After Captain Fantastic I bought the Greatest Hits, but no point talking much about that. I mean it’s just an ensemble of out-takes from your other works. It was a great next purchase, but it’s a sampler.
Next up was Rock Of The Westies. I understand that the album had a critical reception. I’m not sure why. Well. Maybe. Captain Fantastic is such a masterpiece, and pretty much stands a little bit away from the rest of your albums. Which it truly should. Everything else is about everything else, and the Captain is about you and Bernie. Without a doubt, that should be unique in every way. But it did set the bar really, really high.
I loved Rock Of The Westies. The music that is. I had a bit of an attitude to get over once I purchased the album and looked at the back and saw that The Elton John Band was no more. What the hell? Why did you get rid of Dee and Nigel? They were the foundation of the band, and not just because they were bass and drums, but they were the guys who had pretty much always been with you. They knew everything there was to know about creating Elton John sounds and rhythms. Have you ever turned down the treble on Crocodile Rock and just let yourself flow with the bass! It’s just magical. I was completely befuddled.
But, the music. Oh, the music. Right from the beginning when the opening chord of Yell Help hits you right in your face and pins you against the wall and ending with helping Billy Bones to bring the White Bird home. In between we did some space travel, international travel including almost getting beat up, and shot a bad guy in the back. You seemed to be in a club dance type mood when you penned these. Maybe that’s what the critics didn’t like. It definitely challenged me from a musician aspect. Naturally, I quickly tracked down the sheet music song book. Different days back then. Today it would just be a few clicks on Amazon. Then I had to wait until a trip to the bigger city nearby and in the neighborhood of the music store and hope they had actually ordered it to be in stock. Fortunately, they did.
Once I reached a level of familiarity and comfort with the entire album, I’d lay there listening and trying to visualize what life what like at the ranch as everyone worked to refine the songs and in to the recording studios. How was the free times filled? What was there to eat? How many takes did the pieces require?
True to form, Island Girl was good but not a top-of-the-list selection. I especially honed in on Dan Dare, Feel Like A Bullet, Hard Luck Story, and Billy Bones. Now, mind you, this is like trying to rank your favorite pies or donuts. They are all palatable, but certain ones click better on certain days or in certain moods. In fact, it took me a few months to stop skipping over Medley. Those were the days of skill, huh? Skipping over a track wasn’t just hit the “next” button. You had to get down to eye level with the turntable and get the light so you could see the change in the grooves to pick up the separation between the tracks and then drop the needle, gently of course, in *just* the right spot.
Dan Dare really filled me, but even today I’ve classified Billy Bones as the best track on the record. I think one of the things which titillates me, then and now, is the edgy raw-ness that peeks its head up throughout. (Side note: I think of the best albums you did was 11-17-70, but that’s a post for later.)
I know you and Bernie don’t work together, and not even in the same space and time for many decades, but the stories Bernie tells — where does he get them. I’ve had this theory for quite some time that, especially in the early days, he wrote while he was watching movies! Sure seems to be some movie story type themes and tidbits scattered throughout his work. I’ll have to go back to listen to Dan Dare again, but what SciFi movie might he have been devouring as he put pen to paper. Oh, good question…does he write in pen or pencil?? I Feel Like A Bullet — he was watching a western about Jesse James, ya? Must just be me.
I understand Street Kids is still being used in some action oriented video games (personally not much of a gamer…got enough “games” in real life that keep me busy 🙂 ).
My little research indicates you did 3 albums at Caribou Ranch, Caribou – Captain Fantastic – and this Rock Of The Westies. How do you decide where you want to record? Earlier you had favored the “Honky Chateau” mansion in France, now you’re favoring Colorado.
CD releases put the duet Don’t Go Breaking My Heart on this album. Was it record during this session up in the mountains? Or was that just a marketing decision all these years later? BTW, absolutely love that song as well. I sang it with some girlfriends, not to mention a number of times singing both sides myself while fantasizing about who fills the female part.
I owned three of your albums at this point. A number of days it was either actively listening to ROTW or using as a motivational background while doing active work. When I was more melancholy or feeling more deeply in to the constructs of music it was nothing but the Captain. And just some general background music was the Greatest Hits.
I totally got in to the photo on the cover of Greatest Hits. I used that as the basis for my suit for my Junior prom. And my photographer mind loved the fact he caught your hand moving to the cane while everything else was still.
40+ years later, I still give this album frequent rides, mostly on streaming but the CD gets a few spins as well.
Dear Elton 