Album of the Week - Vol. 29

Tumbleweed Connection ELTON JOHN (1970)
Week: Sat 29th Mar to Fri 4th Apr, 2025
Format: Spotify, iPod
Producer: Gus Dudgeon
Tracklisting:
1. Ballad of a Well-Known Gun
2. Come Down in Time *
3. Country Comfort *
4. Son of Your Father 
5. My Father's Gun
6. Where to Now, St Peter?
7. Love Song *
8. Amoreena *
9. Talking Old Soldiers
10. Burn Down the Mission *
TOTAL RUNNING TIME: 46:56

Now, I'm not much of an Elton John connoisseur, and the only albums of his I own are Goodbye Yellow Brick Road and that blue Very Best of set that came out in the early nineties. Occasionally I get turned on to the odd Elton tune here and there, but this album took its sweet time.

The first domino to fall came after I watched the movie Men, directed by Alex Garland in 2022. It's a weird watch, and I won't go into it, but the closing credits featured Love Song by Elton John. It didn't register with me at first, but the original version by Lesley Duncan played during the movie's opening. She wrote the song, and contributed backing vocals to Elton's excellent cover, as well as a few other numbers. Beginning with a haunting acoustic guitar that fades in, I became quite obsessed with the track. I even learnt how to play it. It was so different to hear an Elton John song with no piano. 

As I listened to Love Song repeatedly on the Spottersfy while I was learning it, other tracks from Tumbleweed Connection started permeating my playlists. One song in particular caught my attention, the fabulous Amoreena. I was starting to dig it quite a bit and thought that maybe the whole album could be worth listening to. I didn't get round to it, at that point.

Elton's concert film, Elton John Live: Farewell from Dodger Stadium, coincidentally released in 2022 as well, was recorded on his Farewell Yellow Brick Road tour. It was available on Disney+, so I gave it a look, and for the most part, I really enjoyed it (Am I the only person who doesn't get the whole Brandi Carlile thing?). One song I was not familiar with, Burn Down the Mission, received quite a rapturous response from the audience, and I liked it immediately. It was the only song from Tumbleweed Connection to make the setlist on that tour, but it was played every night.

So, with those little events percolating in the old brainbox, one day I remembered there was an entry for Tumbleweed Connection in the Rolling Stone 500 Greatest Albums of All Time magazine. This list has the 2012 results, and has been updated numerous times since. I sought it out, finding that T.C. held the 458th spot. The entry for the album offered up Amoreena as an album highlight, particularly memorable as the opening song in the 1975 movie Dog Day Afternoon. In a freaky coincidence, while channel surfing that very same day, I landed on the SBS World Movies channel. Dog Day Afternoon was starting and it seemed eerily fortuitous. I made the decision to give the whole album a spin as soon as I could. 

I've really gotten into the album recently. I find it hard to believe that I've never taken the plunge before, but then again, I've never really sought out much more from Elton other than the hits. It's all very enjoyable, and although I really like Love Song, it sticks out like a sore thumb. The production on that number is quite sparse compared to the rest of the record. Not that that's a bad thing, it's just something I've noticed. Being a cover as well, it is the only track that isn't credited to the songwriting force of Elton and his lyricist comrade Bernie Taupin. 

There is an obvious American influence on the album, hence its title, and the old west seems to be an overarching theme. Fathers and their sons, guns, barns, cornfields, the American Civil War, revolutions, farms, women, cattle towns and grandmothers are all peppered throughout the record as well. Some have labelled this a country-rock album, but I disagree. It's rooted in pop, while diverting itself from the usual song formats of the late sixties and early seventies. While some tunes have a violin or something on it (looking at you, Country Comfort), I feel that it's more a groovy, soulful affair. There isn't a dud track on it! It's an album you can throw on and enjoy from start to finish. While not one of my highlights, opening song Ballad of a Well-Known Gun sets the scene perfectly, with a dirty swagger and plenty of background vocals to add a sense of campfire singalong. The 2-3 punch of the following tracks Come Down in Time and Country Comfort elevate the album to another level. They're just so good. 

Other big favourites of mine are the aforementioned Love Song and Amoreena, as well as the showstopping Burn Down the Mission, which closes the album. As I said earlier, the latter became quite the live favourite, and its easy to see why. It's such a rousing story and the rollicking piano breaks are fab. In this day and age it's easy to relate to a group who feel they're being oppressed by a wealthier faction, be they political, religious or otherwise. It's call to arms to grab what has been taken away from, or not even offered to, those less fortunate. 

Considering this is Elton's third studio effort, it sounds very self-assured. His vocals and piano-playing are top notch, and as I have espoused, the songs are fabulous. A range of musicians are employed, as this was before the classic Elton John touring band line-up was formed. However, Amoreena marks the first time that said classic musicians, bassist Dee Murray and drummer Nigel Olsson, appear as the rhythm section on an Elton song. 'Twould be the first of many! (Guitarist Davey Johnstone wouldn't arrive until 1972's Honky Château) The groove on that song is just fantastic, and Murray's lines are so funky. It's such a fun song, with the titular lady inspired by Elton's own goddaughter Amoreena. Other players appearing on the album include legendary session bass player Herbie Flowers, drummer Barry Morgan, guitarist Caleb Quaye, organist Brian Dee, and even the wonderful Dusty Springfield contributes backing vocals on a couple of tracks.  

If you've not listened to this album before, and like me, are put off by the fact they are no big hits, just give it a go. If you like Elton John, you'll probably love this. 

The Man Who Sold the World

Bowie's follow-up to 1969's Space Oddity album celebrates its 51st birthday today, although it wasn't officially released in the UK until April 1971. The cover art for both releases was quite different as well, but now the shot of Bowie in his splendid flowing dress is the go-to image for this record. It is very different in feel and production compared to its predecessor, and has hints of sludge rock among the loose instrumentation. Produced by Tony Visconti, who also contributes bass and recorder, The Man Who Sold the World marks the first appearances of guitarist Mick Ronson and drummer Mick "Woody" Woodmansey on a Bowie album. Both musicians would go on to be in The Spiders From Mars in the years to come. 

Often overlooked, and featuring many deep-cuts from Bowie's considerable canon, this record is an interesting listen. The aforementioned sludge rock has moments of sounding like an early incarnation of Black Sabbath. Throbbing bass lines abound, there's plenty of distorted guitars and Bowie is shrieking like he never really did again. I guess he was still finding his voice, but you can hear the seeds of his famous inflections in a far few phrases.

The title track is the album's most well-known song, which got another burst of popularity after Nirvana's version was released on their 1994 Unplugged album. It's one of the more mellower moments on offer here, and one of the most tuneful. The haunting guiro and understated vocal transcend the song, and the eerie sound of the song moving from speaker to speaker at its conclusion is very effective. One could feel that Bowie's alien fascination started here, or possibly his explorations of sanity.

Opening with the eight minute long The Width of a Circle, you can feel from the very first note of Ronson's feedback that this is not the Bowie of 1969. The noise gives way to a descending riff that is the backbone of the track and the band kick in. Bowie's vocal is a little mumbly and piercing at the same time, not content to be in the background of the noise. At around the five minute mark the song changes direction and feel, and even has a whiff of early glam rock about it. Even shades of Status Quo can be heard. Not an unpleasant listen, but certainly a meandering one with Ronson given plenty of opportunity to wail. 

Some songs arrive with bombast and purpose, and then don't really deliver. The biggest culprits of this are album closer The Supermen, Saviour Machine and She Shook Me Cold. The latter in particular kicks off with Sabbath-esque stabs and then flounders around in between those rockier bits. 

There are some gems here though, not just the the title track. All the Madmen has a great intro with Visconti's recorders adding another dimension to the narrative of the sanest people living in asylums while the insane ones run riot. Ronson's riffing is awesome, and the unusual last vocal phrase 'zane zane zane, ouvre le chein' would be revisited again on the track Buddha of Suburbia in 1993. I quite like that one. Black Country Rock is also a nice bit of folk rock, which great bass and guitar riffs. Wouldn't be out of place coming out of Jimi Hendrix. Bowie even adds a couple of interesting vocal techniques at the end of the song, including a weird vibrato and a Dylanesque delivery. Running Gun Blues is drawn from a similar folk rock well, and it goes okay. Some nice overdubbed vocals towards its end.

The eerie After All is another album highlight. It feels like something that was very influential on gothic bands in the eighties, drawing on the slightly creepy songs from Bowie's childhood. Oh, and references of Aleister Crowley and Nietzsche. The repeated 'oh, by jingo' vocal lines are overdubbed with menacing harmonies that sound quite otherworldly. This same technique would turn up again on Hunky Dory's The Bewlay Brothers, and some of the songs on Pinups. 

While not a shining jewel in Bowie's crown of albums, it certainly sparkles on occasion. After just listening to it again, I offer up 2.5/5.

NEXT UP: Space Oddity - 14th Nov

Album of the Week - Vol. 22

Lola Versus Powerman and the Moneygoround, Part One THE KINKS (1970)
Week: Mon 16th to Sun 22nd August 
Format: vinyl
Producer: Ray Davies
Track listing:
SIDE 1:
1. The Contenders *
2. Strangers *
3. Denmark Street
4. Get Back in Line *
5. Lola
6. Top of the Pops
7. The Moneygoround
SIDE 2:
1. This Time Tomorrow *
2. A Long Way from Home
3. Rats
4. Apeman
5. Powerman *
6. Got to Be Free
TOTAL RUNNING TIME: 40:25

This is an album that I largely ignored for a long time. I think possibly because the record included Lola. Through either repeated listening or requests to sing it, I got quite tired of the track. I knew Lola and Apeman from The Kinks compilation The Ultimate Collection, which came out in 1989 and did the rounds while I was at high school. Pretty sure I managed to get a taped copy of it from a friend. 

As the years went by, I was happy to leave the album alone. I went through a mini Kinks phase around a decade or more ago where I thrashed the Village Green Preservation Society album (1968), and the subsequent follow-up Arthur (1969). It would have made sense to check this record out then, as it followed the order of releases I'd found myself in. But, no, I abstained. 

Until I watched 2007's The Darjeeling Limited. 

Wes Anderson has made some very interesting films over the years, but TDL was the first one of his that I really liked. I didn't think much of Rushmore (been meaning to rewatch it though), felt that The Life Aquatic... was a missed opportunity with an excellent cast (despite the use of Bowie music), and it took a while for me to warm to The Royal Tenenbaums. Oh, and I missed Bottle Rocket altogether. Still not caught it. However, I've enjoyed most of the films he's released since. In fact, every movie he's put out since TDL I've really liked. Fantastic Mr Fox is just that, Moonrise Kingdom was a lot of fun, The Grand Budapest Hotel is wonderful, and possibly my pick of his films and Isle of Dogs was very good too. Not seen The French Dispatch yet, but who has?

Well, that's enough digression I think. Let's get back to the album at the top of the post, and the movie that inspired me to listen to it.

For those unfamiliar, TDL deals with three brothers grappling with the death of their father. In an effort to bridge the growing divide between them, the eldest brother (I think?) Francis, played by Owen Wilson invites his siblings on a spiritual journey which starts on the titular train in India. The first Kinks songs plays when Adrien Brody, portraying the young brother (I think?) Peter, is running to catch said train as it pulls out of the station. The track is This Time Tomorrow, and when the airplane noise at the song's start plays, the sequence goes into slow motion. 

When I first watched this movie, I knew instantly that this was a Kinks song, but I'd never heard it before. Ray Davies' distinctive lead vocals made the band unmistakable. Mirroring this scene, one of the last moments of the movie has all three brothers running to catch another train, again in slow motion, but with the song Powerman playing. It was the strength of these tunes (and these scenes, let's be honest) that convinced me to check out the entire Kinks album containing these songs. 

The third song from this record used in TDL is Strangers, written and sung by Dave Davies (yes, that's his real name!), Ray's brother. I didn't pick it for a Kinks song on my initial watch, probably due to that fact. It didn't leave as much as a mark on me as the other two either, but it has now become one of my album favourites. Again, the sequence employs the use of slow motion, at around the midpoint of the movie. If you'd like to read more on these songs and their corresponding film scenes, I stumbled upon this. Spoiler alert! If you haven't watched TDL.

Now, after getting my hands on a copy of the album, the next song that had a big impact on me was opening track The Contenders. Beginning with a fairly light and melodic intro of vocal and guitar, the tune kicks into gear with a cool rock riff and some stabs by the band. I would offer up the word 'rollicking' as the piano joins in and the song really gets underway. It became a staple of the playlists I would put together for WGJS gigs. As we packed our gear away, it almost became expected by my bandmates that this song would appear, he he he. Other tracks I really liked were Get Back In Line, Denmark Street and The Moneygoround. 

So that's a brief history of me discovering the album, but my education with it was quite slow. It wasn't until I procured a copy of the 50th anniversary release on vinyl last year that I learned a bit more about it. The first revelation being that this was recorded while The Kinks were briefly a five piece band.

After passing muster in a recording session for Lola, keyboardist John Gosling joined the fold in May 1970. The quintet included Gosling, the Davies brothers, drummer Mick Avory (who had been in the band since 1964) and bassist John Dalton who permanently replaced Pete Quaife in 1969. Dalton had filled in for Quaife on several occasions after he broke his leg in June 1966. 

I'd been a little blind to album's loose concept as well, in that it was quite a scathing attack on the music industry. Both Denmark Street and The Moneygoround display contempt for those who sign bands on the dotted line without liking them, but are happy to take the money they generate. The two singles Lola and Apeman seem separate from this narrative, and in my mind, the whole second side only has a couple of moments tied to the concept. Indeed those two songs are more of a reflection of the time period, and how people are changing. According to Ray Davies, the big undercurrent of the album is the constant struggle of good vs. evil.

There was supposed to be a direct follow-up to this record, hence the 'Part One' in the title. It didn't eventuate unfortunately, with the Kinks' subsequent studio release being 1971's Muswell Hillbillies. One might wonder what would happen if this album ever got a sequel some forty odd years later. 

If nothing else, this album did not deserve to be ignored by me for so long.  I can thank Mr Anderson for pushing me into delving into it, and for that, I remain grateful.