Goodbye Yellow Brick Road

Generally regarded as Elton John's masterpiece, Goodbye Yellow Brick Road is a double-album (on one CD) that includes several of his signature songs alongside a sprawling array of lesser-known (but by no means lesser) tunes. The hits include "Bennie and the Jets," a funky, falsetto stomper, the Rolling Stonesy rocker "Saturday Night's Alright for Fighting," and the gorgeous title ballad. "Candle in the Wind," an elegy for Marilyn Monroe, didn't become a certified hit until 14 years later, when John re-recorded it with the Melbourne Symphony. The fact that it wasn't released as a single at the time is testimony to the wealth of pop pleasures available here. The swelling, synth-fueled overture of "Funeral for a Friend" gives way to one of John's toughest guitar rockers in an 11-minute medley. "Grey Seal" is a piano showcase with a perfect verse-chorus-verse construction. The rocking "All the Girls Love Alice" is one of the era's most overt references to lesbianism, and "Harmony," the soft ballad that closes the album, may be John's grandest melody. Willfully eclectic and packed with great music, Goodbye Yellow Brick Road bursts with the bold energy and undeniable talent that made John a superstar. ~ Anthony Tognazzini|