#251 Elton John, 'Honky Château' (1972)

Previously #359

Officially at the halfway mark. If you’ve been here with me for 250 albums, thanks for staying, if you’ve just gotten on board, welcome and enjoy the ride! What better way to end the first half of the list than with the first entry from Elton John. John’s fifth album was his first US #1 album, and the catalyst for a 6x #1 album run. It was the first album to officially feature his road band on every track. Nigel Olsson & Davey Johnstone, on drums and guitar respectively, continue to play with him to this day. Sadly, Dee Murray passed away in 1992 from a stroke after suffering from skin cancer for years.

The album opens with ‘Honky Cat,’ a song reminiscent of New Orleans artists such as Dr. John (#356) and Allan Toussaint, with honky tonk piano (as the title would suggest) and brass. This album is a bit more pop in comparison to the albums that would precede it. It also features Elton John’s signature song (arguably, he has so many), ‘Rocket Man (I Think It’s Going To Be A Long, Long Time).’ The song is topped off with the backing vocal harmonies of Murray, Olsson and Johnstone for the first time on record, a sound which would become a main part of John’s sound for years to come. Featuring a similar subject matter to Bowie’s ‘Space Oddity,’ you can almost say the songs are “cousins,” both having been produced by Gus Dudgeon. Jon Landau, Rolling Stone writer and later long-time Springsteen manager, said about the album, "a rich, warm, satisfying album that stands head and shoulders above the morass of current releases." This album really was the catalyst for an incredibly successful career to come.

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