Rocketman – La Película (2019)

Este artículo no contiene spoilers.

“Rocketman” (2019) es la segunda superproducción cinematográfica contemporánea centrada en una estrella cuya vida es el epítome de los excesos asociados con la frase “sexo, drogas y rock & roll”: Elton John. Es la sucedánea de “Bohemian Rhapsody”, y ese dato es de particular relevancia ya que ambas comparten director: el británico Dexter Fletcher. La principal diferencia es que mientras “Bohemian Rhapsody” fue planteada como una biografía convencional, “Rocketman” ha sido propuesta como un musical en el cual la obra de Elton y el letrista Bernie Taupin deviene en el artilugio narrativo para contar una historia “basada en una fantasía verdadera”.

Y aún con esa particularidad, con ese supuesto carácter ilusorio que se explicita ya desde el principio (y el cual es concomitante con el personaje creado por Elton a mediados de los 70s, el “Capitán Fantástico”)  no deja de ser llamativo cómo “Rocketman” es más fidedigna a la realidad que “Bohemian Rhapsody”. Ésta se tomó una serie de libertades narrativas que oscilaron entre las simplemente estéticas, como ser la época en la cual Freddie Mercury comenzó a lucir su icónico bigote, a las totalmente injustificables. El ejemplo más característico es la fecha del diagnóstico cero positivo de Mercury, el modo y momento en que se lo hizo saber a sus compañeros de banda, y la instancia creativa en la que supuestamente se encontraba Queen en aquel entonces – todo por completo desdibujado, para imprimirle a la película un dramatismo adicional que no era necesario. La vida de Freddie ya era lo suficientemente cinematográfica y dramática si se narraba tal cual había sido. Esto significó la mayor decepción para los verdaderos adeptos de Queen, y el objeto más recurrente (y con más fundamento) de crítica a “Bohemian Rhapsody”.

Quizá por eso las inexactitudes factuales en “Rocketman” brillan por su ausencia. La principal (y la única que me hizo dar un salto de asombro en la butaca por su inverosimilitud) es la referida al origen del nombre “Elton John” – como posiblemente sepan, Elton en realidad se llama Reginald Kenneth Dwight. La escena en la que se decanta por su nombre artístico está planteada de modo simpático, y no se puede negar que funciona bien. Y la idea de éste artículo es no incurrir en spoilers de ninguna índole. Pero tienen que saber (y esto es algo ampliamente documentado y constatado) que el nombre “Elton John” deriva de Elton Dean y Long John Baldry, integrantes de Bluesology – la primera banda en la cual Elton se desempeñó como tecladista. Y quiero detenerme en lo que ocurre en la película con el personaje de Long John Baldry. O para ser más exacto, en lo que no ocurre – Baldry no existe en el film. Y esa omisión es desconcertante, ya que su influencia en la vida de Elton tuvo un alcance muy amplio, el cual trascendió lo meramente musical. Baldry fue clave en el despertar sexual de Elton John, y ese papel en la película es desempeñado por otro músico. Sepan que eso no ocurrió de esa forma.

Dejando esto de lado, no hay personajes inventados ni fusionados (como sí ocurre en “Bohemian Rhapsody”), y figuran todos quienes tuvieron alguna injerencia en la vida de Elton John, con otra honrosa excepción: Paul Buckmaster, el responsable de los arreglos de orquesta en todos los álbumes desde “Elton John” (1970) hasta “A Single Man” (1978), y en algún disco posterior, como ser “Made In England” (1995)

Todos los demás están representados en la película de algún modo u otro, incluyendo la banda “clásica” de Elton John, y el productor Gus Dudgeon figura en la escena cuando graban “Your Song” (escena donde perfectamente podría haber aparecido Buckmaster).

Si me centro en ésta persona es porque fue uno de los tres pilares donde se apoyó el ascenso al estrellato de Elton, junto a la banda “clásica” conformada por Davey Johnstone, Dee Murray y Nigel Olsson y el productor Gus Dudgeon – fue recién cuando Buckmaster orbitó a la esfera creativa de Elton que se materializaron sus primeros éxitos trasatlánticos, no antes.

La trama en “Rocketman” avanza a través de flashbacks. Cuando inicia la película, Elton llega a una terapia de grupo ataviado de un modo metafóricamente espléndido, y de inmediato somos participes de cómo alcanzó esa instancia especialmente conflictiva en su vida.

El propio Elton manifestó que “la película no es apta para todo público porque mi vida no fue apta para todo público”. Él mismo la supervisó, aunque existen versiones muy encontradas sobre qué papel realmente desempeñó en su dirección artística y contenido – algunos dicen que estuvo presente durante el rodaje, otros que hizo poco más que consentir que se narrara la historia de su vida, dándole al director plena libertad creativa. A los efectos, la película no tiene paliativos en materia de drogas y sexo, y ya pasó a la historia como el primer blockbuster que incluye una escena de carácter explícito entre dos hombres.

Por otro lado, me sorprendió el rol cuasi-mesiánico del letrista Bernie Taupin – no me parece bien hablar sin conocimiento de causa, pero no me cuadra que alguien conocido por su misoginia y frecuente misantropía haya podido ser semejante faro moral para Elton. 

Quienes no aparecen ni física ni musicalmente son los otros letristas que colaboraron con Elton como Gary Osborne y Tim Rice. Eso quiere decir que canciones como “Blue Eyes”,”Ball & Chain”, “Little Jeannie” y “Can You Feel The Love Tonight” fueron omitidas.

Y podrían no haberlo sido, ya que la película no solo es un musical, sino que sus canciones no siguen una cronología real – son funcionales a la trama. Así, “Rocketman” inicia con “The Bitch Is Back”, y luego llega “I Want Love” de “Songs From The West Coast” (2001). Me sorprendí cuando empezó a sonar, y me ilusioné con que “Rocketman” quizá no sería una concatenación de éxitos. Pero eso es lo que terminó siendo, y lo entiendo. Las única otras “rarezas” fueron “Amoreena” del disco conceptual “Tumblewood Connection” (y qué bueno que lo hayan referido al menos de éste modo, ya que ese álbum fue el cimento de Elton John como creador de obras consistentes en sentido unitario) y “Rock & Roll Madonna” – un tema que utiliza el recurso de añadir un público en vivo para dotarlo de una cuota adicional de dinamismo. Éste recurso sería empleado luego en ”Bennie & The Jets” de manera mucho más memorable, convirtiendo al supuesto público en parte integral de la canción mediante la percusión que provee con sus palmas.

Me generó entre pena y extrañeza que se obviaran los discos autobiográficos “Captain Fantastic” (1973) y “The Captain & The Kid” (2013) – en la primera escena con Bluesology, poco menos me puse a tararear “Gotta Get A Meal Ticket” en antelación. Y los últimos treinta minutos se podrían haber condensado en cinco con “Made In England”, del álbum titular de 1995.

Quizá los productores sintieron que incluir música de deliberado corte biográfico en una autobiografía podía ser lesivo para el impacto de la película, o diluir en algo el efectismo de la narración. De cualquier modo, canciones como “Bitter Fingers” o “Better Off Dead” merecían un lugar en la historia, no porque hubieran “salvado” la película, sino porque representan el acervo más dramático a nivel compositivo de Elton John en el apogeo de su carrera, cuando alcanzó a tener siete discos consecutivos en el número uno de las listas de ventas.

Es necesario puntualizar que la música de “Rocketman” es interpretada por el reparto – solo se escucha a Elton John al final, en una nueva composición que canta a dúo con el actor que lo personifica, Taron Egerton (se titula “(I’m Gonna) Love Me Again”, y es un tema francamente bueno). Ésta es quizá la diferencia más sustancial en materia de contenido artístico con “Bohemian Rhapsody”, que proponía una experiencia similar a estar en un concierto de Queen (y ameritaba con creces ir a verla a una sala de cine). Y explica por qué “Rocketman” ya casi no esté en ninguna sala. Pensé que iba a durar al menos un mes más – aún dejando de lado el contexto de los premios Oscar, “Bohemian Rhapsody” tuvo una permanencia descollante en cartelera.

Asimismo, me parece importante mencionar que no soy un fan de Queen, ni de Elton John. Aprecio y estimo a ambos; posiblemente algo más a Elton – tengo casi toda su discografía, y eso incluye sus innúmeros deslices artísticos en la década de los 80s, y los discos básicamente monocordes que viene publicando desde los 90s. Elton fue el primer artista por el que viajé a Argentina, como así también el único artista que vi en vivo con mi madre en Uruguay (2013).

Sin embargo, es innegable que “Bohemian Rhapsody” tiene un carisma que la hace atractiva para todo público. Por el contrario, “Rocketman” me pareció concebida estricta y únicamente para fans de Elton John. No sé si le gane muchos nuevos adeptos, y no he visto reediciones de sus álbumes en disquerías, como sí he visto (y en cantidades y cualidades maravillosas) de Queen. Pero “Rocketman” sí funciona (¡y de qué modo!) como publicidad para su actual gira despedida, y para su autobiografía, la cual tiene fecha de edición tentativa para octubre de 2019. No creo tampoco que “Rocketman” sea galardonada con ningún Oscar, pero lo que sí ha hecho es reafirmar la curiosidad que granjeó “Bohemian Rhapsody” por la vida de muchos de los protagonistas culturales del siglo XX. Todo indica que los próximos destinatarios de blockbusters de Hollywood van a ser Prince y David Bowie, mientras que otros como Mötley Crüe, INXS y Depeche Mode ya están recibiendo la atención de servicios como Netflix y Showtime.

How Many Consecutive Number 1 Albums Did Elton John Have?

Elton John Had No Less Than Seven Consecutive Number 1 Albums During His Glory Years.

Elton John Had No Less Than Seven Consecutive Number 1 Albums During His Glory Years.

Beginning with 1972’s “Honky Chateau”, Elton was to have seven consecutive number 1 albums.

In order of release, they were:

Honky Chateau (1972)
Don’t Shoot Me I’m Only the Piano Player (1973)
Goodbye Yellow Brick Road (1973)
Caribou (1974)
Greatest Hits (1974)
Captain Fantastic and the Brown Dirt Cowboy (1975)
Rock of the Westies (1975)

It is interesting to mention that one of these albums (“Captain Fantastic and The Brown Dirt Cowboy”) was actually the first album to ever enter the American charts at number 1.

What Is The True Story Behind Elton John’s “Song For Guy”? Who Was It About?

“Song For Guy” Remains The Sole Instrumental Piece By Elton That Has Cracked The Charts

“Song For Guy” Remains The Sole Instrumental Piece By Elton That Has Cracked The Charts

“Song For Guy” is a six-minute instrumental piece that closes Elton’s 1978 album, “A Single Man”. It is preceded by a short introduction which is named “Reverie”.

If you have “A Single Man”, you will be able to read in the credits that the song is dedicated to Guy Burchett, a seventeen-year old boy that worked at Rocket (Elton’s record company) as a messenger. He died in a motorcycle accident.

There are two common misconceptions surrounding “Song For Guy”. The first is thinking that Elton wrote the song after Guy had died. He did not. He had a strange inspiration the night before the accident, and he wrote it right then. He named it upon learning the devastating news the following day.

Guy Burchett

Guy Burchett

The other misperception involves the sole lyric of the song. This is often transcribed as “Life is a delicate thing”, when Elton is actually singing “Life isn’t everything”.

A Single Man (Elton John) – Album Review

For The First Time, Elton Recorded An Album Without The Help Of His Life-long Collaborator Bernie Taupin

For The First Time, Elton Recorded An Album Without The Help Of His Life-long Collaborator Bernie Taupin

A Single Man was issued in 1978, two years after Elton had announced his first retirement.

The title of this album should be taken almost literally – Elton had sacked not only his entire backing band, but also his loyal lyricist Bernie Taupin. For a couple of albums, that crucial chair was to be occupied by Gary Osborne (one former half of Vigrass & Osborne, the duo that came up with the original version of “Forever Autumn”).

Technically, I find Osborne more interesting than Bernie – he has a firmer grasp on complex rhyme schemes (“Madness”), and alliterates purposefully (“Shine On Through”). In terms of content, now, his songs can be even more misguided and clueless than Taupin’s when he is not careful. You have two glaring examples here: the single “Part Time Love” (banned on some territories such as Russia on grounds of condoning underage sex) and the plain silly and puerile “Big Diper”.

On the contrary, the songs in which Osborne bites the bullet and ventures on his own instead of referencing Taupin are mostly tasteful. “Madness” is a good example, and the first truly good song that he and Elton crafted together. An anti-war protest, “Madness” is the sole foot-stomper of the whole album, and one of the songs that sticks for everybody.

The other is the aforementioned “Part Time Love”. Leaving aside the unfortunate lyrics, the song combines one of Elton’s most fluid melodies in years with one of Paul Buckmaster’s most grandiloquent orchestrations. Note that “A Single Man” was to stand as Buckmaster’s final collaboration with Elton for over a decade – they reunited for the “Made In England” album in 1995, when Elton was sold as an adult entertainer on the strength of “The Lion King” OST.

And the album also has some shades of that stylistic diversity that defined the most emblematic works of Elton during the previous decade. There is gospel on “Georgia” and some Latin percussion on “Return To Paradise” (a song which could have been way better – it ends up sounding too saturated for its own good). And “It Ain’t Gonna Be Easy” is a blues number that actually works, although not necessarily owing to Elton’s contribution – it is guitar player Tim Renwick who provides the song’s most memorable passages, aided by another fine arrangement by Buckmaster. Continue reading

Blue Moves (Elton John) – Album Review (Part 2)

This is the second half of the review; make sure to read the introduction before going on.

As good as “One Horse Town” is, the song is a lone exponent of loud music within the two records that make up “Blue Moves”. “Tonight” gives you an exact idea of the kind of compositions that define the disc, and it markedly highlights the somberness I mentioned in the first part of the review. It is not that Elton did never cut something somber before – “Goodbye Yellow Brick Road” dealt with its fair share of touchy issues. But the instrumentation steered everything into a more joyous destination. The opposite can be said about “Blue Moves”.

And maybe one of the clearest examples of the contrast between the two double albums (they have to be contrasted – they were the only Elton ever issued) is found in the eulogies that are featured. “Goodbye Yellow Brick Road” had “Candle In The Wind”, and “Blue Moves” had “Cage The Songbird”. “Candle In The Wind” was for Marilyn Monroe. “Cage The Songbird” was for Edith Piaf. The first was lush and elegant instrumentally, the second was contrite and subdued, and were it not for Graham Cosby and Steve Nash’s harmonies it would even have been drab. Of course, “Candle In The Wind” was a lyric Elton had not a lot to refer to, not especially when placed against something like“Cage The Songbird”. The song dealt with Marilyn Monroe, and it focused on the price paid by those enslaved by showbiz. The perspective was 100 % Bernie, and if it had something to do with Elton, it had to do with the outward image he projected, and how the media used that persona to fabricate what it wished. “Cage The Songbird”, on the other hand, dealt with the passing of a master songstress. It wasn’t that difficult for Elton to get introspective at all.

Crosby and Nash also sing backup on “The Wide-Eyed And Laughing”, the one true curveball of the whole album, and a clear standout track both for Caleb and Davey. They play 12-string guitar and sitar respectively, laying the foundation for a Eastern-derived song which reminds us of the willingness to experiment that was at the core of everything that Elton did during his classic years. That was sadly being displaced further and further until it was too late to put in back into position.

And two tracks are graced by the Beach Boys singing backup, too, and much like “Don’t Let The Sun Go Down On Me” on “Caribou” these songs were to be refined and defined by their contributions. They are “Chameleon” (a song that was actually offered to them by Elton; they turned it down but agreed to sing on his own version of the song), and “Someone’s Final Song” , a valedictory tune where Bernie sounds jaded like never before – he was actually going to take a few years off after “Blue Moves”. The harmonized coda puts a fine (if utterly eerie) point to it all. Continue reading

Blue Moves (Elton John) – Album Review (Part 1)

"Blue Moves" (1976) Was One Of Elton's Moodiest Albums Ever, And Something Entirely Removed From "Goodbye Yellow Brick Road" (The Only Other Double Album He Ever Issued)

"Blue Moves" (1976) Was One Of The Moodiest Albums Of Elton John's Career, And Something Entirely Removed From "Goodbye Yellow Brick Road" (The Only Other Double Album He Ever Issued)

When being interviewed in 1991, Elton John remarked that he had not released a good album ever since 1976’s “Blue Moves”. He also termed it an album where he did absolutely what he wanted to do. He went to say that he wasn’t really thinking about pleasing anybody but himself, to come up with a record that he would like to listen afterwards. That might go some way into explaining why the double album yielded virtually no hit singles (“Sorry Seems To Be The Hardest Word” was the lone exception, peaking at #6) and why it would take time for “Blue Moves” to grew into stature until it became one of his most respected works among critics and fans alike.

Certainly, if we were to compare “Blue Moves” with the only other double album Elton issued in his career (1973’s “Goodbye Yellow Brick Road”) the difference is entirely apparent. “Goodbye Yellow Brick Road” was an album for everybody, or (rather) an album where Elton performed in ways everybody was sure to appreciate. It was to become his most representative work to the public at large, and a true embodiment of every facet that defined his classic years. It was pop music at his best, and the way in which he approached issues like mortality and transience (“Funeral For A Friend/Love Lies Bleeding”, “Candle In The Wind”…) did attenuate the gravity at play. If anything, the music was so full of life that he could sing about just anything (“Social Disease”) and get away with it. A truly negative connotation could only surface if you looked for it, and if you looked for it in an extensive way at that.

On the contrary, “Blue Moves” was an album in which you could read negativity at every turn. Because it was an album where Elton clearly spoke to himself. There are fewer examples of John’s music sounding this introspective. And when it did, Elton was singing about a character (“Captain Fantastic & The Brown Dirt Cowboy”). Here, you listen to him in the most direct and unstripped setting. No wonder “Goodbye Yellow Brick Road” was critically acclaimed from the beginning, and “Blue Moves” could only be appreciated in retrospective. Continue reading

Caribou (Elton John) – Album Review

A Heavily-panned Record At Its Time, “Caribou” Now Proves To Be A True Gem Within Elton’s Catalog.

A Heavily-panned Record At Its Time, “Caribou” Now Proves To Be A True Gem Within Elton’s Catalog.

Quite probably one of Elton’s most underrated albums, “Caribou” was released in 1974, and in hindsight it is easy to understand why it collided with such a wall of negativity. The record ended up sandwiched between two magnum opuses like “Goodbye Yellow Brick Road” (1973) and “Captain Fantastic & The Brown Dirt Cowboy” (1975). If you listen to it now, it dawns on you that the material was not really substandard (despite the fact that the whole album was recorded in about a week), and the hits it yielded (the irresistible, horn-augmented rocker “The Bitch Is Back” and the powerful ballad “Don’t Let The Sun Go Down On Me”) were representative of the quality of the whole disc, not songs that were labored at longer knowing they were going to be “the” singles (as would happen often during the ‘80s).

“The Bitch Is Back” (whose title was inspired by a remark made by Bernie’s wife Maxine) will always stand as one of Elton’s most driving rockers, not only on the strength of the main riff but also because of the accompaniment provided by the Tower Of Power horns, a new American association Elton had made. (“Caribou”, incidentally, was the first album he recorded in the US.) The Tower of Power horns were also going to be exemplary on “You’re So Static”, a misogynistic song about a prostitute that prefers to have her client’s watch rather than money for the rendering of her professional services. The coalition between the pounding horns and the swirling organ during the choruses make the song stand out, and the bluesy “Stinker” (although clearly not a highlight) is also enjoyable on grounds on the TOP contribution. Otherwise, “Stinker” sounds too much like a thematic retake on “Midnight Creeper”, and we already have “The Bitch Is Back” here to begin with.

The country interlude of the album comes in the shape of “Little Dixie”. The song is better than “No Shoe String On Louise” but still far from fulfilling – it would take Elton more than two decades to come up with stuff like “Birds” and “Turn The Lights Out When You Leave”. The best part of “Little Dixie” might as well be the sax solo, provided (again) by a member of TOP.

But “Caribou” saw the addition of another top-notch musician to Elton’s ranks aside from the Tower Of Power horns. I am talking about percussionist Ray Cooper, who made his debut on “Caribou”, and who was to become one of the most-revered bit-players associated with Elton outside of those who made up the “classic” band. Some ‘80s and early ‘90s tours comprised only Elton and Ray – that was the case of Elton’s Russian tour (he was the first rock and roll performer to play there), and also of Elton’s first visits to South America. His first show here in Uruguay had people shouting for Cooper over Elton, much to Elton’s amusement – they played the Estadio Charrúa and people stood up cheering “¡Pelado! ¡Pelado! ¡Pelado!” [¡Baldy! ¡Baldy! ¡Baldy!]. Continue reading

Leather Jackets (Elton John) – Album Review

"Leather Jackets" Was Issued In 1986, And It Is Regarded As One Of Elton John's Biggest Failures. It Was The First Album Since "Tumbleweed Connection" To Yield No Top 40 Singles.

"Leather Jackets" Was Issued In 1986, And It Is Regarded As One Of Elton John's Biggest Failures. It Was The First Album Since "Tumbleweed Connection" To Yield No Top 40 Singles.

It is generally accepted that the ’80s were spotty years for the vast majority of artists that had careers which had commenced in the previous decade (or decades). The other day I was talking with a fan of Bowie that made some of the most venomous comments I had ever heard in my life about anybody regarding Ziggy Stardust and his output during that decade. And from an entirely objective viewpoint, I can’t speak much better about my favorite bands – The Who released only two albums back then, and they are traditionally considered artistic dead ends in themselves. Although I am fond of “Face Dances” (and quite fond of it at that), if you were to look at it objectively the disc is just an intermittent reminder of what used to be, whereas “It’s Hard” is inexcusable. For its part, even XTC (a band that is characterized for not stepping out of line) missed the boat with the release of “The Big Express”. And there is Elton John.

The decade had started on the wrong foot with the release of the “Victim Of Love” album, and it was to be a bumpy ride from that point until he (sort of) reinvented himself in the ’90s as an adult entertainer. Some of his worst-selling albums ever came during the ’80s, and while some of these discs weren’t really that bad (The Fox), some deserved all the stick they got. And this is one of these.

“Leather Jackets” is the kind of album that can only be listened to with one finger on the fast-forward button. It produced no hit singles at a time in which Elton was known for churning them out quite easily, and Elton was later to disown the album completely. The album was also the last Gus Dudgeon would helm for Elton – he was given a second chance after “Ice On Fire”. Sadly, the soft rock approach he applied just buried the bits that could have been interesting (like Davey Johnstone’s guitar), driving another definitive nail in the coffin and ending a truly memorable partnership in an unnecessarily low note. Continue reading

Elizabethtown Vol. 1 – Original Soundtrack Album

The First Installment Of The Elizabethtown Soundtrack Was Issued In 2006. Two Different Covers Were Used, You Can See The Other One Below.

The First Installment Of The Elizabethtown Soundtrack Was Issued In 2006. Two Different Covers Were Used, You Can See The Other One Below.

Cameron Crowe’s 2005 film didn’t turn out to be for Americana what “Almost Famous” was for rock and roll. But the comparison should not be drawn that quickly. Look at it like this: just everybody knows what rock and roll music is all about, no matter where he lives. However, many people outside of the States haven’t got an idea what Americana actually is. I live in Uruguay, and few are acquainted with the concept. As a matter of fact, not even the people in charge of the two biggest import stores in the country knew that such a genre existed when I asked them. They had no idea My Morning Jacket was an Americana band, for example. They just associated the band with rock.

I think that such a fact showcases the main hurdle “Elizabethtown” faced, and I am talking about the music – the story was beautifully narrated and uplifting in every sense (look for the review of the movie in the next couple of days). But the music featured on the film lacked the general appeal that the songs on the soundtrack to “Almost Famous” and other films by Crowe like “Vanilla Sky” and “Jerry Maguire” had. The Elizabethtown soundtracks (there were two of them) were to be more specialized by definition. And that is always a barrier that repels a lot of people.

Anyway, those who are keen on the sounds hailing from the southern regions of the US couldn’t ask for a more enlightening album. Both discs are true mini-encyclopedias that touch upon artists both old and new – from Tom Petty and Lindsey Buckingham to Ryan Adams and My Morning Jacket, the old and the new mingle and swap places in a very supple way. Besides, the presence of songs by Patty Griffin only makes the link between past and present stand stronger – her career might have started in earnest in 1992, but she has been around since the late ‘70s, and she has associations with emblematic figures like Emmylou Harris and Ellis Paul.

In any case, many classic rock and pop performers are featured. As far as the first volume goes, these include The Hollies’ excellent “Jesus Was A Crossmaker” (the first song that is featured on the film, during the helicopter sequence) and Elton John. As you know, Elton stole the show on the “Almost Famous” soundtrack with the song “Tiny Dancer” (originally found on “Madman Across The Water”, one of his first truly necessary records from 1971). Suitably enough, the song of his featured on “Elizabethtown” was “My Father’s Gun”, from “Tumbleweed Connection” (his 1970 record devoted to Country and Western themes). In my humble opinion, Elton provided a movie by Cameron Crowe with its most memorable composition once again, although it can’t be negated that the song plays twice, and during key scenes at that (it is actually played during the journey at the end, in the most cathartic moment for Drew, the protagonist).

And Crowe also found room for some oddballs and left turns along the way. The most obvious example is “Let It Out (Let It All Hang Out)”, a one-off hit for a ‘60s band named The Hombres that was never heard about again. The song is disorienting at first (it is lodged between Buckingham’s unendurable “Shut Us Down” and Eastmountainsouth’s “Hard Times”), but it all eventually gels together. Continue reading