We now move on to arguably Elton’s most popular album, GOODBYE YELLOW BRICK ROAD. This is the one that had the most hits and as far as deep cuts go, is also the one fans are likely to know songs from.
Originally, the album was set to be recorded in Jamaica, as The Rolling Stones had recently recorded their album GOAT HEAD SOUP there. However, the studio ended up not being up to par, and Elton and the band instead returned to the Chateau d’Herouville, where they had recorded their previous two albums. The time in Jamaica was not entirely wasted, though, as Elton found time to write a good amount of songs, and wrote even more at the Chateau to the point where they had enough for a double album. It wasn’t even meant to be a double album, but it just happened to end up that way. There’s a lot to cover, so let’s just get straight into it.
It opens with “Funeral For a Friend/Love Lies Bleeding”. And, really, could you start with anything better? The synth opening (performed by engineer David Hentschel) perfectly sets the mood for the album; very grand and atmospheric. Then, when Elton is finally introduced on piano, we get to hear this very chilling instrumental, something very moody. I don’t know why, but I always think of Halloween when I hear this song; people talk about Christmas songs being played in December, but this is the type of song I think is perfect in October. It builds up perfectly with even more cool synths and guitars supporting it, until finally it transitions into the great rocker, “Love Lies Bleeding”, featuring one of Davey’s catchiest guitar riffs and some really amazing camaraderie between the entire band throughout. I love this song so much; I remember the first time I got this album, hearing this for the first time, and realizing that it actually was cool to be an Elton John fan. It’s 11 minutes, but it flows so perfectly that it doesn’t feel like it; it’s a perfect song.
Next up is “Candle in the Wind”, probably one of Elton’s most known songs. Telling the tragic tale of actress Marilyn Monroe, this is a very memorable song, highlighted by the sad backing vocals and the equally sad electric guitar playing (as well as a surprisingly understated acoustic) from Davey. Considering how well-known it is, I do see this one often cited as one of the more overrated Elton songs, and I can kind of see that, but it is still a very atmospheric song that tells its tale so well, and I think it still deserves a lot of praise for that.
“Bennie and the Jets” was another big hit from the album, probably the biggest here in the U.S. Remember how I mentioned the audience effects in “Rock and Roll Madonna”? Well, Gus gave it another shot here, and this time it worked. Being that the song is about a fictional band, it makes complete sense that it would be here, and Dudgeon even mentioned how the opening, lone chord is the kind of thing you would sometimes hear in a live show. It once again helps make for a very atmospheric song, and Elton uses the Farfisa organ to create this very memorable sound near the end. I’ve seen people try to classify Elton in the “glam rock” category of music, and I don’t really agree with that, as I think it’s difficult to truly classify him under any genre. But if they were just basing it off of this song specifically, then I could kind of see that logic. It has a very showy, glamorous feel to it, something that really gets your attention from the get-go.
Then we have the title track, a beautiful ballad that takes the “No Place Like Home” message of THE WIZARD OF OZ, and pretty much builds a song around it. The orchestrations and the vocals have a very whimsical feel to them; it really does feel like they could be in a magical land like Oz, even if it’s not exactly the same style as the movie.
“This Song Has No Title” is a really interesting one because it’s pretty much an Elton solo performance. But it’s not like “Talking Old Soldiers”, where it’s just Elton and a piano, something that could be done the same live. Instead, it’s Elton tracking multiple layers of vocals and different types of keyboards, and it’s really cool. One track actually sounds a lot like a flute, but it’s actually Elton himself recreating that on Mellotron. Elton has often been critical of his playing of non-piano keyboards, but I think this is a song that really proves that perception wrong; it’s just as cool as the tracks that preceded it.
Next is “Grey Seal”, given a second chance at life after the failure of the “Rock and Roll Madonna” single. And, yeah, it really does work better here. It’s funny, because I was shocked the first time I found out it wasn’t written for this album, as it fits in so naturally; the band is again really tight and that ending fade out, while impressive in the original version, feels so much more spirited and full of life here. So glad they decided to bring this back.
“Jamaica Jerk-Off” is usually the one I see listed as the worst song on the album, and I can understand why; I’m still not entirely sure what the lyrics are about (other than they have something to do with their disastrous Jamaica trip), but I wouldn’t be surprised if some found it offensive. I do have to admit, though, that I actually do enjoy it. The chorus is really catchy, and much like in “This Song Has No Title”, Elton uses the chance to experiment with his upper vocal range. Everyone sounds like they’re having a fun time recording and it’s kind of infectious in a way. So, yeah, I understand why people don’t like it and admit it’s definitely more dated than most Elton songs, but I enjoyed it when I was younger and still enjoy it now.
“I’ve Seen That Movie Too” continues the cinematic theme that was especially prevalent at the beginning with songs like “Candle in the Wind” and the title track. And again, it’s very atmospheric in its production, with Elton’s piano and the strings sounding like something you’d hear in a ‘30s/‘40s crime drama, and Elton once again gives a gradually passionate vocal performance as the song continues.
“Sweet Painted Lady” is the one song on this album that I just flat out dislike. Sorry, I know a lot of people like this song, but it’s always really annoyed me for some reason; something about Elton’s voice in the choruses just sounds off, almost like he’s trying too hard when he goes for the upper range. I always thought the main melody itself was kind of bland too; nothing about it ever made me want to listen to it outside of the ending with the seagull effects.
Thankfully, the next song is “The Ballad of Danny Bailey (1909-34)”, one of my absolute favorite tracks on this album. It starts off with just Elton on piano, followed by a brief drum part from Nigel to represent the gunshot that killed the title bootlegger; I always thought that was such a clever effect. Then you also get to hear some really great bass playing from Dee before finally they’re joined by Davey and the orchestra. And, wow, it sounds so awesome with the orchestra. The arranger on this album was Del Newman, and he really came up with some clever uses of the strings throughout the whole album, but especially here. I especially love the end of the final chorus where the strings and Dee, Nigel and Davey’s backing vocals are all in sync. It’s almost as though they’re all representing the giant uproar this character’s death causes, and the orchestral fadeout is the result of that uproar. Such an awesome song, another one that proves that it is cool to be an Elton John fan.
Next is “Dirty Little Girl”, a song that always reminded me a bit of “Ballad of a Well-Known Gun” and “Susie” if you slowed it down. Not a bad idea, and I think it works for a certain amount of time. But it does get a bit repetitive and I think they could have easily cut it by a minute.
“All The Girls Love Alice” is pure rock, and does very a good job at it, with another one of Davey’s most memorable guitar riffs, some really cool bass parts from Dee and Kiki Dee also killing it on backing vocals. It’s so strange how Elton is able to take such dark topics and actually make rock songs out of them, but he really can do it so well, and “Alice” is proof of this. In fact, it actually stops being a rock song for two brief moments and goes in a completely different direction, yet transitions back so perfectly. Another really catchy song.
The rock focus continues with “Your Sister Can’t Twist (But She Can Rock ‘n Roll)”, which is a playful tribute to the early rock songs of the late ‘50s and early ‘60s. You can hear some Beach Boys influence; heck, even the backing vocals are a nod to “Twist and Shout”. The only things that make it inauthentic are how fast it is and the fact that Elton swears at one point. This is another one of my favorite songs on the album. I know I’ve said this before, but why is Elton so overly-critical of his organ playing? That little Farfisa organ instrumental section he does in the middle is so fantastic; every time I hear it, I’m so blown away by it. I love the energy, the fast tempo, the drums, the backing vocals, Davey’s especially crazy guitar playing at the end, and the fact that it transitions perfectly into the next track, which is of course...
“Saturday Night’s Alright (For Fighting)”. Another song you often hear on “Greatest Hits” compilations, and for good reason. One of his more guitar-driven hits, this has a real drive to it, the type of song I can imagine them really wanting to push towards the public to prove Elton was a legitimate hard rock act. Ironically enough, this was the lowest charting of the songs on the album, and they didn’t really push for this side of Elton again until “Grow Some Funk of Your Own” in 1975. What can I say? It’s another catchy song, with a strong vocal performance from Elton and another tight band performance showing that the Elton John Band really meant business when it came to rock music.
“Roy Rogers” obviously mentions the famous cowboy actor multiple times, but in general is about 1950s nostalgia, and the orchestration combined with Elton’s beautiful vocal harmonies does a great job at it. It’s another fantastic, atmospheric ballad, and the galloping ending enforces that. I’ve always wondered what Rogers himself thought of the song, since he was still alive when it came out.
“Social Disease” is a bit more country. I’m not crazy about how ridiculously low in volume the opening to this song is, but once it picks up, it actually does become a super good song. The ending of the chorus especially has a real singalong vibe to it, that’s how catchy it is. It keeps the fun pace still moving, before you’re inevitably reminded that it does indeed have to end soon.
And that’s where “Harmony” comes in. Short, simple, and to the point, that’s what this song is and does so well. All the voices are fantastic, there’s more of a piano focus, and the repeating of the title character’s name at the end make for what ultimately ends up being a memorable conclusion to a very memorable album.
Is GOODBYE YELLOW BRICK ROAD my favorite Elton John album? Well, since “Sweet Painted Lady” is on it, I do have to say no, but that still doesn’t take away from how fantastic most of the other songs on it. As with most Elton albums, there’s a great variety of rockers and ballads, and all of them are of such high quality that, even with “Sweet Painted Lady” on there, it definitely is still in my top 5. GOODBYE YELLOW BRICK ROAD is definitely deserving of the iconic status that it’s usually given, and is a great choice for people wanting to explore Elton’s catalog for the first time.
Now, believe it or not, there are a few B-sides, but don’t worry, most of them are short:
First up is “Jack Rabbit” one of the two B-sides to the “Saturday Night’s Alright” single. It’s a country song, so I can see why it wasn’t included considering “Social Disease” really filled that spot. Still, it’s a really fun song (despite also having a dark lyrical theme). I especially love Elton’s harmonizing during the choruses and Davey’s fast guitar playing throughout.
The other “Saturday” B-side was “Whenever You’re Ready (We’ll Go Steady Again)”. Again, I can see why this was cut, as it’s very clearly a ‘50s style number, and “Your Sister Can’t Twist” filled that spot on the album. Still, it’s a very catchy song with Elton and Davey’s awesome piano solos and another strong vocal performance from Elton.
And finally we have “Screw You (Young Man’s Blues)”, the B-side to “Goodbye Yellow Brick Road”. The opening on this one for some reason reminds me of the opening to Ringo’s “It Don’t Come Easy”. It’s a decent song; I don’t like it quite as much as the other two B-sides, but it still allows for Elton and the band to have some fun, and the saxophone especially near the end is pretty cool.
I know this is a lot to take in, but luckily this review comes at a perfect time, as I’m going on vacation this week, so I’ll be delaying the review of the next album by a week anyway.
