Morning Spin: Goodbye Yellow Brick Road by Elton John
Elton John and Bernie Taupin create their magnum opus
Goodbye Yellow Brick Road
Elton John
MCA Records
Released 1973
Elton John already had several top 10 hits including the no. 1 hit “Crocodile Rock” to his credit before releasing Goodbye Yellow Brick Road. The album is considered to be his magnum opus and it catapulted him to international superstardom. The single hits and album cuts are not only instantly recognizable but a part of history when Elton performed a version of “Candle in The Wind” at Princess Diana’s funeral.
The album’s cinematic themes become apparent beginning with the cover art depicting Elton wearing ruby platform shoes . “Funeral for a Friend/Love Lies Bleeding” serves as an overture leading into the Marilyn Monroe tribute “Candle in The Wind.” Movie themes and references appear throughout the album. The fish out of water in “Goodbye Yellow Brick Road.” The whore with a heart of gold in “Sweet Painted Lady.” The star-crossed lovers in “I’ve Seen That Movie Too.” The gangster in “The Ballad of Danny Bailey (1909-1934).”
These movie themes lend a nostalgic quality to the album. “Roy Rogers” contains a longing for the past when “you just seem older than yesterday.” Lyricist Bernie Taupin revisits the English pubs of his youth in “Saturday Night’s Alright for Fighting.”
Elton and Taupin don’t shirk from taking on some controversial subjects. Homelessness is addressed in “Dirty Little Girl” that has a “get off my lawn” quality while recognizing “that you have to clean the oyster to find a pearl.” “The Girls Love Alice” is the most controversial song on the album. It’s about a 16-year-old girl who has sexual relationships with older women. The song is sympathetic to the subject in a demeaning sort of way and never passes judgement on what some might consider pedophilia. Some have surmised that the song is a tribute to Alice Cooper and his female fans, but that is a stretch considering the song’s reference to “one or two middle-aged dykes in A Go-Go.”
The arrangements cover a wide variety of styles including rock, pop, ballads, rock-and-roll, and reggae. The album is perhaps the most varied of Elton’s career and represents him and Taupin at the height of their powers. Lyrically and musically, it’s a complete artistic statement. This is augmented by the consistent backing from guitarist Davey Johnstone, bassist Dee Murray, and drummer Nigel Olsson, arguably Elton’s greatest band.
By 2014, Goodbye Yellow Brick Road sold over 8 million copies as certified by the RIAA. The album was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame in 2003 and has appeared on several lists of the greatest albums of all time.