Summer of ’75. It was a fantastic year, in all aspects.
Returned home and at the first chance went to the record store to purchase this fascinated album my uncle put in front of me. Straight home. Unwrapped it. Carefully set the inserts aside. Eased the disc sleeve from the album cover. Carefully pressed my fingers on the edge of the slick, heavy vinyl disc easing it out of the dust jacket.
Catching the other side of the disc with the fingertips of my left hand, then setting it gently on the spindle and letting it slide down in to place. On to setting the needle at the beginning, and don the headphones. Turn on the turntable and lay back.
There was no disappointment. The music just flowed through me, the imagery of the lyrics were as fascinating at the cover artwork, and the music pushed and pulled at me as if I were in a large mountain river. Rocking gently then around the bend I go, through the rapids, from side to side until crashing back in to an eddy and calmly circling around…
As I find is common with many albums I buy, or these days stream, the selections that have been tagged for single release are good but not always the best. Maybe best isn’t the word to use. The most tantalizing, engaging; the ones with depth. Someone Saved My Life Tonight is good, but definitely not the most compelling of the set.
The cozy duet between acoustic guitar and electric piano opening the title song invites you to take a seat on the tram. As you settle in it pulls out to head towards the river. The ride getting more intense as the electric guitar and the drums pile on. By the time we enter the Tower of Babel we’re fully strapped in for our boat ride through the rest of the river. Until, finally, exhausted and fully spent we’re dragged ashore to within the inspiration of Writing and collapse to We All Fall In Love Sometimes and Curtains.
Who writes a song about being Better Off Dead? And Writing is just a perfection. I didn’t quite understand all the comments, and I’m sure inside jokes, and imagery…and probably no one besides though few of you who were there do.
I still have most of my vinyls in a box in storage. I should pull it out and look at how worn it is. I played this thing over and over and over… I copied on to tape to play in the car…remember this is 1975 so that was quite the poor imitation, lol. I knew it all, backwards and forwards. I bought the music and had all the piano parts to the point they just proceeded out of my fingers when I touched the piano.
I fell in love with everything. The melodies, the lyrics, the arrangements, all the supporting sounds, and the cover and insert materials! THIS is what I want to do, this is what I want to sound like. I love this album. I love Elton John. I love Bernie Taupin. I love The Elton John Band. Whoever the hell they are…
I needed more. More. More! So, find a way to come up with another cost of an album and head to the store. WOW!! What do you mean there are all these albums?? How am I so stupid?? Where was I when all this came out? And too many to filter through as I knew nothing except the occasional title of a song that was on the pop charts. How cool is it now that we can just play 20 second samples on iTunes or Amazon Music or the like and have a tapas of the dining that the album presents? So, limited on budget and wanting to get the most out my purchase, I go for the cautious Greatest Hits while I figure out the of what is out there.
Now, I didn’t keep a journal, as you did. So I’m not going to be able to recite what I bought in what order, what date, and at what price. But, this album is in the top of 5 of my preference for your collections. Maybe it’s the “It’s your 1st” syndrome. Maybe there is something in your music and Bernie’s lyrics that touches an important part of me. And I’d be hard pressed if someone told me I had to pick my number 1 favorite album of yours. But this one after all these years holds its spot up at the top. I’ve always been quite partial to 11-17-70 as well. Now that you’re revisiting some of your earlier styles with more recent productions, that is quite refreshing.
I’m always fascinated with the production of works. Not sure where I read it, but for many years I had been under the impression that you wrote the music on the Starship travelling from the UK to Colorado. Which just boggled my mind. I mean, that’s a long flight, but not THAT long. LOL. In your autobiography you recount the story of writing about an ocean liner during a cross Atlantic voyage. Now that makes much more sense. And your ongoing fight with the resident pianist and vocalist to get the time to work at the piano…I can just envision the hilarity of that.
Dear Elton 