Elton John: Rock Of The Westies - 1975
Released only five months after the phenomenally successful (and indeed magnificent) Captain Fantastic & The Brown Dirt Cowboy this album followed what was proving to be a typical path for Elton John in the mid-seventies and eighties - one superb album, followed quickly - often too quickly - by a comparatively patchy one. Just as Caribou followed Goodbye Yellow Brick Road almost before it should have done, this one did the same after Captain Fantastic, and the pressure to put out more product resulted in another dip in quality.
Bassist Dee Murray and drummer Nigel Olsson from the original Elton John Band had left, probably unfairly fired by a truculent Elton. Indeed, Olsson has since said it came as a complete shock. The album was what was now the formulaic but balanced mix of rocky material and big, punchy ballads.
Let's grow some funk of our own....
The medley, Yell Help/Wednesday Night/Ugly, is an unremarkable slice of funk-driven rock. It ends with some madcap clavinet and shrieking backing vocals interplay. A pretty underwhelming start to the album, to be honest. It sounds very much like a track (or indeed three tracks) that was rejected for an album. Look, it's ok and has a fine sound to it, but it just doesn't push those "special" buttons.
Dan Dare (Pilot Of The Future) was a Honky Cat soundalike typical piece of Elton John bluesy mid-paced piano-driven rock. Again, it just doesn't really ever get anywhere. That said, a couple of listens and I get that old Honky Cat vibe again. Love that Steely Dan (Haitian Divorce) wah-wah guitar break too.
Island Girl is different, however. A moderate hit single, it is a lively, poppy tale of a Jamaican prostitute in New York City - "she wraps herself around you like a well-worn tyre...". If you say so, Bernie. Do you speak from experience? Recently some people have attempted to "cancel" the song due to its perceived dodgy lyrics - oh God give me strength. Just fuck off.I Feel Like A Bullet (In The Gun Of Robert Ford) is actually an excellent mid-tempo, dramatic power ballad, like some of the material on Don't Shoot Me, I'm Only The Piano Player. I am thinking particularly of Have Mercy On The Criminal.
Street Kids is a ballsy and bassy rocker with Elton hollering and yelping throughout his vocal, these were the days when he could reach those high notes. It ends with some decidedly Sympathy For The Devil "woo-woo" backing vocals. Hard Luck Story is a pounding slab of Stonesy boogie rock of the kind that Elton could now do in his sleep. Nice riffage mid-song though.
Feed Me is a laid-back ballad with some funky guitar. Without the guitar it would sound like something from Tumbleweed Connection. It features some fetching percussion from new percussionist Ray Cooper. Billy Bones And The White Bird has a sort of Bo Diddley, Mona/Not Fade Away riff-beat to it. Heaven knows what the song is about though!
Overall, I find this album more patchy and less appealing than Caribou, but it is still worth the occasional listen. I find I listen to it more than Goodbye Yellow Brick Road, for example, because I'm still trying to get more seriously into it!
Non-album tracks
The non-album material from this album's period was notable for another cover version hit single - a storming cover of The Who's Pinball Wizard.
The 'b' side of the Island Girl single was the plaintive piano ballad Sugar On The Floor. It had been recorded by Kiki Dee on her 1973 Loving And Free album.
Previously unreleased, Planes dated from this album's sessions in July 1975 and is a slightly country rock-influenced, laid-back ballad.
