Elton John - Honky Chateau

Change is gonna do me good...

As one reviewer wrote of Elton's next album, "Don't Shoot Me...," at that point in his career the brooding singer-songwriter Elton had "left the building," but the fresh, new talented pop star Elton had taken his place, and the change would prove more than equitable going forward from there. Well, a few months earlier, with "Honky Chateau," singer-songwriter Elton opened the door to that building and put his first foot through it on his way out, saying hello to his pop star alter ego making his entrance.
Gone were the darker, somber songs and arrangements, as well as the assembly of studio musicians. Elton put his creative foot down and insisted his road band play on the album, thus beginning the amazing run of the original Elton John Band that would garner so much praise and fandom during the next few years.
Elton and Bernie wrote their most funky stuff to date, and even if it wasn't all perfect, it was damn close. Rockers strutted and stolled, ballads such as "Rocket Man" (the first to get backing vocals by Davey, Dee and Nigel) were beautiful and more electric than previous works. Only "Mona Lisas and Mad Hatters" bore any resemblance to "Madman..." and earlier recordings, but even that was a departure for John & Taupin. Songs like "Amy" were completely out of the norm to that point; that tune and "Honky Cat," "Hercules" and "Mellow" helped at last launch Elton as a recording "rock star," to equal his already established concert reputation as a rocker. September 11, 2008

"One of his very best!"

The first Elton John album I ever bought, shortly following its release in the early 1970s. It sounded terrific then, and has held up to the test of time. In addition to the classics from this LP (Honky Cat and Rocket Man), there is not even a near clunker here. Very thoughtful lyrics on "Salvation" and "Mona Lisas and Mad Hatters." Really, a fine, enjoyable album from beginning to end. Next to "Madman Across the Water," I think this is his best effort. July 31, 2008

A Cat Named Elton Hercules John

I bought this classic CD from Amazon recently (at a very attractive price). I bought the vinyl version more than 30 years ago, soon after it first came out. A few of the songs survived the vinyl era on my self-recorded cassette tapes. Since I got the CD, I've listened to "Honky Cat" countless times in the car, and copied it onto my laptop so I can listen to it inside too.

Everyone knows the hit songs "Honky Cat" and "Rocket Man". I remembered fondly the beautiful "tribute" to New York City, "Mona Lisas and Mad Hatters" (it was actually a DB discussion of this song that brought the album back to mind), "Salvation", and the closing number (inspired by a rhino if you believe the CD notes), "Hercules" (Elton's stage middle name). What surprised me were the other great songs I didn't remember so well--"Mellow" and "Susie (Dramas)", the latter of which has a chorus so great that they have to sing it three times--"She sure knows how to use me/pretty little black-eyed Susie/playing hooky with my heart all the time/Livin with her funky family/in a derelict old alley/down by the river where we share a little lovin' in the moonshine." I'm gonna sing at least one of these at Karaoke some night.

The album also brought back to mind the seamless songwriting collaboration of Elton and his lyricist Bernie Taupin, who did not play or sing with the band. I'm told that Taupin wrote the lyrics (poems) and Elton wrote the tunes around them. On "Honky Chateau", an album that was primarily recorded in France, the producer filled out the sound with an exciting electric violin, used very effectively on "Mellow" and "Amy". Elton's piano composition and playing is fabulous as always. Listening again to "Honky Chateau" makes me understand why Elton John became a pop music phenomenon. October 15, 2007

"Man, Can He Tickle the Ivories!"

Honky Chateau
This is Elton at his early best, when he was still an awesome songwriter and piano player. Bernie Taupin is in top form, and the combination is somewhere between poetry and pop. I listen to this album for hours at a time just to remember the good times. October 9, 2007

This album is pure gold!

Come on! what can you say about the future sir Elton in 1972? Thank God for the CD! I can put this on with a good set of headphones and transport back to 1972 as a 6 year old kid. My brother set this fire in my musical soul when he bought me this album a few months after its release. He had this album on an 8 track tape and was hooked at first by a song called (oddly enough) I think I'm going to kill myself. At 6 years old I did not pay much attention to the words but the piano rift and catchy melody and tap dancing shoes were enough to hook me to this day. Hurcules is another one of my favorites not knowing at the time that Elton was singing about himself and that Hercules was his middle name. Even though this album only scored a couple of hits with Rocket man and Honky Cat, I know if you were to get this album you will quickly learn that every song on this album is solid gold. August 18, 2007

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