Elton John: Honky Chateau
CD Audio I have it ★★★★
Elton John: Honky Chateau
7 oct 13
Very beautiful, but a notch below the previous ones. It alternates absolute pop gems ("Rocket Man," "Monna Lisa and Mad Hatters" above all) with decidedly less successful tracks ("Hercules," "Slave," and "Salvation"). Here begins the more extravagant, dazzling (sigh...) and "Glam" EJ. For a few years, it will be good stuff, then...
  • Cunnuemammadua
    8 oct 13
    There’s also Susie, who is hilarious to me.
  • Lao Tze
    8 oct 13
    I essentially agree; for me, the period of "total listenability" ends with Captain Fantastic. To be honest, there isn't a total collapse but rather a slow and prolonged decline with quite a few subpar albums, although some are still respectable. However, the truly awful things came in the '80s, especially in the second half rather than the first - around the time of Leather Jackets, '86/'87 or thereabouts, the era of the unwatchable videos... that was where it really hit rock bottom.
  • hobermallow
    8 oct 13
    I fully agree!
  • hjhhjij
    8 oct 13
    Look, Lao, I agree on everything. Albums like "Rock of the Westies," "Blue Moves," and "Single Man" are certainly not terrible albums (in fact, I actually like the last one). The worst for me starts from 1979 and extends throughout the '80s and a good part of the '90s. In fact, Leather Jackets was really the bottom, or rather a pit at the bottom.
Elton John: Madman Across The Water
CD Audio I have it ★★★★★
Elton John: Madman Across the Water
7 oct 13
For me, the real golden period of EJ ends with this album; the following ones will still be good (and will include 3-4 great tracks per album) but always a good notch below this one and the two previous ones. And then, without mentioning the title track, "Levon" and "Indian Sunset," the not even two minutes of "Goodbye" completely overshadow his entire production from "Rock of the Westies" onward.
  • hellraiser
    7 oct 13
    Alright, great until the mid-'70s, then (at least in my opinion) it kind of declines a bit...
Elton John: Captain Fantastic And The Brown Dirt Cowboy
CD Audio I have it ★★★★★
Elton John: Captain Fantastic and the Brown Dirt Cowboy
20 oct 12
Elton John: Don't shoot me I'm only the piano player
CD Audio I have it
Elton John: Don't Shoot Me I'm Only the Piano Player
4 mar 17
The more authorial, intimate, and also more "particular" Elton John was already behind us (unfortunately, tracks like "Levon" or "Indian Sunset" are no longer found here) starting from "Honky Chateau." There's the classic Elton John with his epic ballads or the cheeky glam-rock'n'roll, but fortunately, there's still the inspired musician and creator of beautiful pop melodies that is Elton John (and Bernie Taupin); in short, the quality remains good. This is a nice album, like all of his from the early to mid-'70s. A gem is the famous "Daniel," the fun "Crocodile Rock," and the very intense "Have Mercy on the Criminal," which somehow recaptures a bit of the "mood" of his very first records. Only "Elderberry Wine" has never appealed to me. The rest of the songs are all good ("Texan Love Song") or at least pleasant. A nice little record.
  • SalvaDM
    5 mar 17
    This record contains two gems: 'High Flying Bird' and 'Blues for My Baby and Me'. The latter has never been performed live and that's really a shame. However, until 1978, he made no mistakes, and I also really enjoy the underrated 'Rock of the Westies', Elton's most outrageous and acid album!
  • hjhhjij
    5 mar 17
    I'm not particularly fond of him, but maybe I should give him another chance. As he said, "My first album on cocaine." I like "A Simple Man." I agree on "High Flying Bird" and "Blues For My Baby and Me." I couldn't mention them all, but they are two excellent songs; I included "Texan Love Song" to represent them all. The nice and pleasant ones are "Midnight Creeper" and "Teenage Idol."
  • hjhhjij
    5 mar 17
    In my opinion, the most acidic and insane thing ever recorded by Elton John is "Madman Across the Water," the track. Especially the first version with Mick Ronson on guitar, the one that later ended up as a bonus on "Tumbleweed Connection."
  • SalvaDM
    5 mar 17
    I had forgotten about that version, which I think is one of the highlights of his entire career, an incredible piece indeed. The craziest piece for me, however, is Medley. Anyway, besides the albums from the golden period, the records from 2001 onwards are absolutely worth a listen. The Union with Leon Russell, who passed away last year by the way, is one of my all-time favorite albums. Refined, intimate, and cultured, featuring two exceptional pianists serving each other. It's almost inexplicable what happened to Elton to fall so low in the 80s and 90s.
  • hjhhjij
    5 mar 17
    Cocaine, little inspiration and no desire, dollar bills so loud they turn him into a caricature, I fear. However, I agree on everything, the stunning version of Madman '70, acid and with a sick atmosphere, is the piece that made me love his music (and Ronson's guitar). Back then, "The Union," undoubtedly strong due to its conception alongside another great like Russell, is certainly the peak of an unexpected but very welcome rebirth. All the albums from 2001 onwards are at least more than decent, if not very beautiful. Except perhaps the last one; I haven't listened to it, but I've heard it's not great. Oh well. "The Union" is truly beautiful; in their old age, the two exceptional author-pianists have produced an intimate album devoid of any embellishments. Really an honest and inspired record. It might not be one of my absolute favorites (but within their discography, yes, it's a peak for them), but I appreciated it a lot. Also pay attention to "The Diving Board." It's nice too.
  • hjhhjij
    5 mar 17
    And to tie back to your point, no matter how much I try, I just can't wrap my head around the fact that the author of "Madman Across the Water" and "The Union" is the same one who created "Leather Jackets." Unthinkable, really.
  • hjhhjij
    5 mar 17
    Of course, the parade of guests helps too. Young, Booker T. Jones, Marc Ribot!
  • SalvaDM
    5 mar 17
    The worst Ice on fire, Victim OF love, but at that time it's like shooting at the Red Cross. From the '80s, the Fox saves the day; indeed, the title track is one of my favorite pieces by Elton. I listened to Wonderful Crazy Night, and it's actually the worst of his since 2001, very cheesy and gaudy. Of course, we’re not at the lowest levels of the '80s, but it's an album you can skip, in my opinion.
  • hjhhjij
    5 mar 17
    I think I'll skip it. However, here is a possibly mediocre album that might fit at this point. Just as a bad song like "Victim of Love" could fit after several excellent/good/decent albums, depending on the case, and it was followed by respectable albums. As you say, "The Fox" is definitely a keeper, as well as "21 at 33" and, if I want to be kind, "Two Low for Zero" are respectable albums. The real decline started in 1984, and from then until 2001, the only album I would revisit is "Made in England," which is respectable as well.
  • Alfredo
    10 jan 19
    "Blues for my baby and me" is one of my favorite tracks by Elton, and no one cares about it.
  • hjhhjij
    10 jan 19
    A really great song, it can be discovered by digging a little into its repertoire amidst many more famous classics. But it's not the only one, you know.
Elton John: Empty Sky
CD Audio I have it ★★★★
Elton John: Empty Sky
19 dec 22
A good debut, featuring young Reginaldo who enjoys himself with his youthful style (later refined with the second beautiful self-titled album) that encompasses both his classical studies (and the arrangements with flute—which we will never find again in his songs—harpsichord, strings, are direct examples) as well as his passions for R&B, soul, blues, and American song genres in general, infused with touches of British refinement and an extraordinary melodic taste that will define his fortunes, always accompanied by his loyal friend and lyricist Bernardo Taupin. Far from the glitzy global superstar he would later become, John was at the time a creator of very refined pop, serious, melancholic although already with more lively folk/country/rock’n’roll flashes and songs that seem like a trial version of those that would soon appear on albums like "Tumbleweed Connection" (like "Western Ford Gateway"). The album is enjoyable overall, but at least three songs stand out: "Val-Hala," "Hymn 2000," and the first great classic ballad (but with the sound of a harpsichord) that is quintessentially eltonjohniana— "Skyline Pigeon."
Elton John: Peachtree Road
CD Audio I have it ★★★
Elton John: Peachtree Road
14 dec 22
Second album from Elton John's "renaissance" period, which spans from "Songs From the West Coast" to "The Diving Board", where he recovered his artistic dignity, lost under the sofa towards the end of the '70s and then unfortunately fallen down the drain after 1983. He started composing songs and albums that always wavered between the excellent and the decent, at least. This album leans towards "decent" and is the least beautiful of the years 2001-2013, but it remains pure gold compared to those wonderful mishaps that the Sir graciously gifted us at the end of the '80s. "La Strada del Pesco" has the flaw of being almost entirely composed of ballads and slow songs, and if they were all masterpieces, it would be fine, but only a few are actually good songs (and none truly memorable, anyway, standard stuff from standard Elton John, albeit pleasant to hear), so the result is an album that is not bad but still too heavy, repetitive, and quite boring overall, without peaks or particular flashes, where the only more lively moment, "They Call Her the Cat," is welcomed with joy, perhaps precisely for this reason, it seems to me the best part of the album. Oh, there are some lovely little Elton John ballads here, for sure, but 4-5 out of 11; the others are too irrelevant, and that’s not enough to avoid the sense of boredom.
Elton John: Blue Moves (disc 1)
CD Audio I have it ★★★
Elton John: Blue Moves
23 apr 12
Elton John: Caribou
CD Audio I have it
Elton John: Caribou
24 mar 18
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.
  • pier_paolo_farina
    27 mar 18
    Yes, "Tickin'" is astonishing. The counter-melodies of the piano during the bridges leading to the chorus, different each time, darting, dynamic, dramatic, express genuine bewilderment if you follow the lyrics, absolute admiration if you focus on the pianist.
    It's perhaps the song, among the hundreds in Elton's repertoire, with the most memorable and emotional piano score and performance. It's funny that it’s on an album whose cover seems to scream, "I did it! And I'm still high! On cocaine! Even now, with this silly outfit and this drugged smile!...
    For decades, I've been content to own the essentials of Elton (five or six of his first ten works), but lately, after purchasing a grand piano, I thought it a good idea, among other things, to sift through the good stuff scattered among the other twenty-five or so albums that I was missing.
    And there’s some excellent material, indeed! A killer piece, for example, is "Postcards from Richard Nixon," from 2006: playing it on the piano is a delight. Sooner or later, I'll tackle "Tickin'" as well... I'm just waiting for my piano technique to grow a bit more; let’s say in about a year.
  • hjhhjij
    27 mar 18
    Well, if you dig into the repertoire from 2001 onwards, I believe you'll find some gems, and I completely agree. It might be a bit harder to find them in the years from 1979 to 2000 (there's a little something-something-something-somet hing there, though...)
Elton John: The Fox
CD Audio I have it ★★★
Elton John: The Fox
20 dec 22
Overall, it's a nice album, certainly the most respectable of his terrible '80s. I even feel like calling the title track a beautiful song, and there are a few other fun, decent ones. There's the 11-minute "suite," which aims to echo the grandeur of "Funeral For A Friend/Love Lies Bleeding" on The Yellow Brick Road, and for half of it, the instrumental part is quite lovely, before unfortunately turning into a piece of crap.
Elton John: Rock Of The Westies
CD Audio I have it
Elton John: Rock of the Westies
27 dec 21
"Rock of the Westies" is released just a few months after Captain Fantastic, in the same year of 1975, yet many things have changed: the band is transformed (the "Band" in the proper sense includes only Davey Johnstone and Ray Cooper, along with various session musicians including some old acquaintances like Caleb Quaye) and the album is its most roc(k)ing effort ever. The golden period had ended one album earlier; with this begins a sort of “in limbo” phase with three albums that are far from the quality of most previous works but still several notches above the mountain of rubbish that Sir Kitsch Glasses will dish out with "admirable" regularity from "Victim of Love" onward. This is still a valid album, almost entirely electric and lively (except for "I Feel Like a Bullet"), and paradoxically it shines especially in the pop single "Island Girl," which means very little to me. The remaining tracks (excluding that rubbish duet with Kiki Dee tacked on as a bonus track) are all more or less valid, some ("Medley") excellent, others less so, but the general level is good and the album is full of classic rock'n'roll and piano-rock in the Elton John style, present in all his works, only here there are more of them; some could have been trimmed by a couple of good minutes ("Street Kids") but others ("Grow Some Funk on Your Own," "Dan Dare," and "Billy Bones") are thrilling Elton John-esque rock and overall quite enjoyable. A good album, all in all.
  • hjhhjij
    27 dec 21
    Ps: nightmare cover as almost always. I also say that most of the rocky tracks on this album, while good, do not reach the heights of his best pieces in this style (see "Amy" and "Susie (Dramas)" on "Honky Chateau" for example). The dip in inspiration, especially compared to a perfect album like Captain Fantastic, is nonetheless quite clear.
  • Kism
    28 dec 21
    A straightforward and unembellished rock and roll album...even if it lacks standout tracks. It probably wasn’t necessary to release it just six months after the previous one; the drop in inspiration is evident. Nevertheless, it moves along quickly. The end of a golden era to which it belongs.
    "I Feel Like a Bullet" is too similar to "Someone Saved My Life Tonight."
  • hjhhjij
    28 dec 21
    Oh yes, that’s it. Elton John was still in the midst of a creative bulimia, and to tell the truth, he will unfortunately remain so for a long time. Aside from 1977 (but after another double album anyway, he consistently released an album every year, at least.
Elton John: 21 At 33
CD Audio I have it ★★
Elton John: 21 at 33
14 dec 22
An album that represents an improvement over the previous one, but of course compared to "Victims of Love," even a Best Of with me singing in the shower would have been an upgrade. A professional album, with a couple of good songs, another 2-3 nice ones, and the rest is pretty forgettable in my opinion. This first EJ album from the '80s, followed by the even more valid "The Fox," could have seemed like a prelude to a return to quality productions, but instead, it was a foreshadowing of some real crap. This is still an acceptable and decent album, anyway, that you can listen to a couple of times before collecting dust. But he will do worse, much worse, Uncle Reginald.
Elton John: Jump Up!
CD Audio I have it ★★★
Elton John: Jump Up!
8 apr 12
6
Elton John: Too Low For Zero
CD Audio I have it ★★
Elton John: Too Low for Zero
20 dec 22
Actually, I only save the title track. A terrible comeback for the Elton John Band as a whole, a pile of bland and meaningless pop mixed with all the other bland and meaningless pop John produced during those years; some songs are slightly better, but still pointless, but the absolute champion of garbage is "Kiss the Bride," brr... The title track is a nice song, though. Moreover, the push towards typically eighties pop sounds, in the worst sense of the term, doesn't help. It's bad, but it's also true that he has done worse in the following years.
Elton John: Breaking Hearts
CD Audio I have it ★★
Elton John: Breaking Hearts
8 apr 12
5.5
Elton John: Ice On Fire
CD Audio I have it
Elton John: Ice on Fire
3 apr 18
Elton Coso and the Shit Fair (Part 1). Part 2 came with the next album. After these two abortion albums, I haven't listened to any of his subsequent records until those from 2001 onwards. And it’s always the same guy who wrote "Madman Across the Water," huh... Well.
Elton John: Leather Jackets
CD Audio I have it ★
Elton John: Leather Jackets
31 may 14
Wait... But is the author of this immense monstrosity really the same one who in 1970 covered Nick Drake and released albums like "Elton John" and "Tumbleweed Connection"? By golly, of course, huge success, copious amounts of cocaine, and inspiration at zero degrees make for a devastating cocktail. Reduced to an artistically null caricature, this is the ugliest album of all Elton John's ugly albums, something that in comparison makes "The One" from '92 look like a masterpiece.
  • hellraiser
    1 jun 14
    I don't know much about leather jackets, I stick to the early albums, until '75 or so, where I believe he did the best of his discography. From there on, nothing; anyway, thanks for the tip, saved me the money for the hypothetical purchase...
  • hjhhjij
    1 jun 14
    Sure :D You're absolutely right to stop at '75; if you really had money to waste on E.J., you could grab a couple of those from 2001 to today. Carefully avoid the period from 1979 to 2000.
  • hellraiser
    1 jun 14
    I'll stop at "Captain Fantastic" and for now I don't intend to expand the albums; however, it seems to me from reading you that you don't like it much, good to know...
  • hjhhjij
    1 jun 14
    Ahahhah, this is horrible of course :D I repeat, it's good that you stop there, Captain Fantastic is a pop masterpiece.
  • Lao Tze
    1 jun 14
    Given that I don't have the album, I can't remember a single song from it, nor do I recall when I listened to it. Unlike some of his other less appealing works. But this must have been something more, something truly monstrous, if I've never wanted to hear it again.. instinctively, I associate it with Invisible Touch, in short, with those horrible, truly horrible things.
  • hjhhjij
    1 jun 14
    It's also from the same year, what a coincidence... At least I’m somewhat fond of Inbattible Merd even if it’s terrible. This one, not at all. I mean, even "Ice on Fire" or "Breaking Hearts" are bad, really bad, but this...
Elton John: Songs From The West Coast
CD Audio I have it
Elton John: Songs From the West Coast
22 dec 21
After over twenty years of subpar production (with rare exceptions), this album, the first of the third millennium for Uncle Reginald, marks his rebirth and the beginning of a "second youth," at least artistically speaking. Despite a production and sounds that are far too polished and lacquered for my taste, this album sees the return of some nice tracks, among them the opening "The Emperor's New Clothes" and the beautiful ballad "American Triangle," two great songs (on the same album, for someone who managed to produce only 4-5 truly beautiful songs between 1979 and 2000). Not everything works; some tracks are definitely skippable, but beyond those two, there are another 4-5 solid songs (especially "The Wasteland"), and overall, we return to quite respectable levels. After this and "Peachtree Road" (which is less impressive than this), the golden period of this rebirth will begin with a trilogy of truly beautiful albums between 2006 and 2013. After that, he returned to crap.
  • SilasLang
    22 dec 21
    Really? After "Captain Fantastic," I pretty much ignored him, aside from a few chansons here and there. Maybe I'll give it a listen sooner or later...
  • hjhhjij
    22 dec 21
    Yes, this and the next one can also be skipped, but "The Union" in duo with Leon Russell, who is the best of this period in my opinion, for example, is really a great album. A great album by two seasoned, mature authors, though, I don’t know, you usually prefer the more "fresh" stuff.
  • SilasLang
    22 dec 21
    When I was younger, maybe. As I fade, so do my tastes. Nah, I'll give it a chance.
  • hjhhjij
    22 dec 21
    I'm happy about it :D
  • SilasLang
    22 dec 21
    Happy that you are happy
  • hjhhjij
    22 dec 21
    Happy that you are happy that... Alright
  • SilasLang
    22 dec 21
    😂
  • CYPHER
    23 dec 21
    @[hjhhjij] I would listen to it, if it weren't for the polished sounds you're talking about. I can't even listen to "Goodbye Yellow Brick," no matter how objectively valid it may be, for the same reasons.
  • hjhhjij
    23 dec 21
    I recommend, besides the obvious trilogy of albums released between 1970 and 1971, the more sober "The Union" from 2010 by John and Russell. In reality, for me, Goodbye is absolutely not glossy, not in that sense. It might be somewhat so in its "glam" part, but the sounds are bright, fresh, and wonderfully accompany the rich inspiration of John and Taupin at the time. This has a "lacquered," flat sound; I wouldn't know how to explain it 🤷‍♀️.
  • hjhhjij
    23 dec 21
    Ah, and I also recommend Captain Fantastic, that one is a must-see and less "sparkly" than Goodbye (which, by the way, is indeed very, very inspired, but suffers a bit from the double gigantism).
  • CYPHER
    23 dec 21
    Goodbye has that "airy" production... I wouldn't know how to explain it. Maybe "sparkly" is the perfect term. Undeniably beautiful, but I prefer to take it in small doses. I also agree about the gigantism of a double album.
  • hjhhjij
    23 dec 21
    Sparkling without a doubt, grandiloquent and magnificent, it is indeed the pinnacle and greatest expression of Elton John's "Glam" (while the artistic peak of the Elton John Band for me remains the last album, with the "stable" lineup, Captain Fantastic) with all the pros and cons that come with it. I also take that one in small doses; it contains some of his absolute best tracks, other pleasant things, and a few missteps, as expected. During that period, I tend to listen to "Honky Chateau" more often; it has the same quality but a less sprawling structure. Anyway, I totally understand you; it's a legitimate thing with those sounds.
  • CYPHER
    23 dec 21
    No, but I know Captain Fantastic well. It seems to be the last one I heard from Elton, if you exclude the songs for the soundtrack of The Lion King (ah, childhood...). Anyway, besides the three-album trilogy—Tumbleweed, Madman—I also really like the pop breakthrough album, Honky Château, which doesn’t stray too far from the sound of the previous works.
  • CYPHER
    23 dec 21
    Ahahahahahahaha... you beat me to it, as usual...
  • hjhhjij
    23 dec 21
    "Honky Chateau" is truly a great album. Even though it has always been pop, let's say that was the turning point for pop-glam and Elton the superstar with silly glasses and sequins, but still a lot of fantastic "serious" pop music, so to speak. In fact, Honky is a bit of a bridge, depending on the songs, between the previous sounds and those that followed. And anyway it’s a ride that goes, this life that spins around us and never stops. Um, excuse me, childhood, yes.
  • CYPHER
    23 dec 21
    Ahahahahahahahahahaha
Elton John: A Single Man
CD Audio I have it
Elton John: A Single Man
29 mar 18
An album that I've always liked quite a bit, although here the heights of the early '70s are as far away as the best things from the last 15 years. The standout track of this album for me is "Madness," by far the best of the bunch and one of his last great songs before the many, too many years of garbage, ominously foreshadowed by something as dreadful as "Part-Time Love." Sure, "Ego" would also be among the gems, unfortunately only released as a single and then relegated to the bonus tracks of the CD. I've always liked "It Ain't Gonna Be Easy," "Shooting Star," and the lullaby-like melody/epitaph of "Song for Guy." The others are all good/average songs, although none leave a particularly strong impression. A good album, but the cascade of crap was lurking just around the corner.
  • pier_paolo_farina
    3 apr 18
    The problem is the production: Elton here lets Gus Dudgeon go and gives a one-off to Clive Franks, who comes up with very washed-out and light sounds, much less effective than Dudgeon's all-in-your-face style. This is the second album of Elton's, in chronological order, that doesn't satisfy me (the first is "Don't Shoot Me I'm the Piano Player" from five years earlier, also filled with silly sounds despite Dudgeon being at the mixer). Best regards.
  • hjhhjij
    3 apr 18
    A greeting to you too, Pier, I appreciate your contributions/opinions/integrations .
Elton John: Here and There
CD Audio I have it ★★★★★
Elton John: Here and There
3 apr 23
The live album remains the definitive one that marks the years of the Elton John Band, even though it would have been better if it had remained a unique record, the first one, that from London at the Royal Festival Hall in May '74; this live performance is a bombshell and showcases the Elton John Band in splendid form (Dee Murray on bass is fantastic) with a great selection of tracks mainly from "Elton John" and "Tumbleweed Connection" plus some from '72-'73, featuring phenomenal renditions of songs like "Burn Down the Mission," "Bad Side of the Moon," "Your Song," or "Honky Cat," just to name a few. Unfortunately, including the second disc (from the MSG in NY in November of the same year, featuring a special guest appearance by John Lennon, historically significant but honestly the part that bores me about the live album) perhaps stretches it a bit too much, even though the NY concert begins strongly like the one in London ("Funeral for a Friend," "Grey Seal") and, therefore, in the end, "Here and There" maintains the status of the incredible live album of the best Elton John ever (I mean in general that '69-'75 period) that no one can take away from it.
Emerson, Lake & Palmer: Trilogy
CD Audio I have it
Emerson, Lake & Palmer: Trilogy
27 nov 17
The maturity album of the trio, part of the series "three is the perfect number." Along with their debut (which, for me, is slightly better), it's their most successful work. Shockingly balanced and cohesive by their standards in its alternating longer, more complex tracks with simpler, shorter songs, it surpasses those on "Tarkus" and feels lighter and less serious. In short, it's also a fun album at times (see "The Sheriff" or "Hoedown"). Lake brings out the quintessential song of the band, which is "From the Beginning" (primarily for acoustic and electric guitar), which is simply a beautiful song, and for them, "beautiful song" is like a mirage. The title track (especially the first two wonderful minutes) is one of their best works. It’s a shame about the boring final bolero; definitely, Emerson does not measure up to Ravel, but look at that...
Emerson, Lake & Palmer: Tarkus
CD Audio I have it
Emerson, Lake & Palmer: Tarkus
22 nov 17
Of the trio's first 4 studio albums, this is definitely the one I can stand the least. It's all based on the 20 minutes of the title track, which are only good in parts, for example when Lake sings, which are probably the sections where Lake had a hand in composing the music together with Emerson (the lyrics are all by Mr. Lake) or in the section entirely written by Lake ("Battlefield"). You can see that if they had called themselves Lake, Lake, and more Lake, I would have liked them more? Obviously, within those 20 minutes, even the Sboronissimo comes up with cool stuff, but mostly it's just overly fine virtuosity for its own sake. The short little songs that follow the suite, well... Except for "The Only Way," the rest is, well... Bye.
  • Littlelion
    22 nov 17
    However, it must be said that the sung parts are of an enormous figherrimosità (in my opinion), then the piece Tarkus lasted just the right amount of time for the journey between the train station and school :D
  • hjhhjij
    22 nov 17
    And thanks to the woodpecker, Lake even if it had sung "Il caffè della Peppina" would have come out with something really cool :D
  • pier_paolo_farina
    24 nov 17
    I agree with you... Tarkus doesn't age well, with that graphics that is a bit like this, the second side hastily put together, the suite excellent but at the time definitely overrated. Poor Lake, lazy and ridiculously full of himself as he was, was truly a star, both in singing and on bass.
  • hjhhjij
    24 nov 17
    Perfectly agreed, there are always nice things coming from the bottom of Gregorio.
Emerson, Lake & Palmer: Pictures At An Exhibition
CD Audio I have it ★★
Emerson, Lake & Palmer: Pictures at an Exhibition
3 sep 14
I'm giving it to Silaslang for Christmas.
  • De...Marga...
    3 sep 14
    Buying it on eBay...
  • hjhhjij
    3 sep 14
    :D If I didn't already have it, I would do this beautiful thing you're suggesting ahahaha. Instead, I will gift him my copy.
  • De...Marga...
    3 sep 14
    Hahahahahahaha....If you also want my copy; I really don’t know why but a few years ago I bought it for just a few euros. I think I listened to it once, maybe.
  • hjhhjij
    3 sep 14
    Well, in my "Total Prog" phase I liked it, but it was one of the first that I reassessed downward. I enjoy their other albums, I like the first one quite a bit too, even if they will never be among my favorites. However, I understand that they can completely suck.
  • ziltoid
    4 sep 14
    If you want, I'll give you the eponymous one! I don't know, the more I listen to it, the more it sucks (and it's the only one of theirs that could get past my ears without coming out the other end).
  • hjhhjij
    4 sep 14
    That, on the other hand, is a bit of a masterpiece for me, but I already have it so I have to decline the offer, thanks anyway :)
  • SilasLang
    4 sep 14
    HJ....I CURSE YOU. Ahahahahah
  • hjhhjij
    5 sep 14
    : D
  • hackerhacked
    5 sep 14
    But I remember there was, shortly after the beginning of the suite and towards the middle of the record, a truly captivating keyboard solo/fugue by Emerson, which definitely wasn't in Mussorgsky's.
  • hackerhacked
    5 sep 14
    "disco" ....
  • tonysoprano
    4 sep 16
    But is it really that bad?
  • hjhhjij
    4 sep 16
    The only work from their golden era that I find irritating and that puts me on the same level as their detractors :-)
  • tonysoprano
    4 sep 16
    ... when I've listened to it, you'll see what I think...
Emerson, Lake & Palmer: Brain Salad Surgery
CD Audio I have it
Emerson, Lake & Palmer: Brain Salad Surgery
29 nov 17
This album stands on three things: H.R. Giger's artwork, Lake's stunning song "Still...You Turn Me On," which is just fucking beautiful—why don’t they let him do everything? And finally, "Karn Evil 9," which is the ultimate Carnival of excess from the trio, particularly Emerson. And if there must be excess, let it be a grand, theatrical, engaging, and infinite spectacle ("To the Show That..." eh, not just for show). The Lake/Sinfield duo resurfaces for the lyrics, and I get emotional just reading the credits. Oh, I love it. Even more live. Then, well, "Jerusalem," thanks to Lake's voice, has never bothered me. "Toccata," on the other hand, is when they want to show off with someone else's stuff and end up being comical. From minute 5 to minute 6, guys, go listen to it—it’s Super Mario, killing mushrooms and jumping to grab stars, I swear. AVANT-GARDE.
  • pier_paolo_farina
    30 nov 17
    The plump Greg Lake released very few acoustic gems, one per album, but all sublime. The quartet "Lucky Man"-"The Sage"-"From the Beginning"-"Still... You Turn Me On" is unbeatable; too bad he was so unprolific. His harmonious and rich voice (in his youth) is exemplary. When I listen to "Take a Pebble" and the phrase "Disturbing the Waters..." hits the vocal doubling, I still shudder and delight as I did the first time. Unforgettable.
  • hjhhjij
    30 nov 17
    In the trio, he was probably not very prolific because Emerson took up all the space, or in any case, there certainly wasn’t much room for Lake’s acoustic/electro-acoustic ballads.
  • hjhhjij
    30 nov 17
    I add "Alas."
  • pier_paolo_farina
    30 nov 17
    Well, he could have focused on "solo" records, he wouldn't have lacked contractual and organizational support. Biographies also narrate that Lake's personality (not coincidentally the producer of E.L.P., in addition to being the singer, bassist, and co-writer) was even stronger than Emerson's. No, my idea is that the good Lake spent much of his time with the chicks, indulgences, and generally fully enjoying his status as a rich superstar, rather than working hard on compositions and artistic inspiration. Moreover, he was unable to cultivate and preserve his unmatched voice, already compromised in the eighties and completely deteriorated by the nineties (on "Black Moon" it seems he sounds like John Wetton's elderly cousin).

    The thing is that Emerson and Lake needed each other: the former had the spectacle, the virtuosity, the endless desire for showmanship, the energy of making music every day and all hours, but he was NOT a rock musician, let alone a pop musician; in short, he wasn't capable of crafting two verses and tying them together with a chorus and a bridge, in order to create popular music for the masses, for the boys, for the girls. The other one, however, could do that, and he even had the right voice for it, but he prioritized enjoying life over artistic drive, thus needing his partner to be part of a great and peculiar group riding high without too much effort.
  • hjhhjij
    30 nov 17
    Ah, look, on a solo career outside the band, I agree, and I’m sure you’re right about Lake’s personality. Also about the fact that the two complemented each other in some way. The fact remains that the musical composition ultimately always leaned more towards Emerson, perhaps also just because the main direction they decided to take was exactly that. As you say, Lake was also a producer, so I imagine it was a very deliberate choice. That way, he didn’t have to strain himself to write too many great songs for each album, eh eh.
  • hjhhjij
    30 nov 17
    "but he was NOT a rock musician, let alone a pop one." Sacred.
  • pier_paolo_farina
    30 nov 17
    Emerson would produce little symphonies, fugues, pseudo-boleros, revivals of classical or jazz pages. Lake would arrive and add his melodic ideas, sticking them to Emerson’s frameworks in the case of the longer and more complex pieces (Tarkus, Pictures, The Endless Enigma, etc.) or fitting them in independently like little inlays in the album tracklists, allowing fans to catch their breath.
    Emerson played too much (and indeed, betrayed by the arthritis that ruined the ring and pinky fingers of his right hand, preventing him forever from making music at decent levels, he took his life).
    Lake played too little and died of poor health after a life of excesses.
  • hjhhjij
    30 nov 17
    Well, I have to tell you, it’s all undoubtedly true.
  • Littlelion
    30 nov 17
    My favorite of the trio!
  • hjhhjij
    30 nov 17
    Oh, it's a matter of taste. "Karn Evil 9" is definitely fascinating, for the concept, the very charismatic and engaging performance by Lake, the atmospheres, it’s all there. A really cool 1st Impression (the first two parts) and I still prefer the rest to the "Tarkus" suite. But that thing about Super Mario on "Toccata" is true, pay attention to it :D
  • hellraiser
    30 nov 17
    I'm sorry, but I can't access external content such as YouTube links. If you provide the text you'd like translated, I'd be happy to help!
  • hjhhjij
    30 nov 17
    Ahahahhha can you hear it? Tell me no ahahhaha
  • hellraiser
    1 dec 17
    I haven't listened to it in ages, it feels like the background music of the infernal castle at the end of the world, where Browser is waiting for him, throwing flames at him ;^))
  • hjhhjij
    1 dec 17
    Exactly ahahahahahah. Keith, avant-garde genius of the video game.
  • Flame
    1 dec 17
    These guys have always inflated my gonads beyond measure. I can't even stand Lake when he does his things. Tastes. However, he has an amazing voice; if I were given the power to change just one thing in the history of music, I would want him nailed to the King for life.
  • Flame
    1 dec 17
    ... gave and gave go to war, die ... I never remember how it ends.
  • hjhhjij
    1 dec 17
    Of course, tastes vary. I myself only keep a few of their songs and tend to listen to them rarely anyway.
  • hellraiser
    1 dec 17
    I have always compared ELPs to my mother's Christmas dinners. Everything is excellent, delicious, perfectly prepared. But TOO MUCH... by the end of the meal, you can't get up from the table and you have agnolotti coming out of your ears. Everything is good but exaggerated.
  • hjhhjij
    1 dec 17
    The only difference with my idea is that sometimes a dish is either overcooked or undercooked. In short, there are a few flaws.
Emerson, Lake & Palmer: Emerson Lake & Palmer
CD Audio I have it ★★★★
Emerson, Lake & Palmer: Emerson, Lake & Palmer
14 dec 22
In the studio, for me this debut remains the trio's best work. Fresher compared to what will come later, with the Isle of Wight performance just a few months prior still presenting them as a rock band; different in proposing the language of "rock", but still a rock band. The rock power also emerges here, fortunately concise in 5 minutes, in the splendid "Knife-Edge," which, moving between Janacek and Bach, gives us a fiery and beautiful performance from the trio. The other two masterpieces of the album are original tracks, and, coincidentally, both bear the signature of Lake. The rest (like especially "The Three Fates") instead confirms my scarce feeling with Keith Emerson in the role of composer.
Emerson, Lake & Palmer: Welcome Back My Friends To The Show That Never Ends - Ladies And Gentlemen
CD Audio I have it ★★★★★
Emerson, Lake & Palmer: Welcome Back My Friends To The Show That Never Ends - Ladies And Gentlemen
14 dec 22
For me, the peak of the trio lies in their live performances and albums, where, in my view, the excesses, virtuosity, and exaggerations of the supergroup find their greatest meaning, and where it can be exhilarating to listen to/see Emerson ravish his keyboards in an orgy of mystical/luciferian/fiendish ecstasy. So "Welcome Back..." along with a couple of their other live performances is what I appreciate most about ELP. The apex, even conceptually, of the live show is of course the sprawling version of "Karn Evil 9" (35 minutes), a bacchanalian circus of excesses and a symbol of the Emerson/keyboard instruments symbiosis. However, for me, even in this live performance, the most thrilling moment is when Lake takes the stage. The highlight of the album is indeed the medley of songs entirely composed by Lake: "Take a Pebble/Still... You Turn Me On/Lucky Man," all performed in a completely acoustic version. Lake is spine-chilling.
Enya: The Celts
CD Audio I have it ★★★
Enya: Enya
8 apr 12
Somewhat boring at times, but nonetheless very pleasant. 3.5
Fabrizio De André: Tutti Morimmo A Stento
CD Audio I have it ★★★★★
Fabrizio De André: Tutti morimmo a stento
9 jan 14
I'm not completely convinced by everything on this album, including the interludes and the Girotondo, but for the devil, I'm sure it's De André's first masterpiece. To come out in Italy in 1968 (!) with an album so steeped in death and darkness, to release "Il cantico dei drogati," "La ballata degli impiccati," and the final recitative and choral piece in '68... I can't give it less than a 5. This album fully demonstrates the historical importance and revolutionary impact he had on Italian music.
  • SydBarrett96
    9 jan 14
    In my opinion, the most beautiful is "Inverno," and the interludes are cool. Anyway, yes, masterpiece.
  • fuggitivo
    4 sep 15
    For me, the interludes (the first two) are the best parts of the album, even in terms of lyrics. Yes, this album is very beautiful. It reminds me a lot of Vacant World by the Jacks at certain moments, like the interludes and Inverno (it makes me think of spring, but whatever). The ending of Recitativo/Corale is almost identical to the ending of Vacant World, in fact. It's curious that both were released in '68. Of course, I prefer the Jacks.
  • tonysoprano
    28 may 16
    I, on the other hand, appreciated the interludes, even if they don't compare to the main pieces, which are more spectacular than the other.
Fabrizio De André: La Buona Novella
CD Audio I have it ★★★★★
Fabrizio De André: La buona novella
16 mar 23
Well, I listened to it again not long ago, and what can I say... One of the essential albums of singer-songwriter music and of Faber's discography. Just to avoid stating the obvious, especially about the intelligence in addressing these kinds of themes and the quality of the lyrics (duh!), it's also worth noting how this album served as quite a training ground for a bunch of remarkable people: the bare but captivating arrangements were played by "I Quelli" in full (of course, the future PFM) along with their future associate (theirs and, again years later, De André’s with those suggestions from the sea of Genoa...) Mauro Pagani on flute and piccolo, as the backing band; additionally, the violin in "La Buona Novella" is played by a young Angelo Branduardi, a few years before the start of his solo career, and Maurizio Fabrizio also participates as one of the guitarists. In short, quite a few people were honing their skills under Faber in one of the great masterpieces of Italian singer-songwriter music.
  • withor
    16 mar 23
    Five stars without a doubt. Magnificent "The Testament of Tito"
Fabrizio De André: Storia Di Un Impiegato
CD Audio I have it ★★★★★
Fabrizio De André: Storia di un impiegato
8 apr 12
Fabrizio De André: Le Nuvole
CD Audio I have it ★★★★★
Fabrizio De André: Le nuvole
28 jan 16
  • tia
    28 jan 16
    I have already lived this moment..
  • Aquarius27
    29 jan 16
    Chiccotana 2 - The Revenge! ...
  • hjhhjij
    29 jan 16
    Eh?
  • tia
    29 jan 16
    Eh?
  • Aquarius27
    29 jan 16
    I remember that some time ago you deleted a definition due to a clash with chiccotana, and now I think something similar has happened... here's the comment... Anyway, maybe I wrote something stupid and made a fool of myself... Oh well :D
Fabrizio De André: Anime Salve
CD Audio I have it
Fabrizio De André: Anime salve
23 apr 12
Fabrizio De André: Fabrizio De André in concerto vol.2
CD Audio I have it ★★★★
Fabrizio De André: Fabrizio De André in concerto vol.2
23 dec 22
Beautiful like the first volume, of course. The pieces taken from "Rimini" flow smoothly and work well played with PFM (especially "Sally"), while "Verranno a chiederti del nostro amore" guarantees chills. In general, the same reasoning applies as for the first volume: it's a truly nice feeling, but it doesn't particularly improve the rearranged songs, for instance in the last two tracks (a real return to 1970 in an updated version, considering that De André's "backin' band" for these two pieces is the same that played sbarbatella almost 10 years prior to the studio album); the rocking version of "Il Testamento di Tito" is cool (also because the song would be stunning with any arrangement) but, in my opinion, with these new clothes it doesn't fully capture the phenomenal expressive power of the more bare version of "La Buona Novella."
Fabrizio De André: Vol. 8
CD Audio I have it ★★★★★
Fabrizio De André: Vol. 8
7 jan 14
Fabrizio De André: Fabrizio De André in concerto volume 1
CD Audio I have it ★★★★
Fabrizio De André: Fabrizio De André in concerto volume 1
17 mar 23
The meeting of De André's repertoire with the new guise gifted to him by PFM, arrangements that for Faber continue to be more "substantial" and "elaborate" ("Rimini" had already been indicative, but the signs had been there since the early '70s); which, in reality, is De André meeting again the musicians of "La Buona Novella" now grown up, missing only Pagani, but this will be remedied. I prefer the live performances from the "Anime Salve" period ('96-'98) and I find that overall PFM's contribution doesn't add anything particularly qualitative to the songs (De André is perfect just as he is, for me); obviously it’s always a nice feeling ("Amico Fragile" with Mussida’s solos, for instance). There are exceptions with a couple of outstanding performances: "Volta la carta" (a song I adore) and the best of the live "Il pescatore," where Faber and Forneria together are at their zenith.
Fabrizio De André: Vol. 3
CD Audio I have it ★★★★
Fabrizio De André: Vol. 3
9 jan 14
Fabrizio De André: Vol. 1
CD Audio I have it ★★★★
Fabrizio De André: Vol. 1
4 jan 14
Fabrizio De André: Non Al Denaro Non All'Amore Né Al Cielo
CD Audio I have it ★★★★★
Fabrizio De André: Non al denaro non all'amore né al cielo
23 dec 22
Just over half an hour of pure emotion. The finest Faber of the '70s.
Fabrizio De André: Fabrizio De André (L'Indiano)
CD Audio I have it ★★★★
Fabrizio De André: Fabrizio De André
8 apr 12
  • Cunnuemammadua
    10 jan 13
    You surprised me, I would have bet a 2 or a 3.
  • hjhhjij
    10 jan 13
    You're crazy. Why? Anyway, it's a 3.5.
  • Cunnuemammadua
    10 jan 13
    I also like you, you surprised me in a good way.
  • hjhhjij
    10 jan 13
    I'm glad :) didn't you know I liked De André? For me, a considerable number of his albums are 5 stars, the last 3 are up there at the highest level :)
  • Cunnuemammadua
    10 jan 13
    Very appropriate judgments, as is generally the case with your DeCollezione (except for some votes...)
  • hjhhjij
    10 jan 13
    If you're referring to the ratings out of ten, they annoy me too, and I'll gradually get rid of all of them. If you're talking about the stars (or rather, the squares) Cunnu, well, you can't agree on everything and with everyone :) Thanks for the very appropriate comments anyway ;)
  • Cunnuemammadua
    10 jan 13
    You're welcome, but the vote for Back in Black... the horror, the horror.
  • hjhhjij
    10 jan 13
    Come on, I took it out. But the 2 balls remain :)
Fairport Convention: Liege & Lief
CD Audio I have it ★★★★★
Fairport Convention: Liege & Lief
13 oct 15
"Farwell, Farewell" - Fairport Convention [Audio] Down with the tears and the hats, ladies and gentlemen...
Fairport Convention: Fairport Convention
CD Audio I have it ★★★★
Fairport Convention: Fairport Convention
16 dec 22
A debut as raw as you might expect, missing a crucial element like Sandy Danny, but already full of talent and quality that the band of the very young Richard Thompson, Simon Nicol, Ashley Hutchings, Iain Matthews, etc. demonstrate on multiple occasions. Courage and personality in the covers performed (I love the arrangement of "I Don't Know Where I Stand" with those guitar inserts from Thompson and Nicol), especially taken from various Bob Dylan, Joni Mitchell... Still inexperienced as songwriters, they nonetheless manage to produce pieces like "Decameron," the first great song of the band (in the sense of "written by them"). Interesting bonus tracks, "Morning Glory" by Fairport is, I believe, the first cover of a Buckley piece.
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