Elton John Album Reviews: Goodbye Yellow Brick Road, Disc 1 (1973)

[@robdaviesprogm]

This was the first Elton John album I ever bought, and the second one overall. If listening to my mother's vinyl copies of his three Greatest Hits albums was jumping into the pool of Elton fandom, Yellow Brick Road represented a plunge into the deep end from which I, thankfully, have never surfaced. "Candle in the Wind" Had the rare feat of being a hit three times: once in 1974 as the third UK single from Goodbye Yellow Brick Road, once in 1987 when the version from the Live in Australia album was released, and the re-written Diana version in 1997. Interesting tidbit about "Bennie and the Jets": Elton didn't want it released as the third US single. In fact, some reports state that he didn't want it on the album at all. However, MCA Records (his US label at the time) wanted to put it out, but Elton kept refusing, until they informed him that "Bennie" was the #1 song on the R&B charts in Detroit. Being a huge fan of soul music, this got Elton's attention, and he let MCA put it out. It became his second US #1 single (after "Crocodile Rock"), and also reached the Top 20 in Billboard's R&B chart. His success with both this song and "Philadelphia Freedom" earned him the honour of being the first white artist to perform on Soul Train.

[@eltonmusicfan]

Thanks. I wish Bennie had not become such a concert standard. Elton has so many better songs yet always seems to include Bennie as a crowd pleaser. For instance, Bite Your Lip would be a much better live track for me.

[@robdaviesprogm]

@@eltonmusicfan With the live audience sounds on "Bennie", plus the incredible chart success it enjoyed in North America, there's no way it *wouldn't* have become a concert standard. The song also lends itself well to Elton's trademark piano antics (playing underneath, standing up, etc.), though I suppose the same could be said of "Bite Your Lip". Elton's tried "Bite Your Lip" a couple of times throughout the years, but it seems to be cycled out relatively quickly, probably because people end up using it as a bathroom song. I enjoy the instrumentation on the jam at the end of "Bite Your Lip", but I find that, by and large, most other people I've played the song to find the incessant chorus of "Bite your lip, get up, get up and dance" to be annoying. Even for me, it took me some time before I could see past the choir to hear the amazing jam session going on underneath.

[@jasoncarpp7742]

Among my favourite songs from "Goodbye Yellow Brick Road" is "Funeral for a Friend/Love Lies Bleeding".

[@eltonmusicfan]

A great combination and a great concert opener.

[@MJ-qb5ph]

Hi John: I have a group of albums which I class as ‘legendary’ Rumours, Dark side of the Moon, Purple Rain, Born in the USA, Songs in the key of life. On my list are three by EJ; GYR, Captain Fantastic and The One (reward for sobering up). GYR is one of the best albums ever to me and like the above timeless

[@eltonmusicfan]

Yes, it has a permanent place in music history. I find that track-by-track it is superior to Captain Fantastic.

[@MJ-qb5ph]

@@eltonmusicfan Agree

[@mr.macaroni2093]

Good job on the piano playing

[@anni50ful]

Mine had the poster and a cartoon type book of his life story, I've still got the book but sadly not the poster ☺🇬🇧

[@eltonmusicfan]

I had neither, I'm pretty sure. You are lucky to have the book.

[@matthewfreiley645]

Hey John. Yeah I agree about Bennie and the Jets, not one of my favorites either. Funeral, Love Lies Bleeding, Goodbye Yellow Brick Road, Grey Seal, and I've seen that movie too I give a decent 9-9.5 out of 10. Those are the best on this disc i think. Jamaica Jerk off I give a strong 7 to light 8. No title is probably my least favorite on this first half.

[@eltonmusicfan]

Thanks for this. Some great choices there. Glad you like Jamaica. But is it better than Paradise on A Single Man?

[@matthewfreiley645]

@@eltonmusicfan Hey there! Good point, that's a very underappreciated track also. As well as the whole album!! I'd say I like those two songs equally, though Jamaica is probably better. What I REALLY REALLY love are the songs Madness, Georgia, and It ain't gonna be easy. Those are my 3 favorites from A Single Man.

[@jonathangoodman2636]

I always saw Funeral/Love as more comparable to Tonight (owing to the long instrumental leading to a vocal/piano-based song). Should be at least an 8, and for me, in his top 5 songs. Unreal music in Goodbye..., but marred by inferior lyric (I know, boo). Can't be a 10, but a 9 for me. Grey Seal...ditto song, ditto lyric. Elton's greatest strength is his ability to turn bad lyrics into gold (yeah, again I'm on an island). I saw Elton the year you did (for me, Aug.3, '82, Boston Garden, my first concert). As fellow pianists, we have to put "Funeral/Love" on a pedestal.

[@eltonmusicfan]

Goodbye is an intriguing lyric and, if you go with the explanation I talk about, makes a lot of sense. This setting is so iconic of the seventies. I think it is one of maybe three or four EJ songs which will be known in 50 years' time. Funeral and Love is a perfect pairing and a wonderful concert opener.

[@eiwindowns3331]

I love Funeral/Love lies bleeding. Its actully one of my favourite songs of all time (I think its 1 song). Goodbye yellow brick road is overplayed, but iconic. I love Grey seal and Harmony. So American. I love the old western feeling. And of course saturday night. CITW was not interesting for me until 1997. And bennie and the jets, i agree. Really overrated and silly. But still cathcy and American

[@eltonmusicfan]

It is such a quality, landmark album and a golden period for Elton fans. Bennie and the Jets is clearly a favourite for Elton because he plays it so frequently and most fans seem to love it.

[@patrickgauthier-manuel5817]

9 marks for "goodbye yellow brick road" and 4 marks for "Bennie and the jets".

[@eltonmusicfan]

I think Bennie suffers from being overplayed. If we hadn't heard it so much, we might rate it higher.

[@mobueh]

@@eltonmusicfanlate reply, but i also think the live versions from the 80s overshadow the studio version

[@dustbunny9281]

Social disease was fun

[@RJS1974]

A 6 for Bennie and the Jets? A 6!? How dare you good sir! That is blasphemy. The only weak track on disc one is Jamaica Jerkoff. And Bennie is a perfect ten.

[@eltonmusicfan]

I respect the following for Bennie and I rated it as good but it suffers from overplaying for me. I don't want to hear it live ever again.

[@cootmaster]

grey seal is like solar prestige a gamon or i am the walrus - about not much - when i write sometimes its inside jokes funny words and no meanings

[@MIkeFreiley]

I must say... While this is kind of an overrated album in my opinion, I like Blue Moves better, Goodbye yellow brick road has the best deep cuts I think.