Elton John Live In Australia With The Melbourne Symphony Orchestra CD

Elton John spent much of the '80s in a whirlwind of personal upheaval and his musical unevenness included working with lyricists besides Bernie Taupin (an unthinkable notion during their run at the top of the charts during the '70s). EJ went for a fresh start by auctioning off all the costumes and props that he'd become renowned for during his over-the-top live shows. Right before doing this, the flamboyant entertainer revisited the past one more time by recreating his greatest hits live using orchestral accompaniment.

The resulting LIVE IN AUSTRALIA found the John donning a powdered wig and 17th century garb to lead this ensemble, along with members of his regular touring band. Older material such as "Burn Down The Mission," "Madman Across The Water" and "Take Me To The Pilot" is particularly breathtaking as presented in all its symphonic splendor while more obscure numbers such as "Have Mercy On The Criminal" and "The Greatest Discovery" remain odd yet interesting choices. The oddest result of this album's release was that "Candle In The Wind" unexpectedly became a hit 14 years after its original release. A slightly rewritten version dedicated to the late Princess Diana repeated this trick a decade later.

-IMPORT In England, this has so far only been released as a limited, numbered (5,000) edition, in a 12 X 12 box with deluxe booklet and other goodies.

Since this 1987 release is the album that brought "Candle in the Wind" to the charts for the first time -- the song first released on Goodbye Yellow Brick Road and the song that John later reworked as a tribute to Princess Diana -- it's easy to think of this as a fairly standard live album, even if it finds John and his band backed by an 88-piece orchestra. After all, that hit became so ubiquitous, and associated with this record, that it seems that it's just a hits record, but that couldn't be further from the truth. Yes, there are some perennials here -- "Sorry Seems to Be the Hardest Word," "Tiny Dancer," "Your Song," "Don't Let the Sun Go Down on Me" -- but this is a record that's tailored to the fanatic, leaning heavily on his sublime material from the early '70s. And since those records prominently featured Paul Buckmaster's lush string charts, these orchestral-graced versions never feel overly bombastic (although the horns may occupy more space than they should). That doesn't make Live in Australia necessary, of course, but it's far more interesting, even vital, than you might think, and far more vital than comparable live albums by his peers. In fact, hardcore fans who prefer 11-17-70 may be surprised how much they enjoy this record. [The 1998 reissue -- which didn't appear in the U.S. until 2001 -- contains no bonus tracks, but has full artwork, extensive liner notes, and remastered sound.] ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine

All tracks have been digitally remastered.

W/The Melbourne Sym.Orch

Recorded live in Sydney, Australia on December 14, 1986.

Personnel: Elton John (vocals, piano); Davey Johnstone (guitar); Raul d'Oliveira, David Bitelli, Rick Taylor, Paul Spong (horns); Fred Mandel (keyboards, synthesizer); Charlie Morgan (drums); Ray Cooper , Jody Linscott (percussion); Alan Carvell, Gordon Neville, Shirley Lewis (background vocals).

Recording information: The Sydney Entertainment Centre (12/14/1986).

Personnel: Elton John (vocals, keyboards); Davey Johnstone (guitar); Raul D'Olivera, Paul Spong, David Bitelli, Rick Taylor (horns); Fred Mandel (keyboards, synthesizer); David Paton (bass); Charlie Morgan (drums); Jody Linscott (percussion); Shirley Lewis, Alan Carvel, Gordon Neville (background vocals).