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Post by BiteUrLip on Oct 3, 2020 9:35:02 GMT
Music: Elton John
Lyrics: Bernie Taupin
Drums: Nigel Olsson
Percussion: John Mahon
Bass: Matt Bissonette
Guitar: Davey Johnstone
Keyboard: Kim Bullard
I've figured out where I went wrong
The script I followed then was awful long
Too much plot too little of
Me acting right not acting up
I've worn the world upon my back
Let someone else but me pick up the slack
Just because I could say,
"It's my life, do things my way"
chorus:
Now I'm looking up more than I look down
The view's a whole lot better second time around
Too much of me was hidden in the shadows
I looked up and felt my feet lift off the ground
I color life with a broader stroke
The laughter comes as easy as the jokes
Nowadays I'm thinking that
Time is wasted looking back
(repeat chorus)
You drop a bucket in a well
It's dark and deep down there
Crank the handle, bring it up
The water's crystal clear
(repeat chorus)
(repeat chorus)
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Post by BiteUrLip on Oct 3, 2020 9:35:42 GMT
The tune is very good, but I must admit that Bernie wasn't very strong in this album...
4½ stars.
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Post by dougs on Oct 3, 2020 14:17:25 GMT
"Looking Up" from WONDERFUL CRAZY NIGHT:
Elton's 2016 album WONDERFUL CRAZY NIGHT featured a collection of mostly upbeat songs. Elton wanted the musical mood and lyrical content to be "up" for this album. Bernie has always said that he prefers writing about the dark side, the underbelly of life so the lyrics for WONDERFUL CRAZY NIGHT are probably not the ones he would have done without direction from Elton. WONDERFUL CRAZY NIGHT also featured Elton's touring band on record for the first time since 2006's CAPTAIN AND THE KID. The album featured keyboardist Kim Bullard and bassist Matt Bissonette for the first time on an Elton studio album.
"Looking Up" is an upbeat pop-rock song driven by Elton's piano and Davey's guitars. Not exactly contemporary sounding, the song captures early rock influences and is a decent toe-tapper. T-Bone Burnett was brought back in to produce the record. It has a very clean almost live sound to it. It stays safely inside the musical box but is still a fun live tune. EJ and the band played this one live throughout the entire WONDERFUL CRAZY NIGHT tour (2016 to 2018) and is the most played song in concert from the album.
"Looking Up" was chosen as the debut single from WONDERFUL CRAZY NIGHT. It didn't chart anywhere except on adult contemporary charts; it reached #12 on the US AC chart.
Rating: 4 stars
Doug
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Post by rocketman on Oct 3, 2020 16:14:51 GMT
4 stars...a decent rocker, pretty solid, though I'd never list it among his better rock tunes (everything on Rock Of The Westies, for example, is better). Lyrically, it's fairly devoid of bite, but that goes for most of the album, which, as DougS pointed out, was the general idea at the time - upbeat, bright, optimistic, which is how Elton was feeling. Unfortunately, writing such lyrics on demand didn't produce much in the way of memorable turns by Bernie. He really is better at writing darker songs.
I did hear this song live in 2016 during the WCN Tour. I must say, it came across very well. The audience, as expected, didn't know it, but the reception was still warm, and the song added to rather than detracting from the set.
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Post by newloneranger on Oct 4, 2020 7:25:14 GMT
Nice rocker, would have chosen a different song to be the first single though.
4 1/2 stars
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Post by Commodore Orpington on Oct 5, 2020 6:45:44 GMT
It's not uncatchy. I had it going through my head one day. But this whole album is what Elton would sound like, if he weren't an artist who keeps renewing and re-invigorating himself. Most new albums by 60s/70s people are like this. They manage to sound like themselves, but no fire, nothing challenging. This album is mild, middle of the road, bland, empty, and does not matter. ------------ If you want to win over anyone who thinks EJ did nothing good since 1975, play for them anything but this record. It will just confirm all their assumptions.
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Post by dougs on Oct 5, 2020 12:47:00 GMT
Commodore:
Your comments about WONDERFUL CRAZY NIGHT and "Looking Up"; agreed. In contrast, that is why BLUE MOVES blew me away; it is the opposite of WONDERFUL CRAZY NIGHT. BLUE MOVES had the willingness to step outside the musical box and found EJ challenging himself and his band. Despite that lack of cohesion, yes BLUE MOVES is all over the place, it is so much more interesting to listen to - then and now. Maybe it didn't pull his fans together in one direction but it did offer up some tracks that featured a uniqueness and creativity. BLUE MOVES wasn't safe or predictable, for the most part. WONDERFUL CRAZY NIGHT, I agree, is safe and predictable. The songs are well-crafted but lack that spark that catch your ear and make you stand up and take notice. "Tonight" and "The Wide-Eyed and Laughing" and "Out of the Blue" and "Boogie Pilgrim" from BLUE MOVES made me stop and go..."what on earth!?" How many EJ songs had sounded like these 4 BLUE MOVES songs? I'd like to see Elton write songs which have little personally-applied constraints. He doesn't need to stick to traditional verse-chorus structures. "Ticking" is an example of how that can work. He doesn't need to stick with pop-influences and instruments. His songs could be 12 minutes or 2 minutes; he is no longer a radio favourite so he doesn't have to worry about song length and radio formats which demand those 3 to 4 1/2 minute songs. Take the hobbles off and run free, EJ! "Looking Up" just didn't have that special feel or energy to it. Well-crafted, yes, but not truly inspiring or exciting, either. "Claw Hammer" was one WONDERFUL CRAZY NIGHT tune that made me take notice. There is a consistency to WONDERFUL CRAZY NIGHT and to a song like "Looking Up" and there is also a competency, and a professionalism but, I wish that EJ just took more chances with the album & song.
Doug
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Post by nix on Oct 5, 2020 19:19:00 GMT
** worst 1st single of Elton's entire career.. and I agree with Commodore.
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Post by nix on Oct 5, 2020 19:29:21 GMT
Commodore: Your comments about WONDERFUL CRAZY NIGHT and "Looking Up"; agreed. In contrast, that is why BLUE MOVES blew me away; it is the opposite of WONDERFUL CRAZY NIGHT. BLUE MOVES had the willingness to step outside the musical box and found EJ challenging himself and his band. Despite that lack of cohesion, yes BLUE MOVES is all over the place, it is so much more interesting to listen to - then and now. Maybe it didn't pull his fans together in one direction but it did offer up some tracks that featured a uniqueness and creativity. BLUE MOVES wasn't safe or predictable, for the most part. WONDERFUL CRAZY NIGHT, I agree, is safe and predictable. The songs are well-crafted but lack that spark that catch your ear and make you stand up and take notice. "Tonight" and "The Wide-Eyed and Laughing" and "Out of the Blue" and "Boogie Pilgrim" from BLUE MOVES made me stop and go..."what on earth!?" How many EJ songs had sounded like these 4 BLUE MOVES songs? I'd like to see Elton write songs which have little personally-applied constraints. He doesn't need to stick to traditional verse-chorus structures. "Ticking" is an example of how that can work. He doesn't need to stick with pop-influences and instruments. His songs could be 12 minutes or 2 minutes; he is no longer a radio favourite so he doesn't have to worry about song length and radio formats which demand those 3 to 4 1/2 minute songs. Take the hobbles off and run free, EJ! "Looking Up" just didn't have that special feel or energy to it. Well-crafted, yes, but not truly inspiring or exciting, either. "Claw Hammer" was one WONDERFUL CRAZY NIGHT tune that made me take notice. There is a consistency to WONDERFUL CRAZY NIGHT and to a song like "Looking Up" and there is also a competency, and a professionalism but, I wish that EJ just took more chances with the album & song. Doug I wouldn't say that songs are even that well crafted. For the first time he composed some songs that are really boring and melodically weak... 'Tambourine' and 'I've Got 2 Wings' for example... those are really bland and boring. 'Claw Hammer' has great intro and verse, but chorus kills whole atmosphere. I noticed that many people say that 'The Open Chord' is great song. I couldn't care less about song... it's boring and melody is strange, but not in a good way. 'A Good Heart' is nice ballad, but 'nice' is not enough... too predictable. I like 2 bonus tracks almost more than anything on the album. The only track on the album that I actually like to extent is opener 'WCN'. I guess that Elton wanted 'FINALLY' to create uptempo album and release uptempo single to please some fans who were never able to grow up. I would also like to hear something more challenging to listen to, but his voice is mostly gone now. He could always compose some instrumental stuff.
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Post by Commodore Orpington on Oct 7, 2020 17:14:48 GMT
** worst 1st single of Elton's entire career.. and I agree with Commodore. I would reply, but I'm busy dying of shock...
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Post by rocketman on Oct 22, 2020 18:13:11 GMT
The more time that has passed, the less I listen to WCN on the whole. I still believe there are a couple of near-gems, such as A Good Heart, and In The Name Of You has a coolness and 1970's feel about it that I like. The rest isn't dreck, by any means, but I don't find myself *drawn* to the album. Frankly, I find Ice On Fire more intriguing in terms of lighter-weight albums in which I have to exert some effort to find value in; it's the Leather Jackets effect - I find myself listening in order to find the good in it, and in that respect, the album actually becomes fascinating.
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Post by newloneranger on Oct 31, 2020 10:53:56 GMT
The more time that has passed, the less I listen to WCN on the whole. I still believe there are a couple of near-gems, such as A Good Heart, and In The Name Of You has a coolness and 1970's feel about it that I like. The rest isn't dreck, by any means, but I don't find myself *drawn* to the album. Frankly, I find Ice On Fire more intriguing in terms of lighter-weight albums in which I have to exert some effort to find value in; it's the Leather Jackets effect - I find myself listening in order to find the good in it, and in that respect, the album actually becomes fascinating. What are some of your favorites from Ice On Fire?
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Post by rocketman on Nov 17, 2020 20:37:25 GMT
NLR, I love This Town, which to me is one of Elton's best 1980's efforts. Also, Wrap Her Up, which would probably be at home on WCN. Candy By The Pound and Satellite are also up there (pun intended for the latter). Cry To Heaven is a pretty good ballad.
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