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Elton John: Rock of the Westies

 A l b u m   D e t a i l s


Label: DJM Records
Released: 1975.10.24
Time:
 43:39
Category: Pop/Rock
Producer(s): Gus Dudgeon
Rating:
Media type: CD
Web address: www.eltonjohn.com
Appears with:
Purchase date: 2012
Price in €: 1,00





 S o n g s ,   T r a c k s


[1] Medley [Yell Help/Wednesday Night/Ugly] (E.John/B.Taupin) - 6:13
[2] Dan Dare (Pilot of the Future) (E.John/B.Taupin) - 3:30
[3] Island Girl (E.John/B.Taupin) - 3:42
[4] Grow Some Funk of Your Own (E.John/D.Johnstone/B.Taupin) - 4:43
[5] I Feel Like a Bullet [In the Gun of Robert Ford] (E.John/B.Taupin) - 5:28
[6] Street Kids (E.John/B.Taupin) - 6:23
[7] Hard Luck Story (E.John/B.Taupin) - 5:10
[8] Feed Me (E.John/B.Taupin) - 4:00
[9] Billy Bones and the White Bird (E.John/B.Taupin) - 4:24

 A r t i s t s ,   P e r s o n n e l


Elton John - Piano, Vocals

Ray Cooper - Castanets, Conga, Maracas, Marimba, Tambourine, Kettle Drums, Vibraphone, Shaker, Cowbell, Jawbone, Bell Tree, Wind Chimes
Kiki Dee - Backing Vocals
Clive Franks - Percussion, Backing Vocals
Davey Johnstone - Acoustic Guitar, Banjo, Mandolin, Electric Guitar, Rhythm Guitar, Backing Vocals, Slide Guitar, Voice Bag
Labelle - Backing Vocals
James Newton-Howard - Synthesiser, Harpsichord, Electric Piano, Clavinet, Mellotron, Elka
Kenny Passarelli - Bass Guitar, Backing Vocals
Ann Orson - Backing Vocals
Roger Pope - Drums
Caleb Quaye - Acoustic Guitar, Electric Guitar, Rhythm Guitar, Backing Vocals

Gus Dudgeon - Producer
Jeff Guercio - Engineer
John Tobler - Liner notes

 C o m m e n t s ,   N o t e s


Less than four months after issuing the landmark and autobiographical Captain Fantastic and the Brown Dirt Cowboy (1975), Elton John re-emerged with a new band and a slightly modified sound. However, the departure of Dee Murray (bass) and Nigel Olsson (drums) would ultimately begin a deceleration in terms of John's success, which rivalled only the Beatles' and Elvis Presley's in terms of global acclaim. The revamped band grew to include new associates James Newton Howard (keyboards) and Kenny Passarelli (bass) as well as Roger Pope (drums) and Caleb Quaye (guitar), who had both performed with John as far back as his first long-player, Empty Sky (1968). He also retained the services of Davey Johnstone (guitar) and Ray Cooper (percussion) from the most recent lineup. Musically, Rock of the Westies (1975) maintains the balance of harder-edged material and effective ballads. In fact, one of the album's strongest suits is the wide spectrum of strong material. The ballsy no-nonsense "Street Kids" and the aggressive gringo rock of the ZZ Top sound-alike "Grown Some Funk of Your Own" contrast the poignant power balladry of "I Feel Like a Bullet (In the Gun of Robert Ford)" or the dark and brooding tale of addiction on "Feed Me." Perhaps inspired by the crossover R&B appeal of "Philadelphia Freedom," the up-tempo "Island Girl" bears a distinct and danceable groove that lies somewhere between a slightly Jamaican vibe and disco. Perhaps more soulful in the traditional sense are the boogie-based "Hard Luck Story" or propulsive Bo Diddley beat that drives "Billy Bones and the White Bird." While the increasingly fickle public as well as lack of a strong follow-up to the chart-topping single "Island Girl" may have prevented Rock of the Westies from becoming the heir apparent to Captain Fantastic and the Brown Dirt Cowboy, in the wake of John's flawless predecessors it remains a strong and worthwhile entry that also sets the stage for its follow-up, Blue Moves (1976).

Lindsay Planer - All Music Guide



In typically splashy style, Elton John rushed One Night Only, a document of his two-night Madison Square Garden stand, into release just weeks after the October 2000 shows. Basically a rundown of 30 years of chart hits smoothly played (if occasionally roughly sung), the disc is a solid buy for the Elton John fanatic. Others will have to decide if a plethora of guest stars - Mary J. Blige, Bryan Adams, Kiki Dee, Ronan Keating, and Anastacia - warrants owning new versions of old warhorses. Even without the sense of Event surrounding the performances, though, One Night Only satisfyingly captures the thrill of EJ's recent sets.

Rickey Wright - Amazon.com



Rock of the Westies is the tenth studio album by British singer-songwriter Elton John, released on 24 October 1975. Its title is a comedic play on words devised by John. He turned the phrase "West of the Rockies" into Rock of the Westies. ("Westie" is also a nickname for the West Highland White Terrier). Like Captain Fantastic and the Brown Dirt Cowboy, Rock of the Westies also debuted on the US Billboard 200 chart at No. 1, the only two albums at that time to have done so. It was less successful in the artist's home territory of the UK, where it reached No. 5 on the UK Albums Chart. Robert Christgau listed it as No. 7 on his list of the best albums of 1975.

Rock of the Westies contained the US No. 1 (#14 UK) single, "Island Girl", which was released prior to the album. John noted at the time in a radio interview[which?] that he had wanted to release "Dan Dare (Pilot of the Future)" as the album's first single instead of "Island Girl", because he thought it had more commercial potential. He was however, over-ruled, and "Dan Dare" was never released as a single, whilst "Island Girl" became a hit.

The make-up of John's band was different on Rock of the Westies, being without his long-time drummer Nigel Olsson and bassist Dee Murray, both of whom John fired during April 1975. Added in their place were drummer Roger Pope, an old friend of John's who had played on Empty Sky, Tumbleweed Connection and Madman Across the Water, and American bassist Kenny Passarelli, who had previously played with Stephen Stills and was an original member in Joe Walsh's band Barnstorm. Pope had also played in Kiki Dee's touring band. James Newton-Howard, a keyboardist, was also brought in. Also included was Caleb Quaye, another old friend of John's from his early DJM session days. Like Pope, Quaye had also played on Empty Sky & Tumbleweed Connection & also John's intervening eponymous release. Retained from the previous line-up were Davey Johnstone and Ray Cooper.

The song "Hard Luck Story" had already been recorded by Kiki Dee, and released as a single one year prior to its recording for Rock of the Westies. Along with "Don't Go Breaking My Heart", it is credited to Ann Orson/Carte Blanche (An horse and cart, Blanche) a moniker John devised when composing a song (music and lyrics) on his own. The name Ann Orson is also used as the name of a backing vocalist. Labelle performed backing vocals on the opening track, "Medley: Yell Help/Wednesday Night/Ugly".

In the US, it was certified gold in October 1975 and platinum in March 1993[5] by the RIAA. Outside the US and Canada, this was the last original studio release from John on DJM Records, before his own label, The Rocket Record Company. The song "Street Kids" was featured in the 2008 video game Grand Theft Auto IV.

Wikipedia.org



Obwohl es 1975 als eines von Elton Johns eher leichtgewichtigen Werken angesehen wurde - möglicherweise, weil es lediglich ein halbes Jahr nach dem hochangesehenen Captain Fantastic and the Brown Dirt Cowboy erschienen war und viele glaubten, die Veröffentlichung erfolge nur aufgrund einer Vertragserfüllung - erscheint Rock of the Westies im Rückblick doch als sein letztes großes Rockalbum. Ganz bestimmt ist es durchgehend härter als jedes andere John-Album. Gitarrist Davey Johnstone wurde auf dem Eröffnungsmedley "Yell Help/Wednesday" und "Grow Some Funk of Your Own" sogar als Mitautor neben John und Bernie Taupin geführt. Texter Taupin wirkte mit Titeln wie "Dan Dare (Pilot of the Future)" und "Billy Bone & the White Bird" diesmal weniger tiefschürfend, "Island Girl" war jedoch ein weiterer Riesenhit für die beiden. Die CD-Version enthält zusätzlich das Popjuwel "Don't Go Breakin' My Heart", was Kiki Dee einen ewigen Eintrag in die Fragenliste bei Trivial Pursuit eintrug.

Bill Holdship - Amazon.de



Das knackige Album "Rock Of The Westies" enthält als Extra das berühmte "Don't Go Breaking My Heart"-Duett mit Kiki Dee. ** Musik: 03-04 ** Klang: 03-04

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