He Who Rides the Tiger

Bernie Taupin | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (September 12, 2000)
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Wea International
• ASIN: B000057WZS
• Also Available in: Audio CD  |  Vinyl
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (9 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,812,407 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Track Listings

1. Monkey on My Back (The Last Run)

2. Born on the Fourth of July

3. Venezuela

4. Approaching Armageddon

5. Lover's Cross

6. Blitz Babies

7. Valley Nights

8. Love (The Barren Desert)

9. The Whores of Paris

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars A Lyricist Stands On His Own, September 2, 2000

By 

Tina Mrazik (Coral Springs, FL United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: He Who Rides the Tiger (Audio CD)

For many music fans, Bernie Taupin is known, or possibly not known, as Elton John's lyricist. But for those of us who are ardent Elton followers, we know Bernie is much more. It is true he has written himself and John into music history but Taupin is also an accomplished actor, writer and singer on his own. His release "He Who Rides The Tiger" received very little critical or audience acclaim. Mainly because not many know if it's existance. The CD is a good representation of Taupin as a writer. The songs do not have the commerical flair of his work with Elton but they are interesting and introspective all the same. "Lover's Cross" brings many issues of relationships to bare. "The Whores Of Paris" takes on a more somber tone and opens itself up on a different level. Taupin's voice is strong but doesn't stand out as his writing partners'. This withstanding, "He Who Rides The Tiger" is the best solo effort Taupin has released to date. Elton joins him as a backround singer on this effort. So, if you're an Elton and Bernie fan, this CD is worth adding to your collection.

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great album from a great song writer, March 11, 2004

By 

Garance A. Drosehn "ScatterbotsNY" (Troy, NY United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: He Who Rides the Tiger (Audio CD)

I always thought that "Approaching Armegeddon" was a great set of lyrics. "On a foreign runway, delayed by the rain, I look back on the last 10 years, and how my life had changed". Written in 1980, this is something of an autobiographical album from Bernie. It didn't sell well at the time, because the record company tried to market it as a Pop album when Bernie himself said it wasn't Pop.

For me, the surprise of this album was to find out that Bernie was as good a singer as he is, at least for the kind of songs he did here.

Not sure why the review claims this as his third solo album. His first solo album was a record of spoken poems, and I don't think he had any others before this one. Several years *after* this he did "Tribe", and later he also was the center of a group called "Farm Dogs" (who still have a web site, although it hasn't been updated in years).

I managed to pick this CD up before it sold out, and the sound quality is excellent. I was glad to get it (even at a rather absurd price), because I had pretty much worn out my vinyl version. This, and "Last Stand in Open Country", are great albums.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Ride the Tiger, July 25, 2005

By 

Jeffrey A. Gross "Gnesio-Lutheran" (Edwardsville, Illinois) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: He Who Rides the Tiger (Audio CD)

First bought this album when it came out on vinyl. Fantastic musical content. Taupin wrote the lyrics, of course, and also does the vocals, and not too badly. "Born on the Fourth of July" and "Blitz Babies" are the highlights, though there are no bad tracks. Dennis Tuffano, formerly of The Buckinghams, provides the music in splendid fashion. Apparently Alice Cooper offered to do the music, but Taupin was wise enough to go with Tuffano. Taupin did provide the lyrics for Alice Cooper's "From the Inside," which has some very good tracks on the first side of the LP, and "Wish I Were Born in Beverly Hills" on side two. Anyone who bought LP's will understand what "side one" and "side two" means. Kids won't. ;-)
Taupin's trauma, anger, and to some degree, whining, over his divorce is obvious on "Lover's Cross," my least favorite track on the LP. Same theme on "Love, the Barren Desert," but with Elton John's backing vocals, and, again, the excellent music, make it a superior track. The superb electric guitar work, esp. on "Blitz Babies" & "Born on the Fourth of July," make the album / CD worth the cost. My personal favorite is "Approaching Armageddon." It's Taupin's mini-autobiography. Overall, I strongly recommend this collection to anyone who wants an inside look at the lyricist who stands at the peak of the 70's "Classic Rock" glory days.