Tumbleweed Connection |  | Artist: Elton John
Label: Island
Category: Music
List Price: $9.98
Buy New: $4.37
as of 3/16/2010 14:34 EDT details
You Save: $5.61 (56%)
New (29) Used (23) from $3.78
Seller: moviemars
Rating:  124 reviews
Sales Rank: 3190
Format: Original recording reissued, Original recording remastered
Media: Audio CD
Discs: 1
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.2
Dimensions (in): 5.4 x 4.9 x 0.4
MPN: 528155
UPC: 731452815521
EAN: 0731452815521
ASIN: B000001EG4
Release Date: February 20, 1996
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
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| Tracks:
| • | Ballad of a Well-Known Gun | | • | Come Down in Time | | • | Country Comfort | | • | Son of Your Father | | • | My Father's Gun | | • | Where to Now St. Peter? | | • | Love Song | | • | Amoreena | | • | Talking Old Soldiers | | • | Burn Down the Mission | | • | Into the Old Man's Shoes | | • | Madman Across the Water [Original Version] |
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| Editorial Reviews:
Amazon.com
Tumbleweed Connection is part of the early catalog of Elton John's work that Guns N' Roses singer Axl Rose reportedly once said he would love to own the publishing rights to as a work of art. Indeed, it does contain some of John's most expressive work as an artist, but with the showy stage presence and pop melodicism still under construction. Tumbleweed is characterized by John's balladeer approach, with John at his storyteller best on songs like "Burn Down the Mission." Even if the lyrics were generally written by Bernie Taupin, John's voice and inflection made every song seem deeply personal. The beautiful "Come Down in Time" displays the subtleties and sophistication of his talent, with the piano not yet serving as the instrumental focal point it would later become. The album also features the favorite "Ballad of a Well-Known Gun" and "Where to Now St. Peter?" --Steve Gdula
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| Customer Reviews:
Showing reviews 1-5 of 124
Solid Throughout March 1, 2010
popmusicfan (northeastern Ohio)
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
Elton John is a truly interesting figure in terms of popular music of the last 40 years. He became a household name, a pop culture icon, and a staple of Top 40 radio and the hit single. I will not disagree with other reviewers that perhaps his strongest writing and strongest playing and singing come from before John's greatest commercial success. Both Tumbleweed Connection and Honky Chateau remain two of Elton John's best, most consistent collections in his decades-long career. Tumbleweed Connection is far more than an Englishman's view of the American West, although hearing the album as the outsider's view of the American experience is tempting. The songs can be understood and appreciated on a much broader level. The musicianship throughout Tumbleweed Connection is superb and this is one album that makes highly effective use of stereo separation. In particular, pay attention to the cross rhythms between the drums and John's piano on the opening track, one of the best examples of complementary accompanying rhythms you'll hear in 1970s pop music. I purchased this album using Amazon.com's download service and I am happy to report that, as has been the case with any of the downloads I've purchased from Amazon, the sound quality of these mp3 files is great. Clarity and depth are super. Although I would have liked to have the CD package, liner notes, and so on, the Amazon price for download and the high quality could not be beat.
Madman Connection December 20, 2009
Timothy A. Redman (Hilliard, Ohio)
Tumbleweed is an early chef-d'oeuvre from the sometimes brilliant John/Taupin song writing collaberation. Filled with heartfelt, inspired, soulful, sometimes epic pieces. I haven't really cared much for anything he's released since 1975, but there's no sappy, glam-pop dribble here. Five huge stars for the alternate version of Madman Across the Water on this flawlessly remastered classic! Mick Ronson gives us a taste of what Sir Elton could sound like with a bluesy, Robin Trower-ish guitarist at his side! (I really wish EJ's career would've gone more in this direction.) He's called the original Connection "one of our most perfect albums", and with the addition of the Madman track, I hardily agree. Highly recommended!
Tumbleweed Connection December 12, 2009
MRT
Tumbleweed Connection was John's third album and was initially released in 1970. It also represents the height (for me) of John's collaboration with lyricist Bernie Taupin. Taupin was, by all accounts fascinated by life in the post-Civil War south and west.. The album did not spawn any `big hits' and none of the songs from Tumbleweed Connection have made it onto any compilation of John's greatest hits. However, Tumbleweed Connection when taken as a whole is, in my opinion, a great album. Any fan of John would do well to add this to their collection. I would also recommend Tumbleweed Connection to those who may be prone to dismissing John as simply a `performer'. I think listening to Tumbleweed Connection may just change your mind.
Great CD, One of Elton John's Best May 23, 2009
Jeffrey M. Feldman (Rochester, NY)
Tumbleweed Connection is a great CD, one of Elton John's Best. I highly recommend it!
Rock 'n' western music May 18, 2009
Peter Durward Harris (Leicester England)
Most people inextricably link western music with country music - incorrectly, because although there is some overlap, they are two distinctive genres. This Elton John album provides a perfect illustration of that difference, being a western album recorded as rock music. Nevertheless, it seems that lyricist Bernie Taupin was deeply impressed by the classic Marty Robbins song El Paso, one of the few songs that merit's the country and western tag that I so despise. It apparently created Bernie's interest in the old American west, as well as inspiring him to become a songwriter, so it is easy to see why he wanted Elton to record an album like this.
This was only Elton John's third album, and only the second to make a significant impact at the time, although Empty sky eventually made the top ten in the American album charts in the mid-seventies. Recording an album based entirely on images of the old American west could be seen as brave or foolish, but it was certainly effective, both artistically and commercially. The only flaw (if there is one) is that the album yielded no hit singles either in Britain or America, but that didn't matter. The album went gold in America and did better in Britain than Elton's previous self-titled album that contained the huge international hit Your song.
Despite the absence of a hit single, the songs are of a consistently high quality. This may have something to do with Bernie's enthusiasm for the subject matter. None of these songs contain lyrics that are difficult or impossible to understand, as you'll occasionally find elsewhere. Songs with titles such as Country comfort, My father's gun, Ballad of a well-known gun, Talking old soldiers and Burn down the mission reinforce the album title and picture, showing clearly what this album is about. Yet the album contains one song, simply titled Love song, which Bernie didn't write and which could have been recorded for any of Elton's albums. It's also the one song that just might have become a hit, had it been released as a single. I first came across the song via a cover by Olivia Newton-John, but her version wasn't released as a single either.
On subsequent albums, Bernie still sometime wrote lyrics inspired by the old American west, particularly on Blue moves, but this is the album in which his enthusiasm is given full rein. Of course, it's not the only rock `n' western album out there. Desperado, the classic Eagles album, is another and may well have been inspired by Tumbleweed connection.
Showing reviews 1-5 of 124
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