Review: Goodbye Yellow Brick Road - Deluxe Edition

Seeing as how this 2 disc deluxe edition was released this past March, I have to acknowledge that I'm a little late to the party with this review. The truth is, I've been avoiding it. But now, several months later, I've given it plenty of opportunity to justify its existence, and I'm still having trouble understanding why this edition was released at all if it was going to be so poorly thought out. I did wonder if Elton John personally approved this release or not, but according to the booklet notes, he did.

In the booklet, we are also reminded of the unique paradox that Elton John presented. Here was a gay man from an unglamourous suburb of North London, writing and performing songs in a rustic style that would later be referred to as Americana, while dressed in a manner that Liberace might have called excessive. His sartorial choices were not reserved for the stage either, but Elton was not about to be outdone by any Glam rockers of the day. By 1973, Elton John was one of the biggest Rock stars on the planet, and nearing the top of his game, both as a songwriter and as a live entertainer. He could seemingly do no wrong, no matter how flamboyant his recordings and live shows became. (Inevitably, that came later on.)

I should clarify that the problem I have with this release is not with the album itself. "Goodbye Yellow Brick Road" is an unimpeachable cornerstone album of 70's Rock, and is certainly one of Elton John's career highlights. It spent 8 weeks at #1 and sold 7 million copies in the U.S. alone; huge numbers for a double LP. It's one of those records that every high school age kid had, to the point where siblings in the same household each had their own copy. So, I just want to make clear that I feel the album is, and always was, great. It's the bonus tracks I have a problem with.

The spendier Super Deluxe Edition

In a peculiar packaging move for this 2 disc edition, Mercury/Universal has gone off script and chosen not to include the expected parade of bonus tracks, which normally consists of demos, outtakes, B-sides from singles, non-LP singles, etc. No, this time we get a curious series of 9 cover versions of songs from the album that are performed by contemporary musicians, along with another 9 tracks which have been edited from the full-length 1973 Hammersmith Odeon concert, which is on the Super Deluxe edition. This much pricier package contains 4 CD's, a DVD, and a hardcover book. 2 of the CD's contain the complete 18 song concert, along with 10 tracks of the aforementioned B-sides, demos, and other bonus material.

I hate to say it, given the concept of this blog, but for the 2 disc set, I would have much preferred that the cover versions had been included only on the bigger box, the edited live tracks ditched altogether, and replaced with the expected set of outtakes. Here's why. The 9 covers, as a group, are not solid enough to support a stand-alone release, and have the effect, along with the gratuitous, hits-leaning selection of the live stuff, of coming off as little more than filler. This supports some of the recent theorizing I've heard regarding diminishing returns with bonus tracks.

But since we're stuck with them, we'll move on. I've always said that a good cover recording has respect for the original song, yet manages to sound like the artist doing the cover could have written it. Unfortunately, what we have a lot of here is the victory of style over substance. My cynical side wonders if hosting the cover versions on the album legitimizes a double, or possibly, considering the live tracks, a triple dip of publishing royalties for Elton and Bernie Taupin. At any rate, let's dig in and tackle the covers in sequence.

Ed Sheeran

The first track, "Candle In The Wind", is given a lilting acoustic treatment by Ed Sheeran that is enjoyable enough, but provides no direct sign that it's Sheeran. It could be anyone you might find on Sirius XM's Coffee House channel. But Sheeran's track sounds like a gift in comparison to the digital hammering that "Bennie And The Jets" receives at the hands of someone named Miguel and his rap-happy accomplice, Wale. I've never been overly fond of "Bennie", but in no way did it deserve this gut-wrenching treatment. Elton John is a vocal advocate of being proficient at playing live, and this cut is nothing but soulless studio gimmickry. If I were Elton, I would have demanded that it be removed from the album.

Next up is a calmer, faux-country treatment of the title song, "Goodbye Yellow Brick Road", by Nashville wunderkind, Hunter Hayes. The production is as slick as anything Nashville would be expected to put out these days, and Hayes would sound right at home on "The Voice" or "American Idol". Like Sheeran's track, it's as generic and safe as plain label corn flakes, and just as nutritionally empty.

The Band Perry

But then, we hit on a surprising bit of originality in an unexpected place. The Band Perry, owner of one of the clumsiest names for a successful group in memory, strikes gold with their fine rendition of "Grey Seal"; a deep album cut that was first recorded by Elton during his earliest sessions, and was resurrected for the "Yellow Brick Road" album. Despite the tight production, The Band Perry has great fun with the song, filling it with the requisite fiddles and banjo rolls that don't get in the way of the vocal harmonies. They finish out the track with a brief, but jammy fiddle lead that fits the original outro perfectly. Most importantly, it sounds like them. I don't know whether to give props to the band or their producers, but if they can pull this tune off live, and sound this good, then I salute them. Give it a listen.

Emeli Sande

After all that excitement, someone must have thought we needed a nap. So now we have the droll baritone of John Grant and his Smith Brothers beard, crooning their way through "Sweet Painted Lady". I've always liked the song, but the spare, droning synth-string backing feels cold, so when combined with Grant's warm voice, we get what another reviewer referred to as "chalk and cheese"; a serving of an overall, less than palatable hors d'oeuvre.

This brings us to Emeli Sande, and her rendition of "All The Girls Love Alice". The song is hampered by the same production tricks as most contemporary Pop recordings are, with the notable exception that there is some genuine soul in Sande's vocal. This comes as welcome relief after the previous song, yet production similarities remain. Sande hasn't quite broken through in the states yet, but just may with her single, "Next To Me". All she needs is a good song on a movie soundtrack album.

Imelda May

The next 2 tracks are some of Elton's best known Rock 'n Roll shouters. Irish rockabilly firecracker Imelda May yanks us onto the dance floor with her energetic performance of "Your Sister Can't Twist (But She Can Rock 'n Roll)". Imelda has one foot in the past and the other in the future. Her band does an excellent arrangement of this song that swings as much as it rocks, and with total conviction. This track is just terrific, so crank it up!

Unfortunately, the swing does not hold for Fall Out Boy's noisy, arrhythmic attempt at "Saturday Night's Alright For Fighting". The track has plenty of Rock, but precious little Roll. If they'd approached the song by remembering that it was inspired by Bernie Taupin's observing a parking lot altercation near a pub, then they may have come away with something more effective. As it stands, they're mere steps away from "S-A-TUR-DAY... NIGHT!" The song would have been in far better hands being rendered by a Punk band with old school sensibilities, like Rancid or Dropkick Murphys.

The Zac Brown Band

Closing out the disc, as it was on the original album, we have an earnest rendition of "Harmony" by The Zac Brown Band. Focusing on the vocals and avoiding unnecessary production sweetening, the ZBB acquit themselves well with a performance that is faithful to Elton's original, while sounding different enough to make it theirs. I'll bet they could pull this off live with little difficulty.

I've also noticed that Zac Brown and his cohorts have involved themselves in a few different collaborative musical projects, while managing to not antagonize their core audience, who got hooked on their down-home, Jimmy Buffett meets Southern Rock identity. That's no easy task these days, and done at no small risk either. But that musical curiosity, and a willingness to experiment leads me to predict a long-haul career for Zac Brown, whether he keeps the original band together or not.

In conclusion, I'll reiterate that including these cover versions on this latest reissue of "Goodbye Yellow Brick Road" has the effect of reducing even the good songs to being mere filler. It's a disservice to both the original album, and to the few cover recordings that are worthwhile. I feel it's also no small insult to the consumer, who's being coerced into forking out for yet another 'definitive' remaster. All of the cover songs would fare better being included on releases by their individual performers. And yes, we'd much rather have demos, B-sides, and other 'cutting room floor' items than this lot.

The value of the live recordings depends entirely on your enthusiasm for them. If you want them at all, then you may just want to pop for the Super Deluxe edition, so you'll have the entire concert, along with all the other goodies included in that set. According to Amazon, a perfectly suitable 40th Anniversary single disc version of GYBR is available, and very affordably so. But if you're so inclined, go for the 2 disc set, though if you've read this far, you've been suitably warned.

I would encourage those of you with high end Surround systems to pick up the HD Pure Audio Blu-Ray edition, as 2 readers have already told me about the superior listening experience it provides. Those with turntables should consider the excellent 180 gram vinyl reissue, which should take you right back to 1973. With that in mind, a revisiting of Elton's early 70's work is always welcome, and recommended.