ok... whats the fascination? i dont get him tbh, i dont understand how he could be so popular over 30 years. have you ever MET an elton john fan? they are very quiet! he never gets a mention on here, so how come he sells records? who BUYS it?

 

personally i dont really like him, although hes done a few decent tracks, 'your song','candle in the wind' (original!!!) , 'step into christmas'...

 

do you like him?

Not quite in the Collins league of $h!teness but he has done a couple of decent tracks.

 

Those being Saturday Night's Alright for Fighting and Tiny Dancer. Not much of a return for 35 years or so.

 

And he has released some awful rubbish.

 

Nope I have never liked Candle in the Wind much. Even when Kate Bush sang it. Did like her version of Rocket Man tho'.

I prefer his 70s stuff eg Saturday Night,Philadelphia Freedom,Goodbye Yellow Brick Road,Daniel & Crocodile Rock.Dont let the sun go down on me is an absolute classic in my mind.

He's had a handful of decent songs, Goodbye Yellow Brick Road, Rocket Man, Candle In The Wind, Sorry Seems To Be The Hardest Word, maybe one or two more. But as Grebo69 says that's not much of a return for 35 years.

 

His music is just bland, inoffensive, uninspired and dull. And I think he has a poor voice too, one I must confess to finding slightly annoying though I don't know why. The only EJ "fan" I've met is my cousin who confessed to liking him in the late 80s and bought quite a few of his albums.

 

The saddest thing about all this is that in the mid 70s he was THE top star in America. My Rock File 2 book has an article called "American Radio Today" written in 1975 by Paul Gambaccini, a critique of US radio, how it operates and how radio helps breaks hits. The article reveals that Elton John was a megastar in the US, some radio stations called themselves "Your Number One Elton John Station" and played his hits back to back in a way US radio had not done since the Beatles. His songs were being played at some station or other on the dial at any one moment.

 

He obviously has, or had, appeal to millions of people but I don't know what it is - his contemporary, Rod Stewart, faded from the charts in both the UK and US in the early 80s with only random comeback hits. Elton John seemed to keep bouncing back for well over another decade.

I liked a lot of his early stuff 1970-1974 but not much after that.

 

Your song, Rocket Man, Goodbye yellow brick road, Benny & Jets, Saturday night's alright for fighting are my favourites.

My faves are:

 

Lady Samantha

Border Song

Nikita

Candle In The Wind (Live)

 

He has bought out some c**p in recent years but some of his earlier stuff is great

 

Saw him live in Brighton a while back too and he is a brilliant live performer

 

Faves - Saturday Night's Alright For Fighting, The b**ch Is Back, Rocket Man, I'm Still Standing, I Guess That's Why They Call It The Blues, Tiny Dancer

 

I think the guitarist with the long blonde hair that plays in his band is great too

I'll be honest and admit that out of the Piano Men I always preferred Billy Joel.

 

He made some very good records in the early 1970s, but bar the odd classic since he has definitely lived off past glories.

 

If I had to do a 12 track Best of Recommendation it would chronologically feature:

 

1. Your Song

2. Tiny Dancer

3. Rocket Man

4. Daniel

5. Funeral For A Friend/Love Lies Bleeding

6. I've Seen That Movie Too

7. Don't Let The Sun Go Down On Me

8. Philadelphia Freedom

9. Someone Saved My Life Tonight

10. Sorry Seems The Hardest Word

11. I Guess That's Why They Call It The Blues

12. I Want Love

 

But I absolutely hate any version of Silly narcissistic avaricious dead dumb blonde Candle In The Wind as I find the lyrics cloying and it is musically hymn-like annoying.

But I absolutely hate any version of Silly narcissistic avaricious dead dumb blonde Candle In The Wind as I find the lyrics cloying and it is musically hymn-like annoying.

 

Yeah, it's so "earnest" and "worthy" innit...? :rolleyes: Not at all tacky, cliched and toe-curling.... :lol:

 

I think Grebo's hit the nail, a few decent tracks, (but frankly I actually preferred Stewie from "Family Guy's" version of "Rocket Man".... :lol: ) not much return for a 35 year career like has already been said...

 

I think "bland and inoffensive" are good adjectives for Elton... But I frankly find "bland, inoffensive" styles of music to be incredibly offensive in a way.... :lol:

 

 

 

My mum has seen him in concert. :heehee:

 

I don't get the fascination with him either (and tbf, neither has she- I've not once ever heard her play an Elton John record :lol: ).

I've tried for ages to not like Elton John but no matter what ... he's just done so many good songs I just can't. I know he's a stereotypical old queen too, but he's a dear old queen! My favourite songs of his are:

 

Daniel

Your Song

Don't Let The Sun Go Down On Me

Part Time Love

Philadelphia Freedom

Benny And The Jets

Georgia

Song For Guy

Rocket Man

Nikita

 

There's probably a few I've missed. However one song of his I cannot abide is Candle In The Wind. It was bad enough the first time when it was dedicated to an admittedly cinematic icon - but very third-rate actress. But when it was used for Diana's funeral for our 'weepin' and a wailin' nation it actually made me want to vomit! At the time of her death ... there was a perfectly suitable song at number one in the Verve's The Drug's Don't Work - and it was apt, it was current, it was legitimately at the top of the charts at the time a very public figure had been killed and in such tragic circumstances ... it was fate that that song was number one at the time. But what was done? It was felt there was a need to re-package a sad old 70's song (with incredibly inept and clumsly lyrics to go with England's Rose) just because Elton had been one of Diana's favourite artists.

 

And THAT is why I hate Candle In The Wind.

 

Norma

Edited November 15, 200816 yr by Norma_Snockers

There's probably a few I've missed. However one song of his I cannot abide is Candle In The Wind. It was bad enough the first time when it was dedicated to an admittedly cinematic icon - but very third-rate actress. But when it was used for Diana's funeral for our 'weepin' and a wailin' nation it actually made me want to vomit! At the time of her death ... there was a perfectly suitable song at number one in the Verve's The Drug's Don't Work - and it was apt, it was current, it was legitimately at the top of the charts at the time a very public figure had been killed and in such tragic circumstances ... it was fate that that song was number one at the time. But what was done? It was felt there was a need to re-package a sad old 70's song (with incredibly inept and clumsly lyrics to go with England's Rose) just because Elton had been one of Diana's favourite artists.

 

And THAT is why I hate Candle In The Wind.

 

Norma

 

As well as The Verve's The Drugs Don't Work there was also this song by another of Diana's favourites that the artist in question had written about his late mum that was probably more appropriate that got stuck at UK#2 behind the wretched Candle In The Wind 97....

 

George Michael - You Have Been Loved

Can't say I like a single Elton track.

 

Well....

 

I quite liked "Are You Ready For Love" at the time! But I'm a sucker for disco!

My Brother is a HUGE fan, he has been to sim him in concert about 20 times, and has every thing he's ever released, plus loads of concerts that people have recorded on dvd, he records the shows himself, and he has a piano and constantly plays elton songs on it, I can literally hear him playin Elton now upstairs on a keyboard. I've seen him in concert with my brother, he was really good actually and has got alot of good songs, but when you hear him everydayy without choice as I do you get very fed up haha!

Elton's a bit hit and miss with me. The only songs of his I really like all charted this decade, so not "retro"; I Want Love and This Train Don't Stop There Anymore. But then again Are You Ready For Love is originally from '79, so I'd say that's my favourite Elton track.

 

Otherwise, I'm Still Standing and Your Song are quite good.

 

Can't stand Nikita though