Elton John: Tumbleweed Connection - 1970
"Half of the songs don't follow conventional pop song structures; instead, they flow between verses and vague choruses. These experiments are remarkably successful, primarily because Taupin's lyrics are evocative and John's melodic sense is at its best" - Stephen Thomas Erlewine - AllMusic
Up there in Elton John/Bernie Taupin's top five albums (along with Elton John, Honky Château, Goodbye Yellow Brick Road and Captain Fantastic, in my opinion). This was an album that did not feature the excellent Elton John Band (although some of them appear sporadically), but the hired session musicians were of an exceptional quality.
The whole album is played immaculately and the sound on the "Deluxe Edition" is simply superb - full, powerful and punchy along with having a melodic subtlety when necessary. The album is notable for not having any commercial, hit single on it, which was unusual for those days. It was a genuine adult, "serious" album, largely exploring Bernie Taupin's fascination with the Old West of the USA in an often sad, sensitive and nostalgic manner (for an era he did not live in, neither had he been to the USA as yet). For a lyricist still so young. The songs are remarkably mature and perceptive and it is very much influenced by The Band's first three albums, both lyrically and musically.
Let's burn down the mission....
With Ballad Of A Well-Known Gun the album opens with an upbeat blues rocker full of potent drums and Elton on great form on the piano and vocally. It is another in a long line of Leon Russell-influenced numbers. It features some impressive lead guitar from Caleb Quaye, a musician used by Elton a lot in the early years, right back from the shelved Regimental Sgt. Zippo album in 1968. The sound on this is superb, by the way.
Come Down In Time is a beautiful sparsely-backed ballad. It was recorded during the sessions for the previous album. You can hear how it would have suited that album in its gorgeous tones and sincere, sensitive lyrics.
Country Comfort is a country-influenced rock song, with a great bass sound from respected session man Herbie Flowers and Luddite-influenced lyrics concerning the mechanisation of farms. It was originally written for Rod Stewart's Gasoline Alley album, on which he impressively covered it. I'm still not sure which version I like best. I'll call it a draw. I just love the bass/drum interaction between and behind the verses - oh that lovely, rubbery bass.
A chunkier one now - Son Of Your Father has some funky wah-wah style guitar and some blues harmonica and that Elton mid-Atlantic vocal styling. It is a country rock blues song, powerfully played. My Father's Gun is a slow, mournful and sad song featuring a character lamenting the loss of his father in the US Civil War. Check out that wonderful bass and acoustic guitar intro - man, that bass is good!The beautiful Love Song is the only song not written by John-Taupin, being written by singer-songwriter Lesley Duncan and sensitively sung here by Elton against a pleasing acoustic guitar backing. It's just lovely, isn't it? One minor thing, though, it has a strange, percussive clicking noise that comes out of one speaker throughout the song. I have never quite known what is making that noise - someone slapping on something of some sort.
The solid and attractive grind of Amoreena features Dee Murray and Nigel Olsson from the future Elton John Band, and is a strong rock song with powerful backing vocals too. Talking Old Soldiers is a sombre, bleak piano-driven ballad, nicely performed, but a tiny bit dull in comparison with the rest of the album. Slightly harsh, as it still a good song.
Apparently, the composer of Meat Loaf's Bat Out Of Hell, Jim Steinman, credits the monumental, dramatic Burn Down The Mission as being a huge influence on the over-the-top instrumental parts of Bat. It is certainly Elton's musical tour de force on this album. Again, considering the age of its two composers, in their early twenties, it is a remarkable achievement. Full of lyrical imagery and a huge instrumental build-up and chorus delivery. It was this progression to the high points of the song that Steinman liked, plus the piano-driven instrumental bit five minutes in. Best track on the album. It has another killer bassline too.
Special mention has to go to a non-album track from the time, Into The Old Man's Shoes, an attractive, robust track that is in the same mould as the rest of the album but was left out as the album had already reached forty-six minutes (an important consideration in those vinyl days).
Overall, this was a superbly atmospheric and intelligent album, decidedly uncommercial and almost timeless in its appeal.
