A record driven by a single extraordinary track: "Ticking." A masterpiece, among the top 10 (at least) of the John/Taupin duo. A spine-tingling piano-voice performance that showcases all the vocal and pianistic talent of Elton John, and equally inspired are Taupin's dramatic lyrics. It's a shame the rest of the album is nowhere near this level; in fact, it's decidedly the least interesting of the "Elton John Band" period. A couple of frankly irrelevant songs at the beginning, two classics that work incredibly well ("The Bitch Is Back" in the end is one of the best, while "Don't Let the Sun" is nice but not among my favorites), and among the rest, the gem is "Solar Prestige a Gammon," in my opinion. In short, a cute record, a transition toward a masterpiece album, but with "Ticking" inside that earns applause.
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