The Upcoming
  • Culture
    • Art
    • Cinema & Tv
      • Movie reviews
      • Film festivals
      • Shows
    • Food & Drinks
      • News & Features
      • Restaurant & bar reviews
      • Interviews & Recipes
    • Literature
    • Music
      • Live music
    • Theatre
  • Fashion & Lifestyle
    • Accessories
    • Beauty
    • News & Features
    • Shopping & Trends
    • Tips & How-tos
    • Fashion weeks
  • What’s On
    • Art exhibitions
    • Theatre shows
  • Tickets
  • Join us
    • Editorial unit
    • Our writers
    • Join the team
    • Join the mailing list
    • Support us
    • Contact us
  • Interviews
  • Competitions
  • Special events
    • Film festivals
      • Berlin
      • Tribeca
      • Sundance London
      • Cannes
      • Locarno
      • Venice
      • London
      • Toronto
    • Fashion weeks
      • London Fashion Week
      • New York Fashion Week
      • Milan Fashion Week
      • Paris Fashion Week
      • Haute Couture
      • London Fashion Week Men’s
  • Facebook

  • Twitter

  • Instagram

  • YouTube

  • RSS

CultureMusicAlbum reviews

Elton John – Wonderful Crazy Night

Elton John – Wonderful Crazy Night | Album review
24 February 2016
Isaku Takahashi
Avatar
Isaku Takahashi
24 February 2016

Music review

Isaku Takahashi

Wonderful Crazy Night

★★★★★

Release date

5th February 2016

Highlights

Wonderful Crazy Night, Blue Wonderful, Looking Up

Links

Twitter Facebook Website

 

It is one thing to break into the musical mainstream, but to sustain your position as a universally loved musician is a far more difficult proposition. Wonderful Crazy Night, the 32nd studio album from British legend Elton John, marks a strong statement of purpose to renew both his prolonged career and the sound world of his nostalgic days.

Title track Wonderful Crazy Night is as engaging as its buoyant façade. The song drives through a bubbly gospel-coloured piano rock vibe with bright organs, jaunty piano harmonies, exuberant solo passages and the soulful vocals of John reminiscing about beautiful past memories. From the high-tempo overture, John winds down in tracks like Blue Wonderful. which ambles through a soothing mid-tempo rock ballad filled with jangling guitar effects and a gentle chorus, cocooned with rich backing vocals.

Music is often said to provoke vivid imaginings in the minds of its listeners. I’ve Got 2 Wings sees John’s long-lasting lyrical companion Bernie Taupin attract the spotlight with his poetic narrative about Reverend Utah Smith. The music paints a landscape of Southern America with John’s evocative vocals, and backdrop of gentle accordion, mahogany guitar and bass. Similarly, penultimate number Tambourine is fit for a scene of retro Americana on a suburban railway platform.

The album is sporadically injected with the odd surprise, most notably in Claw Hammer, where mysterious cascading colours offset the warm and “rootsy” rock vibe. By contrast, Looking Up hurls an unashamedly foot-tapping rock ’n’ roll sensation that vitalises both the 50s and today’s listeners with dazzling piano riffs, a vintage-coloured rhythm entourage and John’s never-ending vocal energy. 

Overall, Wonderful Crazy Night may not be the record to boost your catalogue, nor transcend popular music of today. Nevertheless, despite it lacking a standout track that should headline the record, the album carries a timeless appeal and authenticity that would comfort many Elton John enthusiasts.

★★★★★

Isaku Takahashi

Wonderful Crazy Night is released on February 5th 2016, for further information or to order the album visit here.

Watch the video for Blue Wonderful here:

Please accept YouTube cookies to play this video. By accepting you will be accessing content from YouTube, a service provided by an external third party.

YouTube privacy policy

If you accept this notice, your choice will be saved and the page will refresh.

 

Related Itemsreview

More in Album reviews

Kings of Leon – When You See Yourself

★★★★★
Georgie Cowan-Turner
Read More

William the Conqueror – Maverick Thinker

★★★★★
Francis Nash
Read More

Postdata – Twin Flames

★★★★★
Mark Worgan
Read More

Maximo Park – Nature Always Wins

★★★★★
Jessica Wall
Read More

Detroit Stories – Alice Cooper

★★★★★
Dan Meier
Read More

Julien Baker – Little Oblivions

★★★★★
Mae Trumata
Read More

Smith & Burrows – Only Smith & Burrows Is Good Enough

★★★★★
Catherine Sedgwick
Read More

Bradford – Bright Hours

★★★★★
Mark Worgan
Read More

Edie Brickell & New Bohemians – Hunter and the Dog Star

★★★★★
Francis Nash
Read More
Scroll for more
Tap

Music review

Isaku Takahashi

Wonderful Crazy Night

★★★★★

Release date

5th February 2016

Highlights

Wonderful Crazy Night, Blue Wonderful, Looking Up

Links

Twitter Facebook Website

  • Popular

  • Latest

  • TOP PICKS

  • The Girl and the Spider (Das Mädchen und die Spinne)
    ★★★★★
    Berlinale
  • Celebrate International Women’s Day with a Bombay Sapphire Cocktails & Create masterclass
    Food & Drinks
  • Kings of Leon – When You See Yourself
    ★★★★★
    Album review
  • Limbo
    ★★★★★
    Berlinale
  • Delectible drinks that would make the perfect Mother’s Day gift
    Food & Drinks
  • Jesus Egon Christ (Jesus Egon Christus)
    ★★★★★
    Berlinale
  • Jesus Egon Christ: An interview with directors David and Saša Vajda
    Berlinale
  • International Women’s Day: Three female pioneers of the drinks industry talk empowerment, innovation and inclusivity
    Food & Drinks
  • The Father
    ★★★★★
    Movie review
  • Killing Escobar
    ★★★★★
    Glasgow
  • Berlinale 2021 winners: The full list
    Berlinale
  • WandaVision
    ★★★★★
    disney
  • Coming 2 America
    ★★★★★
    Movie review
  • Kings of Leon – When You See Yourself
    ★★★★★
    Album review
  • The Dissident
    ★★★★★
    Movie review
The Upcoming
Pages
  • Contact us
  • Join mailing list
  • Join us
  • Our London food map
  • Our writers
  • Support us
  • What, when, why

Copyright © 2011-2020 FL Media

The Last Diamond | Movie review
The Patriotic Traitor at Park Theatre | Theatre review