Elton John – Blue Moves (1976) Review | Don’t Shoot Me, I’m Only the Lyricist
Kronomyth 14.0: I liked the way his music sounded before.
This has historically been my least favorite of the classic period Elton John albums. Double album, actually, which made it all the worse because he couldn’t even cobble together two hits from the whole thing. But, you know, the more I listened to it, I discovered that there’s actually a lot to like about this album. There are the proggy passages (Your Starter For…, Out of the Blue, the opening to One Horse Town), funky cuts (If There’s a God in Heaven, Boogie Pilgrim, Bite Your Lip), poignant ballads (Sorry Seems to Be the Hardest Word, Tonight), and a nice assortment of melodic numbers (Shoulder Holster, Crazy Water, Between Seventeen and Twenty, Chameleon). In other words, more than enough to make seventy or eighty minutes pass pleasantly. Is it up to the standard of his last two albums (Captain Fantastic, Rock of the Westies)? No, it is not. If you picked the best eight or ten songs from Blue Moves and stacked it up against those albums, it would be found wanting. Now, you could blame the piano player if you want, but I actually think it’s Bernie Taupin who bears most of the blame for Blue Moves. His lyrics don’t hit the way they used to, and there’s a self-piteous streak at work on many of these songs. Tellingly, Elton parted company with his wordman after this album. No one likes a killjoy. Blue Moves remains an interesting departure for Elton John. The instrumentals, the willingness to open the songwriting to other band members, all suggest that he was trying to move into new musical territory. Whether that was the right move, well, you can decide for yourself, but you can’t accuse the man of being boring.
The Product
A1. Your Starter For… (Caleb Quaye) (1:25)
A2. Tonight (6:02)
A3. One Horse Town (Elton John/Bernie Taupin/James Newton-Howard) (5:47)
A4. Chameleon (5:27)
B1. Boogie Pilgrim (Elton John/Bernie Taupin/Davey Johnstone/Caleb Quaye) (6:03)
B2. Cage the Songbird (Elton John/Bernie Taupin/Davey Johnstone) (3:28)
B3. Crazy Water (5:42)
B4. Shoulder Holster (4:20)
C1. Sorry Seems to Be the Hardest Word (3:43)
C2. Out of the Blue (6:10)
C3. Between Seventeen and Twenty (Elton John/Bernie Taupin/Davey Johnstone/Caleb Quaye) (5:10)
C4. The Wide-Eyed and Laughing (Elton John/Bernie Taupin/Davey Johnstone/Caleb Quaye/James Newton-Howard) (3:20)
C5. Someone’s Final Song (4:00)
D1. Where’s the Shoorah? (4:10)D2. If There’s a God in Heaven (What’s He Waiting For?) (Elton John/Bernie Taupin/Davey Johnstone) (4:20)
D3. Idol (4:10)
D4. Theme from a Non-Existent TV Series (1:20)
D5. Bite Your Lip (Get Up and Dance) (6:37)
Songs written by Elton John/Bernie Taupin unless noted.
The Players
Elton John (piano, vocals, harmonium, electric harpsichord), Ray Cooper (glockenspiel, marimba, gong, tambourine, vibes, tubular bells, shaker, triangle, finger cymbals, bell tree, congas, rototoms), Davey Johnstone (electric guitar, mandolin, slide guitar, dulcimer, sitar), James Newton-Howard (synthesizer, electric piano, organ, mellotron, clavinet, orchestra arranger & conductor), Kenny Passarelli (bass), Roger Pope (drums), Caleb Quaye (electric guitar, acoustic guitar), Bernie Taupin (lyrics) with Curt Becher (backing vocals on A4/B3), Michael Brecker (horn on B1/B4/D3), Randy Brecker (horn on B1/B4/D3), Paul Buckmaster (conductor on A3/B3), Cindy Bullens (backing vocals on A4/B3), Cornerstone Institutional Baptist and Southern Californian Choir directed by Rev. James Cleveland (choir on B1/D1/D5), David Crosby (backing vocals on B2), Daryl Dragon (vocal arrangement on B3), Carl Fortina (accordion on C1), Gene Page Strings (strings on B5), Ron Hicklin (backing vocals on A4/B3), Michael Hurwitz (cello solo on A3), Bruce Johnstone (backing vocals & vocal arrangement on A4, backing vocals on B3), Jon Joyce (backing vocals on A4/B3), London Symphony Orchestra (A2), Martyn Ford Orchestra (strings on A3/D2, brass & strings on B3), Gene Morford (backing vocals on A4/B3), Graham Nash (backing vocals on B2), Barry Rogers (horn on B1/B4/D3), David Sanborn (horn on B1/B4/D3),Toni Tennille (backing vocals on A4). Produced by Gus Dudgeon. Engineered by Gus Dudgeoni and John Stewart with additional engineering by Mark Howlett and John Kurlander. Mix engineered by Phil Dunne and Gus Dudgeon.
The Pictures
Photography by David Nutter. Cover painting (“The Guardian Readers”) by Patrick Procktor. Art direction by David Costa. Art coordination by David Larkham and George Osaki.
The Plastic
Released on 2LP and cassette in October 1976 in the UK (Rocket, ROLL 11) and the US (MCA2/MCAC2-11004) with gatefold cover and lyrics innersleeves. Reached #3 on the UK charts and #3 on the US charts.
- Re-issued on compact disc and cassette in the US (MCA, MCAD/MCAC2-6011).
- Re-issued on remastered 2CD in 1997 in the US (MCA, MCAD2-11667).
