Elton John is one of my favorite rock and roll artists, and Goodbye Yellow Brick Road is probably my favorite of his records. This record is particularly notable for Elton's and the band's ability to seamlessly transition between genres, and nail most of them. For example, Funeral for a Friend/Love Lies Bleeding is among the best progressive rock songs ever written, and really showcases the band's superb musicianship, nailing really tricky and technical passages with ease. After the opening track, however, the record transitions into the beautiful but mournful pop tribute to Marilyn Monroe, Candle in the Wind (which you have probably heard if you have a pulse and a radio). The third track, Bennie and the Jets (which you have also heard), feels a lot like a more experimental Beatles song, and Elton and the band again nail it. The fourth track solidifies what may be one of the best first four songs ever assembled in a rock album, with the title track, another beautiful pop ballad. The back end of the record is also strong, with fantastic songs like All the Girls Love Alice, and Your Sister Can't Twist But She Can Rock 'n Roll)
Despite the strength of these first four tracks and the back end, however, perhaps my favorite moment in the record is the fantastic Saturday Night is Alright for Fighting, one of the best hard rock songs ever written. If I ever, against all odds, wound up in a cage fight, this would be my entrance theme. Go check it out if you've never heard it.
With all that said, it's not a perfect record. There are several tracks that aren't great, including Grey Seal, This Song Has No Title, and Jamaica Jerk-Off. I think rather than a double album, this one may have been better if pared down to a single. But classic rock is ultimately remembered for its great songs nowadays, and Goodbye Yellow Brick Road manages to pack an immense number of instant classics into our repertoire. For that, you should go check it out. I'd give it a 9/10.
-TRO
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