Elton John

Week 15: Elton John and Brandi Carlile- Who Believes in Angels?

~ honestopinions19 ~ Leave a comment

Several years ago, Elton and Brandi’s professional relationship blossomed into a deep friendship. Elton, never one to hold back his admiration, often praised Brandi’s unique songwriting, her raw vocal delivery, and her ability to tell stories through her music. What truly drew him to her was the reflection of his own passion in her work, a musician who sang every note with the same fervor as he did.

As for Brandi, she has cited Elton as having a profound influence on her. She likes how Elton is flamboyant onstage, dedicated to his craft, and outspoken when asked his opinion on tricky political subjects.

As I mentioned, this is more than just a friendship between musicians; Elton has often spoken about her during interviews, showering her with praise for her exceptional talent. Elton’s admiration for Brandi’s artistry is truly inspiring. He has also championed Brandi by inviting her to perform at charity events. Thanks to his mentorship, Brandi has flourished in her career as one of the leading artists of modern Americana.

When these two worlds collide, as you are about to discover, they blend their styles, creating a powerful and deeply moving sound and combining his iconic vocals with her soulful harmonies. Something that has been witnessed when they have performed live together. Now, let’s get on with the review of this brilliant collaboration album:

Disc One/Side A

The Rose of Laura Nyro:

What a great way to kick off this record. The slow build-up reflects my listening experience. I had only just started to listen, so I needed time to settle in, and this track allows you to do that. Then, as the verse enters, the bass drum and electric guitar lock into a powerful synchronisation, driving the music forward.

Little Richard’s Bible:

A fitting tribute to the late vocalist because it matches the energy he used to perform with. There is also an easy rhymic section for the listener, who might not have good rhythm. However, I cannot see them falling out of time with the tambourine. Little Richard tracks are laden with fast piano riffs, and this track is no exception. Elton playing equisitely.

Swing for the Fences:

From Elton’s rock n roll fast tempo playing to Brandi’s vocals. Elton harmonising adds to her vocals. The song addresses how people should be who they want to be without holding back—an upbeat track with motivating lyrics and a chorus that sticks in your head.

Never too Late:

As the album’s first half nears the end, the tempo drops off, but Elton still manages to show why he is considered one of the best piano players in the world, with Brandi complimenting his vocals.

You Without Me:

It’s clear that this record, much like a vinyl, was crafted with a soulful touch. Brandi’s solo performance in this slow-paced, easy-listening track delves into the emotional complexities of being a parent and a music artist. She poignantly shares her struggle of being away from her children as they grow up. Her delicate strumming not only complements the message but also evokes a sense of empathy in the audience.

Disc Two/Side B

Who Believes in Angels?

Another slow burner to ease the listener. A sublime duet about the friendship between Elton and Brandi, but is done in a way that could apply to the listener’s friendships—Brandi’s vocals and lyricism link up well with the keyboard.

The River Man:

Yes, you’ve heard of a High Flying Birds track with the same title, but this one has its own unique musical journey. The song starts with a gentle guitar and backing vocals, gradually building into a jazz-infused masterpiece. The only other similarity with the High Flying Birds track is the jazz section, but each song has its own distinct charm. What truly stands out is the powerful chorus, where Brandi and Elton’s vocals blend in perfect harmony, a testament to their musical chemistry.

A Little Light:

Just as the record on disc two/side B begins to soar, the tempo dips, but with great lyricism with the message of keep on keeping on during the hard times.

Someone to Belong To:

The penultimate track matches the same tempo as the previous track, and once again with great lyricism. For me, it acts as the continuation of ‘A Little Light.’

When This Old World is Done with Me:

A beautifully melancholic way to end the album. This track, is a reflective piece on mortality. Elton, alone with his thoughts, sings about accepting his inevitable fate, his words resonating over the contemplative piano, inviting the listener to ponder their own mortality.

Overall:

I have been a keen listener of Brandi since her debut on Later…with Jools Holland in the 2000s. After seeing documentaries about her, her band, and her family, I also find her a very warm and cool person. My only complaint is that the record’s second half doesn’t pick up that much in tempo. However, this studio collaboration has been a long time coming, but it delivers in every way. Another example of two great artists coming together in the studio to create magic that formulates into something truly special. It was worth the wait.

Song recommendations: ’The Rose of Laura Nyro’, ’Swing for the Fences’, ‘When This Old World is Done with Me’

8/10

Week 2: Elton John- Diamonds Blu-Ray with Dolby Atmos Edition

~ honestopinions19 ~ Leave a comment

This review will be all over the place, so bear with me. As you may know, the Blu-ray/Dolby Atmos edition of Elton John’s 2017 album “Diamonds” was released a few days after New Year’s Day, and on the back of it, he displaced his very good friend and Rocket Entertainment Artist Ed Sheeran at the top of the album chart.

So, what’s the standout feature of this edition? It’s the 48 tracks, this time in a different order than its previous editions . But the real game-changer is the significantly enhanced sound quality, especially on the tracks recorded on analogue from the 70s to the 90s. You’ll notice a marked difference in the sound of songs from that period, with a reduction in distortion and crackling, particularly in the studio recordings pre-1980s. The Dolby Atmos experience, as I’ve previously highlighted in the Oasis “Definitely Maybe” 30th-anniversary reissue and Ed Sheeran’s “Mathematics Tour Collection”, is truly exceptional. The investment in an album in Dolby Atmos is truly worth it for the quality of the output.

For example, take a listen to songs like ‘Rocket Man (I Think It’s Going to be a Long, Long Time’, ‘Daniel’, ‘Bennie and the Jets’ and ‘The Bitch is Back’, and you will notice that the crackle has been removed. So you can enjoy those songs from his early years without them being ruined by the crackle or pop.

The same goes for the early tracks. Because the crackle or pop has been removed, the listening experience is more enjoyable, and you can appreciate young Elton’s wizardry.

Unfortunately, Dolby Atmos did not work well with ‘Saturday Night’s Alright (For Fighting)’. For some reason, it sounded awful.

I was also disappointed with the mixes of the later material, but it is hard to remaster what already is close to perfection sonically. They do not require much touching up, so they don’t sound much different from the originals compared to the early material.

If you didn’t know, the 48 tracks combine his greatest hits, best b-sides, non-album singles, best live tracks and from “The Lockdown Sessions”. You are not listening to anything fresh, albeit a new perspective on his earlier recordings, which have finally eradicated the crackle or pop. The enhanced sound quality, thanks to Dolby Atmos, brings a new life to these older recordings, making them a joy to listen to. Once again, I will be doing the songs to avoid because, as you can imagine, this record is full of too many gems to break down into just three tracks. I cannot do that because apart from ’Saturday Night’s Alright (For Fighting), even some of the earlier songs I am not fond of sound great with Dolby Atmos.

Recommended: Listening to the earlier songs remastered with Dolby Atmos

8/10

Week 42: the Rolling Stones- Hackney Diamonds

~ honestopinions19 ~ Leave a comment

Here is a track-by-track review of the band’s new material for a very long time:

Angry:

The teaser for the record is undoubtedly up-tempo and effortless. It reminded me of some of their songs from the 80s. More so with the riffs rather than Mick’s vocals, which never seem to change.

Get Close:

What I liked about this track is the band went rogue with this one and added a saxophone solo and harmonies that are hardly “a la mode”. However, I like all that avant-garde stuff, so fair play to them for not trying to follow the trend—the first of two tracks to feaure Elton John.

Depending on You:

It is a radio-friendly country ballad complete with soaring strings.

Bite My Head Off:

Paul McCartney (Who recommended they return to the studio for the first time in over a decade.) features on this punk-fuelled track. You wouldn’t know his presence on the track until Mick bellows, “Come on, Paul!”. 

Whole Wide World:

Another high-energy track that discusses Mick and Keith addressing youngsters about the things to look out for before they grow old and wise.

Dreamy Skies:

This is the halfway point and the end of the A-side of the vinyl (if you happen to purchase it.). As you can imagine, as it is the final track on the A-side of the vinyl, the tempo eases to a plodding country ballad, yet instead of lulling you to sleep, it still maintains the energy enough to grab your concentration.

Mess it up:

The vinyl’s flip side, or the second half of the record, begins with an outro/intro to give you the sense of being involved in the recording process in the studio with the band. Disco is not their most robust genre for experimenting, but it works with the stomping piano thrown in at the breakdown—this is one of the final tracks to feature their late drummer, Charle Watts.

Live by the Sword:

This is the final track to feature his drumming, leading off from the Charlie Watts thing. It is fitting, then, that this is also another uplifting track with a vibrant piano riff. However, this one is less disco and more what can only be described as a nod to the late Elvis Presley with Elton John(second and final track.) providing the aforementioned vibrant piano riff. Although not lyrically strong, it is surpassed by Mick’s vocal skills and Elton’s dazzling piano playing. Don Was from Was(Not Was) is on production. Ex-bassist Bill Wyman also makes a cameo.

Driving Me too Hard:

It’s a quintessential Stones track with recycled riffs. One for the purists rather than the casuals who might find this “safe” and just a filler.

Tell Me Straight:

It was the first track to have guitarist Keith Richards take over vocal duties. His vocals suit this melancholic ballad. Surprisingly, you want this one to last longer because there appears to be beauty in listening to this. I like melancholic songs, which the Smiths and Noel Gallagher have mastered, so I’ll let you cast your aspersions here.

Sweet Sounds of Heaven:

A sublime track. With Lady Gaga singing and the great Stevie Wonder working his magic on the keys, it doesn’t feel like the Rolling Bones(Deliberate.)are on this in any way, shape or form. It’s quite surreal seeing the band cede control of their track. It is the longest, weighing in at over seven minutes. Although Lady Gaga soars with her vocal performance, what happens when Mick returns to duet is beyond words. This gospel-inspired song is just exquisite. My favourite by far.

Rolling Stone Blues:

We end the album with the cover ‘Rolling Stone Blues’ by the legendary and late Muddy Waters. This is the first time the band have recorded the cover, despite it inspiring their name. It is a comedown after celestial ‘Sweet Sounds of Heaven’, but it doesn’t feel inferior in the slightest. 

Song recommendations: ‘Sweet Sounds of Heaven’, ‘Angry’, ‘Mess it up’

Week 9: Gorillaz- Cracker Island

~ honestopinions19 ~ Leave a comment

In 1998, just as Blur were heading towards a decade of “splitting up” (Of course, they reformed in 2009), their frontman Damon Albarn got together with Jamie Hewlett to come up with the concept of a virtual reality band complete with their little realm, which contains cartoon stories within their website, and videos. After a lengthy period in Japan designing the characters, et cetera, they would name the band Gorillaz consisting of 2-D on vocals and keyboards, Murdoc Niccals on bass, Noodle on guitar, keyboards and vocals and Russel Hobbs on drums (Pretty sure the drummers is named after an electrical appliance company) The band would hail from England, except for Russel who is American.

The original voice for Russel is now the band’s producer. Musicians and comedians also voice the characters. Damon and Jamie, the only human members in the band, started with the cartoons taking centre stage during the live shows, with screens blocking the human musicians. In 2005, the humans would become visible, albeit in the guise of a silhouette. Eventually, in 2010, Damon and Jamie would come out from behind the screens and bring the human musicians to the fore. Gorillaz has remained that way ever since, with the cartoons beaming on the backdrop screens.

It might prove a little tricky for Damon to tour “Cracker Island” as he is due to go on tour with his original Blur this year, where they will play a mammoth show at EE Stadium, Wembley, and several festivals across Europe. It’s a good job his other band, the Good, the Bad and the Queen, are on a hiatus, or he would never get some rest.

Gorillaz has had past members Paula Cracker, Cyborg Noodle, and Ace among the original and present members. They may not be everyone’s cup of green tea. Still, there is no disputing they have fans across the board, from the likes of Noel Gallagher, who has collaborated with them from the generation where blur and Oasis were popular, to Billie Eilish, who is the new generation who probably know very little about Blur’s prime. Billie invited Damon onstage at Coachella last year, where she confessed she is a fan of Gorillaz and performed ‘Feel Good Inc’ with the Gorillaz co-creator.

Many believe the band lost their way until 2017, with “Humanz” being hailed as the album where they got their mojo back, and it was praised for its experimentation. Since the critical acclaim for “Humanz”, Damon and Jamie have stuck to that path of having records with versatility. You have to look at the vast array of featured artists to see this, from Noel Gallagher, Elton John, Beck, Tame Impala, Robert Smith, Georgia, Peter Hook, De La Soul, Thundercat, Sweetie Irie, and the list goes on.

After “Humanz”, they followed that up a year later with “the Now Now”, an album described as lo-fi pop. Their previous record in 2020 was “Song Machine: Series One”, which had some far-out videos that complimented the far-out music. Once the band got the chance to take it out on the road the past two years, it was warmly received by fans and festival goers.

Gorillaz has already established its name and can afford the luxury of making a record safe or risky. It is not as good as “Song Machine: Series One”, but it is a polished album of psychedelia, indie, hip-hop, shoegaze, and reggae sprinkled with the unique sound of Gorillaz. It isn’t trying to be groundbreaking or needs to be. The opener is the title track, featuring a fantastic bassist I have been a fan of since 2017, a lad called Thundercat, known for playing a six-string bass with a jazz and hip-hop-infused flavour. For the title track, Thundercat brings the funk and jazz on his six-string bass played with his fast fingers, which he is known for. I cannot wait for Damon to invite him onstage to play this. Honestly, seeing him play bass is a sight to behold.

The last paragraph got too elongated, so I am continuing with the tracks in this one. My favourite is the next one, ‘New Gold’, featuring Tame Impala. This is quite psychedelic, and Kevin Parker brings a catchy chorus while Damon sings the verses. My only complaint with the record is that it needs to be longer, with a runtime of just over 37 minutes, which limits the number of guests. I was surprised to see Fleetwood Mac’s Stevie Nicks feature, but in all honesty, should I be? Gorillaz is known for obscure guests. Her appearance on ‘Oil’ synchronises with Damon’s vocals.

There is a surprise along the way with an element of Latin music on ‘Tormenta’; even the title adopts that. The track features Bad Bunny, who raps along in Spanish about how complicated love can be. The album is neither here nor there regarding structure. It is spontaneous. All the band cared about was making a polished, enjoyable album for both them and the listener. After hearing their records, you can see why they pull in the crowds on tour and at festivals. The band have always had a following, but towards the beginning, quite a majority, be it listeners or their peers, saw the band as a joke and novelty act, but fast forward to 2010 onwards, and the listeners and their peers could see that Damon and Jamie were fucking serious and professional about the band. They have worked with gospel choirs, strings and many well-known artists. Some of them doubted them in the early days and dismissed their professionalism. 

I found it a pleasing listen, and in a way, I was surprised by the production because I was expecting an album in the same vein as “Song Machine: Series One”. Instead, you get an eclectic range, and most surprising was shoe gaze, synonymous with Ride and Slowdive. The record closes with ‘Possession Island’ with Damon on mellotron and the brilliant Beck singing tenderly. We don’t hear his falsetto, but you listen to him sing melancholy sublimely.

Song recommendations: ‘New Gold’, ‘Cracker Island’, ‘Possession Island’

8/10

Week 50: Sam Ryder- There’s Nothing but Space, Man!

~ honestopinions19 ~ Leave a comment

Now, my family have always been one to watch Eurovision, no matter how crass the songs are. However, I became hooked in 2014. I felt the competition had upped its game. You were now getting more house and RnB-type songs. One year, there was even a drum n bass track by Austria or something like that. Anyway, Sam Ryder finished second (Should have been first.) behind Ukraine, who had a fucking awful song that wouldn’t have got a sympathy vote from the public if it wasn’t for the current situation. It would have finished last. ‘Space Man’ was by far the best song there. I don’t root for any nation, but Sam Ryder was robbed.

So, where did Sam come from? I didn’t know of him until he showcased his ” Space Man” song on BBC’s One Show. Friends of mine, particularly from Glasgow, filled me in on Sam and his popularity. Sam uploaded covers of popular songs to TikTok, where he gathered an off-the-scale following. I enjoyed the song, so I was looking forward to what his album would be like.

Despite his recent rise, Sam has been familiar with music. He fronted some bands, did busking and wedding receptions. He also had his own Juice bar business. 

What I liked about this record is the number of influences in his songs from Sam Fender, David Bowie, Elton John, Sum 41, AC/DC and club music. The opener is ‘Deep Blue Doubt’, and I couldn’t help but feel a Sam Fender-Esque vibe going on. The song could easily be mistaken for Geordie Sam from the instrumentation to the vocal delivery. It is my personal favourite off the album. Already a solid start and a twist of what to expect. This certainly sounds different from ‘Space Man’. The Fender horn section was missing from ‘Deep Blue Doubt’. ‘Somebody’ taps into Sam’s inspiration for funk. If I remember rightly, I thought while listening to the track; it reminded me of Nile Rodgers and Chic.

‘Tiny Riot’ is aptly named and an intriguing listen. You have the presence of Bring me the Horizon, but if they performed soul. I do not remember Bring Me the Horizon ever doing that, but this would be the result. Olly Sykes could also carry it off because of his vocal range.

‘All the Way Over’ is the first real reflective moment as he performs a piano ballad, which showcases his vast vocal range, complete with a bombastic outro featuring an orchestra. He then goes into A Day to Remember mode. Not the band at their rockiest, but more the quiet and gentle acoustic moments for his mid-tempo ‘OK’, so even though he does pick the tempo up, it is only slightly.

You may be wondering why I mentioned the late David Bowie; it’s more to do with ‘Space Man’ and Sam’s fascination with all things in the cosmos. The song is laden with space references, and David did this during his Ziggy Stardust period.

Once again, Sam has added another layer to the album. ‘Put a Light on Me’ gives you a false impression as you hear the guitar at the intro before bursting into a club dance floor filler. I, for one, was surprised to find club tracks to feature. Even if this isn’t your cup of green tea, the hook alone will suck you in.

‘Whirlwind’ wouldn’t look out of place at the Grand Ole Opry. We go from one extreme to the other as Sam brings the tempo down to a folk ballad with excellent fingerpicking on the guitar, either by him or a session musician (We will have to wait for the tour to find out.). He slightly ups the tempo with ‘Ten Tons’, where he blends funk with a piano. The vocals appear to be Sam channelling the late George Michael. The song goes in the blues direction during the guitar solo. Again, who performs that? We know Sam can play the guitar, as witnessed at Eurovision.

Sam shows even more vocal versatility as he taps into the Lumineers/Mumford and Sons/Of Monsters and Men section with the uptempo and country pop ‘More’. The tempo then drops to another folk ballad, this time with ‘Crashing Down’, which is quite apt when you consider the title, and the context. He follows that with ‘This Time’, an upbeat blues number.

I will close this review with ‘Living without You’, my second favourite, and the record closer Sam goes full-on club with this. David Guetta and Sigala feature, and I cannot see this not filling the dance floors whenever it is played. It is so uplifting—a brilliant way to end a versatile album. Sam may have been on Eurovision and a TikTok star, but he is no passing fad. Sam has proven now he is in the door; he plans to stay around for a long time.

Song recommendations: ‘Deep Blue Doubt’, ‘Living without You’, ‘More’

9/10

Week 4: Years & Years- Night Call

~ honestopinions19 ~ Leave a comment
This will be a short review. I have never been a fan of the band, which is a great shame because, as a person, I like Olly Alexander. During the Lockdown Edition of Later…with Jools Holland, he spoke to Jools and gave reasons for selecting certain songs. These are songs that surprised me when you consider his age. There were some rather bizarre choices of bands from before he was even born. He came across as warm and spoke about the songs as if he was there before he even came to exist. I had a lot of respect for him after.


A lot of water has passed under the bridge since their last album in 2018. It is no longer a band but a solo moniker for Olly. I ended up zoning out or skipping tracks on the record. My interest didn’t pique until the tracks with Kylie and the version of ‘It’s a Sin’, which also features on Elton John’s album released last year.’A Second to Midnight’ and ‘Starstruck’ are phenomenal uplifting tracks and make you want to go out and find the nearest dancefloor to enjoy yourself. I loved the club feel to them. Of course, ‘It’s a Sin’ is excellent, as I mentioned in Elton’s review, so there is nothing more to say. It’s a shame the rest of the album was generic pop.




Song recommendations: ‘Starstruck’, ‘A Second to Midnight’, ‘It’s a Sin’




3/10

Week 43: Elton John- the Lockdown Sessions

~ honestopinions19 ~ Leave a comment

Who doesn’t know who Elton John is? The man is part of music royalty. I have no idea how I was introduced to his music because he has been a constant, and I probably first heard him while I was inside the womb. He has released over 30 albums, hit the top spot just shy of 10 times, and won many accolades. 

But as he revealed on the recent episode of Later…with Jools Holland at Helicon Mountain, just like everyone else, he found himself in the same situation during the lockdown. Indeed, Elton had to postpone dates for what he says will be his final tour, “Goodbye Yellow Brick Road Farewell Tour”. Elton has said on several occasions that he will quit touring for good. Still, this time, in conversation with Jools, he said that by the time the tour has finished, he would be shy of 80, meaning that he will probably be close to his mid-eighties by the time another album tour commences. Elton declared he wants to enjoy his family rather than being out on the road because he doesn’t particularly like touring as it is. Although he will retire from touring, he has said he will continue to release material for himself or collaborate with other artists.

So, how was the concept of this record born? Elton wanted to do more than play family games and watch television, which he initially did and wanted to be more active. So, instead of starting an album from scratch, he elected to do a collaboration record that features an array of talented musicians from Brandi Carlile to Yo-Yo Ma. Is the guest list a surprise? No. Not really. He has collaborated with pretty much everyone in the industry. The most surprising of all was with 2pac on ‘Ghetto Gospel’ in 2004 from Pac’s “Loyal to the Game” album produced by Eminem, who, despite using derogatory language towards homosexuals, ended up becoming good friends with Elton. Elton, of course, also has the likes of Ed Sheeran signed to his Rocketman management service.

I liked most of the album, albeit four tracks out of the 16. The tracks on “the Lockdown Sessions” are split down the middle between old tracks that were hits of his being tweaked and reimagined and the other half being unreleased and unique material. ‘Learn to Fly’ features the Texas duo Surfaces, inspired by Elton’s love of jazz. ‘Chosen Family’ is the standout track for me, which features Rina Sawayama (In fact, it is her song.), where they talk about…well, what the song title is. 

Now, I recently found out that it is supposed to be in solidarity with the LGBTQ+ community, of which both Elton and Rina are a part, but when I heard it, I listened to a song about us all being as one. I didn’t hear a reference to just one community but a message for the whole world. When put in the setlist, this track will be the moment when all the phones and lighters are lit up. It is a lovely slow-tempo ballad. By far, it is his best work on the album; believe me, there is plenty of it on this.

I am not a fan of Years & Years, but the reimagined version of the Pet Shop Boys’ 1987 smash hit, ‘It’s a Sin’, is brilliant. It is globa! Reach mix showcases the vocals of Olly Alexander signing over an acoustic guitar before Elton comes with his piano over a pulsating disco beat that will fill many a dancefloor at a wedding reception and those cheesy disco parties. I don’t know how the lads from Pet Shop Boys feel, but it doesn’t discredit the track for me. It is more upbeat and less sad.

If it weren’t for the beautiful collaboration with vocalist Rina Sawayama, the next track I am going to mention would have probably been my standout, and that’s the collaboration with Miley Cyrus, Watt, Yo-Yo Ma and Metallica bassist Robert Trujillo on, funnily enough, Metallica’s 1991 soft and melancholic ballad ‘Nothing Else Matters’. 

Miley’s vocal delivery resembles Lana del Rey’s with her gravelly voice. The song doesn’t deviate much from the original but is slower and more acoustic throughout. In contrast, the original involves a lot of electric guitar during the chorus and the solo section. You have to say it was a stroke of genius to bring on board a member of the band, Robert Trujillo, who would have made sure that the version by Elton did the original justice rather than see it spoiled or maybe even murdered by overproduction or sending it into the cheesy pop realm. 

The record’s diversity is quite something to behold, as you can tell by some of the tracks I have already touched on (Have you been paying attention? Hahaha.). Another disco and uplifting song is ‘Orbit’, featuring SG Lewis. I say disco, but is it? Well, yes and no. Yes, it is disco, but no, it ventures into the early days of what was to become house music, but with a retro twist. You are propelled back to the 1970s disco fever era but with an element of early house. Touching on the record’s diversity, Elton said it sent him back to his time as a session musician in the late 60s and how he has managed to balance the music he grew up with and the music that young people are currently listening to. Elton isn’t trying to appeal to just one audience, nor is he treating this as just a joke of a collaboration album. He has put serious work into this, and it has paid off.

The next song I will mention is with an artist I have heard an awful lot of late and watched, god knows how many documentaries about her, and that’s Elton’s excellent friend Brandi Carlile. They team up on ‘Simple Things’ that, as you can imagine, is embedded into Brandi’s country roots. Elton brings his country concept to the track and talks about the wisdom he has picked up throughout his years as a musician. I mean, there are just so many great tracks on “the Lockdown Sessions”. I am going to sum up the following shortly and sweetly:

‘E-ticket Ride’ featuring Pearl Jam’s Eddie Vedder: This is their glam-rock take on the Beatles classic ‘Ticket to Ride’, but the lyrics are updated for a modern world. Hence ‘E-ticket’.

‘Finish Line’ featuring Stevie Wonder: Stevie is a music legend in his own right and brings gospel to this song, making it spiritual.

‘Stolen Car’ featuring Fleetwood Mac’s Stevie Nicks: This track could be mistaken for the same couple from ‘Don’t Go Breaking My Heart’ talking about their relationship through those 45 years.

‘I’m Not Gonna Miss You’ featuring the late Glen Campbell: Glen would be proud of Elton’s collaborations and his reimagining of his songs and others. Indeed, I love Glen’s covers of the Foo Fighters ‘Times Like These’ and Green Day‘s ‘Time of Your Life (Good Riddance)’, respectively. It is a negative way to close the album and is probably the final wave by Glen. We lost him in 2017, but I imagine Elton has stored away this one for years, and through the lockdown, we have had the opportunity to say goodbye to Glen on this downtempo ballad.

My one disappointment with the record is that there has yet to be room for the late Leon Russell, who passed in 2016. Elton was a massive fan of Leon’s, even recording an album with him in the early 2000s. I was surprised not to have seen a collaboration with Leon on a track from those early 2000s sessions. I would have listed the ‘the Pink Phantom’, which also features on Gorillaz’s latest album, “Song Machine”. Overall, the track is excellent, and I have heard it at least four times on the band’s current tour. However, 6lack ruins it for me because he uses that software I detest, and the guy can’t sing anyway, so it doesn’t add any value to the track. It spoils it. Take him off, or get him to rap without the vocal software; you have a great track. This latest album is a testament to Elton’s ability to switch the creative tap on when necessary.



Song recommendations: ‘Chosen Family’, ‘Nothing Else Matters’, ‘Simple Things’

8/10

Week Twenty: Harry Styles- Harry Styles

~ honestopinions19 ~ Leave a comment

HarryStyles-albumcover

I must admit that even though I could tolerate One Direction for an hour of listening to one of their albums, I wasn’t expecting what I heard on Harry Styles’ debut record. I was expecting more of the same of what One Direction is known for, but this record took me entirely by surprise. I thought Niall Horan would be the one to do a rock solo album; after all, he is known for being heavily into his indie and even covered a version of “Wonderwall” in One Direction, much to the chagrin of several Oasis fans. Still, Harry has gone for the rock route, and it works very well, which I think might appeal to others more than the ones labelled “Directioners”.

The music is heavily influenced by the Eagles, Warren Zevon, Motley Crew and even a little pinch of Elton John. It is a very mature-sounding record for this day and age, and that may be to do with the fact he has grown up since 2011. It could also be down to the fact that now he is solo, he has free reign over his direction and creativity. There’s even country music thrown into the record, which can be heard on “Two Ghosts” and “Sweet Creature”; the latter may be about his ex and country music star, Taylor Swift (Yes, even though her music seems extremely bubblegum pop, Taylor cut her teeth on the country music circuit doing countless gigs before finally catching someone’s ear in the mainstream.). There’s also a nod to Bon Iver with “From the Dining Table”. You can see just by the artists I have mentioned in the review that Harry has a broader taste in music, which we didn’t see in One Direction.

Then Harry has moments of full-on rock with “Only Angel”, drawing inspiration from ZZ Top’s sound. Some raunchy and no-limits lyrics on “Kiwi” crashing against Aerosmith-inspired guitar licks, and then on “Carolina”, We can hear the mid-1990s have influenced Harry—an astounding debut album for those who aren’t really into One Direction. Nonetheless, the record has attitude, swagger and maturity. The influences he has been inspired by are certainly a departure from the bubblegum pop he was accustomed to with One Direction. If this is how he means to go on, he has a tough act to follow with his second record. I don’t think he even cares about those who say these artists don’t belong in the rock arena has to say, neither. If he wants to go in that direction, I think he should be left alone to do as he pleases.

8/10