Track Listing

1. Cold As Christmas (In The Middle Of The Year)
2. I'm Still Standing
3. Too Low For Zero
4. Religion
5. I Guess That's Why They Call It The Blues
6. Crystal
7. Kiss The Bride
8. Whipping Boy
9. Saint
10. One More Arrow
11. Earn While You Learn - Lord Choc Ice
12. Dreamboat
13. The Retreat

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #4558 in Music
• Released on: 1998-06-01
• Number of discs: 1
• Formats: Extra tracks, Original recording reissued, Original recording remastered
• Dimensions: .21 pounds
• Running time: 63 minutes

CD Description
Always a prolific artist, Elton John put out a record a year during most of the '80s. On his recordings from the era, he collaborated with a slew of new producers, lyricists, and arrangers; and session musicians had largely replaced the core group who played on his biggest hits. Meanwhile, his troubled private life was becoming increasingly public. On 1983's TOO LOW FOR ZERO, he gathered up his old band, even Kiki Dee on one song, and worked exclusively with Taupin for the first time in years. The result was one of his most solid andsuccessful records of the era, a clear signal that Elton John had remade himself into an '80s-style hitmaker.
The monster hit "I'm Still Standing",is a driving, in-your-face brag to a callous lover that also testifies to the singer's survival of an ill-advised marriage, a career that seemed in danger of slipping away, and the excesses of the rock-and-roll lifestyle. "I Guess That's Why They Call it the Blues", with Stevie Wonder's guest harmonica solo, isn't a blues at all, but it made the Top 10; and "Kiss the Bride", with its whomping guitars and booming drums, rocks with swaggering authority.

Customer Reviews

The album that rejuvenated his career
Ultimately, Elton will be remembered primarily for his string of hits in the seventies although he has continued to make great music ever since. Nevertheless, there have been some periods that have been more successful than others. Prior to the release of this album, Elton had been going through one of his less successful periods. There were signs of a revival on his previous album, which yielded the UK top ten hit, Blue eyes, but this album went way beyond that, giving him two major UK hits and two lesser UK hits, a pattern mirrored almost exactly in the USA.

The album reflects the time in which it was recorded. Synthesizers were fashionable in 1983 and plenty of use is made of them here, but they do not drown out the music or Elton's excellent vocals.

The two big hits here on both sides of the Atlantic were I'm still standing and I guess that's why they call it the blues. Kiss the bride was a lesser hit in both counties. Cold as Christmas also charted in the UK – I don't know whether it did or not in the USA. All these hits are excellent, but there are other fine songs here too, including the title track, Religion, Crystal and Saint. The most intriguing is One more arrow, obviously about somebody that Elton knew but I don't know who it might be. Whipping boy, the only track from the main album I haven't mentioned, is not quite as good as the other tracks here but it's OK. I have the original version of the CD without the bonus tracks but this album is worth it without them. If (as I am led to believe) the bonus tracks are not up to the standard of the main album, you can always stop the music when you reach those tracks.

Following the success of this album, Elton released more fine albums that yielded more big hits prior to another lean spell, but if you want to explore Elton's eighties music, this is the album to begin with – with or without those bonus tracks.

Return to old days
this is one of those albums that i listened to as a youngster, and then 15 years later you hear a song at a certain moment and it takes you right back and you know straight away where it came from. this is one of the best albums i've heard (i listen to anything and everything), for it's simplicity and 'perfect-for-winter' feel. if you've not heard elton's early-to-mid stuff, this is a very good place to start. enjoy!

A fantastic album containing eltons most proclaimed hit
Have you grown up hearing the tune of 'i'm still standing' repeatidly on the telly and radio but didn't know where the timeless hit came from? Well, this is it! 'Too low for zero' is one of Elton John's finest albums ever made and a must for all his fans! A great collection of classic songs such as 'i guess thats why they call it the blues' and 'kiss the bride'. If you havn't got this album yet, GET IT NOW!