Songs from the West Coast [Limited Edition, Import]

Songs from the West Coast is the excellent album released earlier this year containing many now familiar tracks, including the three singlesreleased over the last few months.

The Bonus CD is an outstanding addition to this album.
Track One is the Sport Relief version of "Your Song" with Alessandro Safina, this is the wonderful classic song with powerful vocals by the singers.

Track Two "Teardrops" sung with Lulu is an outstanding track, and one which, for me makes this Bonus CD a "must have".

Track Three "The North Star" perfomed by Elton, was the second track on one of the "I Want Love" single CDs and it is such a good track I wonder why it was not included on the album.

Track Four is "Original Sin" Juniors Earth Mix,(one of the best tracks on "Songs from the West Coast") with vocals by Elton but a new upbeat mix on the backing. Another outstanding track.

Track Five is "Your Song" Almighty Mix based on the Sport Relief version, this more modern upbeat mix sound is at least as good as the actual Sport Relief one.

The CD then contains the three most recent of Elton's videos "I Want Love", "This Train don't Stop Anymore" and "Your Song". The videos have been shown on TV many times, and are quite familiar, however to have them altogether on one CD is exciting.

Overall this is an excellent package and well worth buying.

The album opens with 'The Emperors New Clothes', a track which, in terms of sound, could almost have been taken from the 'Captain Fantastic' album. Slightly corny opening piano chords, but a really lovely number, with Elton's vocals clearer than they've been for years. The best conceivable opening track for any Elton fan.

'Dark Diamond' is just a good pop song, nice rhythm and catchy chorus.

'Look Ma, No Hands' has great lyrics and a slightly more up-tempo sound. The chorus is a bit noisy and confused, but the verses are lovely- a fun track.

'American Triangle' showcases Elton's vocals in some beautifully clear and uncluttered production.

'Original Sin' is fantastic- the first verse, ironically without piano, being impressively stark. Sounds a couple of times like its about to break into 'Blue Avenue' from the 'Sleeping With The Past'album.

'Birds' reminds one of....absolutely nothing Elton has done before. Great chorus, good mid-tempo song.

'I Want Love'- despite what some people have been saying, this is the obvious single from the album. Which is not to say it is the best track, but some sympathetic production and the heartfelt vocals produce a likeable result.

'The Wasteland' is Elton John showing he can still do rock and roll. It blasts out of your speakers from the songs that surround it and, as a point of contrast, is highly effective.

'Ballad Of The Boy In The Red Shoes' recalls 'The Last Song'(from 'The One' album), dealing with a man dying of AIDS. But no, its not dreary, its beautiful.

'Love Her Like Me' is the only song on the album that does not work.Over-produced....'The North Star', from the B-side of the 'I Want Love' single, was much stronger and should have been included instead.

'Mansfield' seems to have left some people cold, and it takes more than one listen, but it is actually a great little track- neat lyrics and a rather more involved arrangement than the rest of the album.

The album concludes with the storming 'This Train Don't Stop There Anymore'- a really powerful rendering by Elton of a set of lyrics that could almost be Taupin's farewell to songwriting. I suppose it stays just this side of OTT, but personally I loved it.

In all, this is an album in which Taupin has delivered the kind of sharp, personal lyrics so missing from Elton's last album, 'The Big Picture'. It has inspired Elton John to his best work for a very long time. Stunning!