21 at 33 [Enhanced, Import, Original recording remastered]

Elton John | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (May 12, 2003)
• Number of Discs: 1
• Format: Enhanced, Import, Original recording remastered
• Label: Universal I.S.
• ASIN: B00008ZPDL
• Also Available in: Audio CD  |  Audio Cassette  |  Vinyl  |  MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 3.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (40 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #51,590 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Track Listings

1. Chasing The Crown

2. Little Jeannie

3. Sartorial Eloquence

4. Two Rooms At The End Of The World

5. White Lady White Powder

6. Dear God

7. Never Gonna Fall In Love Again

8. Take Me Back

9. Give Me The Love

Editorial Reviews

Japanese only SHM paper sleeve pressing. Features 2003 remastering. The SHM-CD [Super High Material CD] format features enhanced audio quality through the use of a special polycarbonate plastic. Using a process developed by JVC and Universal Music Japan discovered through the joint companies' research into LCD display manufacturing, SHM-CDs feature improved transparency on the data side of the disc, allowing for more accurate reading of CD data by the CD player laser head. SHM-CD format CDs are fully compatible with standard CD players.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

14 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars The Decade Gets Off To A Pretty Good Start, June 28, 2003

By 

Keith T. Pells (Fort Myers, FL United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: 21 at 33 (Audio CD)

Elton John, fresh off 1979's active year, with a top 10 hit (the Thom Bell written and produced "Mama Can't Buy You Love"), being one of the first ever rock artists to tour the Soviet Union (the Berlin Wall was still up) and blast through the speakers of discos across the country with the "Victim Of Love" album, opened the new 80's decade with his last album for MCA, "21 At 33". As most people know, the title refers to the number of albums released (21) and his age at the time (33).

With the first single "Little Jeannie" becoming one of his biggest hits of the decade, the album got off to a great start, backed with a solid tour as well. What one notices right from the start on this record is how clean sounding the production and the arrangements are. The bell-tree in "Little Jeannie" is crisp and crystal clear. The horn arrangement in the autobiographical "Two Rooms At The End Of The World" (Elton in London and Bernie in Los Angeles) is pointed and the staccatos have punch to them.

The second single, "Sartorial Eloquence" was a decent, building-ballad (although I've never understood why MCA released it as the key line from the song "Don't You Wanna Play This Game No More"). EJ & Taupin even (blushingly) take on (of all things) cocaine in "White Powder White Lady". All with the Eagles provided ample backing vocals (and perhaps, noses???). But the next two tracks could have been stronger. "Never Gonna Fall In Love Again", written with England Gay New-Waver Tom Robinson, was OK, but "Take Me Back", a country-esque number complete with "fiddle" was in retrospect too obvious of a "filler".

Much more interesting was the album's closing number "Give Me The Love" written with label-mate Judy Tzuke (think elements of Joni Mitchell and Kate Bush), who had a gorgeous hit the previous year with "Stay With Me Till Dawn". The song takes on a fluid, crisp jazz quality, one which was a head-turner for the hard-core Elton fan. It was so well written and executed, that I couldn't help but wonder if Elton was listening to Boz Scagg's "Middle Man" album while writing the music. It's always been my belief that Elton should do more exploration into Jazz, as well as compose and release an album of instrumentals. "Give Me The Love" seems to support both.

As with the other newly-released, import remasterings, they could have included some really great bonus tracks like "Conquor The Sun" (B-side to "Little Jeannie"), and "Cartier", "White Man Danger" (which should have been on the album instead of "Take Me Back"), as well as other european B-sides like "Love So Cold" and "Tactics". They really blew it...especially with most of the "Classic Year" remasterings containing bonus tracks.

Overall, "21 At 33" gets 3-Stars. It was a sprightly, Summery album, which would have gotton 4-stars if there would not have been the "filler" track mentioned above, as well as providing the bonus tracks mentioned. It should be noted that the remastering is superb and definetely enhances the clean, crisp arrangements.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars The return of Bernie Taupin, October 28, 2001

By 

David Hugaert (Honolulu, HI United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: 21 at 33 (Audio CD)

"21 At 33" marks a slight return to form for Bernie Taupin's partnership with Elton John. These two hitmakers last collaborated on the 1976 release "Blue Moves", which, rather surprisingly, contained only one U.S. Billboard chart single - 1977's "Sorry Seems To Be The Hardest Word". "21 At 33" starts things off musically in rip-roaring fashion with the up-tempo "Chasing The Crown", one of three EJ-BT compositions on this disc (the other two being the well-travelled "Two Rooms At The End Of The World" and the depressing "White Lady White Powder", where Elton begins his long-winded battle with cocaine). The majority of the other tracks here were written by Tom Robinson, including the gay dulcet tones of "Sartorial Eloquence" and the subtleness displayed in the disc's major hit "Little Jeannie", although this particular track was written by Gary Osborne, who also made lyrical contributions to "21 At 33" with the serene and sincere compositions "Dear God" and "Take Me Back" (which isn't quite as serene as "Dear God", but has a small degree of serenity to it, nonetheless). But, the main thing that makes "21 At 33" such a standout masterpiece is the musical versatility EJ and his band display on two tracks, "Take Me Back", as mentioned above, with its countrified, hillbilly-laden, violin feel and on "Give Me The Love", with its smooth jazzy, discofied nuances (although the disco movement virtually ceased to exist by the time "21 At 33" was first released in 1980). The latter track was also written by Judie Tzuke, who accompanied Elton on his "21 At 33" tour in 1980. Another nice thing about listening to this disc, is that Elton's vocals started to mature a bit (although I do miss those classic Elton vocals from the '70's), and are a suitable fit to the lyrics displayed in these songs. This disc was also the last EJ would record on the MCA label before signing with Geffen Records, that is, until he returned to MCA with the 1988 release "Reg Strikes Back". So, if you're a true Elton John fan, and you don't have "21 At 33" in your CD collection, what are you waiting for? Better get it soon, because it just may be gone tomorrow!

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars 21 at 33 Gets Two Thumbs Up!, November 30, 1998

By A Customer

This review is from: 21 at 33 (Audio CD)

This album is excellent. "Two rooms at the end of the world", which is about Elton John and Bernie Taupin reuniting, is worth the price of the album alone! All of the other songs are equally impressive, with the Rock&Roll beat of "Chasing the Crown", and the sad, yet slightly jumpy sound of "Satorial Eloquence".

"White Lady White Powder", an ode to cocaine, was written about the beginning of Elton's cocaine addiction and features Glen Frey and Don Henly of The Eagles, among others, singing back-up vocals and is guaranteed to be a sing-a-long favourite.

"Give me the love", written by Judie Tzuke, is an excellent track with superb piano, clear and happy trumpets, and a jazzy disposition that is asking for love. This is easily one of the better tracks on "21 at 33".

All in all, an excellent album. From this reviewer's point-of-view, this is one of Elton's best of the early '80's.

Dr. Sloane Towns