The Trail We Blaze

[BiteUrLip]

Music: Elton John

Lyrics: Tim Rice

Electric piano: Elton John

Keyboards and programming: Patrick Leonard

Guitars: Tim Pierce, Davey Johnstone, Dean Parks, Bruce Gaitsch

Drums: Jim Keltner

Percussion: Luis Conte

Background vocals: Richard Page, Kudisan Kai, Siedah Garrett, Davey Johnstone, Kipp Lennon, Nigel Olsson

String arrangement: Jeremy Lubbock

Lyrics:

Look out new world here we come

Brave, intrepid and then some

Pioneers of maximum

Audacity whose resumés

Show that we are just the team

To live where others merely dream

Building up a head of steam

On the trail we blaze


chorus:

Changing legend into fact

We shall ride into history

Turn myth into truth

We shall surely gaze

On the sweet unfolding

Of an antique mystery

All will be revealed

On the trail we blaze


Paradise is close at hand

Shangri-la the promised land

Seventh heaven on demand

Quite unusual nowadays

Virgin vistas, undefiled

Minds and bodies running wild

In the man behold the child

On the trail we blaze


The trail we blaze

Is a road uncharted

Through terra incognita to a golden shrine

No place for the traveler

To be faint-hearted

We are part of the sumptuous grand design


Shangri-la the promised land

Seventh heaven on demand

Quite unusual nowadays

Virgin vistas, undefiled

Minds and bodies running wild

In the man behold the child

On the trail we blaze


(repeat chorus)

[BiteUrLip]

One of the better songs from the album, a nice joyful package.

4½ stars.

[dougs]

"The Trail We Blaze" from THE ROAD TO EL DORADO:

In March of 2000 the animated DreamWorks film THE ROAD TO EL DORADO and the accompanying soundtrack were released.  Elton and Tim Rice composed the songs for the film.  "The Trail We Blaze" on the soundtrack is quite a bit altered from the animated film version. Elton didn't use his entire band on the song; just Davey on guitar and backing vocals along with Nigel. The song is a piano-based peppy tune with country stylings from EJ. 

Patrick Leonard's production was clean and effective.  Elton must have been pleased with Leonard's work;  he was brought in to produce Elton & Bernie's next studio album SONGS FROM THE WEST COAST.

The songs in the film didn't match what appeared on the soundtrack in terms of the song listing and the actual performances.  "The Trail We Blaze" as it appears on the soundtrack is a decent and worthwhile tune.

Rating: 4 to 4 1/2 stars

Doug

[rocketman]

4 stars...I rate this album, and almost every song on it, at 4 stars or a little more. It's remarkably consistent and there's nothing wrong with consistency; there are no real wasted cuts. The Trail We Blaze is a perfect example: It's tuneful, catchy, pleasant, and contributes to the overall feel of the album.

[Commodore Orpington]

Nice. There are better ones on Eldorado.

[newloneranger]

Not bad, One of the better ones.

4 stars