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Right or wrong, I tend to compartmentalize Elton John. Is he kidding, or not.All of this is done with a great back up band, and no showmanship--a good thing. This is a musician that we can all relate to, and hang out with.
But of those fantastic early albums, Honky Chateu is by far the best. "Rocket Man" is Elton reaching melodic heights that compete with the Bealtes. Those albums from his first through Goodbye Yellowbrick Road, when he was a writter expermenting with styles, and the drug fuled specticles of Caribu and after.
You get no hint of what is about to come as Elton's act became 1970s stage cheese."Honky Cat," is one of the best funk singles of the 1970s, bar none. As a writer and musician, Elton here was able to take all the experiments going back to his first album and synthsize them into an amazing, unpretentious album of fantastic music.Look at him. Beard, glasses, looking down thinking.
"I Think I'm Gonna Kill Myself" is both funny and frightening: the kind of confessional satrie that Ray Davies matered. It is great music by a great writter.Had Elton made more albums like Honky Chateu, he may not have sold as many show tickets, but he would be up their with Paul, John, Ray, some of the best/Remembered only for the music.
To listen to some of the lyrics on this album, you can actually imagine some of the situations that made the music. Of course, Rocket man and honky cat will have you singing along, but for the more dedicated fan, mona lisa and mad hatters let you get lost in the words and music, A definite buy for the Elton fan.
The final track of the main album (Hercules) finds Elton musing about a woman. The faster version is included here as a bonus track.
Next comes a wonderful romantic ballad (Mellow), followed by an up-tempo song with a very downbeat lyric (I think I'm gonna kill myself). With two American top ten singles, one of which became his biggest British hit up to that point by peaking at number two, this album marked a major step forward in Elton's career.The set opens with Honky cat, which was only a minor hit in Britain but much more successful in America.
A look at slavery from the victim's perspective (Slave) is performed at a slow tempo, having originally been recorded at a much faster pace. Another up-tempo song (Susie) follows, but this time the tempo of the song reflects the lyrics.
We then come to Rocket man, the most famous song on the album and still one of Elton's most recognizable songs.The next track (Salvation) is about seeking spiritual help to overcome life's problems. A song about infatuation (Amy) precedes an unflattering song about New York (Mona Lisas and mad hatters).
The only bonus track is that faster version of Slave, because there were no other unreleased tracks from the sessions.This is one of many excellent Elton John albums, that all committed Elton fans should regard as essential.
EJ may be "a bit much" these days, but back in the day he WAS popular music. No one's reviewed this yet. He was redefining album sales figures, radio station play-lists, and our views like nobody's business. Good Lord, this is only one of the best EJ albums ever, one of his fine 70's records. Get real folks. And I'm the first person to comment on this. Unbelievable.
Elton John-Honky Chateau ****By the release of Honky Chateau Elton John was still a young song bird just starving for stardom. Then there is 'Mellow' which might just be the best none single on the album. He still meant the things he was singing about because he was actually feeling and going through them.His confused sexuality comes through in tracks like 'Amy' as does 'Honky Cat' a song about a soulful boy who in one way or another is fed up with being concidered a black poser. But the scary thing is tracks like the satire fueled 'I Think I'm Going To Kill Myself' while meant to be upbeat, funny, and trite was eerily biographical of Eltons own thoughts at the time. But it is the poetic beauty of Taupin's lyrics on 'Mona Lisa's And Mad Hatters' mixed with Eltons georgious melody and all time best vocal that carry the album to classic status.While it might not be his best album ever, or ever his best from the time period, it might be his most personal even though he wrote none of the lyrics. Honky Chateau is a moment of beauty and despair for a true pop genius.
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