Classic Albums: Elton John - Goodbye Yellow Brick Road
Classic Albums: Elton John - Goodbye Yellow Brick Road
| 06 November 2001 (USA)
Classic Albums: Elton John - Goodbye Yellow Brick Road Trailers

The worlds of glitz, glam, and pop-rock fused immortally on Goodbye Yellow Brick Road, born of the formidable partnership of Elton John and Bernie Taupin. This 1973 double album may well have been the peak of their collaboration. Ranging from perennial favorites like "Candle in the Wind," "Bennie and the Jets," and the title track to more ambitious compositions like "Funeral for a Friend/Love Lies Bleeding" and everything in between, Goodbye is unmatched in its depth and scope. This entry in the Classic Albums series of DVDs documents the often tumultuous writing and recording sessions for that masterpiece through vintage clips of the musicians in the studio and new interviews with Elton, Bernie, producer Gus Dudgeon, and the band members. We may never know how the John-Taupin team achieved their magic, but this release offers a both a peek at the process and a few reasons why the album endures today.

Reviews
Michael_Elliott

Classic Albums: Elton John - Goodbye Yellow Brick Road (2001) *** 1/2 (out of 4) Elton John, Bernie Taupin, Davey Johnstone and various others are interviewed about the making of the classic album Goodbye Yellow Brick Road, which featured a number of hits and is considered by many to be one of the greatest albums of the decade. Once again the "Classic Albums" series provides for a big entertainment and unlike so many other documentaries, this one here contains the real music so you really get a full overview of the album. As usual, the documentary covers just about every aspect of the album from the writing of the songs to the recording of the material and the eventual release of the album. Fans of John or rock music in general should really be entertained by this documentary because it really does deliver on all levels and by the time its over with you'll feel as if you know the album a lot better. As with other episodes, one of the highlights here is getting to sit at the sound mixer and hear various songs broken apart. In some cases we'll hear the vocal by itself or in other spots we'll hear just the piano or just the guitar. By doing this it's interesting to hear the various decisions that went on for the final mix and we even get to hear an early version of 'Bennie and the Jets.' Also discussed here is John and Taupin's working relationship, the rise to fame and a now famous show done at the Hollywood Bowl. Fans should be entertained by this short and those unfamiliar with the album will get to see how many great classics are there.

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