| | Elton John Honky Chateau CD Elton John Discography of CDs
(4 Customer Reviews)
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Our Price: $15.19 CDFor Sale Usually ships in 1-2 days
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This is a hybrid Super Audio CD playable on both regular and Super Audio CD players. Personnel: Elton John (vocals, piano, electric piano, organ); Davey Johnstone (guitar, banjo, mandolin, background vocals); Jean-Luc Ponty (electric violin); Gus Dudgeon (whistle, background vocals); Jean Louis Chautemps, Alain Hatot (saxophone); Ivan Julian (trumpet); Jacques Bolognesi (trombone); David Hentschel (ARP synthesizer); Dee Murray (bass guitar, background vocals); Nigel Olsson (drums, congas, tambourine, background vocals); Ray Cooper (congas); Legs Larry Smith (taps); Larry Steele, Liza Strike, Madeline Bell, Tony Hazzard (background vocals). Liner Note Author: John Tobler. Considerably lighter than Madman Across the Water, Honky Chateau is a rollicking collection of ballads, rockers, blues, country-rock, and soul songs. On paper, it reads like an eclectic mess, but it plays as the most focused and accomplished set of songs Elton John and Bernie Taupin ever wrote. The skittering boogie of "Honky Cat" and the light psychedelic pop of "Rocket Man" helped send Honky Chateau to the top of the charts, but what is truly impressive about the album is the depth of its material. From the surprisingly cynical and nasty "I Think I'm Gonna Kill Myself" to the moving ballad "Mona Lisas and Mad Hatters," John is at the top of his form, crafting immaculate pop songs with memorable melodies and powerful hooks. While Taupin's lyrics aren't much more comprehensible than before, John delivers them with skill and passion, making them feel more substantial than they are. But what makes Honky Chateau a classic is the songcraft, and the way John ties disparate strands of roots music into distinctive and idiosyncratic pop -- it's one of the finest collections of mainstream singer/songwriter pop of the early '70s. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine By the time Elton John went to France to cut HONKY CHATEAU in 1972, he had already become the first act since the Beatles to land four albums in the American Top 10 simultaneously. Up to that point, John had performed in a trio rounded out by bassist Dee Murray and drummer Nigel Olsson. The addition of guitarist Davey Johnstone on HONKY CHATEAU added another dimension to the overall sound. The results were successful, as the nonsensical "Honky Cat" and the Bowie-inspired "Rocket Man" became John's first Top 10 hits since the release of "Your Song" two years prior. John and co. reined in the lengthy, moody excesses of MADMAN ACROSS THE WATER, turning in a highly focused collection of beautifully crafted pop. The rollicking "I Think I'm Gonna Kill Myself," the sassy "Susie (Dramas)," and the stirring "Mona Lisas And Mad Hatters" are all standouts. The John/Bernie Taupin partnership also yielded a number of songs with vivid imagery, including the Civil War-era American South of "Slave" and a front-row pew before a gospel choir in the inspirational "Salvation." Pound for pound, HONKY CHATEAU may be one the strongest, most consistent, and most pleasurable records in the mammoth John discography.Rolling Stone (8/17/72, p.48) - "...a rich, warm, satisfying album that stands head and shoulders above the morass of current releases....his best work to date..." **Super Audio CD (SACD) Hybrid** This CD will play in standard CD players. A Super Audio CD player is required to take advantage of the SACD sound technology. Honky Chateau Music | List Price | $18.97 (You save $3.78) | | Category | Rock/Pop Albums, Rock CDs, Singer/Songwriter, Enhanced CD, Super Audio | | Label | Universal | | Orig Year | 1972 | | All Time Sales Rank | 1797  | | CD Universe Part number | 6790677 | | Catalog number | 000360936 | | Discs | 1 | | Release Date | Nov 09, 2004 | | Studio/Live | Studio | | Mono/Stereo | Stereo | | Producer | Gus Dudgeon | | Engineer | Ken Scott | | Personnel | Elton John - vocals, piano, electric piano, organ Ray Cooper - congas Liza Strike Nigel Olsson - drums, congas, tambourine, background vocals Davey Johnstone - guitar, banjo, mandolin, background vocals Dee Murray - bass guitar, background vocals Madeline Bell David Hentschel - ARP synthesizer Legs "Larry" Smith - taps Tony Hazzard - background vocals Gus Dudgeon - whistle, background vocals Alain Hatot - saxophone Jacques Bolognesi - trombone Jean-Louis Chautemps
Also: Jean-Luc Ponty | | Additional Info | SACD Hybrid |
Elton John Honky Chateau Songs Honky Chateau Music Review Average Rating: (4.8 out of 5 stars)   multi channel? YES Everyone should hear Rocket Man in 5.1 at least once....its beautiful man...some hybrid disks don't appear to play in multi channel....SACD Stero?.... Submitted by elijah_lint (kemmerer wy)  Was This Review Helpful? Yes No 1 of 1 found this helpful.
Excellent This is more like it. This one blew me away and would be the one I recommended for first purchase. At last the whole ambiance of the SACD sounds right – the piano mostly right in the mix, great vocals and a wonderful drum & bass sound throughout.
I’ve come to the conclusion with these new Elton SACDs that it’s a good thing that they sound different – who’d want the same mix, right? If you want good strong piano, stick with Gus Dudgeon, but if you want to hear the other instruments and experience some true surprises, turn to the SACD
“Honky Cat” has the second, electric, piano in the rear and has a clear and balanced mix. You can hear more of EJ’s vocal interjections.
“Mellow” sounds less “warm” due to a great separation of electric guitars in the rear and separated EJ’s vocals. The organ is downmixed while more could have been done IMO with the violin solo (I would have liked some swirling around the surround image).
“Kill Myself” is the best track yet. This used to be a “skipper” for me (hey, I’ve had the album for over 30 years), but this mix sounds great. At least 4 EJ vocals are spread around the surround image. A nice touch with the tap dance/claps is that they appear to dance around the room as they move from speaker to speaker.
“Susie Dramas” has a fantastic drum sound with more reverb on the vocals. Piano could have been stronger, but the guitar solo is great.
I never tire of hearing “Rocket Man”, that beautiful, clear vocal is high in the mix and the acoustic guitars have never sounded better. I would have liked some speaker switching on the outro. “Salvation” has a more obvious organ and clear guitars in the rear. “Slave” has a good separation of at least 4 guitar tracks and sounds wonderful.
“Amy” sounds meaty thanks to the strong drum and bass presence. More could have been made of the violin solo, but at least there’s a bit more left in the mix. Stereo congas in the rear are nice and EJ’s vocals front and rear on the final chorus are brilliant.
“Mona Lisas” has a perfect mix for the song. A fine 4-way split of EJ’s vocals and loads of mandolins spread in the surround image. “Hercules” is still a strong ending with great stereo guitar and extra reverb on the vocals. Backing vocals are longer but missing the deeper “Bud habas” (you have to listen to it to see what I mean!). There’s a completely different mix of the guitar solo. I was hoping for a longer outro, but obviously this wasn’t possible. Shame.
“Slave” (alternative) – this is fantastic. I never used to care for the frantic speed, but the Penny mix is outstanding and worth the price of the SACD alone. You can really hear EJ cut loose on the piano, which is right in the front of the mix (where it should always be IMO). First class and breathtaking.
Submitted by Klark (Europe) Was This Review Helpful? Yes No 1 of 1 found this helpful.
Thanks No Problems ! Submitted by Arch (Canton,Ohio)  Was This Review Helpful? Yes No
CLASSIC ELTON This album contains "Rocket Man" which is one of Elton's most perfect singles - positively sublime, especially when heard on an SACD player! Submitted by Thomas (New Orleans, LA, USA)  Was This Review Helpful? Yes No
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