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3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
One of Elton John's best from the 1980's, February 7, 2001
Without question, this is one of Elton John's finest 1980's albums. I agree with those who say that for once, Elton almost returned completely to his mid 1970's form, with an entire album of very good to excellent pop ballads and up tempo rockers. Here, he is well served by his long-time partner, lyricist Bernie Taupin, and also by Gary Osborne (perhaps best known for the "21 at 33" smash hit "Little Jeannie"), who wrote the lyrics for "Dear John", "Blue Eyes", and "Princess". Tim Rice contributes the words to a witty song on divorce, "Legal Boys", which foreshadows some of his finest work with Elton John at the end of the 1990's ("Aida", "The Road to El Dorado"). Without a doubt, "Blue Eyes" and "Empty Garden", his tribute to his friend John Lennon, are the finest songs on this album, but the others sound great too. Even the quirky Bernie Taupin-penned "I Am Your Robot" works, with Elton sounding like a punk rock diva. "Jump Up" shows a mature Elton John willing to take risks musically. Long-time bandmates Davey Johnstone and Dee Murray and "Toto" drummer Jeff Porcaro give excellent performances of their own, successfully backing Elton's fine vocals and piano playing. "Jump Up" is clearly among his best work from the 1980's; only "Sleeping with the Past" surpasses it.
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4 of 5 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Stands up over the years, June 27, 2000
Okay, so this album has a place in my heart because I first bought it when I was only 13; I had just had my first exposure to Elton with "I'm Still Standing," and wanted more. And there's definitely a familiarity about the album (which I wore out on cassette before replacing with a CD) that makes it special to me.But even examined in the overall context of Elton's oeuvre, this work stands out. Yes, "Empty Garden" is a moving tribute to his friend John Lennon, and yes, "Blue Eyes" is a beautiful love song... Beyond that, though, you have what now has to be recognized as a seminal moment in Broadway musical history - "Legal Boys," the first song Elton ever wrote with Tim Rice, with whom he later wrote "The Lion King" and "Aida." It's twisted, sardonic, and well-orchestrated; how many beautiful songs about divorce have you heard in your life? "I Am Your Robot" is a bit of a clunker, and "Ball and Chain" ain't fabulous either, but the rest of the songs fill out the CD nicely. "Where Have All the Good Times Gone?" and "All Quiet on the Western Front" in particular are musical departures for Elton, and it's always been nice when he takes risks. Simply put, I feel this album is underrated and often overlooked among Elton's work, and I think unjustifiably so. It belongs in the collection of every Elton fan.
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1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
One of my faves, December 27, 2003
I wouldn't mind saying it could be one of his best. It prefectly mixes fun rockers with masterful ballads. Empty Garden is a moving tribute to John Lennon, Blue eyes is a fave of mine, a lovely ballad with strong vocals from Elton, he can croon. Then there's another fave in Princess, a romantic pop-ballad. All quiet on the western front is a good song, slow and pretty, a war tribute. Then there's sogns like I am your robot, Dear John and Spiteful Child that is just heaps of fun to listen to even if they aren't masterpieces. There's Ball and Chain, a cool C&W song and we still have a great disco number in "Where have all the good times gone?" Oh and there's also "Legal Boys", a masterpiece written with Tim Rice. Actually, 'Blue Eyes', 'Empty Garden' and 'Ball and Chain' were all hits, reaching the top 15. While his 80's albums didn't reach the top ten, this reached the top twenty.
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