Post by toomanyhatz on Feb 5, 2024 20:19:41 GMT
What did you think when you first heard it or heard about it, and how about now?
When it came out I was a huge fan - he was my favorite musical artist at the time, as I hadn't gone 'all in' on the Beatles yet. But I think even then I instinctively understood the value of 'so big you can kind of do what you want' eclecticism. Now I see the same gravitas in it that I see in, say, The White Album, though of course the highs aren't as high, and the lows are (I would say MUCH) lower. But I still rate it fairly highly. There's maybe only 2 or 3 (Tumbleweed, the US debut, maybe Capt. Fantastic) that I rate higher. And I'd like to thank Elton for jumping on the 'huge artist, double album' trend and not the next trend to arrive - the triple live album. Glad he left that to the proggers, and Paul.
Where does it stand for you in terms of EJ's catalogue, and in the wider rock genre?
As I say above, I rate it pretty highly in the context of his career. As an artist given to genre experiments, I think he did the double album thing well. I think Blue Moves might just be his most underrated record.
As far as the 'wider rock genre,' he would never quite approach the legendary status of the Beatles or Stones in the double album stakes, but he certainly did better than most 70s hitmakers. Can't think of any others I would have wanted that much at once from. Bowie? Neil Young? T-Rex? Nah.
What are your fave songs? Pick the ones you like in the poll and tell us why (if you feel like it).
I love (and will defend to the death) "Funeral For a Friend/Love Lies Bleeding." He needed that 'epic' and he did it right and did it precisely once. I think he inhabited the same world as Macca did in, say, '65 or '66 - that of 'some other band is being called the loudest/most avant-garde/best produced - gotta outdo them at their own game'. That he was (then, at least) capable of it more often than not, still impresses me.
That said, I share JS's disinterest in "Candle in the Wind." Didn't vote for it. Not special as a performance, lyrically, melodically, or any other way that I can identify. It's an icon singing about an icon, and thinking just that is 'good enough.' And the Princess Di identification buried it even further for me. And yet it's probably his most played song ever. I'd be thrilled to never hear it again in my life. I think it's right up there with 80s Bowie on the 'songs I resent' list. Except Bowie's 80s hits are better musically.
I did vote for all the other 'hits', however. I think they're all great. I got tired of "Bennie" for a bit, but taking a break from it worked. And the title track and "Saturday" I've never stopped loving.
"Grey Seal" was my favorite song at the time. "Harmony" is the one now. I've talked about that song before; it might be my favorite Elton performance all-told. But the band's vocal harmonies take a lot of the credit.
The only other ones besides "Candle" that I didn't vote for, in fact, are "Jamaica Jerk-Off" (cod reggae filler, though harmless enough), "Sweet Painted Lady" (is he trying to be Leonard Cohen here, or what? Not sexy, not poetic, just kind of juvenile), "Dirty Little Girl" (ditto, and misogynist as hell besides), "All the Girls Love Alice" (double-ditto, very short on compassion and pretty judgmental - why on earth is Elton, who's been so supportive of the male gay community, still performing this song?), and "Your Sister Can't Twist" (inoffensive but pretty slight - I'm not a big fan of Elton's 50s send-ups, though "Croc Rock" is slightly better than this). All the rest are either great, or contribute to the whole.
My perfect version of this is probably a 3-sided album.
What do you think of the cover art?
I don't think about it much, honestly. But he's used it ever since, so he must like it OK. And really, it falls under the same category as what I've discussed above - whatever it is, it just gets identified with the icon that he became right around then. So as long as it's not objectionable - and I don't find it so - I'm good with it.