Track Listing

1. The Bitch Is Back
2. Pinky
3. Grimsby
4. Dixie Lily
5. Solar Prestige A Gammon
6. Your So Static
7. I've Seen The Saucers
8. Stinker
9. Don't Let The Sun Go Down On Me
10. Ticking
11. Pinball Wizard
12. Sick City
13. Cold Highway
14. Step Into Christmas

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #15181 in Music
• Released on: 1995-05-10
• Number of discs: 1
• Formats: Original recording reissued, Original recording remastered
• Dimensions: .22 pounds
• Running time: 64 minutes

CD Description
To follow up an album that pretty much couldn't be followed--the flashy and brilliant GOODBYE YELLOW BRICK ROAD--Elton John hid away in the Caribou Ranch studio outside Denver, Colorado and recorded a certified pop mish-mash. CARIBOU contains bits of arena-rock corn ("Stinker") alongside period-poppieces that could have passed for showtunes ("Dixie Lily"),complete goofs ("Solar Prestige A Gammon") and the usual magical ballads. It's easy to overlook CARIBOU when reviewing John's '70s catalogue, but to do so is to miss a couple of his greatest singles. "Don't Let The Sun Go Down On Me", which features a chorus of two Beach Boys and Toni Tenille, is agospelly ballad completely worthy of those contributions, and the strutting "The Bitch Is Back" is rock arrogance of the highest order--it became Tina Turner's signature concert opener.
CARIBOU also contains some compelling filler. Among the lesser-known tracks are the lovely ballad "Pinky", which seems to be about some sort of secret liaison, "I've SeenThe Saucers", an odd little number about UFOs that happens to feature one of John's most committed vocal performances, and "Ticking", an epic ballad about a mass-murderer.

Customer Reviews

Criminally underrated
Caribou is simply one of Elton's greatest albums. Like all of his best albums, it has a bulk of fine tracks, one or two classics and a disappointment. In this case, the disappointment is rather aptly named 'Stinker', and the classics are 'Don't let the sun go down on me', 'Ticking' and 'The Bitch is back'. 'Ticking' is his trademark leviathan masterpiece; a seven minute epic, one of Taupin's most melancholy lyrics. It reminds me of a cross between 'The Ballad of Danny Bailey' and 'Funeral for a Friend' on GYBR.
There are several frankly weird tracks, both brilliant and bizarre, such as 'I've seen the Saucers', 'Solar prestige a gammon' (don't ask) and 'You're so Static.' 'Grimsby' is a gem, if only for its blatant misrepresentation of the eponymous midlands town.
It has the unfortunate situation of being immediately after GYBR, which is largely responsible for its bad reputation. However, it deserves reconsideration, for it has aged surprisingly well, and is definately better than Captain Fantastic which is as overrated as this is underrated.
Vintage Elton.

Sublime Elton doing what he does best !
Caribou is a much criticised Elton John L.P. mainly because it came inbetween his two biggest records, Goodbye Yellow Brick Road and Captain Fantastic. This however gives an unfair reflection of the albums merits. Caribou is an excellent release focusing purely on the balding pub pianist from Pinner and his backing band and containing some great unrecognised Elton tracks. "Pinky" is one of Eltons best album tracks along with the mad "Solar Prestige a Gammon" and "You're so Static" it accumulates a great array of piano based rock and pop. The main track on the album is of course "Don't Let the Sun Go Down on Me", what can be said for this, possibly Elton's finest hour. The track was lucky to be included as allegedly Elton hated it !!

Lets not hold any punches here! Elton John was quite simply the biggest music act in the world at this moment in time. His albums were selling millions and his concerts were full to bursting point! This album although maybe not his best certainly still provides an great example that R.K.Dwight was on top of the world and quite deservedly so!

An under-rated album from Elton's classic period
Over the years 'Caribou' (named for the studio where it was recorded, in Colorado) has often been denigrated by critics as a poor follow-up to the immensely successful double album 'Goodbye Yellow Brick Road', which represented Elton at his peak of popularity. Furthermore, it happened to be followed by the very successful 'Captain Fantastic' album, and was therefore seen as a weak album between two strong ones. Certainly, it was not recorded in the best of circumstances, with an unfamiliar studio, very limited time, and Elton and his band tired from touring. Apparently what turned out to be the album's most memorable track, 'Don't let the sun go down on me' was almost junked due to Elton apparently hating it.

However, in spite of these inauspicious beginnings, the inherent talent of Elton, lyricist Bernie Taupin, the band, and producer Gus Dudgeon, assisted by various session singers and a horn section, still managed to turn out a high quality performance with many notable songs. When 'Caribou' is listened to with an open mind, it can be seen to contain very good examples of all the styles for which Elton had become famous - including rock, ballads, blues and country. 'Don't let the sun...' is of course a classic and the stand-out track of the album, but 'I've seen the saucers' is another slow moody piece reminiscent of 'Rocket man', whilst the closing track 'Ticking', featuring just Elton on piano, is a fictional (yet chillingly topical) tale of an armed youngster on a killing spree. On a lighter note, 'Stinker' is a driving, horn-accompanied blues whilst 'Solar prestige a gammon' finds Elton singing nonsense lyrics in a spoof operatic style - a great bit of fun.

The remastered original album is augmented by four additional tracks: two B sides, the hit cover version of 'Pinball wizard' and Elton's Spectoresque seasonal favourite 'Step into Christmas'. All in all a bargain package, essential to EJ fans.