Elton John: Wonderful Crazy Night (Deluxe Edition)
Elton John
Wonderful Crazy Night (Deluxe Edition)
(Island Records)
Synth ploppinâ and Elton John singing in a decidedly lower register fuel the title track opener of Eltonâs new Wonderful Crazy Night album. Marking the famous piano manâs 32nd studio album, as Elton has commented, this is an upbeat, happy album that he collaborated on with his longtime lyricist Bernie Taupin and the Elton John band. âClaw Hammerâ has slower, darker verses, but certainly poppy choruses, very in-line with what Elton has managed to pen for Disney. There are some jazzy piano runs here and Nigel Olssonâs drums are popping hard. âBlue Wonderfulâ is a sweet, middle-of-the-road love song with longtime Elton guitarist Davey Johnstoneâs guitar featured and some nice harmonies. (Actually, the harmonies throughout this record are among the best I have heard on an Elton album.) We get some synth strings again on âLooking Up,â a song that truly chunks along, with Johnstone providing heavy power chords and leading snippets to Elton plucking out a main melody honky tonk riff. Itâs not a song that goes anywhere really, but itâs fun, as is the trash beat-backed âGuilty Pleasure,â once again Johnstone is on fire here; this might be his rockiest lead. String plopping sail over the top of Eltonâs piano on the lilting, mid-tempo âThe Open Chord,â âFree and Easyâ has accordion-like sounds and acoustic with an easy, sea shanty beat, and the heavy âEngland and Americaâ ends, a straight-ahead, big piano/power-chord number about Elton/Bernieâs travels between two very important port of calls in their career. Itâs the best song by far on Wonderful Crazy Night.