Published on Apr 17, 2006
When I first became an Elton fan, I gobbled up as
many albums as I could. However, one proved impossible to find in
the U.S.: Blue Moves. My desire to listen only it grew
quickly as the months passed, especially considering the word of
mouth from John fans. Elton himself has proclaimed this to be one
of his favorite albums, and John fans label this as one of his
underrated classics. Rather forgotten is the fact that Blue
Moves happens to be a double album, John’s last. The question
is, does Blue Moves live up to the hype?
By this time in John’s career, he had been on top of
the pop world for half a decade. His previous five albums had
reached number one on the charts, the previous two debuting at the
top spot. Naturally, this run of success had worn John and Bernie
Taupin down, resulting in the moody, introspective nature to the
music and lyrics of Blue Moves. To say the least, this is
not a happy record. Hell, the lead single was titled “Sorry Seems
To Be The Hardest Word.”
The main problem I have with Blue Moves is one
that I have with almost all double albums — the length. This could
have been a killer single album, but unfortunately there is a great
deal of padding, which is not up to the quality of similar tracks
off Goodbye Yellow Brick Road, Elton’s other double. There
are three instrumentals scattered across the record, none of which
are interesting. The six-minute jam “Out Of The Blue,” is the worst
offender, going nowhere interesting.
It is not just the instrumentals that bore the
listener – there are a few positively uninspired tracks, most
coming on the second leg of the album. “Between Seventeen and
Twenty” fails to latch onto a decent hook or refrain; it reminds me
of an inferior version of “Holiday Inn.” “The Wide Eyed And
Laughing” is fascinating, being the only Elton John to prominently
feature the sitar. It too is not easily accessible, but given
enough time its abstractness and laid back nature catch on.
“Where’s The Shoorah” is a stab at pop/gospel that isn’t horrible
but doesn’t match up with John’s best songs of the type. “Bite Your
Lip (Get Up And Dance)” is the big rocker of the record, and while
the first few minutes are fun, with Elton and the band in full
throttle, again the length of the track works against it. You get a
touch of “Hey Jude,” at the end, but it’s not enough.
There are some brilliant moments to be found.
“Tonight” is a hugely overwrought ballad but that over-the-top
nature lends it charm. The London Symphony Orchestra provides a
beautiful backdrop for John’s piano; kudos to James Newton Howard
for such stunning arrangements. Some would dismiss the vocals on
the track as wimpy, with John reaching for his falsetto a great
deal, but there is still emotion and pain in that voice that make
the sorrowful lyrics work.
“One Horse Town,” is easily the best rock track on
Blue Moves, succeeding where “Bite Your Lip” failed. Again,
a great of praise must be given to Howard, for the string
arrangements really propel the song. “Boogie Pilgrim” is a funky
R&B number which gives Elton a chance to stretch out vocally.
While the song itself isn’t that special, I would argue the vocals
to be some of John’s best of the late 70s, just for the versatility
demonstrated. “Cage The Songbird” is essentially an acoustic
version of “Candle In The Wind,” dealing with the death of French
singer Edith Piaf. However, this is a brilliant track, with its
sound stripped down to the bare bones, and the lyrics hit much
harder because of it.
It is hard to review a double album given the number
of tracks, but suffice it to say there is enough good material for
Blue Moves to warrant a listen. It marked the rapid decline
of John’s commercial and artistic fortunes, but the remnants of his
classic period can still be heard. As far as double albums go, this
one ain’t bad.