by Mott the Dog
5 stars *****
After years of session work and song writing for other
people, Reginald Dwight changed his name to Elton John and formed a song
writing partnership with a certain Bernie Taupin (Elton wrote the music to
Taupin’s lyrics). After the release of two studio albums, they hit pay
dirt with the release of this, their third album (1971), and their first
hit single ‘Your Song’, taken from the previous self-titled album.
Surprisingly there were no singles taken from this
collection, taking Elton John on a wondrous journey into superstardom that
was to spiral out of control. But for now the next 4 studio albums:
‘Madman Across The Water’, ‘Honky Chateau’, ‘Don’t shoot me
I’m only the Piano Player’, and the double ‘Goodbye Yellow Brick
Road’ were all landmark albums in the world of rock. Unfortunately, by
the time of Elton’s 9th studio album ‘Captain Fantastic’, and the
‘Dirt Brown Cowboys’, it had all gone terribly wrong with massive egos
taking over, all band members being fired and the partnership with Bernie
Taupin terminated. The live shows were still great, but Elton’s album
output throughout the eighties and nineties was tedious at best,
consisting mainly of sub-Chicago plod-rock, before a welcome return to
form last year with ‘Songs from the West Coast’, which, not
surprisingly, coincided with him reuniting with Bernie Taupin and his old
band mates, Nigel Olsson and Davy Johnstone.
But, back in 1970 with ‘Tumbleweed Connection’,
this was the first time a road band as such had been used in the studio,
making it more the Elton John band rather than just Elton on his own.
Nigel Olson had been offered the drum stool whilst in Brit Heavy Rockers
Uriah Heep but, seeing the potential, made the job his own. He was joined
by the amazing Dee Murray on bass, and the job that would soon be filled
by Davey Johnstone was done by Caleb Quaye of label mates Hookfoot for
these sessions.
It really was a case of everything was in position for
world domination.
The album opens up with the blues rock of ‘Ballad of
a well-known Gun’, the story of a gunslinger reaching the end of the
road. From there on out you are taken on a wonderful musical journey
through the album’s original ten songs, with a recurring wild west of
America theme.
At all times the musicianship and song writing are
faultless, with Elton putting every ounce of emotion into Bernie’s
lyrics. The production by Gus Dudgeon was to set standards for years to
come, and Paul Buckmaster’s arrangements of the musical scores, both
with band and strings, is nothing short of perfection, whether on epics
like ‘Burn Down The Mission’ (an amazing live version, which was laid
down with just piano, bass, and drums on the band’s live album 17.11.70,
where you can actually hear Elton kick his piano stool away in the
excitement), or on the tender ‘Love Song’. This only song on the album
not written by John/Taupin, is a beautiful Lesley Duncan song, which
Lesley also sings on this version. But it is when Elton sits at the piano
alone to regale us with ‘Talking Old Soldiers’ that his talent really
stands out. This story of an old warrior looking back on his youth whilst
addressing a group of youngsters, is a shot straight at the heart.
“I know what they are saying, son
There goes old mad Joe again
Well, I maybe mad at that, I’ve seem enough
To make a man go out his brains”
The re-mastered edition of Tumbleweed connection for CD
has two bonus tracks ‘Old Man’s Shoes’, the b-side to ‘Your
Song’, which fits in perfectly with the rest of these songs. But the
real treat is left till last, the original recording of the next album’s
title track ‘Mad Man Across The Water’, featuring Mick Ronson on lead
guitar (Ronson was just about to hit the big time himself as lead
guitarist and musical director for David Bowie’s Spiders from Mars
band). It is a completely guitar based version clocking in at nearly nine
minutes with the piano-bass-drum format used as a rhythm section, whilst
Ronson lays down some rip-roaring lead axe. He dominates this song in the
same way he did on David Bowie’s ‘Moonage Day Dream’, which he made
his own. The price of the CD is worth it for this song alone.
Add to this the artwork included in the sixteen page
booklet, ‘Tumbleweed Connection’ is a real gem.
Musicians
Bernie Taupin - Lyrics
Elton John - Keyboards & Vocals
Paul Buckmaster - Arranger
Gus Dudgeon - Producer
Robin Geoffrey Cable - Engineer
Nigel Olsson - Drums and Backing Vocals
Lesley Duncan - Backing Vocals and Composer of ‘Love
Song’
Caleb Quaye - Lead and Acoustic Guitars
Dee Murray - Bass and Backing Vocals
Dave Glover - Bass Guitar
Ian Duck - Harmonica
Roger Pope - Drums and Percussion
Track Listing
1. Ballad Of A Well-Known Gun
2. Come Down In Time
3. Country Comfort
4. Son Of Your Father
5. My Father’s Gun
6. Where To Now St. Peter?
7. Love Song
8. Amoreena
9. Talking Old Soldiers
10. Burn Down The Mission
11. Into The Old Man’s Shoes
12. Madman Across The Water (Original Version)
To contact Mott the Dog email: [email protected]
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