FIRST TIME HEARING Elton John- "Tonight" & "Indian Sunset" (Reaction)

[@retroreactions....]

These sonic masterpieces deliver so much...a whole different ballgame compared to his hits, but everything he and Bernie create is top tier! Thanks for watching! 🥰

[@maryhuhnke4706]

Bernie Taupin wrote this and it depicted the end of his marriage..she was Tiny Dancer. ❤

[@retroreactions....]

Hi Mary! Yes, I had heard that Blue Moves was one of their darkest albums. Rough patches in their personal lives I'm guessing. Thank you for watching!

[@eltonfan75]

Two of his best deep tracks, thanks for choosing these! EJ and BT are still amazing.

[@serenitynow818]

Elton felt the plight of the early proud beautiful indigenous people

[@annieclifford9337]

This Album was recorded in Toronto. Elton is a Great Piano Player and even once did a tour of himself on piano and Ray Cooper on percussion Only

[@retroreactions....]

Hi Annie. I can't imagine how many live shows Elton has played over his 50+ year career! Thanks so much for watching.

[@brucedillinger9448]

Annie - and I saw that show in Berkeley California for free. A good friend knew the staff who ushered this venue and they let us in...free to sit wherever we pleased. My 1st time seeing Elton live. Even took pictures of the show. Great memory! ✌

[@gbsailing9436]

Whoo Hoo, great choices there buddy! Nice reaction again. You are right, Elton did a fantastic live performance, which I got to witness in 1986 in Sydney Australia. You said, how can you have listened to EJ and not heard this song, well...other fantastic songs with great story lines are: "Ticking", and "Have Mercy On the Criminal"! Must listens both! You know, even Elton himself has said he is not the best piano player, but you have to admit that not only has he the ability to create a great tune, right out of the box, but he then goes on to "craft" a masterful song (bringing in those that he knows will uplift an already good song to great heights with all the orchestral arrangements necessary) from that tune and then sing it masterfully as well. Given the length and breadth of his work, between him and Bernie, they have to take top spot as singer song writers!

[@retroreactions....]

Thank you! They are a masterful composer/writer duo, no question...

[@davidswearingen9652]

That's the perfect back drop for this song.

[@retroreactions....]

Thank you and thanks so much for watching!

[@xlerb_again_to_music7908]

Astonishing! - can't go wrong with Elton John. Blue Moves was a terrific album; time to go listen to it again.... :)

[@eddiecriglington400]

Absolutely love the ‘Blue Moves’ Album. It’s one of my favourites and I bought it as soon as it was released. So many wonderful, beautiful songs on it. The 70’s was my favourite Elton period. My Favourite Album actually being, ‘Captain Fantastic and the Brown Dirt Cowboy’. Amazing. There are so many great Albums of his through that decade particularly for me. ‘Goodbye Yellow Brick Road’, ‘Rock Of The Westies’, ‘Caribou’. And so many more. But from ‘Blue Moves’, I love ‘Tonight’. It has everything. Elton and Bernie created so many great songs together. Other personal favourites from it are, ‘Chameleon’, ‘Sorry Seems to be The Hardest Word’, ‘Crazy Water’ and ‘Someone’s Final Song’. ‘Indian Sunset’ is a great track too. So much Beautiful music from a fabulous decade. 🎶❤️🎶

[@retroreactions....]

Now I want to hear all of Blue Moves! His discography is HUGE! You sir have impeccable taste! 🙂

[@79BlackRose]

@@retroreactions.... Yes amazing discography. His classic years were '72 - '77.

[@79BlackRose]

I agree wholeheartedly with the double platinum award for Tonight. It is so, so luscious musically yet juxtaposed with sadness over a broken relationship. They never sat together to write. Elton would receive Bernie's lyrics through the post. Then he would sit at his piano and play what he felt complimented the lyrics. An example of where poignant lyrics are married with gorgeous music

[@retroreactions....]

Ah yes..and thanks for suggesting that song a while back... What a team they are.... legends...

[@79BlackRose]

@@retroreactions.... Thanks for remembering that I highly recommended Tonight. I can play it over and over on repeat and never tire of it. The Blue Moves album has some exquisite songs on it. I can understand why Elton is fond of it. Captain Fantastic and the Brown Dirt Cowboy is another amazing album. You will have to guess which one is Elton and which one is Bernie out of the brown dirt cowboy and captain fantastic, lol. 😄

[@retroreactions....]

Luckily KZbin Studio makes it easy to search through all past comments. Well, I think "Fantastic" kind of gives it away? 😁

[@79BlackRose]

@@retroreactions.... Lol, yeah! Oh I didn't realise that was a feature. Very handy. I made a suggestion about an album & song by Stevie Wonder I recommend when you get chance.

[@retroreactions....]

OK. Hopefully I'll be caught up with comments within a week. It's just nonstop here, no breathing room!

[@scotteustice6230]

It may be Eltons favorite, but it's not even in the top 5 for classic Elton fans. Great reaction!

[@retroreactions....]

He just has TOO many amazing gems! Thanks so much!

[@l-bird]

Wow, both masterpieces. Right off the bat I was thinking 'what a start'. Nope, can't say that I've ever heard either of these pieces. It's a shame these never got air play. Absolutely beautiful!

[@retroreactions....]

Hello. Glad you love them! Oh, they were both new for you? Nice. Thank you ☺

[@w.geoffreyspaulding6588]

I know nothing about this album…to my knowledge. Certainly, Tonight is jaw-dropping…..symphonic, cinematic. And Bernies lyrics…so gut-wrenchingly sad…..such a feeling of loss and emptiness. Damn. I am hearing Lara Fabians voice doing a cover of this in my head…heartbreaking.. a new favorite of mine from these top-tier collaborators. Thank you for a wonderful, new discovery!

[@retroreactions....]

Glad you liked Tonight. Lara would be amazing on it, I gotta go hear George Michael belt it out now!

[@mrtyreus0]

London Symphony Orchestra+ Paul Buckmaster. This is more than Pop music.

[@Rhiannon011]

Mary Travers (of Peter Paul and Mary) actually released her version of "Indian Sunset" on her album "Mary", a few years, before Elton John sang it. You might want to check out her version of "Indian Sunset". Bernie Taupin wrote it but I guess Taupin gave her permission to sing it on her album first, before Elton did. She sings it beautifully and I have Mary's album and have listened to it through these many many years. I loved Elton John's older albums, when he did a lot of beautiful "serious ballads" before he went more "pop".

[@meriannestoneback7436]

Hit up the Live In Australia live album. Not only is the full orchestra amazing, but Elton sang the whole thing with nodules on his vocal chords and basically could not talk. His voice is raw, the music is emotional, it's absolutely phenomenal.

[@Lionize728]

Wow "Tonight" is a deep cut. I can remember saving up $12.00 to buy this double album from JC Penny's. A lot of lawns mowed to get that one. I'd love to hear you react to one of my fave story telling songs from Elton "Ticking". Just Elton's voice, his piano and a touch of synth over powerful, heartbreaking BT lyrics.

[@reneelyons6836]

💙🎼🎹🎹🎤🎶🎶 "Tonight" is just on a different level. And Rick Wakeman played on the second one.....Awesome!!

[@retroreactions....]

YES! It chewed me up and spit me out LOL....perfect song! Oh, I meant Rick played on the album. He actually only played on the songs "Razor Face" and "Rotten Peaches"....crazy titles!

[@reneelyons6836]

I love Elton John. Great Video!! 😎🤩😍

[@retroreactions....]

Me too! Too many gems!!! I assume you've heard "Believe"? So stunning....

[@retroreactions....]

While, we're on the subject of Elton, here's a little gift for you hehe.... kzbin.info/www/bejne/hZiYZXeVg7qkobM

[@martintayler23]

Brandon, I've been lucky to have seen Elton at least 7 times but most importantly when he played with the Melbourne Symphony orchestra with James Newton-Howard conducting the incredible Paul Buckmaster arrangements. Although Paul didn't arrange the strings on 'Tonight', as it is the LSO backing Elton, I've always wondered who did because Elton would always leave arranging to the concertmasters. Anyway, such a sad song about Bernie trying to mend his relationship but so expressive in Elton's piano and singing. As to 'Indian Sunset', here we find Bernie inspired by the West again, like the previous 'Tumbleweed Connection' album. Another sad tale about the proud Indian race facing the extermination of their culture and religion by white man. A few inaccuracies re Iroquois (Northern Tribes) reference when the brave talks. He later talks about Geronimo (Apache - a southern tribe) so is he a plains indian or not? Also Geronimo died of natural causes unlike fellow chieftains who were shot. This doesn't take anything away from Bernie's lyrics, after all he was only creating the atmosphere of a sense of loss. It is a very powerful song and makes you think about the plight of native peoples, both in North America and here in Australia. PS. Although Rick Wakeman played on 'Madman Across the Water', he only contributed organ and it is Elton providing the poignant piano on 'Indian Sunset'.

[@retroreactions....]

Hello Martin. Wow, that must have been an incredible experience! Thanks for the info. Yes, still a bit confused. Wiki said Rick played on Razor Face and Rotten Peaches only, but another site credits him as also playing on the song Madman Across the Water...? Thank you so much for watching and commenting!

[@Scooterboi60]

James Newton-Howard did the orchestral arrangement on Tonight. And it’s MSO not LSO. Slip of the finger I guess. Melbourne Symphony Orchestra. I was at 3 of the concerts; Perth and Sydney, last night included. My favourite concert of all time.

[@martintayler23]

@@Scooterboi60 The album says London Symphony Orchestra and if JN-H arranged it he is not credited. He definitely conducted the MSO when playing the song in Australia and I was also at the concert in Melbourne.

[@Scooterboi60]

@@martintayler23 what album is that?

[@martintayler23]

@@Scooterboi60 Well 'Tonight' is track 2 on 'Blue Moves' and it is the LSO credited with the orchestration but arranging I don't know.

[@derekking9824]

Nice post. Thnx.

[@davidswearingen9652]

One of my favorite all time songs.

[@PopIcons-q6s]

The Two Rooms tribute album is where I first heard and learned to love many of Bernie/Elton's most famous songs. With a few exceptions, once I got around to hearing the original recordings, I was delighted to discover they were even better. "Sorry Seems to Be the Hardest Word" comes to mind; I absolutely adore Joe Cocker's version, but Elton's is somehow more intimate and just hits differently. HOWever, George Michael's live rendition of "Tonight" is so, so, SO incredible, I've resisted seeking out the original...until now. While I'm not sure on first listen if I'd necessarily call it BETTER, it's at least on par. Just an fn gorgeous, melancholic, melodic masterpiece...right in my sweet spot. I might never have sought this out, so thanks B. :-)

[@gallery963]

"Ticking" should be next.

[@michaelescareno7048]

Enjoy watching your reactions!!! Definitely recommend reacting to one Elton's most famous pieces, "Funeral for a Friend/Love Lies Bleeding"!! Promise it will be one of the most amazing things by him you will hear!!!

[@retroreactions....]

Good news! I've already reacted to both of those together... let me know if you'd like the link

[@michaelescareno7048]

@@retroreactions.... Excellent!! I will search for those!!!

[@robdaviesprogm]

I'm glad you gave "Tonight" some love! The Blue Moves album as a whole doesn't get nearly enough credit, sitting in the shadow of his classic 1970-1975 albums as it does, in particular the *other* double Elton John album, Goodbye Yellow Brick Road. While the lyrical inspiration for this sprawling album generally lies in the breakdown of Bernie Taupin's first marriage, musically, it covers a huge array of musical genres. Being a music lover as you are, I guarantee you won't be disappointed! The orchestra you hear on this recording, by the way, is none other than The London Symphony Orchestra. They also played on "Sorry Seems to Be the Hardest Word". Elton has indeed performed this near-eight-minute epic live several times, usually during solo performances, or, as you mentioned, with a full orchestra. The most notable orchestral performances of this song occurred during his 1986 tour of Australia and New Zealand with The Melbourne Symphony Orchestra (the first time a rock artist had taken a full orchestra on tour), and his 2002 performance of the song with the students of The Royal Academy of Music, which he himself attended as a boy. For the latter performance, he coupled "Tonight" with "Carla/Etude", a gorgeous instrumental piece he composed and included on his 1981 album The Fox (another underrated Elton album). "Indian Sunset" is indeed, a vast epic. When I first heard it at 14 years old, I nearly cried. Now, with the benefit of greater insight into the continued suffering of the Indigenous populations of the US and Canada, I recognize that the song's lyrics are full of outdated stereotypes. I don't blame Bernie for having used them back in the '70s, when his own knowledge of the situation probably wasn't much better than most white people at the time, but it is important to recognize that his lyrics don't reflect the story of these long-marginalized and persecuted people.

[@stephenthorpe3591]

My two favourite Elton John songs are "Indian Sunset" and also "Ticking" (1974), which you might want to check out. Super intense lyrics.

[@retroreactions....]

Will add it to my list, thanks!

[@danielhkhk7283]

Agree, both songs are in my top five.

[@llschnitz]

This one is better Live. I would check out the video of him Live in Russia 1979 but there are many great live versions. His piano skills are amazing.

[@retroreactions....]

Thank you!

[@josemexicano1910]

Hey Brandon! I´d love to watch a reaction to Sweet Painted Lady by Elton John from the Yellow Brick Roads album.

[@gbsailing9436]

and follow that with a huge banger of Elton's, the very next track: "The Ballad of Danny Bailey". Huge piano track!

[@josemexicano1910]

@@gbsailing9436 Great idea! Sweet painted lady is a short song, he can make a video like this. Two songs.

[@79BlackRose]

@@josemexicano1910 I add my endorsement to the gorgeous "Sweet Painted Lady" and dramatic "The Ballad of Danny Bailey". IMO, Elton was at the peak of his powers from 1972 - 1977.

[@retroreactions....]

Hi! Thanks for being first today Jose! 🥇 I will add SPL/TBODB to my list. Have a great night!

[@retroreactions....]

Your vote added for both! Thanks

[@Scooterboi60]

Here’s Tonight live 1986 with the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra 14 December, last night at the Sydney Entertainment Centre. 2 weeks later he had the operation to remove polyps from his vocal chords which changed his voice forever. The operation was carried out at St Vincent’s Private Hospital in Darlinghurst, 2 kilometres from the Sydney Entertainment Centre and 1 kilometre from where he was staying at the Sebel Townhouse. kzbin.info/www/bejne/ap-7ZoGsobBkqKc

[@airluc]

George Michael's version of Tonight is amazing, you should check it out bro, cheers.

[@retroreactions....]

George has one of my favorite singing voices of all time, so I know he kills it on this song! I will check it out. Thanks so much for watching!

[@MisterWondrous]

I was hoping someone would discover "Indian Sunset". One of his best, and saddest. Similar to Jesse Colin Young's "Before You Came". Don't know if I remember "Tonight", but will find out after I dive in...

[@retroreactions....]

Hello. Leave it to me haha.....2 amazing discoveries today! Thanks for watching..

[@stevebiddell2839]

I love the fact that the lyrics dont rhym.

[@w.geoffreyspaulding6588]

Indian Sunset has always grated on me……Elton singing about tomahawks, teepees and squaws seems a stretch…and the orchestration sounds like it’s right out of a 1950’s Western, with those ersatz “Indian” chords and tonal sequences. Add to that (yeah, I know, poetic license and all, but still ) the geography and the historical time-line are completely off, if you know about tribal homelands and Native American history. It’s Elton, so of course I love the vocals and piano. But this song IMO only, is almost an embarrassment ……except for some lovely and poetic lyrics about following the yellow sun, and the ending was beautiful and truly sad. And yes, the abrupt ending I believe, did signify his death. Speaking strictly fir myself, this was a trip from utterly sublime beauty, to something Elton should have passed on. I know I’m no doubt in the minority…so expecting some piling on. 😏

[@79BlackRose]

I'm with you Geoffrey. I've never liked Indian Sunset (and there only a few songs I can say that about in the 70s). There were more successful forays into Americana on Tumbleweed Connection, but this one missed the mark. So I am standing with your foursquare!

[@retroreactions....]

Yikes! Well it did get a few votes. I'm sure it's loved by tons out there. But here's another example that parallels your opinion of Indian Sunset: Tiny Dancer I assume is a huge song and a widely loved song, but I never really cared for it!!

[@79BlackRose]

@@retroreactions.... I agree Brandon. I prefer TD to this, but I am not that keen on it. For me, the Madman album was more miss than hit. IMO, Honky Château is the first GREAT Elton John album. Prior to that, there were outstanding individual cuts, like Burning Down the Mission which you have already reacted to.

[@retroreactions....]

Now let's talk about "Believe"!! (I cut that part out of the video). I heard it again last night after a long while and was in tears. May be tie with "Sorry" as my fave song of his! And then I found this STUNNING live performance of it! kzbin.info/www/bejne/pGjHfaSXiMtqaJI

[@79BlackRose]

@@retroreactions.... I have a DVD of that concert. What a deeply moving song with the emotion constantly building. It was the opening track of Made In England. I think you would also love the closing track: Blessed.

[@emiliacanet9960]

No but thank you

[@drmagic60]

Another surprise today! I definitely preferred “Tonight” of the two. I’m mostly familiar with Elton’s main hits, as I think the only vinyl I have is “Goodbye Yellow Brick Road” and “Captain Fantastic and the Brown Dirt Cowboy”. These both have many great songs on them. I’m guessing you’ll catch me off guard again tomorrow. Lol

[@retroreactions....]

Yup! Yes, Tonight is such perfection for me... If you haven't heard "Believe" (1995) by Elton please give it a listen. Tied with "Sorry" for my #1 fave spot I'd say. Hopefully I'll catch you off guard lol....you never know, the week's not set in stone yet!