Date: Nov 16, 1974
Weeks: 1
I think it's really odd that this song is credited to John Lennon "with the Plastic Ono Band," when it's clearly a duet with Elton John. I spent a bit of time trying to find the correct version of this song, convinced I'd stumbled onto a later collaborative cover. But no, this really is the song that charted. And it's not like this was before Elton John was famous. Both "Benny and the Jets" (#323) and "Crocodile Rock" (#289) had topped the charts already.
Well, whatever the reason for it, I'm glad this collaboration exists. The track opens with Lennon and John laughing, and not only does it sound natural and spontaneous, like the mixer captured a spare take and threw it in to the recording, but it also sets the mood. This is a light and fun song.
I really like the instrument choices. The jazz piano and handclap percussion propel the song forward with a compelling momentum. The guitar fills out the sound and gives the song an intense energy. And of course the saxophone in the lead is spectacular. The saxophone player is long-time session musician Bobby Keys, and even though I'm not sure I can say I know his work, I'm already a fan based on his intense, wild, but clean performance here.
There aren't a lot of lyrics. I guess Lennon liked the phrase "Whatever gets you through the night" and wrote a bit of a stream-of-consciousness song around it. I can't say I really get the meaning, but that's fine.
If there's one drawback to the song it's that it's just a little bit repetitive. It's mitigated by a lot of things, like the variety of performance in both the singing and the saxophone. And the occasional halts work great to break up the song and keep it from feeling like a constant droning train ride to nowhere. But it can get a little droning at times.
My verdict: Like it. I think the flaws are more than made up for by the splendid use of all the talent involved and the careful steps taken to mitigate the repetition.
Showing posts with label Elton John. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Elton John. Show all posts
Tuesday, March 20, 2012
Tuesday, October 11, 2011
Song #588: "That's What Friends Are For" by Dionne & Friends
Date: Jan 18, 1986
Weeks: 4
I'm not why this song is credited to "Dionne & Friends," other than that perhaps the 1980s wasn't quite ready to handle "Dionne Warwick featuring Elton John, Gladys Knight, and Stevie Wonder." I really loathe this song. It's like a blander version of "We Are The World" (#566). I was originally going to say "but without being for a cause," but a quick glance at Wikipedia reveals this song's proceeds benefited AIDS research. Even so, everyone involved deserved a better song than this. With 3 very talented singers, plus Dionne Warwick, you would think the results would have been better.
Something about Dionne Warwick's voice bugs me. She sounds insincere and unspontaneous and overly practiced. I admit that if you put her in the right song, the problems I have with her voice are minimized somewhat. But this song is not the right song.
The song's biggest problem is that it's so gentle, so synthesized, and so light that it sounds like a karaoke song. It sounds like the 8-bit adaptation of itself. There's almost nothing organic and natural about the music. I'm sure there's real sax, piano, drums, and even light guitar involved here, but they are so slight that they might as well me synthesized. Oh, but I do like the harmonica okay.
The next biggest problem is that while the music is too gentle, Stevie Wonder, Elton John, and Gladys Knight are overdoing it. These are three very talented singers, but they are completely overpowering the music. It's a terrible match. Part of me wonders if they thought they were going to be performing this song over another, much better instrumental accompaniment. To be fair, Dionne Warwick's performance does match the music. And the song does seem a bit warmer whenever she is singing.
The lyrics are so padded out I almost expect to find styrofoam peanuts in them. They're just a little too warm and cheesy and full of casual use of the word "love" for me. "Keep smiling, keep shining." The smiling part is fine, but the "shining" part is filler, with no context to explain it. I suppose I must concede that the lyrics make a bit more sense with the AIDS context, if you imagine this is a conversation between two friends, one of whom is dying from disease. Still, that meaning isn't exactly explained within the song. Overall, the lyrics are fine, I guess, but they are so bland and generally devoid of meaning that I don't care for them.
My verdict: Don't like it. It's obviously trying to imitate "We Are The World," which wasn't a very good song itself, but it can't even live up to that standard.
Weeks: 4
I'm not why this song is credited to "Dionne & Friends," other than that perhaps the 1980s wasn't quite ready to handle "Dionne Warwick featuring Elton John, Gladys Knight, and Stevie Wonder." I really loathe this song. It's like a blander version of "We Are The World" (#566). I was originally going to say "but without being for a cause," but a quick glance at Wikipedia reveals this song's proceeds benefited AIDS research. Even so, everyone involved deserved a better song than this. With 3 very talented singers, plus Dionne Warwick, you would think the results would have been better.
Something about Dionne Warwick's voice bugs me. She sounds insincere and unspontaneous and overly practiced. I admit that if you put her in the right song, the problems I have with her voice are minimized somewhat. But this song is not the right song.
The song's biggest problem is that it's so gentle, so synthesized, and so light that it sounds like a karaoke song. It sounds like the 8-bit adaptation of itself. There's almost nothing organic and natural about the music. I'm sure there's real sax, piano, drums, and even light guitar involved here, but they are so slight that they might as well me synthesized. Oh, but I do like the harmonica okay.
The next biggest problem is that while the music is too gentle, Stevie Wonder, Elton John, and Gladys Knight are overdoing it. These are three very talented singers, but they are completely overpowering the music. It's a terrible match. Part of me wonders if they thought they were going to be performing this song over another, much better instrumental accompaniment. To be fair, Dionne Warwick's performance does match the music. And the song does seem a bit warmer whenever she is singing.
The lyrics are so padded out I almost expect to find styrofoam peanuts in them. They're just a little too warm and cheesy and full of casual use of the word "love" for me. "Keep smiling, keep shining." The smiling part is fine, but the "shining" part is filler, with no context to explain it. I suppose I must concede that the lyrics make a bit more sense with the AIDS context, if you imagine this is a conversation between two friends, one of whom is dying from disease. Still, that meaning isn't exactly explained within the song. Overall, the lyrics are fine, I guess, but they are so bland and generally devoid of meaning that I don't care for them.
My verdict: Don't like it. It's obviously trying to imitate "We Are The World," which wasn't a very good song itself, but it can't even live up to that standard.
Wednesday, October 5, 2011
Song #380: "Island Girl" by Elton John
Date: Nov 1, 1975
Weeks: 3
This is one of those songs that threatens to make me spend the entire entry wondering why the list of No. 1 songs is never quite the same as the list of all-time classic songs, even for a single artist. "Island Girl" somehow is among Elton John's No. 1 songs, but "Rocket Man" is not. And yet I don't think I've ever heard "Island Girl" before. I guess it just goes to show that popularity, and especially this type of instantaneous snapshot of popularity, is not necessarily an indicator of quality.
I suppose I should start with the lyrics, because they really bugged me. They strike me as racist. The song is about an "island" girl, who is described as "black as coal," from Jamaica. She's working as a prostitute in New York. The song describes a "black boy" who is trying save her and, I presume, take her back to Jamaica. The specific descriptions of race bug me a little, but what really bugs me is the line "what you wanting with the white man's world?" Essentially he's saying that this woman would be happier living someplace less developed because that's where she belongs, for no reason other than the color of her skin. It's a bit clever in its use of "island" to refer to both Jamaica and Manhattan, but I can't really get over the racism of the lyrics.
The music is pretty good, actually. As with other Elton John songs, the rock piano dominates in an appealing. The Caribbean theme is explored by including steel drums and bongos. I particularly like the energy of the verses, and the occasional staccato piano and drum hits in the chorus. As always, Elton John's voice is great and exciting, especially in a fast song like this. The weakest part of the song is the guitar riff intro, which gets repeated. The bridge filled with xylophones and weird high-pitched synthesizer noises is also in the negative column. Both of these parts lose track of the song's energy, and the song actually closes on the guitar riff with xylophones. So the song starts off bad and finishes bad, with a lot of good in between.
My verdict: Like it. The lyrics are bad, and the music has its bad moments. But Elton John is so good at what he does, he brings so much energy during the bulk of the song, that I'm still having fun listening to it, despite my reservations.
Weeks: 3
This is one of those songs that threatens to make me spend the entire entry wondering why the list of No. 1 songs is never quite the same as the list of all-time classic songs, even for a single artist. "Island Girl" somehow is among Elton John's No. 1 songs, but "Rocket Man" is not. And yet I don't think I've ever heard "Island Girl" before. I guess it just goes to show that popularity, and especially this type of instantaneous snapshot of popularity, is not necessarily an indicator of quality.
I suppose I should start with the lyrics, because they really bugged me. They strike me as racist. The song is about an "island" girl, who is described as "black as coal," from Jamaica. She's working as a prostitute in New York. The song describes a "black boy" who is trying save her and, I presume, take her back to Jamaica. The specific descriptions of race bug me a little, but what really bugs me is the line "what you wanting with the white man's world?" Essentially he's saying that this woman would be happier living someplace less developed because that's where she belongs, for no reason other than the color of her skin. It's a bit clever in its use of "island" to refer to both Jamaica and Manhattan, but I can't really get over the racism of the lyrics.
The music is pretty good, actually. As with other Elton John songs, the rock piano dominates in an appealing. The Caribbean theme is explored by including steel drums and bongos. I particularly like the energy of the verses, and the occasional staccato piano and drum hits in the chorus. As always, Elton John's voice is great and exciting, especially in a fast song like this. The weakest part of the song is the guitar riff intro, which gets repeated. The bridge filled with xylophones and weird high-pitched synthesizer noises is also in the negative column. Both of these parts lose track of the song's energy, and the song actually closes on the guitar riff with xylophones. So the song starts off bad and finishes bad, with a lot of good in between.
My verdict: Like it. The lyrics are bad, and the music has its bad moments. But Elton John is so good at what he does, he brings so much energy during the bulk of the song, that I'm still having fun listening to it, despite my reservations.
Friday, June 3, 2011
Song #323: "Bennie And The Jets" by Elton John
Date: Apr 13, 1974
Weeks: 1
I don't think I've ever heard the original recording of this song before. I had to do a bit of research when picking out the clip above. I generally try to find a version of the song that is as close to the original single recording as possible. That can be tricky sometimes, when music videos change the song, live performances abound, and remixes are plentiful. And that's before I even get to the issue of covers.
I was pretty sure this song had been a hit as a live recording, since I'd never heard it performed any other way. Well, one other way (Muppets!). I came to find out that the original recording was actually a fake-live recording. As in, it was a studio-recorded song, but they mixed it in such a way as to provide the impression of a live recording. While I might be tempted to attack the song for faking a live performance (which I have previously equated to a sitcom using canned laughter), it honestly feels like this song is improved as a live song.
There's not a lot of instrumentation going on here. The piano is at the forefront, and there's a bit of bass and drum providing backup. But the overall sound is kind of thin. It's also a bit repetitive overall, especially during the lingering piano solos, when Elton keeps singing "Bennie" over and over again. But the canned audience makes it feel fun. This is doubtless a centerpiece of an Elton John live show, where a genuine live audience reacts and participates by at least clapping along, if not outright singing counterpoint the same way the Muppets do. Reportedly, Elton John improvises and stylizes the ending and extends this song out to make a great piece of live entertainment, and the audience reactions in the original recording successfully capture that. Part of me wonders why he didn't just perform it live and record it, but whatever, the effect is essentially the same. I do think the sudden addition of a fairly random synthesizer toward the end of the song is entirely unnecessary, though.
As for the lyrics, it's kind of similar to "Crocodile Rock" (#289) in that Elton John is extolling the virtues of fictional music. I've honestly never considered the lyrics before, because Elton John oversings them in such a way that it's hard to make them out. Even the oversinging isn't a problem, though, since it just contributes to that live song energy that this song thrives on. In particular, the song gets really fun when he sings "She's got electric boots, a mohair suit, you know I read it in a magazine." I think between his pronunciation of "magazine" and his clever rhythmic stutter on "B-b-b-b-Bennie," he's created a really special song here. One that thrives as a live performance.
My verdict: Like it. While I like a well-mixed and carefully manufactured pop song as much as anyone, sometimes a great live song, even one that is fake-live, is wonderfully entertaining as well.
Weeks: 1
I don't think I've ever heard the original recording of this song before. I had to do a bit of research when picking out the clip above. I generally try to find a version of the song that is as close to the original single recording as possible. That can be tricky sometimes, when music videos change the song, live performances abound, and remixes are plentiful. And that's before I even get to the issue of covers.
I was pretty sure this song had been a hit as a live recording, since I'd never heard it performed any other way. Well, one other way (Muppets!). I came to find out that the original recording was actually a fake-live recording. As in, it was a studio-recorded song, but they mixed it in such a way as to provide the impression of a live recording. While I might be tempted to attack the song for faking a live performance (which I have previously equated to a sitcom using canned laughter), it honestly feels like this song is improved as a live song.
There's not a lot of instrumentation going on here. The piano is at the forefront, and there's a bit of bass and drum providing backup. But the overall sound is kind of thin. It's also a bit repetitive overall, especially during the lingering piano solos, when Elton keeps singing "Bennie" over and over again. But the canned audience makes it feel fun. This is doubtless a centerpiece of an Elton John live show, where a genuine live audience reacts and participates by at least clapping along, if not outright singing counterpoint the same way the Muppets do. Reportedly, Elton John improvises and stylizes the ending and extends this song out to make a great piece of live entertainment, and the audience reactions in the original recording successfully capture that. Part of me wonders why he didn't just perform it live and record it, but whatever, the effect is essentially the same. I do think the sudden addition of a fairly random synthesizer toward the end of the song is entirely unnecessary, though.
As for the lyrics, it's kind of similar to "Crocodile Rock" (#289) in that Elton John is extolling the virtues of fictional music. I've honestly never considered the lyrics before, because Elton John oversings them in such a way that it's hard to make them out. Even the oversinging isn't a problem, though, since it just contributes to that live song energy that this song thrives on. In particular, the song gets really fun when he sings "She's got electric boots, a mohair suit, you know I read it in a magazine." I think between his pronunciation of "magazine" and his clever rhythmic stutter on "B-b-b-b-Bennie," he's created a really special song here. One that thrives as a live performance.
My verdict: Like it. While I like a well-mixed and carefully manufactured pop song as much as anyone, sometimes a great live song, even one that is fake-live, is wonderfully entertaining as well.
Friday, May 27, 2011
Song #289: "Crocodile Rock" by Elton John
Date: Feb 3, 1973
Weeks: 3
Just yesterday I was talking about a throwback song, and I was going through some examples in my mind. But somehow I completely ignored "Crocodile Rock." It's done in a very 50s, Jerry Lee Lewis, rocking-piano style, and it's excellent. This is Elton John's first No. 1, and it's one of his best. I'm sure my first exposure to him was his episode of The Muppet Show, and among the songs he performed was this one, with Crocodiles performing the "la la la" chorus.
The music is mostly a healthy mix of synthesized keyboards and genuine piano, with a great bass track at the foundation. The song is trying to emulate that Jerry Lee Lewis sound, but update it with some early 70s instrumentation, and it does so very successfully. The song is built around nostalgia for that type of 50s music, and it recreates it excellently. If anything, I think "Crocodile Rock" is a better song than "Great Balls of Fire."
Elton John's voice is great at any time. He can really belt out a tune, and he always has a good performance to match the music he's playing. This song is certainly no exception to that. His falsetto also successfully references the music of the 50s. As I've encountered already, there was a lot of that falsetto singing in the early rock music he's trying to reference.
Lyrically, the song is about nostalgia for the singer's youth. Specifically lost love, lost youth, and lost music. Pretty universal concept. What's a more effective way to sing about your nostalgia for a type of music than to make a song in that style? Admittedly, after listening to this song for years without really taking in the lyrics, I expected there to be a bit more of a reference to crocodiles, or being in a place known for crocodiles. But no, there's really not. Crocodile Rock is a fictional concept from the past, and the origins of it are never explained. That's fine.
My verdict: Like it. This is a great song. I think it's Elton John's best, although there are a few others on this list that might be close.
Weeks: 3
Just yesterday I was talking about a throwback song, and I was going through some examples in my mind. But somehow I completely ignored "Crocodile Rock." It's done in a very 50s, Jerry Lee Lewis, rocking-piano style, and it's excellent. This is Elton John's first No. 1, and it's one of his best. I'm sure my first exposure to him was his episode of The Muppet Show, and among the songs he performed was this one, with Crocodiles performing the "la la la" chorus.
The music is mostly a healthy mix of synthesized keyboards and genuine piano, with a great bass track at the foundation. The song is trying to emulate that Jerry Lee Lewis sound, but update it with some early 70s instrumentation, and it does so very successfully. The song is built around nostalgia for that type of 50s music, and it recreates it excellently. If anything, I think "Crocodile Rock" is a better song than "Great Balls of Fire."
Elton John's voice is great at any time. He can really belt out a tune, and he always has a good performance to match the music he's playing. This song is certainly no exception to that. His falsetto also successfully references the music of the 50s. As I've encountered already, there was a lot of that falsetto singing in the early rock music he's trying to reference.
Lyrically, the song is about nostalgia for the singer's youth. Specifically lost love, lost youth, and lost music. Pretty universal concept. What's a more effective way to sing about your nostalgia for a type of music than to make a song in that style? Admittedly, after listening to this song for years without really taking in the lyrics, I expected there to be a bit more of a reference to crocodiles, or being in a place known for crocodiles. But no, there's really not. Crocodile Rock is a fictional concept from the past, and the origins of it are never explained. That's fine.
My verdict: Like it. This is a great song. I think it's Elton John's best, although there are a few others on this list that might be close.
Sunday, April 10, 2011
Song #821: "Candle in the Wind (1997)" by Elton John
Date: Oct 11, 1997
Weeks: 14
This is arguably the biggest single of all time. According to what I can find, it's sold more copies than any other single in both the US and the UK. Worldwide and all-time, it's second only to Bing Crosby's "White Christmas." And it's in a 6-way tie to be the second longest-reigning No. 1 hit on the US charts. Put all that together and you have what I think is the biggest single ever. And boy do I ever not get why.
Princess Diana was a nice woman who did good things and died too young. I don't dispute that she deserved a loving tribute song. Neither do I dispute that Elton John's original "Candle in the Wind" was a pretty good song. I liked that one quite a bit.
But something happens when you re-write the lyrics of an existing song to have a different meaning. No matter how serious your intent, it winds up being kind of funny anyway. So today we see parody after parody of people re-writing this same song for new dead celebrities, fictional characters, and so on.
It wouldn't be so bad if Elton John had just tied the new version thematically to the original song by re-using the melody. But he out-and-out reuses half the lyrics, and that's why it feels like a musical mad lib. "Goodbye [Nickname]. You [positive verb], when the rain set in." It detaches the song from its meaning and makes it less special, especially because it makes it seem easy to re-write for anyone. And thus all the parodies.
All that would be fine if this were just a song that was written and performed as a tribute on one occasion, but it was all over the radio and sat at No. 1 for 14 weeks in the US. And went on to be the No. 1 song of the year 1997, and the best-selling single of all time in both the US and UK. I understand that people liked the song, but I don't understand why they liked it so much that it had to be plastered across the radio for months on end.
The music is pretty good. Elton John is a great musician. His voice is sincere and meaningful. The music is a nice little voice-and-piano piece, with very subtle but well-used string and flute accents. Just like the original "Candle in the Wind," and I've always liked the original song. At least the music in this version hasn't changed in a way that diminishes it.
My verdict: Don't like it. I'd rather just listen to the original "Candle in the Wind."
Weeks: 14
This is arguably the biggest single of all time. According to what I can find, it's sold more copies than any other single in both the US and the UK. Worldwide and all-time, it's second only to Bing Crosby's "White Christmas." And it's in a 6-way tie to be the second longest-reigning No. 1 hit on the US charts. Put all that together and you have what I think is the biggest single ever. And boy do I ever not get why.
Princess Diana was a nice woman who did good things and died too young. I don't dispute that she deserved a loving tribute song. Neither do I dispute that Elton John's original "Candle in the Wind" was a pretty good song. I liked that one quite a bit.
But something happens when you re-write the lyrics of an existing song to have a different meaning. No matter how serious your intent, it winds up being kind of funny anyway. So today we see parody after parody of people re-writing this same song for new dead celebrities, fictional characters, and so on.
It wouldn't be so bad if Elton John had just tied the new version thematically to the original song by re-using the melody. But he out-and-out reuses half the lyrics, and that's why it feels like a musical mad lib. "Goodbye [Nickname]. You [positive verb], when the rain set in." It detaches the song from its meaning and makes it less special, especially because it makes it seem easy to re-write for anyone. And thus all the parodies.
All that would be fine if this were just a song that was written and performed as a tribute on one occasion, but it was all over the radio and sat at No. 1 for 14 weeks in the US. And went on to be the No. 1 song of the year 1997, and the best-selling single of all time in both the US and UK. I understand that people liked the song, but I don't understand why they liked it so much that it had to be plastered across the radio for months on end.
The music is pretty good. Elton John is a great musician. His voice is sincere and meaningful. The music is a nice little voice-and-piano piece, with very subtle but well-used string and flute accents. Just like the original "Candle in the Wind," and I've always liked the original song. At least the music in this version hasn't changed in a way that diminishes it.
My verdict: Don't like it. I'd rather just listen to the original "Candle in the Wind."
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