|
Elton John |  | Artist: Elton John
Label: Mercury Records Ltd (London)
Category: Music
List Price: £8.99
Buy New: £3.36
as of 25/11/2009 21:54 GMT details
You Save: £5.63 (63%)
New (40) Used (6) from £2.50
Seller: moviemars-usa
Rating:  10 reviews
Sales Rank: 6763
Format: Original recording reissued, Original recording remastered
Media: Audio CD
Discs: 1
Running Time: 50 Minutes
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.2
Dimensions (in): 5.6 x 5 x 0.5
MPN: 528156
UPC: 731452815620
EAN: 0731452815620
ASIN: B000001EG6
Release Date: May 10, 1995
Availability: Usually dispatched within 1-2 business days
| |
| Tracks:
| • | Your Song | | • | I Need You To Turn To | | • | Take Me To The Pilot | | • | No Shoe Strings On Louise | | • | First Episode At Hienton | | • | Sixty Years On | | • | Border Song | | • | The Greatest Discovery | | • | The Cage | | • | The King Must Die | | • | Bad Side Of The Moon | | • | Grey Seal | | • | Rock And Roll Madonna |
|
| Similar Items:
| |
| Customer Reviews:
Showing reviews 1-5 of 10
 Elton's stunning second album confirms his potential August 9, 2001
hindburn@btinternet.com (Church Stretton, Shropshire)
17 out of 18 found this review helpful
If his first album, the low-budget 'Empty Sky' hinted at Elton John's potential, his second ('the black album') well and truly confirmed it and is one of the most significant albums of the early 70s. Its distinctive character derives from the three features which would become Elton's trademark sound in his early albums - his unique vocal delivery, his expressive piano playing, and the use of heavy orchestration. The songs range from tender ballads with baroque influences, to bluesy rock numbers, and the slow but powerful songs for which he is perhaps best known. Only one ('Your song') was a hit record, but many others have become well-established classics of Elton's repertoire (notably 'Border song', 'Take me to the pilot', 'Sixty years on' and 'The king must die'). (Three additional early songs, not originally included on the album, also appear.) Paul Buckmaster's orchestral arrangements on this album might be criticised as being too grandiose and overbearing at times, but they are part of what gives the record its distinctive character and helped to establish Elton as a very individual new talent in his early days. After two further heavily orchestrated albums, his song arrangements became much more stripped-down and conventionally commercial, as can be heard on 'Goodbye yellow brick road', but the black album showcases Elton's raw talent before 'stardom' arrived. A landmark album - but if you like the style of this you should also obtain the subsequent 'Tumbleweed connection' and 'Madman across the water', which are also EJ classics.
Elton John November 27, 2004
Mr. D. S. Cox (Plymouth, England)
5 out of 5 found this review helpful
This was the second album of Elton John's and the one that put his name out there. This album has plenty to offer in the different types of songs that are available. 'Your Song' has gone down as a all time classic and is the perfect introduction to this album. 'First Espisode at Hienton' and 'Sixty Years On' are two mellow songs that you can feel emotion from.br3 bonus tracks are on offer on this album including 'grey seal' that can be found on the Goodbye Yellow Brick Road album, a early version of the song.brThis was the introduction of Elton John into the music scene so for an Elton fan this is a must have but can easily entertain any music lover. Plenty to offer, money well spent.
First Episode, 60 Years, Border Song - Come on!! July 24, 2008
M. Thomas (Bournemouth UK!)
Yes, Come on!!! I got the first 4 Elton/Bernie albums - and that's it - He got old and I didn't. This and Empty Sky rest gently against my Grandaddy, Aimee Mann, Jim Moray and Bon Iver. I rest my case. Thanks for making me weep Elton, for she cut me bad....
Elton's breakthrough album May 21, 2009
Peter Durward Harris (Leicester England)
Elton's recordings prior to this, especially the Empty sky album, are interesting, but this is the album that catapulted him into the big time, where he has remained ever since. The tracks for this album are dated January 1970, but only ten of them appeared on the original album. Other tracks were released as singles. This re-mastered edition includes four bonus tracks taken from the original sessions.
br /
br /The first single, Border song, made the American charts but became a bigger hit for Aretha Franklin, who thus became the first singer as far as I know to have a hit with a cover of an Elton John song. Elton's own follow-up to Border song was a UK-only single coupling two tracks (Rock and roll Madonna, Grey seal) that were omitted from the original album, but which are included here. Elton later re-recorded Grey seal for his classic album Goodbye yellow brick road, but the version here is his rarer first recording of the song.
br /
br /The next single was Your song, released in America following impressive live performances there. The B-side of that single, Take me to the pilot, features lyrics that even their writer Bernie Taupin admits are meaningless. He sometimes does that sort of thing but points out that the words sound good together and that's what matters. Yet Bernie was also capable of writing meaningful lyrics of a high quality, and his best songs all share that chat eristic. While the best example here is Your song, others include The greatest discovery (about the birth of a baby), Sixty years on (reflecting on what the future might offer; about forty of those sixty have so far elapsed) and First episode at Hienton (inspired by a time in Bernie's youth).
br /
br /This was a great album, but even greater albums were to follow in the ensuing years.
 Classy 2nd album January 18, 2007
S J Buck (Kent, UK)
2 out of 2 found this review helpful
The 2nd album from Elton John is the one where he first made an impact on the music world. There are two standards on this album 'Your Song' and 'Border Song'. Both are great songs. Sadly Your Song has been overplayed a bit over the years, but listening to the original version of Border Song again recently I was struck by the simple production, and its great gospel feel.
br /
br /'Sixty Years On' and 'Take Me To The Pilot' remain two of the songs that Elton still plays in concert to this day and any fan will know these. A couple of the remaining tracks are perhaps are not up to quite the same standard, but I like them all. The string arrangements by Paul Buckmaster set Elton's early albums apart from his more comercially successful albums and give this album a unique feel.
br /
br /The 3 bonus tracks are well worth having. My favourite of these is 'Rock 'n' Roll Madonna'. A rare straight rock n roll track from Elton with an artificial live feel and Jerry Lee Lewis/Leon Russell influenced Piano solo. The remastered sound is good and the new sleeve notes give quite a lot of useful background information. This is well worth getting.
Showing reviews 1-5 of 10
|
|
|
CERTAIN CONTENT THAT APPEARS ON THIS SITE COMES FROM AMAZON EU S.à.r.l. THIS CONTENT IS PROVIDED ‘AS IS’ AND IS SUBJECT TO CHANGE OR REMOVAL AT ANY TIME. | |
