“What do you mean it’s not a live song? What do you mean it’s all studio magic?”

I guess I was late to a lot of classic music -or what passes as classic music now!- and had years to catch up. Elton John I knew of mostly due to my oldest brothers, as they were fans of his videos and had that blue coloured greatest hits collection knocking about in the house. The hits were easy sales and the lyric sheet could help you understand any weird terms Elton John used, but the story behind the songs, that took way longer.

Once I started writing about music, around 2006 or so, I started to read as much as I could from the musicians I liked. When that was over, then I went for artists I knew of, but never listened to their entire catalogue. I’m still working my way, and some stuff has been rewarding, like Elton John. Some stuff has raised eyebrows, like David Bowie. And lastly, I found artists that I have no interest in listening to again. Looking at you, The Who.

Elton John’s extensive catalogue has a lot of gems, and a lot of faff. I guess it’s natural as he’s released tons of music in his five decade career. Not everything can be a hit, and I hate to be obvious, but he’s best when paired with Bernie Taupin.

I never got into The Beatles or The Rolling Stones, even if several well-meaning relatives tried to help. Elton John felt more like a kindred spirit, with the goofy outfits, the cool videos, the Donald Duck suit, and that tremendous appearance in The Muppet Show.

I feel like revisiting his whole discography once more, and I think I’ll start with Goodbye Yellow Brick Road. Which album by Elton John do you like best?

-Sam J. Valdés López