Post by BiteUrLip on May 30, 2018 4:27:02 GMT
Being Elton's first album of the 2010's, it was an even clearer attempt to record music that sounded like the classic era records. Leon Russell was brought in and that made an influence to Elton, and T-Bone Burnett, who produced the album and brought in his session musicians.
It has been a tough record for me to like - it stayed in the bottom of my list of Elton albums, and I remember rating almost all songs with just three stars. But at some point my music taste made a big jump towards more positive opinion on certain kind of music, and the music from TU did belong to that category. What does that really mean - what is my opinion about the album? It is very positive. The package is missing superior songs just like SFTWC, and unfortunately "Mandalay Again" is out of the standard edition.
And next, to track-to-track review:
"If It Wasn't For Bad" starts it, and this Leon song gives a great taste of the coming music. It is dark and the production works excellently here. On "Eight Hundred Dollar Shoes" Elton takes the vocal duties and it is a dark song, but somewhat depressing - not one of my favorite tracks from the album. "Hey Ahab", a piano-driven rock track, is one of my favorites from the album but it took long to like it. Lyrics are creative. "Gone To Shiloh" goes to the US civil war, and as suggested there are vocals by Neil Young as well, which could mean there are three soldiers' stories present. This song was the ultimate favorite of fans in the WCN survey. "Jimmie Rodgers' Dream" comes next and there we have a very relaxed tune. But "There's No Tomorrow" is quite different, and very dark and depressing, but I really like this song too. With "Monkey Suit" we have a nice mid-tempo rock song. "The Best Part Of The Day" goes somewhat similarly to JRD, I always put attention to "like a chainsaw running through a masterpiece". Then we have "A Dream Come True", Elton/Leon song, which was my favorite song when I first heard the album. It is relaxed, and I think Leon's vocals work better here than on some other tracks on the album. "When Love Is Dying" is an amazing song, although I don't get much from the lyrics. But after that we've got "I Should Have Sent Roses", which is my favorite now from this album. It's mood is something very unique. The following track, "Hearts Have Turned To Stone" is not one of my favorites, but I still feel it's a great song. And then comes "Never Too Old (To Hold Somebody)". I think that song is slightly underrated - it's message is really wonderful, and I think the world needs songs like that. "In The Hands Of Angels" ends it, and that song is too repetitive to be one of the bests, but it is still a wonderful closer.
Bonus tracks: "My Kind Of Hell" doesn't do much for me, although I can't much bash it either. However, "Mandalay Again" is a brilliant song, mostly based on a great piano riff.
1. If It Wasn't For Bad *****
2. Eight Hundred Dollar Shoes *****
3. Hey Ahab *****
4. Gone To Shiloh *****+
5. Jimmie Rodgers' Dream *****
6. There's No Tomorrow ****½
7. Monkey Suit *****
8. The Best Part Of The Day *****
9. A Dream Come True *****
10. When Love Is Dying *****+
11. I Should Have Sent Roses *****+
12. Hearts Have Turned To Stone *****
13. Never Too Old (To Hold Somebody) *****
14. In The Hands Of Angels *****
Bonus tracks (deluxe edition):
15. My Kind Of Hell *****
16. Mandalay Again *****+
It has been a tough record for me to like - it stayed in the bottom of my list of Elton albums, and I remember rating almost all songs with just three stars. But at some point my music taste made a big jump towards more positive opinion on certain kind of music, and the music from TU did belong to that category. What does that really mean - what is my opinion about the album? It is very positive. The package is missing superior songs just like SFTWC, and unfortunately "Mandalay Again" is out of the standard edition.
And next, to track-to-track review:
"If It Wasn't For Bad" starts it, and this Leon song gives a great taste of the coming music. It is dark and the production works excellently here. On "Eight Hundred Dollar Shoes" Elton takes the vocal duties and it is a dark song, but somewhat depressing - not one of my favorite tracks from the album. "Hey Ahab", a piano-driven rock track, is one of my favorites from the album but it took long to like it. Lyrics are creative. "Gone To Shiloh" goes to the US civil war, and as suggested there are vocals by Neil Young as well, which could mean there are three soldiers' stories present. This song was the ultimate favorite of fans in the WCN survey. "Jimmie Rodgers' Dream" comes next and there we have a very relaxed tune. But "There's No Tomorrow" is quite different, and very dark and depressing, but I really like this song too. With "Monkey Suit" we have a nice mid-tempo rock song. "The Best Part Of The Day" goes somewhat similarly to JRD, I always put attention to "like a chainsaw running through a masterpiece". Then we have "A Dream Come True", Elton/Leon song, which was my favorite song when I first heard the album. It is relaxed, and I think Leon's vocals work better here than on some other tracks on the album. "When Love Is Dying" is an amazing song, although I don't get much from the lyrics. But after that we've got "I Should Have Sent Roses", which is my favorite now from this album. It's mood is something very unique. The following track, "Hearts Have Turned To Stone" is not one of my favorites, but I still feel it's a great song. And then comes "Never Too Old (To Hold Somebody)". I think that song is slightly underrated - it's message is really wonderful, and I think the world needs songs like that. "In The Hands Of Angels" ends it, and that song is too repetitive to be one of the bests, but it is still a wonderful closer.
Bonus tracks: "My Kind Of Hell" doesn't do much for me, although I can't much bash it either. However, "Mandalay Again" is a brilliant song, mostly based on a great piano riff.
1. If It Wasn't For Bad *****
2. Eight Hundred Dollar Shoes *****
3. Hey Ahab *****
4. Gone To Shiloh *****+
5. Jimmie Rodgers' Dream *****
6. There's No Tomorrow ****½
7. Monkey Suit *****
8. The Best Part Of The Day *****
9. A Dream Come True *****
10. When Love Is Dying *****+
11. I Should Have Sent Roses *****+
12. Hearts Have Turned To Stone *****
13. Never Too Old (To Hold Somebody) *****
14. In The Hands Of Angels *****
Bonus tracks (deluxe edition):
15. My Kind Of Hell *****
16. Mandalay Again *****+