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Product Description
Amazon.co.uk Review
Although it was viewed as one of Elton John's more lightweight efforts upon its 1975 release--possibly because it followed only half a year after the acclaimed Captain Fantastic and the Brown Dirt Cowboy (and partly because many thought the album was released to fulfil a contractual obligation)--Rock of the Westies appears in retrospect to be his last great rock album. It certainly does rock consistently harder than any other John album, with guitarist Davey Johnstone even getting cowriting credits (with John and Bernie Taupin) on the opening "Medley: Yell Help/Wednesday" and "Grow Some Funk of Your Own". Lyricist Taupin seems to be going off the deep end here at times with titles like "Dan Dare (Pilot of the Future)" and "Billy Bone & the White Bird", but "Island Girl" was another huge hit for the pair. And the CD version adds the wonderful pop gem "Don't Go Breakin' My Heart", which turned KiKi Dee into an eternal Trivial Pursuit answer. --Bill Holdship
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
11 of 12 people found the following review helpful
Format:Audio CD
Wow! If only Elton could make music like this today.
'Rock of the Westies' was the last in a string of No1 albums stretching back to 'Don't Shoot me..'.This has been overlooked for being too up-tempo and critics claim it was rushed to allow Elton to start work on his own Rocket label.
Anyone who is searching back catalouges for classic Elton John work needs to take a close look at this one. As hard rock as Elton ever became, this album contains only one true ballad, the excellent 'I feel like a bullet in the gun of Robert Ford'.The rest a raw mix of dirty guitar, piano and drum kicking off with a medly of unfinished products that became 'Yell Help/Wednesday Night/Ugly'.'Island Girl' became a US No1, while 'Grow Some Funk of your own' is outrageous.
Elton fans like me will always be wishing for a return to the 70's. It's hard to imagine that this is the same artist that released such indifferent work in the 80's and 90's.
Turn up the volume, smile, and enjoy.
'Rock of the Westies' was the last in a string of No1 albums stretching back to 'Don't Shoot me..'.This has been overlooked for being too up-tempo and critics claim it was rushed to allow Elton to start work on his own Rocket label.
Anyone who is searching back catalouges for classic Elton John work needs to take a close look at this one. As hard rock as Elton ever became, this album contains only one true ballad, the excellent 'I feel like a bullet in the gun of Robert Ford'.The rest a raw mix of dirty guitar, piano and drum kicking off with a medly of unfinished products that became 'Yell Help/Wednesday Night/Ugly'.'Island Girl' became a US No1, while 'Grow Some Funk of your own' is outrageous.
Elton fans like me will always be wishing for a return to the 70's. It's hard to imagine that this is the same artist that released such indifferent work in the 80's and 90's.
Turn up the volume, smile, and enjoy.
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful
Format:Audio CD
This is considered the worst album from Elton's classic years but....
Actually its an album that frequently rocks in way that most Elton albums don't. You can definitely hear an early 70's Stones influence on some of these tracks. Having said that my favourite tracks are the wonderful ballad "I Feel Like Bullet (in the gun of Robert Ford)" and the rocking "Hard Luck Story".
Eltons regular drummer and bass player (Nigel & Dee) had been dropped for this album and to some extent this accounts for the different feel to the album. I think this is also the first album where Ray Cooper played as regular member of the band. His distinctive touches are felt throughout the album, noteably his Conga and Vibes playing.
So perhaps not the best album of Eltons classic era, but its still a fine album.
Actually its an album that frequently rocks in way that most Elton albums don't. You can definitely hear an early 70's Stones influence on some of these tracks. Having said that my favourite tracks are the wonderful ballad "I Feel Like Bullet (in the gun of Robert Ford)" and the rocking "Hard Luck Story".
Eltons regular drummer and bass player (Nigel & Dee) had been dropped for this album and to some extent this accounts for the different feel to the album. I think this is also the first album where Ray Cooper played as regular member of the band. His distinctive touches are felt throughout the album, noteably his Conga and Vibes playing.
So perhaps not the best album of Eltons classic era, but its still a fine album.
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
Format:MP3 Download
Elton at his most funky and frenetic. Having had this album on vinyl some years ago I was keen to see if Rock of the Westies rocked as much as it did when I was 16. Having listend to the Amazon sample list, I soon found that it did and went for the MP3 purchase.
An excellent album of mainly up tempo songs from Elton. It is an ecletic mix of rock, blues and even jazz stylings, in the case of the opening track "YELL HELP!" all contained in the same song! "DAN DARE" track two, is mad, with Elton producing his most unsual Louis Armstrong types vocals. It is very funny and yet still rocks. The whole album goes on with quality and the amazing level of energy nevers wavers.
This album is from the era when Elton was truly Captain Fantasitc and we were all just Dirt Brown Cowboys!
Great Stuff!
An excellent album of mainly up tempo songs from Elton. It is an ecletic mix of rock, blues and even jazz stylings, in the case of the opening track "YELL HELP!" all contained in the same song! "DAN DARE" track two, is mad, with Elton producing his most unsual Louis Armstrong types vocals. It is very funny and yet still rocks. The whole album goes on with quality and the amazing level of energy nevers wavers.
This album is from the era when Elton was truly Captain Fantasitc and we were all just Dirt Brown Cowboys!
Great Stuff!
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
a great addition to my back catalogue.
I am singing along with all of the songs, although I have not heard them for ages.
One of Eltons best, in his best writing period
One of Eltons best, in his best writing period
Published 4 months ago by Mr. L. Woolcott
Elton Goes Funky
More soulful and funky than such EJ classics like Madman, Tumbleweed etc, but definately worth investigating. Read more
Published 9 months ago by Mr. Robert Taheri
like the master himself
this grouping is also great in it's way. It's not weird or strange or anything of that caliber.
If you're into standard "hits", "Westies" probably won't be your cup of... Read more
If you're into standard "hits", "Westies" probably won't be your cup of... Read more
Published on 18 Oct 2009 by Kati K.
Different from many of Elton's other albums
Elton employed a new and larger band for this album, retaining some but not all of his previous band members. Read more
Published on 13 May 2009 by Peter Durward Harris
this is a real rocker.........
i have to say i had this on vinyl and i think even if you not a big Elton John fan this is real hard rocking effort from Elton John,there are more loud guitars "Yell Hell,Dan... Read more
Published on 18 Mar 2007 by Mr. M. Makwana
I LOVE ELTON!!!!!!!
I bought this album in a bargain bucket part of a music shop. A great classic album lying underneath a pile of pop flops. I got this album for 30p! Sadly though its only on tape. Read more
Published on 31 Mar 2006 by M. Sinclair
Weird but funny EJ album
This album was a small disappointment for me. Although it has two major hits, some of the songs are the poorest Eltons I've ever heard... Read more
Published on 28 Feb 2006 by "honkasal"
Rock on!
Rock of the westies came to town in 1975 and bulleted it's way up to number 1 on the album charts as if it came from the gun of Robert Ford. Read more
Published on 15 Nov 2003 by "aefevans"
Disappointingly dull, redeemed somewhat by several hits
I like to complement albums if possible but I'm sorry, I can't agree with Jim Crozier on this one! In the early 70s Elton could do far better than this, and this record has been... Read more
Published on 19 Jan 2001
A brief flirtation with the hard rock aesthetic
The Rolling Stone record guide (1979 edition) described 'Rock of the Westies' as 'one of the great hard rock records of the seventies', and they weren't wrong. Read more
Published on 19 Jun 2000
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