Rock of the Westies
Island - Island
Elton John
Release date: 1996-05-14
Audio CD
Album Rock, Contemporary Singer/Songwriter, Pop, Pop/Rock, Pop/Rock Music, Popular Music, Rock, Rock & Roll, Rock/Pop, Singer/Songwriter, Soft Rock
1. Medley: Yell Help/Wednesday Night/Ugly - Elton John, Taupin, Bernie
2. Dan Dare (Pilot of the Future) - Elton John, Taupin, Bernie
3. Island Girl - Elton John, John, Elton
4. Grow Some Funk of Your Own - Elton John, John, Elton
5. I Feel Like a Bullet (In the Gun of Robert Ford) - Elton John, John, Elton
6. Street Kids - Elton John, Taupin, Bernie
7. Hard Luck Story - Elton John, Taupin, Bernie
8. Feed Me - Elton John, Taupin, Bernie
9. Billy Bones and the White Bird - Elton John, Taupin, Bernie
10. Planes - Elton John, John, Elton
11. Sugar on the Floor - Elton John, Taupin, Bernie
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Rock of the Westies
Date undefined"Westies" was released a mere month after it's predecessor "Captain Fantastic" and unfortunately it shows in the rather rushed tone of the album. Major changes were in the works for Elton's band as both Dee Muray and Nigel Olsen departed prior to the recording of this one. For me this is where Elton's creative slide began. It is not a bad album and there are some great songs on it, but overall it does not stand up to the material he had released the previous 5 years. The album is probably one of Elton's hardest rocking discs with a heavy dose of funk also in the mix. Unfortunately the material here does not stack up against earlier works. The two singles "Island Girl" and "Grow Some Funk Of Your Own" have never been favorites of mine, and much of the rest of the album, although not terrible, just seems rather pedestrian and average for Elton. My favorite song on the album is the ballad "I Feel Like A Bullet", which is a great Elton / Bernie composition. Relations between the duo were becoming strained by the time of "Westies" and they would only do one more album together before a lengthy sabbatical from each other. In the end this album is worth owning, but there are lots of other ones that I would recommend ahead of it.
Rock of the Westies
Date undefinedThis was a real disappointment but it did turn up a few gems. "Billy Bones and the White Bird" was a great rocker with thundering drums, a must-have for any Elton John fan. "Island Girl" was a textbook Elton John single for that era, and "I Feel Like A Bullet In The Gun Of Robert Ford" was a first class Elton John ballad; don't settle for second-rate live versions of the song. Of the remaining six songs only "Feed Me" would be worth downloading.
Imagine the shock of hearing an album open with not one but two awful songs before rolling into the single. This had been unheard of for an Elton John album up to that point. "Grow Some Funk Of Your Own" was a grade Z single at the time and in retrospect is better left forgotten.
The few memorable songs make this the last hurrah of Elton's seventies classics. Had the man died in a plane wreck shortly after this album's release his legacy would be on a par with that of Patsy Cline or Buddy Holly. One can't hold his subsequent recording history against him too much though given the string of great music he gave us in the early to mid-seventies.
Rock of the Westies
Date undefined1975 is alive and well, everytime you put this album, or CD on! I was ten years old when it came out, and if I'm not mistaken it was the first album ever to ship platinum! Incredible to think, that this is the same Elton John of duets with George Michael and tributes to princesses!
In the mid 90's, I owned a recording studio, and anytime I mentioned to a new young band that Elton John was without a doubt one of my favorite artist, they would just laugh... and laugh pretty hard! Then I would take out good ol' ROCK OF THE WESTIES for a spin, and in an instant their mouths would be shut! I literally had more than a couple of clients heading out to the nearest record store to get it!
It is different than his other albums in subtle but important ways, and it is the hardest rocking Elton John album you will ever hear. I've turned more people on to Elton John with 'Street Kids' than with any other song. Some say it lacks consistency, or that it has weak tracks. I disagree, because as a whole, it makes sense. And it is as a whole that people back in the good old days used to listen to albums. ( It could be argued for that matter that CAPTAIN FANTASTIC has inconsistencies, and weak tracks also, but taken as a whole, it's a masterpiece!). I think that preference between these two is a matter of taste.
Throw into the "WESTIES" mix, Bernie Taupin's least obtuse lyrics, the very underrated contribution of the rhythm section, Pasarelli/Pope/Cooper, incredible backgound vocals (courtesy of Patti LaBelle), excellent keyboard "sound design" by keybordist/arranger/composer and future film scorer, ('The Dark Knight' ), James Newton-Howard, and well... you get the picture!
If anyone is into very cool arrangements, genius pop/rock composition, intricate dueling guitars and some of the best rock 'n' roll piano you've heard, plus a genius at the the peak of his powers singing his heart out on his last great HURRAH!, than this is for you!
