Spotify Wrap 2023

[rocketman]

My Spotify "Wrap" for 2023 once again had Elton John as my Top Artist (Big surprise).

Top 5:

Elton John

Doobie Brothers

Taylor Swift

The Monkees

George Harrison

Top Songs (All Artists)

Let It Go* - Idina Menzel

New Kid In Town - Eagles

Another Park, Another Sunday - Doobie Bros

Gotta Go Fast (Sonic Theme)* - Nate Wants To Battle

Time Passages - Al Stewart

*This is what happens when you have grandchildren, they take over your playlist lol.

Top Elton John Songs:

Razor Face - Extended Version

Orbit

Medicine Man

Crazy Water

Have Mercy On The Criminal

Sails

Les Aveux

Whenever You're Ready (We'll Go Steady Again)

Good Morning To The Night (PNAU)

Funeral For A Friend/LLB (Here and There)

Sugar On The Floor

Planes

Bad Side Of The Moon (Here and There)

Your Starter For

Honky Cat (Here and There)

[dougs]

rocketman:

Good to hear from you!

That is quite the eclectic Top Elton Songs list.  Good to see some BLUE MOVES tracks in there.  I don't listen to Spotify (lots of other ways to find related and other music) and would have a tough time listing my most played Elton songs..."Street Kids" would be up there with "Tonight" as my likely most played.  It is easier to list my most played Elton albums in 2023 and it is something like this:

* CAPTAIN FANTASTIC AND THE BROWN DIRT COWBOY
* BLUE MOVES
* ROCK OF THE WESTIES
* SLEEPING WITH THE PAST
* DON'T SHOOT ME I'M ONLY THE PIANO PLAYER (2023 Record Store Day special vinyl issue of demos & alternate takes).

Regarding other artists, here are my favourite/most played albums in 2023.  Some are new releases, some are older albums that I bought for the first time, etc.  In no specific order:

* Esmerine:  EVERYTHING WAS FOREVER UNTIL IT WAS NO MORE (2022).  This is a Canadian chamber music group with their most recent instrumental album.  It won Canada's Juno music award for best instrumental album of 2022.  Esmerine is led by cellist, violinist, pianist, vocalist Rebecca Foon.  Haunting, reflective, mesmerizing, and beautiful.

* King Crimson:  IN THE COURT OF THE CRIMSON KING (1969).  This is a pioneering progressive rock album which helped shaped the genre for other bands like Yes and Pink Floyd.  I got the 50th anniversary LP which included a second album of alternate takes.  Powerful.

* Christone "Kingfish" Ingram:  LIVE IN LONDON (2023).  Kingfish is a young 24 year old blues guitarist from Mississippi who flawlessly and emotionally blends blues with funk, gospel, rock, and R&B influences.  He plays with heart and soul.  Incredible blues guitar performances.  Unbelievable.

* Solstice:  LIGHT UP (2023).  Solstice is a band that has been around since 1980 and has released 7 studio albums since 1984.  Band leader/guitarist/writer/producer Andy Glass shaped a new version of the band featuring lead vocalist Jess Holland in 2020.  LIGHT UP is the newest of the two releases under this new line-up which beautifully cannot be pegged into one genre.  Solstice was initially a prog rock band but has morphed into a band that is highly melodic, soulful, blessed with beautiful vocals & harmonies, that taps into prog rock, folk, and other genres.  Just Listen to "Bulbul Tarang" and "Wongle No9" from LIGHT UP to hear the range of music that this band offers.

* Steve Miller Band:  BOOK OF DREAMS (1977).  This is my favourite Steve Miller Band album.  He blended rock, blues, and a touch of progressive rock to make an album that still sounds great to me.  The album ventured into the electronic world on several tracks.  The lesser-known album tracks are the most interesting.  The album is best known for hit songs like "Swingtown" and "Jet Airliner."

* Moby:  RESOUND NYC (2023).  Moby teamed up with classical music label Deutsche Grammophon to make an album which took his initially electronic-based songs and combined them with subtle and full scale orchestral arrangements.  The songs on this double album come from a half dozen or so of his albums.  He also covers "Helpless" by CSN&Y.  Some really interesting new interpretations of his songs such as the funky version of "South Side" plus impressive guest vocal & orchestral contributions. Eclectic. 

A few honourable mentions: Pink Floyd ANIMALS (1977), Yo La Tengo THIS STUPID WORLD (2023), Santana ABRAXAS (1970), Carole King TAPESTRY (1971), and Radiohead AMNESIA (2001). 

I have to say that I haven't enjoyed music this much since the early 80s.  I am finding music, new & old, that is just a blast to listen to.  I am not finding much new "hit" music very exciting but there are lots of other less supported & less well-known younger musicians today who have lots to offer.

Keep listening!

Doug

[rocketman]

Doug, lots of interesting material on your list!

Yeah, I’ve taken a shine to streaming, but CDs are still my definitive go to for music, especially Elton’s. Mainly I stream music when I’m outdoors or away from home, or just too lazy to pop in a disc. First world problems lol.

[dougs]

rocketman:

A few years ago, I set up a "vinyl room" with a brand new turntable, speakers, receiver, and headphones.  The room is fully decorated with music art & limited edition framed prints & posters.  When I buy an album I always sit down with the headphones and the album sleeve in hand to listen "carefully" and read the lyrics and take in the photos and artwork.  There was a time when album artwork was vital.  As you know, Elton had some great covers & album packages in the 70s such as CAPTAIN FANTASTIC AND THE BROWN DIRT COWBOY.  I have been rediscovering music by treating it with my full attention.  I have ventured into new genres, purchased albums that I had never heard before and often from artists that were essentially "new" to me.  It has been a blast.  Also, the record companies have been re-issuing remastered versions of albums with incredible clarity and dynamic range. I haven't enjoyed listening to music like this in decades.

If I find a new (or old) album where I like about 40%-60% of the songs, I will often buy the CD.  If I only like 1 or 2 songs then I buy them from iTunes.  If I like the majority of the songs then I get the vinyl copies.  If the band/performer is not a major artist then I try to buy directly from the artist's store, if they have one.  Occasionally I get the cover autographed in the process such as Kingfish's great new blues album LIVE IN LONDON.  It is always a financial advantage to the artists to buy directly from them.   I did the same with Solstice's new LIGHT UP album this year.

I also subscribe to music producers and music reviewers on their YouTube channels.  Rick Beato and Classic Album Review are two such channels which have opened up my ears to soooo many really talented musicians and albums, past & present.  I always take a listen and decide if I am interested in buying the music:  quite often I am.  I rarely hear some of this stuff on the radio - anywhere. 

Keep listening!

Doug

[rocketman]

Thanks Doug, Another good YouTube channel is that of Jon Blackstone, who is a fan of Elton's music and actually had Dee Murray play on a couple of his recordings. He has another channel there called Kid With A Camera, in which he and a friend break down songs and albums with a lot of interesting insights. Jon feels that Dee and Paul McCartney are the best bass players in rock history.

I do subscribe also to Rick Beato, who has some very good insights and really takes apart songs. His breakdown of Rocket Man is very educational.

I have two Onkyo amps, a Realistic CD-1400 CD player that i bought in 1986 and still works, and two Sony players. I use Klipsch speakers in my main system and Sony speakers in my secondary system. I also own three Bose Bluetooth speakers and three Google Nest Audio speakers for streaming in various areas of my home.

What brand(s) of equipment do you own?

[dougs]

rocketman:

Yeah, Jon Blackstone's YouTube channel "Only Kid With A Camera" is one that I subscribe to.  Thanks for the heads-up.  Jon did a recent interview with EJ guitarist (from the earliest days plus ROCK OF THE WESTIES and BLUE MOVES) Caleb Quaye (who you know well) where they talked about Caleb's involvement in Elton's career and spent some time looking at some of the great tracks on ROCK OF THE WESTIES and BLUE MOVES. Check it out! 

Great minds!   I also subscribe to Rick Beato on YouTube.  Tremendous interviews with musicians past & present, so-to-speak, and great song dissections.  I also subscribe to "Classic Album Review" which reviews albums of the past and looks at new releases as well, plus he gets some very good interviews  (eg. Ian Anderson from Jethro Tull).  He did a good review of Elton's 50th anniversary release of HONKY CHATEAU a year ago and has done specific videos on just Elton.

My stereo equipment had to be scaled down a little (size wise) so that I don't blow my neighbours into the Atlantic Ocean!  I have JBL speakers, Audio-Technica turntable, Sony receiver/amplifier, and (new) Shure headphones.  The headphones are an expensive higher quality Shure model and they have a stunning bass/drum sound unlike any headphones I have ever heard.  I don't have my CD player hooked to the stereo.  I listen to CDs via my computer playlists and straight from my computer CD player.  The car has USB playlists generated from CDs and iTunes purchases.  I do my serious music listening sitting with the vinyl albums and using my headphones.  I like to commit myself to the music and not just render music to a background thing which most people do now.  I am sure that you must appreciate sitting down with an album, reading the lyrics, checking out the album info (studio, producer, who played what and which songs, etc.) and looking at the album artwork & photos.  Elton's album, especially in the 70s, were superbly packaged, weren't they?  Your favourite Elton album cover/packaging?

What is your favourite EJ album to listen to front to back these days?

Keep listening!

Doug

[rocketman]

Yes, I remember the days of listening to a new album and pouring over the liner notes and photos, which is why I've kept some kept some (the Elton John LPs) and even though i no longer have a turntable, I still look them over at times.

Most folks probably would choose the Captain Fantastic album or GBYBR as favorites for cover and/or liner notes, but Rock Of The Westies is still my favorite cover and photo section. Next would be Captain Fantastic and then Reg Strikes Back for covers and so on.

As far as listening, my favorites of late are Westies and Blue Moves. I have a drum box (Cajon) and I enjoy playing Roger Pope's parts on those albums more than any other album. I also enjoy playing Nigel's parts on CF and also Here And There, especially the NY side.

Funny thing too is that I like Ice On Fire and 21 at 33 a lot for listening too, even though they're not highly regarded albums generally.

Yes I have seen the interview with Caleb, and in fact, he's in the same Facebook group I'm in, "Elton John and The Eltonites" and he just posted a photo from one of the concerts in 1976. He and I have interacted a couple of times regarding Hookfoot and their work on Empty Sky.

[dougs]

rocketman:

Did you watch Caleb Quaye's new (2023) documentary LOUDER THAN ROCK which is probably titled as a play on words partly for the last tour that he did with Elton - LOUDER THAN CONCORDE in 1976?  Another excellent YouTube interviewer is Tom Cridland and he has done lengthy interviews with a number of Elton personnel such as Nigel Olsson, Davey Johnstone, and Gary Osborne.

Yeah, I am also listening a lot to BLUE MOVES and ROCK OF THE WESTIES.  That band on those records could really rock.  Roger's drumming is powerful.  I also love Nigel's drumming (the whole band is nailing it) on CAPTAIN FANTASTIC AND THE BROWN DIRT COWBOY.  It has been a long long time since I have heard musicianship like that (those 3 records) on an Elton album.  It is hard for me to say that I really anticipate a particular drum fill, guitar or bass part or keyboard instrumental on an Elton song this Millennium with the exception of SONGS FROM THE WEST COAST in 2001.  He has written plenty of good songs but the musicianship of those great early albums is not as apparent to me in recent times.

Too bad that the BLUE MOVES band never had a chance to tour the album.  Elton had disbanded (August 17, 1976) prior to the release of the album (October 22, 1976).

You mentioned 21 AT 33:  I still have "Chasing the Crown" on several playlists and "Little Jeannie" still sounds good.  I prefer THE FOX, however.

Doug

[rocketman]

I have yet to watch Caleb-s documentary in full. I have watched a portion of it. His solos on One Horse Town and Street Kids are great. I attended a concert on the Louder Than Concorde Tour in 1976. Elton started with Grow Some Funk, but otherwise it's too far distant in the past and I can't recall what else he played.

A decade later I saw another concert (actually two at the same venue in Philadelphia) and I have a much better recollection of that set list. He played Paris from Leather Jackets, but then it was deleted from the second show. The concerts both started with Tonight and then One Horse Town.

I think The Fox is more varied than 21 at 33. From what Ive read, the songs on both are pretty much from the same batch.

[dougs]

rocketman:

I really wish that I had the chance to see the "Louder Than Concorde" tour in 1976.  That was, without doubt, the most rocking tour Elton ever did.  There were so many extended versions of songs well above 10 minutes in length such as "Hercules" and "Empty Sky."  You have no doubt seen the concert footage of his Earl's Court (London) concert in 1976 where he does, what you said, open with "Grow Some Funk of Your Own."  Great footage.

Agreed:  Caleb's guitar work on ROCK OF THE WESTIES and BLUE MOVES was so impressive.  "Street Kids" and "One Horse Town" still to this day, even more so I feel, are true favourites of mine.  Yeah, I saw that 1986 tour, as well,  when he opened with "Tonight" and "One Horse Town."  The energy of "One Horse Town" created a rush to the stage.  That night, Elton actually opened with "Your Song" solo because the band was slow to clear customs:  a massive record-breaking rainfall and severe thunderstorm had almost cancelled our outdoor Toronto concert.  Elton came on solo over an hour late and the band joined him in "Tonight."  Great setlist.  He did play "Paris" and he ended with "Can I Get A Witness" which is a great Motown song which had everybody dancing.

THE FOX seems to me to be a better and more varied album than 21 AT 33 (I do really like "Chasing the Crown" and "Little Jeannie") and from what I have read, half of THE FOX was from the same writing batch of songs as 21 AT 33.  Record company exec David Geffen told Elton at the time that he needed to write new songs for what was to be the original version of THE FOX so half of the album, mostly the upbeat & rocking songs, were newly written/recorded for the final released version of THE FOX and half of the album was shelved only to appear as future B-sides or collectibles.  In fact, when I saw Elton in Toronto at the O'Keefe Centre with Ray Cooper in October of 1979 he mentioned that he had written a bunch of new songs that summer (1979, in France) and that he would be releasing a new double album.  That so-called double album was 21 AT 33 in 1980 and THE FOX in 1981.  Elton, in the midst of this unpredictable and unfocussed time in his life, also talked about writing an album of instrumentals - which never materialized.  A few instrumentals were written and did emerge, however, in 1981 and 1985:  "Carla/Etude" and "Fanfare" on THE FOX and "The Man Who Never Died" (about John Lennon) which first appeared on the UK EP of "Nikita" prior to the release of ICE ON FIRE.

Doug