charting as high as "Nobody Wins" when issued as a single in the US, I definitely remember hearing "Chloe" a lot more frequently on my local radio stations in L.A. I guess it was more what people expected to hear from Elton than "Nobody Wins" had been. The rest of Side Two is something of a letdown - "Heels Of The Wind" is serviceable and pleasant to hear but not very memorable, "Elton's Song" is notable mostly for the gay crush aspect of the lyric but calling it "Elton's Song" seemed too on the nose and I never warmed up to it, and the closing title track is another attempt to update the Bernie/Elton theme of Captain Fantastic and the Brown Dirt Cowboy, and while it has a nice Americana sound that harkens back to Tumbleweed Connection, I find the lyrics to be filled with forced imagery and, on the whole, not as affecting as those Bernie had previously written on the subject. Of the b-sides issued on the various singles from the album, the one that merits mention is "Tortured", a fantastic ballad that should have been on the album and would have been one of the best tracks on it. It is another one of the leftovers from the 21 At 33 sessions and was, for some reason, rejected by David Geffen from the originally submitted version of The Fox. It's hard to see why given its melodic and lyrical strengths. Excellent vocal on it, too (despite the over-Americanized pronunciation of "parting" in the second verse!). If there's a weakness to The Fox, it's again that there's too much use of session musicians as opposed to a regular band. The presence of Nigel and Dee does make this problem less notable to me here than was the case on 21 At 33. This album feels less polished and studio stiff than that one, which may be a credit to Chris Thomas. The Clive Franks-produced cuts do have that more sterile sound to them. In sum, one of Elton's better post-"classic years" albums.
THE FOX: This is an album that has really grown on me over the years. From indifference at my first listen, it is now one of my all time favourites and probably my pick for the most underrated album Elton has made. Breaking Down Barriers: A strong opening cut. And while it's Lyrics/melody isn't one of my favourites (Especially the 'doo-doo's' in the bridge feel rather cheesy and grating upon the repetition) I love the drive and tone it sets for the rest of the album. It makes you energized and feel ready for what's to come. Heart in the Right Place This is one of the songs that had to grow on me a bit at first. I think once I started listening to the lyrics more, that's when I started to appreciate the song more too. It paints a very vivid image and the music video (despite only seeing it a handful of times) has certainly made an impace where certain images from it pop into my head every time I hear the song. Just Like Belgium How this song failed to chart properly is something I'll never understand. It's catchy, fun and has a banger of a chorus. I love it and find it's very underrated even amongst Elton fans. Nobody Wins Very different from what Elton usually does, but in a good way. It took me a few listens to get into it, but now I really like it. Experiment succeeded, I'd say. Fascist Faces One of my all time favourites on the album. The build-up, the chorus, the choir, every element works and helps build this song to a great climax and a great ending of Side one. Definitely deserves more recognition. Carla/Etude Absolutely beautiful. This really makes me feel sorry that a true Elton/JNH classical album never materialised. Both this version and the MSO version are absolute perfection. Fanfare While nothing special by itself, it does a good job of transitioning from the Classical Carla/Etude to the poppy Chloe. So it's servicable, I guess. Chloe A song I need to be in the mood for. Sometimes it strikes me as kind of bland and I can't get into it, but when I'm in the right mood, I can have it on repeat for a whole day and never tire of it. As opposed to many here, not one of my favourites, but that's down to my personal taste and not due to some fault of the song Heels of the Wind While I recognise this is no masterpiece of songwriting, I cannot deny that I absolutely love this song. It's bopping fun and never fails to bring a smile to my face. One of the songs I always look forward to when playing the album and one I most like singing along to. Elton's Song Beautiful and poignant. I don't know what else to say. A masterpiece in my eyes and I love it dearly. The Fox I, personally, absolutely adore this song. The dark country vibes, that great harmonica piece. An amazing ending to the album and one of my absolute favourites on here. So as you can tell I'm a big fan of The Fox, and I'm even of the somewhat controversial opinion that Side 2 is better than Side 1. But regardless of your preference there, I hope you'll agree with me that this album is an absolute hidden gem and one that deserves far more recognition than it currently has.
The Fox is a decent album. Builds on, but is different from 21 At 33. Only track I’ve never taken to is Heart In The Right Place, which is a tuneless drone to me. Everything else is up to par. Nobody Wins is a great Elton single that barely anyone seems to remember! I don’t think it’s on any of the comps I own. Album artwork isn’t great again... The music was getting better but the sleeves were getting worse.
I love the Fox. I think it’s a really strong album from start to finish. Chloe is a top ten Elton song for me and the overall feel is a really strong one. I do agree that it has a bit of a mixed feel to it but I think it’s better than the records either side of it and it deserves to be much more widely heard. Not sure what he was thinking with that album artwork though!
