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.
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.
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.
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? YesNo 3 of 3 found this helpful.
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? YesNo 1 of 1 found this helpful.
Thanks No Problems ! Submitted by Arch (Canton,Ohio) Was This Review Helpful? YesNo
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? YesNo
Classic Elton If you're a big Elton fan and love his music, you'll love this one. It's got all the forgotten B sides that to me, are as good if not better then the hit's played on the radio. It's a must have. Submitted by ggiresi (Scotch Plains, NJ, USA) Was This Review Helpful? YesNo This review is for a different format.
Excellent
CLASSIC ELTON
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