Published on Apr 20, 2006
There is no question that Elton John’s output in the
80s was nowhere near as brilliant as his 70s work. Most of his work
from the Reagan decade was uninspired and sounds horribly dated
today. Up until this point, I pretty much considered Too Low For
Zero the only highlight, but much to my surprise I can add this
album as another highlight.
While Jump Up! may not be John’s best album of
the 80s, it certainly is the most fun, perhaps his Goodbye
Yellow Brick Road of the 80s (whereas Too Low For Zero
is more like Captain Fantastic And The Brown Dirt Cowboy).
After a few lackluster, disco-driven works, Jump Up!
captures Elton finally rocking again and sounding involved.
The opener track “Dear John” sets the tone for what
was to come later with “I’m Still Standing.” This is balls-out
rock, as John rages over the Dear John note his lover left him.
“Spiteful Child,” is more a demonstration in melody than “Dear
John,” featuring a great refrain. John’s piano work always manages
to impress me in its fluidity and effortlessness. The acoustic,
semi-country “Ball & Chain” manages to continue the fun,
shuffling along as John gets to spout great lines like “I got a
ball and chain hanging around my heart / You were the one to blame
for tearing my world apart.” Bernie Taupin has always liked to tear
the ladies down as much as he props them up, and this is no
exception.
“Legal Boys” is an intriguing number, as it features
the first collaboration between John and Tim Rice. The two would go
onto to great success in the 90s with The Lion King and
The Road To El Dorado. The song here resembles those in its
dramatic overwroughtness and orchestral flourishes, but because
it’s over the top and glitzy it defines what Elton was all about.
“I Am Your Robot,” borrows heavily from “Madness” off of A
Single Man a few years earlier, but in a good way. John’s
vocals have that snarl to them and the music itself has a hard edge
to it, thanks to lead guitar work from Pete Townshend. The only
negative thing I can offer up about this track are the incredibly
cheesy lyrics from Taupin (sample: “I am your robot and I’m
programmed to love you / My serial number is 44357”), but Elton
somehow makes it work.
The second half of Jump Up! is a tad weaker than the
first, but not by much. “Blue Eyes” was the big hit, allowing for
Elton to show off his lower range vocals, foreshadowing the distant
future. “Princess” is a pretty song, fitting for its subject
matter. The synthesizer solo may sound dated today, but rest of the
song carries it. “Where Have All The Good Times Gone” could have
been snatched off The Thom Bell Sessions, since it sounds
most like John’s later 70s disco inspired work. The one glaring
weak track is the closing number, “All Quiet On The Western Front.”
An ode to the horrors of war, it’s too pretentious and delicate for
such a serious matter. “The Retreat” was a much better war-themed
number.
I have saved the best for last. “Empty Garden” is
Elton’s tribute to his good friend John Lennon, but instead of
choosing to subject the listener to force-fed sentimentality, like
Paul McCartney’s “Here Today,” “Empty Garden” could be about anyone
who did so much and was taken away too soon. The pain in John’s
vocals is evident, which hits the hardest, and Taupin contributes
some of his best lyrics, expressing the emotions of losing someone
and realizing they aren’t there for you anymore. “And I’ve been
knocking, but no one answers / And I’ve been knocking most all the
day…” Elton sings, and only the most cold-hearted of people
would fail to be moved.
Too Low For Zero may have the better
reputation, but Jump Up! comes ever so close to being its
equal. It’s pure pop craftsmanship, pulled off as only Elton John
can. For those who argue John was past his prime by 1982, here is
definite proof to the contrary.