Product Description

'Songs From The West Coast' is Elton John's first studio album since 1997's 'The Big Picture'. Teaming up once again with co-writer Bernie Taupin, the album sees Elton stay with his winning formula of contemporary pop and rock. Also included is the single 'I Want Love'.

Track Listing

1. The Emperor's New Clothes
2. Dark Diamond
3. Look Ma, No Hands
4. American Triangle
5. Original Sin
6. Birds
7. I Want Love
8. The Wasteland
9. Ballad Of The Boy In The Red Shoes
10. Love Her Like Me
11. Mansfield
12. This Train Don't Stop There Anymore

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #29023 in Music
• Released on: 2001-10-01
• Number of discs: 1
• Running time: 54 minutes

Amazon.co.uk Review
The appearance of "Rocket Man"-era cohorts Nigel Olsson and Davey Johnstone as backing vocalists touches Songs From the West Coast with one of the trademark sounds of Elton John's 1969-75 albums. His admiration of Ryan Adams and Rufus Wainwright (a guest here) inspires him to recall the often stripped down, lyric-driven sensibility of his early days. The tone of the words, which long-term collaborator Bernie Taupin feeds John, is rooted in a wearier version of the romanticism that fuelled oldies as diverse as "Your Song", "Love Lies Bleeding" and "Burn Down the Mission". Songs From the West Coast sidesteps bombast with only a few exceptions--"The Wasteland", with its invocation of Robert Johnson, just doesn't suit. The standout track is "I Want Love", a Lennon-esque rumination that's their most impressive writing, separately or together, in more than a decade. --Rickey Wright

Customer Reviews

"Tell me how, you know now, the ways and means of getting in underneath my skin"
This is one of my all time favourite albums. The melodies are beautiful, the musicanship outstanding and Bernie's lyrics are wonderfully abstract. Tracks like "Mansfied"; "Love Her Like Me"; "Original Sin"; "American Triangle" and every other song makes this CD sound like a lost greatest hits album.

Glorious.
This was the first Elton John album I'd ever bought. On its release, it was receiving very favourable reviews. So I bought it and I love it. It's a deeply rewarding, satisfying listen, with lovely melodies, fine piano playing back at the forefront of Elton's music, and lyrics well worth listening to. 'Original Sin' is beautiful. Having explored susequently Elton's back-catalogue, I can see why it was seen to hark back to his classic seventies stuff: try 'Madman Across The Water': timeless!

This Train Don't Stop
On this 'record' Elton finally returns to the sound that made him a superstar in the first place. Primarily Voice, Piano and Band. Hints of Tumbleweed Connection, great songs, and most of important of all the production. Oh what a relief to hear an Elton John album that isn't completely ruined by being over-produced, like so many were in the 80's and 90's.

The only weak track for me is 'The Wasteland' which just sounds like a bit of a filler. However, one track sums this album up for me, and its "This Train Don't Stop There Anymore". This is the best single track Elton has recorded since the 70's in my opinion, and certainly in my top 10. This track would be worthy of a place on Goodbye Yellow Brick Road, or Honky Chateau.

From what I have read recently 'The Captain and The Kid' may also be a return to 70's form for Elton. If it matches this one I'll be buying it.