Elton John Retires

FOX News ^ | December 2, 2001 | News Crawl

[Ciexyz]

I remember playing his "Madman across the Water" 8-track tape over and over in college.

[rko1933]

from what?

[Kevin Curry]

However, the orchestration and mix is very dated sounding

You're probably right, listening with a critic's ear. But I remember it against the backdrop of my own life, and what I thought was important at the time--and what still inspires me emotionally. Many people don't care for Bierstadt either, but I am a sucker for romantic swells of 19th Century American landscape art and music that evokes it.

Solid American influences can be found throughout Elton John's piano work. E.g., "Philadelphia Freedom" has some nice albeit subtle Gershwinesque phrasings and turns still make me smile when I hear them.

[texas slim]

Elton who?

[BluesDuke]

. What exactly did Elton do that makes the world a better place? Was it a disease cure or a better machine?

Well, let me put it this way: I'm not exactly a huge fan of Elton John's music, but for whatever it is worth he did make a passel of music that made millions around the world happy. You may not like his music, I may not like his music, but it ought to count for something that someone can make music which affects people that way. Maybe it says something for his audience's lack of taste. Who knows? Who cares? He made the music, they loved it enough to buy it, he earned the bucks from the market he found and built up with his work, and that is all one needs to know.

He made a pile with his music...

because, for better or worse, there was usually a market for it. Remember the market? Oops! If no one liked his music, he wouldn't have made more than an anthill with it. (Clarification: I grant, always, that there is plentiful good music which doesn't earn its creators even an eight of what Elton John's music earned him; but, on the flip side, those who might object when a musician earns a pile with his music, even to the point of denouncing said musician as a "sellout," might keep two things in mind: a) Starving artists, regardless of the quality of their work, still starve. b) "Yeah," snorted James Hetfield of Metallica once, answering charges that his band had "sold out" at one or another point, "we sell out - every place where we play.")

...and spent it just as fast.

And whose business is it how or how fast someone spends what they earn? Isn't it bad enough that the government thinks it is its business what we do or don't do with what we earn?

[ClancyJ]

Promoting the lifestyle I too disagree with. I can understand why they do it - they are reacting to years of feeling scorn and trying to stop that. However, they are doing much more harm to their situations. We must protect the children from being led into the lifestyle. Bad enough that some have to come to grips with the situation in their own lives - we don't want them recruited.

Each person handles their problems differently - some in good ways, others not. I just know they really have serious problems to deal with. I don't want to add to their burden by heaping hate on them. When faced with handling someone in that situation, I finally decided to handle it with love.

[jjbrouwer]

Good riddance.

Leftist fop he may be, but John's charity work has probably raised more money than that of many others.

Ignoring the silly wig, the ridiculous platform shoes and the occasional temper tantrums...he is also happens to be a great pop icon.

[jjbrouwer]

...apologies, please remove the rogue 'is' in my copy. Thank you.

[Kevin Curry]

Solid American influences can be found throughout Elton John's piano work.

Listen for tasteful echoes of Floyd Cramer with a whisper of Erroll Garner in "Blue Eyes."

[BluesDuke]

It seems strange to me a Jewish Liberal doing a Christmas Album.

Aside from how strange Jewish liberals are (you guessed it: I'm one of my family anomalies, a Jewish non-liberal), is it any stranger than a Jewish guy writing the most popular christmas song of them all? ("White Christmas," of course.) Or, how about the fact that Christmas is celebrated to honour the birth of a nice Jewish guy? ;)

[IronJack]

Ignoring the silly wig, the ridiculous platform shoes and the occasional temper tantrums...he also happens to be a great pop icon.

I can't ignore those things. And by that logic, so is Michael Jackson, who is also nuttier than a leftover fruitcake.

[2Trievers]

How is it you can be making such good sense at this hour of the morning?

Your biggest fan

2T

[MJM59]

I heard that he was not going to record anymore. However, he is going to continue to tour.

[jjbrouwer]

Yes, having thought more clearly I agree with you!

I always thought Wacko Jacko should order the plastic surgeon who gave him that nose to wear one like it himself for a week to see how it feels...

[gridlock]

I'll shed no crocodile (rock) tears over this one.

BTW, does anybody know where to post the infamous "Cub Scout Pictures" from? No Elton John thread is complete without Cub Scouts!

[seoseo]

Good Riddance

[jjbrouwer]

Or, how about the fact that Christmas is celebrated to honour the birth of a nice Jewish guy? ;)

Christmas is actually a pagan festival. Jesus wasn't even born in December.

[Tumbleweed_Connection]

Border Song, which featured The Barbara Moore Choir, received a lot of airplay, although it failed to chart. It was later included on his second album, Elton John, which represented an enormous advance on his debut and was arguably his best. Produced by Gus Dudgeon with superb string arrangements by Paul Buckmaster it contained some of his finest moments. This duo provided superior production as well as arrangements throughout Elton's career. The obvious Wild West theme of Tumbleweed Connection included both a wider range of musicians and vocalists, not to mention there were no weak cuts. Even though no 45's were taken, the album still hit #5.

To explain the musical mind of Elton John to anyone who does not "appreciate" music, is much like convincing a Welfare recipient the government is lying to them. I am not going to try. The Welfare individual must remove his or her prejudice and view the circumstances without discretion in order to properly evaluate whether their lives are better spent on government subsidy. But these people don't want to consider life without free money! And regardless of record shattering sales of all types, movie themes, Broadway musicals, more than $20 million personally for Aids, #1 single of all time, #1 single with Lennon and friendship with he and Harrison, all of the no names he made #1's..., he's gay!

Those who are truly interested in the little know facts about this guy simply email me and I'll be happy to answer questions.

[TRY ONE]

I guess HIS legend burned out long before his candle did. On the other hand, I'm afraid to bend over....his candle may still be lit!