CD Odyssey Disc 221: Elton John

Sometimes the Odyssey can be jarring to the ear. I never know what to expect, so I can't be prepared for whatever style of music is coming up. Right when I've got my ear tuned to hard rock, I'll get disco, or pop, or something else.

That was the case with this record, which sounded very alien for the first six songs or so, but by the time I'd finished a second listen was not only making sense, but surprising me with how good it sounded.

Disc 221 is...Don't Shoot Me, I'm Only the Piano Player

Artist: Elton John

Year of Release: 1973

What’s Up With The Cover?: A staged shot to make the album seem like it is actually a movie playing at the local cinema. I think this is one of those covers that benefits from being larger on the original vinyl. In this size, it doesn't impress.

How I Came To Know It: While I know the hits off this record, I've never been an Elton John fan. A few years back Sheila got into his early records pretty heavily and she bought this one - so I know it through her.

How It Stacks Up: We have four Elton John albums - all from early in his career (nothing past 1973), and one Greatest Hits album. Of the four studio albums, I would say "Don't Shoot Me..." is the best, or at least tied for the best.

Rating: 4 stars.

I didn't expect much from this record when I rolled it, and after sitting through three listens of Boney M, I wasn't feeling very adventurous. For this reason, it turned out to be a pleasant surprise.

"Don't Shoot Me..." was the first of five straight #1 albums for Elton John - it was released in January 1973 - the same year as the much more famous "Goodbye, Yellow Brick Road". I think it stands as strong as that album, and moreover it benefits from not being so padded with extra songs, the original release having only ten tracks. Our version is the remastered version where once again some soulless record exec has added four bonus tracks I could mostly live without. Counting those tracks, I'd drop the rating for the record to three stars, but I've decided to give Elton a pass on this, and just focus on the ten original songs.

Listening to this album, I was struck with how talented Elton John is at composing a song. Some of these songs are a little too dressed up (I think I heard a gratuitous sitar more than once) but it is never to the point of ruining the production.

Standouts for me include "Daniel", a sorrowful song of parting that was rightfully a hit, and "Blues For My Baby and Me", which is one track where some additional production (in this case some well-placed violins) beautifully augment a very well constructed song telling the story of a young couple striking out on their own, against the wishes of their parents.

As usual, Bernie Taupin's lyrics perfectly match Elton John's music - if you've heard the songs with Elton John writing the lyrics ("Razor Face" and "Peaches" come to mind) you'll know how important Taupin is to his success.

My favourite song on this record is a great example - "Texan Love Song". It is a satirical take on a Texan redneck upset with hippie types coming to town and dating the local girls. It is hardly a love song - more a hate song if anything:

"How dare you sit there and drink all our beer
Oh it's made for us workers who sweat spit and swear
The minds of our daughters are poisoned by you
With your communistic politics and them negro blues

Well I'm gonna quit talking and take action now
Run all of you fairies clean out of this town
Oh I'm dog tired of watching you mess up our lives
Spending the summertime naturally high"

This song has a stripped-down western feel which suits it perfectly, and it is Taupin doing what I think he does best; building great characters, and then letting them reveal themselves in their own words. It isn't "From The Inside" level stuff, but it is good.

I'll never be a big Elton John fan, but I can't deny this is a strong album, and it has improved my outlook on the records still to come.

Best tracks: Daniel, Blues For My Baby and Me, Texan Love Song, High Flying Bird