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Should I write it or not? Should I write it or not? Believe me, I thought about it carefully, not for reasons of redundancy but for what I might say, for the "symbolic" value and character that my writing could have. Mental musings? Certainly yes, and in the end, I concluded that Elton John deserves better; Elton John deserves THE best, so this review must be done. What does "the best" mean in this specific case? Simply, it means talking about "Wonderful Crazy Night" and nothing else. Let's start with the cover: it's ugly. And then? And then it is a reissue of the mythical "Caribou" cover, an album I adore, and this can only be a good omen, another thing, no true Elton John fan would raise even an eyebrow for an ugly cover, ugly covers are an integral part of Reginald K. Dwight's artistic legacy. I am Danny The Kid and I approve the cover of "Wonderful Crazy Night", lately (from "Songs From The West Coast" to "The Diving Board," all with beautiful covers) we've heard a generally very elegant Elton John, with this new album he returns in a significantly more lively and "campy" guise, something that hasn't happened (in studio albums, obviously), even since... since... "Reg Strikes Back" of 1988, no less!
"Philadelphia Freedom" reigns supreme, as an archetype and model of inspiration for much of the album, that full-bodied, danceable and festive rock-funk-bluesy sound, made even more remarkable by a voice in better shape than ever. "Wonderful Crazy Night" (already a classic as far as I'm concerned) and the overwhelming "England And America", beginning and ending among whirling fireworks, and what's in between is certainly no less. We have "Guilty Pleasure" and "Free And Easy", other examples of electrifying lightness, but also a country ballad of stunning craftsmanship like "Tambourine", the very sweet "Blue Wonderful" (the usual, unmistakable trademark), "I've Got 2 Wings" and "The Open Chord", worthy continuations of a tradition of overseas suggestions rooted in both its recent and distant past. And finally "Claw Hammer", the added value, the most peculiar, most characterizing and refined song; as in certain episodes of "Songs From The West Coast" and "The Captain And The Kid" a slight almost surrealistic touch emerges, jazzy nuances.
God bless Elton John, may He continue to produce other beautiful records, even with ugly covers, if he wishes. This is my Elton, this is my Captain Fantastic, and I am proud of it. I could say that "Wonderful Crazy Night" is a bit less refined than its predecessors, that there are some moments that struggle a bit to leave a mark, but in the end, they are just details, almost fifty years after his debut he is still in a category of his own, and when "he's got it" there's no one else. I have no criticism of any kind, no "accessory" considerations, just a lot of gratitude and happiness to have found him like this again; perhaps I shouldn't even be surprised by this, who or what could ever bring him down at this point?
"Don't you know where you go I will follow, in your footsteps I find my own feet..." I love you dearly, Elton.
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