Elton John / Wonderful Crazy Night

This album made my cry. I downloaded it for a pre-listen, then hoped my big boy stereo would make it sound better. And I cried again. The music is late 1979-1981 Elton, almost classic 1970’s Elton John. The voice is gone, unrecognizable. Sometimes, like Willy DeVille RIP, the aging male voice is like a fine wine. Elton lost me after Songs From the West Coast. I had high hopes for this one. And I cried some more.

His last two album covers have been bad. This one with that dumb smirk and him barely able to fin in the jacket [button looks like it’s ready to pop]. Diving Board has a guy from the back look likes he’s walking like an ape.
So if you buy the deluxe CD and the vinyl, you’ll save yourself a bundle by not getting the book thrown in [exactly how many times will you look at it] and 2 songs – as extras, they can’t be good if used as a bonus. right?

Just picked up the Target special & Martin is correct. While you are there start a relationship with the manager of that department and if you ask politely they will give you the cardboard promo on the end caps at the end of sales cycle for free (Monday or Tuesday). I picked up the David Bowie Black Star promo stuff and it very cool and unique. Target promo “art” will be collectable at some point.
J

The Target version contains
-The same 12 Deluxe Titles
– 2 Live tracks (looking up and wonderful crazy night)

http://www.amazon.de/gp/aw/d/B01BD81QQY/ref=mp_s_a_1_14?qid=1454744509&sr=8-14&pi=AC_SX236_SY340_QL65&keywords=elton+john+wonderful+crazy+night

I actually like the cover. Nothing could be worse than the disastrous front of the new Duran Duran album. I’m glad to see a happy Elton John. The past years he looked like an overweight severely depressed mess. This gives me hope Elton is doing well (even though I realize it’s just an album cover). I hope the music is just as happy. The first single is not bad (although a bit too rock-a-billy for me).

It’s the best CD cover ever!!!

https://www.vice.com/en_uk/read/this-elton-john-album-cover-is-the-perfect-album-cover-do-not-at-me

I would wait until we know what the Target Deluxe CD will have. I suspect it’s the 14-track (super deluxe on Elton’s site) CD version + 2 songs according to the Target sticker (without the Vinyl LP). But I don’t see the Track Listing on Target’s site yet, though the $16.99 pre-order price indicates this may be a 3-tiered release.

Target shows the new CD as containing 2 Target-exclusive bonus tracks, but the full track listing isn’t on there yet, so not clear whether it’s the same two as the deluxe set, the other two, or possibly all 4.

He should maybe have called the album ’33 at 68′, a la ’21 at 33′ in 1980.

@ Tony

Just seeing this comment now so this conversation may die in the ether. It’s strange how my opinion on the Diving Board could be “Beyond you” as you say. I’m not like others on this planet who say things like, “He hasn’t done anything good since Captain Fantastic” etc… In my opinion, folks like that are the lowest common denominator. Why would you follow an artist’s career if you don’t think his material has been any good for 30 plus years… THOSE kind of opinions are beyond me.

As I mentioned, I have all his albums save Victim of Love and have found quite a few good things to say about his 2000 output. But the Diving Board is a droll affair to me. The production is great. The musicianship is superb. But the songs just aren’t there; especially in the context of an album. For me personally, the songs all blend together as a slow, mid tempo, non descript tunes without anything memorable to the bunch. It’s certainly a respectable album from the approach side, but disappointing in the results.

I listened to his last album once. The one before that not at all, but I did watch the dvd. I’ve faithfully purchased every album since the early 70s. I dunno, seems like I buy them out of habit and only enjoy the old stuff.

“As a busy working mum, I just don’t have the time to pop into the studio and do a proper photo-shoot. Thanks , you’ve made my life so much easier!”

Why is it always fashionable to knock Elton!
While I agree the cover is not up to the classic look of GYBR or Captain Fantastic surely it’s the music that is the most important thing and quite honestly The Beatles LP covers were hardly memorable.
Personally I really like the new single and how anybody can say The Diving Board is disappointing is beyond me.

@Ruth

I have every single Elton album and would easily put 2001’s Song From the West Coast in the top 10 of his career. It is a fabulous album. I also think Peachtree Road and The Captain and the Kid each had four or five really good songs on them. So I would disagree that his output has been poor since the 90’s. I think the 90’s contained his weakest albums by leaps and bounds…

I do agree that the new song and The Diving Board were/are very disappointing. I really thought the Diving Board was going to be something special. The production and overall sound was fabulous. But the songs just weren’t there. And that new album cover, good grief….

His last ‘great’ album for me was Breaking Hearts

Elton is at least still putting out new music unlike other artists or bands who just tour with the old hits and put nothing new out….point being The Who their last studio album nealy 10 years ago was “Endless Wire” which to be quite honest was pretty dire and in 50 years of making music a measly 11 studio albums now that is bad real bad…Rolling Stones same amount of time in existence have released 29 albums that’s more like it….there not my cup of tea but at least they don’t skimp the fans of new studio material.

‘superbly live and spontaneous spirit’
Possibly not a great idea ?

Look everyone forget the cover YES it’s a mistake…Listen to the music, enjoy it if you possibly can and think yourself lucky it’s not Rap or Techno he’s giving out…it’s real songs by real musicians…enough said.

I have no issue with the album having a cover shot of Elton; I just think the quality of it is poor and very amateurish. There is nothing artistic about it at all. Just look at the shadows behind Elton; it’s as if someone nabbed him with a flash camera just as he jumped in front of a painted wall. The least they could have done is photoshopped the shadows out.

His voice is almost unrecognizable. If i didn’t know it was him i wouldn’t have told.
The song is pretty average anyway, i fear this album doesn’t promise being a masterpiece.

Tonight I will have my wife shoot me a picture in front of the painting we have in our living room, and so I will have my own album cover!!!

Strange thing for me with EJ, I only started appreciating the music around `Songs From The West Coast`. I reckon his voice has improved with age but obviously I`m no expert.

Regarding the super deluxe edition I`d wait, I picked `The Diving Board` SDE up for £23 on Amazon marketplace about 4 months back, it`s back up to £60+ now, so why it dropped so low? Could happen with `WCN`.

Yes I totally agree with the awful choice of the front album cover picture…as Craig from strictly would say “It’s A Disaster Darling” but album cover aside let’s not get too upset about it…we need to concentrate on the music and “Looking Up” the first single and first music we’ve heard from the album is a cracking little toe tapper of a song I like it, the piano riff reminds me of something by Bruce Hornsby….Elton sounds positive and up on this song so that’s a good start…As much as I liked “The Diving Board” it was Elton being more subdued to some point and I loved the album cover on that one much better than this new one…Let’s think and stay positive and hope that the new album is going to be a corker…roll on February 5th 2016 !!!

US links:
https://www.amazon.com/Wonderful-Crazy-Night-Deluxe-Elton/dp/B016Y5KA7C
https://www.amazon.com/Wonderful-Crazy-Night-Elton-John/dp/B016Y5KALI
No Canadian links yet.

The cover isn’t much sillier than Caribou, and is better than One Night Only.

But it is the music that matters, and I’m looking forward to this to warm things up come February!

That cover is simply awful. The guff on his website claims the deluxe version ..
Includes a 16-page extended booklet containing gorgeous photos of Elton both in and out of the studio.
If that is the case then what’s with the crappy cover pic?

That cover shot has been taken after Elton saw the Queen “Hammy” cover. He thought ‘if they get away with that why on earth should I pay for a proper sleeve design?’

His voice doesn’t sound great on this track. I appreciate that he’s getting on a bit now but I’m still surprised to hear such a change in his voice.

I hope that’s not the album cover. What an awful shot; looks like something a fan took with their cell phone.

Elton’s back; stodgynessabounds

Hi Paul, thanks for the info. Do you know if the SDE going to be sold through amazon or is it one of those only through elton john website. Thanks