A wise strategy. I agree that the 80s was the low point from a recording perspective (although there would be the odd gem on an album). Fortunately he kept touring and his live concerts were still very enjoyable (note Live In Australia where he, despite voice problems, breathed new wonderful life into some old songs like Sixty Years On, Greatest Discovery, and of course Candle In the Wind). I kept waiting for a return to form in the recording studio and that started to happen in the 90s and has continued right up to this most recent effort. Unlike during the 80s, when I now go to an Elton concert I look forward to the new material and don't want to just hear greatest hits from the 70s. I am so proud that Elton is not just a "nostalgia act" and can still put out music that is relevant and enjoyable. I don't know that I will ever be able to say how this album compares to the original CF. I was 15 at that time and, being 15, thought that Elton and Bernie wrote everything just for me. And furthermore, the tracks were different from anything I had ever heard before. All I know was that I loved the original back then, and I love the sequel now. The fact that an artist can have two great albums more than 30 years apart is a hell of an accomplishment. He could have stopped recording after CF and would still go down in history as possibly the greatest artist of all time. The fact that we have over 30 years of other wonderful material is just one big happy blessing. Sorry for going on I am just very passionate about this topic!!
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I agree that the 80s was the low point from a recording perspective (although there would be the odd gem on an album). Fortunately he kept touring and his live concerts were still very enjoyable (note Live In Australia where he, despite voice problems, breathed new wonderful life into some old songs like Sixty Years On, Greatest Discovery, and of course Candle In the Wind).
I kept waiting for a return to form in the recording studio and that started to happen in the 90s and has continued right up to this most recent effort.
Unlike during the 80s, when I now go to an Elton concert I look forward to the new material and don't want to just hear greatest hits from the 70s.
I am so proud that Elton is not just a "nostalgia act" and can still put out music that is relevant and enjoyable.
I don't know that I will ever be able to say how this album compares to the original CF. I was 15 at that time and, being 15, thought that Elton and Bernie wrote everything just for me. And furthermore, the tracks were different from anything I had ever heard before. All I know was that I loved the original back then, and I love the sequel now. The fact that an artist can have two great albums more than 30 years apart is a hell of an accomplishment.
He could have stopped recording after CF and would still go down in history as possibly the greatest artist of all time. The fact that we have over 30 years of other wonderful material is just one big happy blessing.
Sorry for going on I am just very passionate about this topic!!