Like him or loath him, there is no doubt that Elton John is a very talented musician. In recent years he's been more famous for his outbursts & tantrums than for his music. Despite all that he is a very versatile artist as this DVD collection clearly illustrates. Like others from his generation, successful musicians such as David Bowie, Eric Clapton, Paul McCartney & Rod Stewart, they have all written their best material & have peaked with their careers. However, they can still pull in enormous crowds for their live performances. Most Elton John concerts draw crowds form all age groups, from teenagers to pensioners & everyone else in between.
This DVD is a collection of live shows by Elton John, but what makes it special is the type of shows. One is live in New York with his band, one is live in London with his band along with students from the Royal Academy of Music orchestra & another is a solo show in Turkey.
BRIEF HISTORY OF ELTON JOHN For those of you who don't know much about Elton here is a brief history. His first single 'I've been loving you' was released in 1968 but it wasn't until 1971 that he eventually made the music charts. He made it in America prior to success in the UK & by the mid 1970s was selling more records in the USA than the Beatles & Elvis at their peak.
He was the first ever white artist to top the US R&B charts with 'Bennie & the jets', the first artist in the US to have an album go straight to number one by selling excess of one million prior to release (he did it twice in one year) & played to huge audiences in the largest sports stadiums in the USA & currently holds the record for live appearances at Madison Square Garden in New York. He can't write lyrics, only music, but his writing partner Bernie Taupin handles most of his lyrics, amazingly they have never written a song in a room together in 40 years!!
He has made nearly 50 official albums & hundreds of singles; he holds the world record for the biggest selling record of all time (33 million, Candle in the Wind). An American magazine reported that by 2001 this single was played every minute of every day somewhere in the world on radio stations. He has collected countless awards including an Oscar for the music to the film 'Lion King'. He has been a drug addict, an alcoholic, suffered form bulimia, married a women, married a man & been knighted by the Queen. He has attempted suicide twice & works tirelessly for charities & had donated millions to his AIDS foundation. He is an international household name.
DREAM TICKET DISC 1 This is a complete concert form Madison Square Garden in New York on 21st October 2000. Looking quite 'fetching' in a cerise & black coloured suit Elton plays 27 of his most famous songs to a jubilant crowd. The track listings are:
Funeral for a friend / Love lies bleeding Candle in the wind Bennie & the jets Goodbye yellowbrick road (With Billy Joel) Someone saved my life tonight Little Jeannie Philadelphia freedom Tiny dancer Can you feel the love tonight? Daniel Rocket man Club at the end of the street Blue eyes I guess that's why they call it the blues (With Mary J Blige) The one I don't wanna go on with you like that Sorry seems to be the hardest word Sacrifice Come together Your song (with Ronan Keating) Sad songs (with Bryan Adams) I'm still standing Crocodile rock Saturday nights alright for fighting (With Anastacia) Bitch is back Don't let the sun go down on me Don't go breaking me heart (With Kiki Dee)
Some of the song titles may not be instantly recognisable, he tailors his song list to suit the audience & some of these 'unknown' songs have been huge hits in the USA but not in the UK. Highlights of this concert include the special guests who make appearances. His version of the Beatles song 'Come together' is another highlight. It's a tribute to John Lennon who joined Elton on this very stage in 1974 for three songs. The first time Lennon had appeared live since splitting with the Beatles. John Lennon had previously separated from Yoko Ono & after the show they got back together again. It must have been quite a concert to see this legend on stage for the first time in many years. Lennon was Elton's idol & Elton was admired greatly by Lennon. This is a great version sung by Elton of the Beatles classic.
Another highlight is the live version of 'I don't wanna go on with you like that'; the original song was nothing special albeit a huge hit in the USA. However the live version is a real foot stomping, raunchy version with some really fantastic piano playing from Elton.
There is none of his characteristic jumping on the piano or throwing his piano stool into the rear of the stage, his pacemaker has probably put a stop to that. But this concert is a truly remarkable one with great lighting, great atmospheres, an enjoyable crowd & great music. He plays for 2.5 hours & looks like he is actually enjoying the whole show.
DREAM TICKET DISC 2 This concert is filmed at the Royal Opera House in London on December 1st 2002. It features Elton, his band & the students of the Royal Academy of Music in London where Elton attended in his former name of Reginald Dwight as a boy. Apparently he attended the classes on a Saturday morning when he would have preferred to be playing football with his mates. His music teacher remembers Reggie as a talented musician who had a habit of playing by ear rather than by reading sheet music. He would often experience problems & fly into a rage, she recalled the tantrums as 'Reggie little moments'. He didn't hang around for the exams but in an interview to a USA TV programme in 2007 he stated that if it wasn't for those lessons particularly in classical music he would never have been able to write the music he has done in the past 40 years.
After a brief introduction of the rehearsals & an interview with Elton the concert features many of Elton's classically inspired songs, the listing are:
Sixty years on Take me to the pilot This train don't stop here anymore Carla Etude Tonight Sorry seems to be the hardest word Philadelphia freedom Burn down the mission Don't let the sun go down on me Your song Saturday nights alright for fighting
There is a fantastic atmosphere at this concert although the crowd appear to be more subdued at first. However once the more up tempo songs are played they soon start to enjoy themselves. Having the orchestra at the concert adds a dramatic effect to many of the songs. The highlights are the original orchestral ones such as Sixty years on, Tonight, Carla Etude & an orchestra adds a fantastic effect to the rock n' roll number Saturday nights alright for fighting.
DREAM TICKET DISC 3 Filmed at the Great Amphitheatre in Ephesus in Turkey on July 17th 2001 there is no band or orchestra to help Elton here. It's a remarkable solo performance singing the same songs he normally sings with the band. There are not many modern artists who can do this & I admire anyone who can, the ones that spring to mind who have done solo concerts recently include Eric Clapton, Phil Collins & Rod Stewart.
But here he is in front of a great crowd belting out his most famous songs without any problems. There are times when you forget the band isn't there, such is his great performance. The track listings are:
Your song Someone saved my life tonight Daniel Mona Lisa & mad hatters Honky cat Rocket man Philadelphia freedom Nikita Sacrifice Sorry seems to be the hardest word I guess that's why they call it the blues This train don't stop here anymore Burn down the mission The one Blue eyes I'm still standing Crocodile rock Don't let the sun go down on me Circle of life Candle in the wind
When he starts his concert with his most famous song usually reserved for the encore you know he has something special lined up for later on & this concert doesn't disappoint.
DREAM TICKET DISC 4 This is a compilation of Elton's songs over four decades with interviews & video film. There is also an interesting section showing his extravagant stage costumes over four decades. The songs listed are:
Your song Rocket man Mona Lisa & mad hatters I'm still standing I guess that's why they call it the blues Empty Garden (Hey hey Johnny) Sacrifice Can you feel the love tonight Believe I want love The train don't stop here anymore Are you ready for love.
There you have it, a great four disc compilation of three concerts, seventy songs, some interviews & a little picture book. If you are an Elton John fan you'll have this already, if not it's a truly great collection for any music lover.
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Satisfactory
Special Effects
Standard
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Outstanding
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Good
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