COVER OF THE WEEK

#7 is Elton John's "Goodbye Yellow Brick Road", that this month (december 2003) is released as a 30 year anniversary CD/DVD combo.

One of the big albums of the 70s as far as sales go. And considered to be Elton at his pop peak.

The cover is inspired by the title track that tells the story of a man who's experienced the glitzy but ultimately fake world and wants to head back home to the place he came from. Drawn by Ian Beck, an illustrator who's done it all:
From record covers to advertisments, from greeting cards to popular childrens books.

The double vinyl album is a fold out with each and every lyric accompanied by an illustration that you could sit back and sink into while listening to the songs.
A rich album full of different tracks inspired by the rush of creativity that hit Elton and the band during a couple of years years in the early 70s.

After a missfire trying to record the album in Kingston, Jamaica they ended up back in Chateau D'Hierouville in France, the castle/recording studio where they had recorded the previous two albums; "Honky Chateau" and "Don't Shoot Me I'm Only The Piano Player".
It took them 15 days to finish the album together with a few extra tracks that appeared as B-sides on singles over the next year.

Goodbye Yellow Brick Road is more thant the hits; the title track, "Benny & The Jets" and "Candle In the wind".
It is a record full of music created by a bunch of musicians "on top of their game". Elton and the band would never sound this happy and full of inspiration again.

The artwork captures the feel of the record in a great way. Many times did I see myself stepping into that poster on the cover just like Elton does. (Note the sordid reality he's leaving presented by smoking chimneys to the left). I did "live" with that album for a year or more and I still know every note on it.

Little did I know back then I'd get the chance to meet and thank two of the band menbers for the music some 30 years later. But that's another story for another day...

Neb Stephenson