Elton John: The Diving Board
Elton John
The Diving Board
(Mercury Records)
Whatâs not to love about Elton Johnâs 30th studio album, The Diving Board? Producer extraordinaire T. Bone Burnett, influenced when: âI saw Elton at the Troubadour in 1970âŠa three-piece bandâŠso we started from there,â lays out the perfect ground work for Elton and his hit-making lyricist partner Bernie Taupin to deliver an album far and away from the Disney-fied Elton weâve known too well of late and even the MTV-era, âIâm Still Standingâ performer.
There is a of lot of solo Elton vocal piano here on the clear, sweet opener, âOceanâs Away,â across the instrumental, âDream,â pieces. Though of the three, the last showcases some perfectly complicated Elton piano and soft touches from drummer Jay Bellerose and bassist Raphael Saadiq. (Could there ever be a wholly instrumental Elton offering in the works? Man, how great would that be?)
âOscar Wilde Gets Outâ is a wonderful tune, the first use of what I would come to feel through this collection as a return to more Madman Across The Water-like production with some great Saadiq bass and even some honky tonk piano at its end. âMy Quicksandâ is a beautiful ballad of mainly just piano and voice. âVoyeurâ benefits from the small band backing, on what might be Eltonâs strongest vocals here. âThe New Fever Waltzâ is a pure Elton and Bernie masterpiece of mournful simple horn lines, low toms, cello and Elton playing a perfect piano.
Elton Johnâs The Diving Board is a great album.