Label: Mobile Fidelity Sound Lab (US), UDCD 536
Style: Rock, Pop, Piano Rock
Country: Pinner, Middlesex, England (25 March 1947)
Time: 45:19
Format: Flac Tracks 16/44,1 kHz
Size: 275 Mb
Elton
John's Honky Chateau is a rich, warm, satisfying album that stands head
and shoulders above the morass of current releases and has now
succeeded in toppling the Stones from the top spot on the charts in only
three weeks. Musically more varied, emotionally less contrived,
lyrically more lucid than Tumbleweed Connection, Chateau rivals Elton
John as his best work to date and evidences growth at every possible
level.
The core of Tumbleweed was lyricist Bernie Taupin’s confused
evocation of the American past, especially the Civil War epoch. On
Chateau, his interest in myth has been transformed into an obsession
with fantasy. John continues to assume a wide range of separate
personalities who act out their personal trials against suggestive
social backgrounds — most notably on "Slave," in which he sings of
having been liberated and his need to now liberate his brothers and
sisters, or on "Rocket Man," where he plays the part of an astronaut
literally lost in space — a lyric that will have a mighty impact on any
real astronauts who hear it.
But in "I Think I’m Gonna Kill Myself,"
"Amy," and "Hercules," he sings as people no less imaginary but much
closer to home: each song concerns a teenage obsession with an
unreachable woman and an unfulfillable relationship.
The remainder of
the album falls somewhere between these two lyrical extremes while the
music provides the ultimate definition and shading that distinguishes
the different feelings and moods of each cut. Thus, "Honky Chateau" a
song about the evils of the city that uses New Orleans as a symbol of
the irresistible urban lure, is played out against some New
Orleans-styled horn work. "Mellow," about finding and keeping the right
woman, is done soulfully. "Salvation," another John-Taupin inspirational
number along the lines of "Border Song," is performed with gospel
overtones and "I Think I’m Gonna Kill Myself" is ironic, with a
rollicking music hall ambience.
If there is a flaw in the music it is
in the way John interacts with the band. He usually sings at the top of
his range without much dynamic variation; in the process he forces the
group and arrangements to supply most of the color. The result is that
the music breaks up and the effect becomes a little too ragged.
On
the other hand, no Elton John album has ever sounded looser; the bogus
over-production that marred both of the earlier releases at crucial
moments is never in evidence, and the album sounds more intimate and
personal than either of its predecessors. John and associates are
obvious creatures of the studio and so shy away from nothing in terms of
technique — there is plenty of vocal double tracking, but their use of
it is more natural than ever before.
"Mona Lisas and Mad Hatters"
shows how much John can really do in the space of a single cut. Using
minimal instrumentation and singing one of Taupin’s most direct lyrics,
John effortlessly reveals the myth beneath the myth of "… a rose in
Spanish Harlem." He expresses his involvement with the city, his need
for its people, and his final desire to be alone through one of his best
tunes, simplest arrangements, and most natural vocal performances.
Honky
Chateau is ultimately a solid work with enough happening to keep
someone listening for weeks trying to absorb everything on it. And, as
each additional layer is revealed to the listener, he is constantly
reminded that this is one of the rare albums released this year worth
pursuing at length, for it rewards each additional playing with
increased enlightenment and enjoyment.
(rollingstone.com/music/music-album-reviews/honky-chateau-93596/) Review by Jon Landau. August 17, 1972
01. Honky Cat (05:15)
02. Mellow (05:32)
03. I Think I'm Going To Kill Myself (03:35)
04. Susie (Dramas) (03:26)
05. Rocket Man (I Think It's Going To Be A Long, Long Time) (04:44)
06. Salvation (03:58)
07. Slave (04:21)
08. Amy (04:03)
09. Mona Lisas And Mad Hatters (05:00)
10. Hercules (05:20)
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