To Be Continued... [BOX SET] [LIMITED EDITION] [ORIGINAL RECORDING REMASTERED]

Elton John

Product Details

• Audio CD (October 31, 2000)
• Original Release Date: 1990
• Number of Discs: 4
• Format: Box set, Limited Edition, Original recording remastered
• Note on Boxed Sets: During shipping, discs in boxed sets occasionally become dislodged without damage. Please examine and play these discs. If you are not completely satisfied, we'll refund or replace your purchase.
• Label: Island
• ASIN: B000008H2Y
• Also Available in: Audio Cassette  |  MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (33 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #64,123 in Music (See Bestsellers in Music)

Track Listings

Disc: 1

1. Come Back Baby [#]

2. Lady Samantha

3. It's Me That You Need

4. Your Song [#][Demo Version]

5. Rock & Roll Madonna

See all 18 tracks on this disc

Disc: 2

1. Rocket Man (I Think It's Going to Be a Long, Long Time)

2. Daniel

3. Crocodile Rock

4. Bennie and the Jets

5. Goodbye Yellow Brick Road

See all 16 tracks on this disc

Disc: 3

1. Philadelphia Freedom

2. One Day (At a Time)

3. Lucy in the Sky With Diamonds

4. I Saw Her Standing There

5. Island Girl

See all 18 tracks on this disc

Disc: 4

1. Empty Garden (Hey, Hey Johnny)

2. I Guess That's Why They Call It the Blues

3. I'm Still Standing

4. Sad Songs (Say So Much)

5. Act of War [Single Mix] - Millie Jackson, Elton John

See all 16 tracks on this disc

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com

Elton John has been a force in pop music since the mid-'60s. This extravagant and colorful box set presents, in chronological order, his hit songs through 1990. Designed to accommodate a large booklet and the four CDs, which when placed side by side present a likeness of Elton, the package indicates the care and expense this huge-selling artist commands.

With the exception of some very early work with Long John Baldry, the music is exclusively focused on the songs Elton wrote in conjunction with lyricist Bernie Taupin. Their songwriting method--whereby Taupin submits lyrics to John, who gives them musical shape--is discussed at length in an insightful interview with the two men. This method has produced a truly astonishing number of hit records, particularly throughout the '70s. Discs 2 and 3 contain all the monster hits--"Goodbye Yellow Brick Road," "Daniel," "Bennie and the Jets," "Crocodile Rock"--as well as many others. The combination of John's pliable and emotive voice, Taupin's well-wrought words, and strong production values led to megastardom.

The '80s were a period of transition and growth for Elton John. Disc 4 has a number of hits from that period--"Sad Songs," "Sacrifice," and "You Gotta Love Someone"--as well as featuring several live performances before a full orchestra, including "Don't Let the Sun Go Down on Me." His voice and stage persona both reflected a maturing Elton John.

This box set, compiled by Taupin and John themselves, was completed in 1990 and summed up Elton John's career to that point. The title of To Be Continued has proven to be more than just wishful thinking, as he continues to maintain his vitality in popular music to this day. --Wally Shoup

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

60 of 62 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Portrait of an Artist as Pop Star, November 14, 2000

By	Steve Vrana (Aurora, NE) - See all my reviews (TOP 100 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

If you're on a tight budget, MCA's three Greatest hits CDs would provide you with most of the hits, but the box set with key album tracks and the occasional rarity is necessary to provide the listener with an accurate portrait of Elton John as one of the greatest pop artist of the past fifty years.

I passed on this sprawling 67-track collection when it first came out in 1990. [Hey, on a teacher's salary I simply couldn't afford it.] Then during the past year when I finally felt I could, I discover that MCA had let it go out of print! Searching online for used copies, I found that they were selling in excess of one hundred dollars. What a thrill it was to see it back in print. It contains every Top Ten hit (except "Don't Let the Sun Go Down on Me" is represented in a live version--and not the 1991 duet with George Michael). Altogether, you get 30 of his 45 Top 40 hits. And what a rush to hear John Lennon on "I Saw Her Standing There" (the b-side to "Philadelphia Freedom") from 1975.

I have only two complaints: First, with a 4-disc box set, I would like to have seen more (if not all) of his lesser hits included. I especially would like to have seen the inclusion of "Grow Some Funk of Your Own" (No. 14, 1976), "Bite Your Lip (Get Up and Dance)" (No. 28, 1977), "Part-Time Love" (No. 22, 1978), "Who Wears These Shoes" (No. 16, 1984) and "Healing Hands" (No. 13, 1989). Second, It's been ten years since this box set was first released. Why not add a fifth disc? Elton had seven Top 40 hits in the Nineties, including the million-seller "Can You Feel the Love Tonight" from The Lion King.

That said, Elton John along with the Beatles, Elvis Presley and few others had as big an impact on the musical landscape as any other artist of the 20th Century. If you missed this the first time around (like me), don't pass it up this time. ESSENTIAL

19 of 20 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars It sounds even better than before., November 24, 2000

By	"gregv57" (Toronto Ontario Canada) - See all my reviews

Not only is To Be Continued an absolute must for every Elton John fan but it has been remastered and sounds even better than it did 10 years ago! It sounded great when it was first released but I compared it with the original and there is no comparison.So if your thinking of getting this box set better put it on your wish list as each box is numbered and it apparently is a very limited edition.Don't miss it the second time around it may be the last.

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Essential Elton John, February 20, 2003

By	mirasreviews (McLean, VA USA) - See all my reviews (TOP 100 REVIEWER)    (COMMUNITY FORUM 04)

For Elton John fans who don't want to buy all of his studio albums -and he made so many- "To Be Continued" encompasses most of Elton John's best work from 1965-1990. There are 67 songs in chronological order on 4 cd's. As with all boxed sets, it's what's missing that attracts the most attention. "Burn Down the Mission" and a studio version of "Dont' Let the Sun Go Down on Me" are the omissions that bothered me. But that said, "To Be Continued" is the most comprehensive collection of Elton John's work that you will find in one place.

The packaging is, well....big. The box is the size of an old vinyl album but thicker. It won't fit on most bookshelves. If you have a shelf for vinyl albums, this set will fit perfectly. The 4 cd jewel cases form a picture when placed side-by-side, which is neat. But the box is cumbersome. Included is a booklet that contains a lengthy interview with Elton John and Bernie Taupin.