Label: Mobile Fidelity Sound Lab (US), UDCD 516
Style: Rock, Pop, Piano Rock
Country: Pinner, Middlesex, England (25 March 1947)
Time: 45:19
Format: Flac Tracks 16/44,1 kHz
Size: 221 Mb
Charts: UK #41, AUS #8, CAN #13, GER #32, SWE #14, US #8. US: 2x Platinum.
Elton
John‘s music means a lot to me, and, as a result, I’m not overjoyed
with this album. A record with a theme, it’s an account, sometimes
photographic, sometimes emotional, all too often metaphorical, of Elton
John in America — the madman across the water. As impressions, it’s
brought out the worst in Bernie Taupin and forced Elton back on his
melodic devices. These are sometimes powerful enough to make a song, but
too often they’re not. I still like this album, but it’s just that the
qualities that illuminated Elton John and Tumbleweed Connection for me
have worn thin, and I’m forced to look past the magic and see a singer
and a lyricist who are quite fallible.
The record begins well with
“Tiny Dancer.” It has the delicate melody, virtuoso singing, and
innovative arranging that have marked Elton John since “Your Song.” In
fact, it sounds like “Your Song,” with maybe some other familiar melody
and a few new touches like a pedal steel. But that’s OK; it may be the
same song, but it’s a good song.
“Levon” stands out on the radio
simply because any Elton John song would. But, here we begin to
encounter a knotty problem that worsens as the album continues. i.e.,
what the hell is he talking about?
"Levon sells cartoon balloons in town
His family business thrives
Jesus blows up balloons all day
Sits on the porch watching them fly
And Jesus, he wants to go to Venus"
Leave
Levon far behind … I’m no literal-minded dullard but when someone is
being obscure, I like to get the feeling that they are grappling with
something that’s hard to get to, not just playing with words. In many of
Dylan’s songs the meaning was far from clear, but you could sense there
was something there. And there were phrases that shone out even if the
whole didn’t fall into place. I don’t get that feeling here. And, from
listening to the first two albums, I know that the John/Taupin songs I
liked best were those I understood. There was strength in those songs,
even if they were elliptical. “Levon” sounds good, but I could listen to
it for years and never know what it’s about. And it does make a
difference.
With “Razor Face,” the situation improves even if I
haven’t an idea of what that means either. It’s got the same sort of
far-ranging singing and pounding piano that were used so well on
Tumbleweed Connection, somewhat like “Amoreena.” Unfortunately, this is
followed by the title cut, which is to me, also the weakest. “Madman
Across The Water” pits Elton’s acrobatics against Paul Buck-master’s
charging strings. But, again the lyrics trip him up. The song is
superficially about madness, but is filled with so many obscure images
that it’s only a good song if you don’t listen too hard.
Side two is a
little less reaching. “Indian Sunset” is a story, with good evocative
singing by Elton. The subject matter — the tragedy of the American
Indian — almost overwhelms the song, but it manages to be moving. Then,
alas, comes another piece of Americana called “Holiday Inn” and about
the same: “And you ain’t see nothing/Until you’ve been in/A motel
baby/Like the Holiday Inn.” I guess a banal subject deserves banal
lyrics, but why bother? “Rotten Peaches” is good basic Elton with a good
melody and a wall of sound that fills the room. If only I knew what
rotten peaches had to do with the homesickness that seems to be the
theme.
(rollingstone.com/music/music-album-reviews/madman-across-the-water-100068/) Review by Alec Dubro. January 20, 1972
01. Tiny Dancer (06:19)
02. Levon (05:21)
03. Razor Face (04:44)
04. Madman Across The Water (05:59)
05. Indian Sunset (06:46)
06. Holiday Inn (04:17)
07. Rotten Peaches (04:58)
08. All The Nasties (05:08)
09. Good-Bye (01:45)
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