200 MOST RECOMMENDED ALBUMS : #38. Continues later this week.

THE CAFFE` LATTE`

200

MOST RECOMMENDED ALBUMS

Some are the best selling, while others may be obscure, but the albums listed here are all worthy of a listen. No compilation/ best of sets. Only exceptional live albums included. This is a personal listing of the albums I enjoy the most to this day.

#38

THE FOX: ELTON JOHN 

 

 [1981] 

'The Fox' is far from the perfect Elton John album, with a few filler tracks that time has been unkind to; but it does include enough highlights to have remained among my list of all-time favourite LPs. Among the gems is the heartfelt "Elton's Song". This ballad deals with the secret yearning of a boy for another male. Its lyrics are understated and kept to a minimum. John's vocal is sensitive throughout. Few songs convey a mood as effectively. "Nobody Wins" started life as a French song that John decided to have translated into English. The Euro-pop track sees him deliver a song in a genre that was new to his fan base. "Just Like Belgium" also sports a European flavour and is a fun change of pace. The instrumentals "Carla / Etude" and"Fanfare" are a welcome opportunity for John to showcase his keyboard skills. It concludes with the underrated love song "Chloe". The lack of a consistent collaborator and producer does affect the album's overall strength. Only 4 of its tracks were written with Bernie Taupin. Gary Osborne co-wrote 5 songs for the album (4 were written with John).

Highlight tracks: Elton's Song; Nobody Wins; Chloe & Just Like Belgium.