Elton John

[Shady]

TEL AVIV, Israel – Pounding his piano in blue-tinted sunglasses before nearly 50,000 screaming fans,

Elton John took center stage in a battle over Israel's image.

The legendary British rocker's

concert on Thursday night followed a string of cancellations by artists like Elvis Costello and the Pixies. Resisting a growing wave of calls from pro-Palestinian activists to boycott the Jewish state, John gave Israelis a rare reason to smile amid their increasing sense of international isolation.

"Ain't gonna stop me from coming here, baby," he

told the cheering crowd in Tel Aviv, saying he believed music should spread peace and bring people together: "That is what we do. We do not cherry-pick our consciences, OK?" he added, in an apparent swipe at the artists who have canceled concerts in Israel.

AP

I think this is pretty impressive. He also makes a great point about certain preformers cherry-picking their consciences. If they want to boycott Israel, so be it. But the least they could do is be consistent. Unfortunately, that's rarely the case.

[M.Dancer]

One washed up rocker is as good as another...Elvis..Elton....it's all in the land of who gives a shit what celebrities do....

now on the other hand, he probably thought, where in the mid east would an aging queen get the friendliest reception...?

[GostHacked]

Elton has not put out any quality stuff in the last 10 to 15 years.

He needs to go back to the 'Bitch is Back' and 'Crocodile Rock' days.

[M.Dancer]

Elton has not put out any quality stuff in the last 10 to 15 years.

He needs to go back to the 'Bitch is Back' and 'Crocodile Rock' days.

More celebrity funerals...

[Michael Hardner]

Elton has not put out any quality stuff in the last 10 to 15 years.

He needs to go back to the 'Bitch is Back' and 'Crocodile Rock' days.

Crocodile Rock was released just over 37 years ago, if you remember it. At that time, a 37-year old song would have been 'Star Dust' by Benny Goodman. Not sure what hits he's had in the last 15 years. He had one called 'Believe' in 1995 according to his Wiki page, but I don't know it. Then there was that funeral song for the Princess of Wales.

[ToadBrother]

One washed up rocker is as good as another...Elvis..Elton....it's all in the land of who gives a shit what celebrities do....

now on the other hand, he probably thought, where in the mid east would an aging queen get the friendliest reception...?

Actually I have quite enjoyed Elton since he evolved into the bitchy old queen. He's kind of taking George Harrison's position as cranky elder rock statesman. I sometimes wonder whether or not it's alcohol-induced Tourettes or something, but he's become rather known for his abrupt and pointed criticisms of others in his field.

[August1991]

From the OP:

"I have always believed that music inhabits a world set apart from politics, religious differences or prejudice of any kind," he said in a statement before coming to Tel Aviv.

Well, at least he's consistent. Elton John also played at a Sun City concert near Johannesburg in October 1983.

Link

[ToadBrother]

From the OP:

Well, at least he's consistent. Elton John also played at a Sun City concert near Johannesburg in October 1983.

Link

The way he spends money, I don't think he has much choice where he plays.

[August1991]

Actually I have quite enjoyed Elton since he evolved into the bitchy old queen. He's kind of taking George Harrison's position as cranky elder rock statesman. I sometimes wonder whether or not it's alcohol-induced Tourettes or something, but he's become rather known for his abrupt and pointed criticisms of others in his field.

In the 1960s before his breakthrough in the early 1970s, Elton John was Reginald Dwight, a session musician in London. And when he became well-known, Mick Jagger is reported to have said: "Hey, it's fat Reg!"

[ToadBrother]

In the 1960s before his breakthrough in the early 1970s, Elton John was Reginald Dwight, a session musician in London. And when he became well-known, Mick Jagger is reported to have said: "Hey, it's fat Reg!"

Mick has said all sorts of things. He allegedly called up Charlie Watts in his hotel room while the Rolling Stones were on tour in the early 1980s, demanding to see "his drummer". Charlie, bless his soul, got all dressed up in a suit, went down to Mick's room, and when Mick opened the door, Charlie punched him in the face and told him "Never call me your drummer, you're my singer!"

Has nothing to do with Elton, of course, but it's a funny story that shows that Mick has gotten in trouble for spewing forth his crap. See also the battles between Keith and Mick in the mid and late 1980s that basically lead to Keith pretty much taking over the band. The joke to that is that if you listen to the opening single off of Steel Wheels, Mixed Emotions, you'll hear "Mick's demotion".

At any rate, apart of Elton John's spending habits and sometimes creepy overt sexuality and utterly wiped out voice, he remains one of the best goddamned piano players in the business.

Edited June 21, 2010 by ToadBrother

[August1991]

Mick has said all sorts of things. He allegedly called up Charlie Watts in his hotel room while the Rolling Stones were on tour in the early 1980s, demanding to see "his drummer". Charlie, bless his soul, got all dressed up in a suit, went down to Mick's room, and when Mick opened the door, Charlie punched him in the face and told him "Never call me your drummer, you're my singer!"

You know the old joke.

Q: What do you call women who hang around with rock musicians? A: Groupies.

Q: What do you call guys who hang around with rock musicians? A: Drummers.

At any rate, apart of Elton John's spending habits and sometimes creepy overt sexuality and utterly wiped out voice, he remains one of the best goddamned piano players in the business.

I have seen neither Mick Jagger nor Elton John live in concert and yet I would say that this is their big selling point: they are both entertainers.

Elton John has composed some good pop (bordering on heavier) melodies. I wonder sometimes what would have happened if Elton John had been born in Vienna in 1750, or Mozart in London in 1945.

Edited June 21, 2010 by August1991

[DogOnPorch]

The way he spends money, I don't think he has much choice where he plays.

http://www.eltonjohn.com/concerts/

He was just in Northern BC...you might be on to something.

[ToadBrother]

http://www.eltonjohn.com/concerts/

He was just in Northern BC...you might be on to something.

Actually I wish more artists would do that. Maybe he's just doing it for the cash, but he's playing a lot of smaller venues and seems to be doing rather well with it. For me, living on Vancouver Island, to see any more act I have to catch a ferry, go to Vancouver, watch the show, stay at hotel or motel, and head back the next day. The last concert in Vancouver I went to was in 1994 when Pink Floyd came to Vancouver, and while I don't regret it, all told between tickets and my share of the ferry, gas, hotel and my meals, I spent something like about $300 at the time. To do it now, which I almost considered doing for Roger Waters, I figure I'd be in the hole probably around $800.

[ToadBrother]

You know the old joke.

Q: What do you call women who hang around with rock musicians? A: Groupies.

Q: What do you call guys who hang around with rock musicians? A: Drummers.

True enough, but pretty much everyone agrees that Charlie Watts is the heart and soul of the Stones, and they'll keep going until he decides to hang up his hat, and then there will be no more Rolling Stones.

I have seen neither Mick Jagger nor Elton John live in concert and yet I would say that this is their big selling point: they are both entertainers.

Elton John has composed some good pop (bordering on heavier) melodies. I wonder sometimes what would have happened if Elton John had been born in Vienna in 1750, or Mozart in London in 1945.

Watch Amadeus. He'd be wearing a puffy wig and saying rude things to the Emperor

[Remiel]

I do not remember what band it was said of before, but I do recall an anecdote of some band, famous, that hung up there hats after their drummer died. They too said that he had been the heart of the band, and that they could not do it without him.

While it varies from band to band, I have been to at least one show where the drummer's hands and arms were flying not stop. I imagine it is probably the most exhausting of all instruments for those who truly go at it.

Edited July 22, 2010 by Remiel

[Jack Weber]

I do not remember what band it was said of before, but I do recall an anecdote of some band, famous, that hung up there hats after their drummer died. They too said that he had been the heart of the band, and that they could not do it without him.

While it varies from band to band, I have been to at least one show where the drummer's hands and arms were flying not stop. I imagine it is probably the most exhausting of all instruments for those who truly go at it.

I don't know about hanging up thier hats...

Actually,it's pretty clear they simply won't,but The Who was never the same after Keith Moon died.

As for the band you're talking about...It's Led Zeppelin after John Bonam died...

[ToadBrother]

I don't know about hanging up thier hats...

Actually,it's pretty clear they simply won't,but The Who was never the same after Keith Moon died.

They were a looong way aways when they had Kenney Jones on the drums. Not that Jones isn't a good drummer, but he was the wrong drummer for The Who. They're pretty good with Zack Starkey, who while not the mad man that Moon was, still seems to have some ability to play the drums like a lead instrument. But after John Entwhistle's death, I had a hard time swallowing the idea of watching these two old buggers was actually seeing The Who. Pino Palladino is an awesome bass player, but just like there was only one Keith Moon, there was only one Ox.

As for the band you're talking about...It's Led Zeppelin after John Bonam died...

Despite Jimmy Page's numerous attempts to resuscitate the group. They came damned close after the 2007 reunion, but I admire Robert Plant for not giving in to the pressure, not just from fans, but from Pages, John Paul Jones and Jason Bonham (who, while a good drummer, is a pale imitation of his old man). Still, JPJ formed a pretty cool band with Dave Grohl and Josh Homme called Them Crooked Vultures which was sufficiently Zeppelin-like to satisfy me. Even Jimmy Page is finally going to release a new album.

[Jack Weber]

They were a looong way aways when they had Kenney Jones on the drums. Not that Jones isn't a good drummer, but he was the wrong drummer for The Who. They're pretty good with Zack Starkey, who while not the mad man that Moon was, still seems to have some ability to play the drums like a lead instrument. But after John Entwhistle's death, I had a hard time swallowing the idea of watching these two old buggers was actually seeing The Who. Pino Palladino is an awesome bass player, but just like there was only one Keith Moon, there was only one Ox.

Despite Jimmy Page's numerous attempts to resuscitate the group. They came damned close after the 2007 reunion, but I admire Robert Plant for not giving in to the pressure, not just from fans, but from Pages, John Paul Jones and Jason Bonham (who, while a good drummer, is a pale imitation of his old man). Still, JPJ formed a pretty cool band with Dave Grohl and Josh Homme called Them Crooked Vultures which was sufficiently Zeppelin-like to satisfy me. Even Jimmy Page is finally going to release a new album.

You're right!

One of the main reasons for Townshend's drug problems of the early '80's was because he admitted that he had a hard time dealing with Moon's death.Kenney Jones is a very good drummer,he was good in Bad Company,but he was judged against Moon(unfairly) and Daltry did'nt get along with him...So,he was out.

Basically,now that Entwistle is gone,it's basically Roger Daltry,Pete Townshend,and a bunch of other guys playing Who tunes together...

As far as the Zeppelin stuff goes..I've never been a huge fan.Great musicians in their own right,but I never got into the group very much.I think the original line up of The Who blows Led Zeppelin out of the water.

I'll take Daltry over Plant.Isimply have never liked Plant's voice that much.

John Paul Jones vs John Entwistle???C'mon...That's not even close....

Moon vs Bonham??? Bonham was a great drummer,but,he gets alot of play for his booming beats.I prefer Moon and his abstract nature and his inate ability to actually keep the band together on stage.(Cow Palace incident,notwithstanding).I simply think Moon was a better drummer...

I think Page was a better guitar player than Townshend,but that does'nt make Pete chopped liver.

And as far as songwriting goes,as far as lyrical ability goes..No contest...Pete Townshend is one of the greatest songwriters of the last 50 years.Most of Zeppelin's lyrics are either old blues rip offs,or bizarre sophomoric crapola like the stuff we are forced to endure in "Ramble On"...

And live???

No contest again...

"A nice Rock and Roll band from Sheppardsbush,London...The Who..."

Edited July 24, 2010 by Jack Weber

[WIP]

Elton John is a whore! He took a million dollars to play at Rush Limbaugh's umpteenth wedding, so there's nothing he wouldn't do for money!

[ToadBrother]

Elton John is a whore! He took a million dollars to play at Rush Limbaugh's umpteenth wedding, so there's nothing he wouldn't do for money!

He's a professional musician. That's what he does, play for money. Rush's money is as good as anybody else's and besides, it was Rush that looked weirder out of the deal than Elton. Rush, an Elton John fan?

I always hear this kind of thing: "So-and-so let their song be used in a commercial", or "So-and-so let that terrible hip-hop guy sample his music", as if it's a bad thing. Elton John has done enough reasonably decent things with his name and his cash that I don't fault him for doing weddings. As Bob Dylan once said "Selling out is all well and good, but somebody's got to pay the bills."

[ToadBrother]

You're right!

One of the main reasons for Townshend's drug problems of the early '80's was because he admitted that he had a hard time dealing with Moon's death.Kenney Jones is a very good drummer,he was good in Bad Company,but he was judged against Moon(unfairly) and Daltry did'nt get along with him...So,he was out.

They put a rock-solid timekeeper behind the drumkit of a guy who nobody was sure could even keep time.

As John Entwhistle famously said; "Keith can do things on the drums that no other drummer can do, but can't do things that any other drummer can." Moon was a one-of-a-kind musician, and no matter who you put there after him, they were going to look suburban by comparison. Zack Starkey is a more energetic drummer than Jones, and certainly meets with Daltrey's approval, but when I listen the Who's live stuff from the late 60s and early 70s, when Moon was at the top of his game, even a talent like Starkey seems to pale in comparison. The Who never sounded the same after Moon died.

Basically,now that Entwistle is gone,it's basically Roger Daltry,Pete Townshend,and a bunch of other guys playing Who tunes together...

I still might see them if they tour again (very up in the air), but I'm under no illusions that I'm watching The Who. More like, as Townshend quipped, Who2.

As far as the Zeppelin stuff goes..I've never been a huge fan.Great musicians in their own right,but I never got into the group very much.I think the original line up of The Who blows Led Zeppelin out of the water.

I'm an equal fan. They were two different bands with two different philosophies. Zeppelin would never have come up with Won't Get Fooled Again, one of the greatest rock and roll songs ever written, but The Who never had the majest of Zep at their height. Ain't no one anywhere who could create Kashmir, a song that, when I crank it up to 11, sends shivers down my spine.

I'll take Daltry over Plant.Isimply have never liked Plant's voice that much.

It's a matter of taste. Daltrey's actually a pretty mean blues singer when he gets the chance, and he had a helluva roar too. Plant's best vocal period was the first years, but even by 1971 he was suffering vocal problems. Daltrey held on to his voice a lot better, you listen to Daltrey in the late 70s and Plant in the same era and there's no comparison. Plant's range had collapsed, and even the studio recordings show his diminishment. Daltrey had the roar well into the 1990s, though he's lost a lot of it in the last ten years.

John Paul Jones vs John Entwistle???C'mon...That's not even close....

That's an unfair comparison, really, and I doubt one they would have made. Jones was a session musician by career, influenced considerably by Motown, and his playing is more toned down, more buttoned up with the drums, whereas Entwhistle, who had to deal with a drummer who refused to do a rhythm section for more than few bars, basically had to outperform Moon wherever possible. That meant a helluva lot louder bass, thicker strings and playing his own leads. You listen to a lot of The Who records from the 60s and 70s carefully, and you'll see that Townshend often had to play a very percussive style of guitar, because someone had to keep the band in time.

I look at it this way. The two bands had the rhythm sections they needed, and they never sounded the same without them (Zeppelin's brief reunions sadly prove that). And I wouldn't dismiss Jones for another reason, he is one of the great multiinstrumentalists of rock. The guy can basically play anything with strings.

Moon vs Bonham??? Bonham was a great drummer,but,he gets alot of play for his booming beats.I prefer Moon and his abstract nature and his inate ability to actually keep the band together on stage.(Cow Palace incident,notwithstanding).I simply think Moon was a better drummer...

Again, apples and oranges. Bonham had the fastest right foot out there, and even most modern drummers have a helluva time emulating those triplets. Can you imagine anyone else but Bonham on Kashmir or Achilles Last Stand. Of course, Bonham would have drowned playing 5:15. But when it came to groove, and Jones has said this many times, and he's played with a lot of drummers, there was no one like Bonzo. He was and still remains to this day one of the masters of finding that pocket and playing it for all it was worth.

I think Page was a better guitar player than Townshend,but that does'nt make Pete chopped liver.

Page has more range as a guitar player than Townshend, but Townshend has often got the short end of the stick, I think. He's been recognized far more for his songwriting than playing, much as Page has had more attention paid to his playing than his songwriting.

And as far as songwriting goes,as far as lyrical ability goes..No contest...Pete Townshend is one of the greatest songwriters of the last 50 years.Most of Zeppelin's lyrics are either old blues rip offs,or bizarre sophomoric crapola like the stuff we are forced to endure in "Ramble On"...

Plant generally sucked as a lyricist, particularly in the early years, when he was just basically stealing lyrics from every major bluesman around. I think his solo work is better lyrically than most of the stuff he did with Zeppelin.

And live???

No contest again...

"A nice Rock and Roll band from Sheppardsbush,London...The Who..."

Zeppelin was an incredible live act in the early days, and even into the mid-70s, but man oh man they were a disaster area by the end. Page was so out of it on heroin that it was just pathetic to watch their Knebworth concerts.

But The Who, well, the only band I think has it on The Who as far as live concerts goes was Queen. Freddie Mercury was a god.

[WIP]

He's a professional musician. That's what he does, play for money. Rush's money is as good as anybody else's and besides, it was Rush that looked weirder out of the deal than Elton. Rush, an Elton John fan?

I always hear this kind of thing: "So-and-so let their song be used in a commercial", or "So-and-so let that terrible hip-hop guy sample his music", as if it's a bad thing. Elton John has done enough reasonably decent things with his name and his cash that I don't fault him for doing weddings. As Bob Dylan once said "Selling out is all well and good, but somebody's got to pay the bills."

Okay, so maybe I'm not a big Elton John fan! I liked his early work before he really sold out about 75 or 76; but what I really found offensive about the story of him doing the Rush gig for a million -- is that he has made a name for himself being an activist in the fight against AIDS and for gay rights -- both issues that Rush trashes on a regular basis. If an issue is really that important, why sell out to your ideological doppelganger when you're already a multimillionaire?

[ToadBrother]

Okay, so maybe I'm not a big Elton John fan! I liked his early work before he really sold out about 75 or 76; but what I really found offensive about the story of him doing the Rush gig for a million -- is that he has made a name for himself being an activist in the fight against AIDS and for gay rights -- both issues that Rush trashes on a regular basis. If an issue is really that important, why sell out to your ideological doppelganger when you're already a multimillionaire?

Because Elton John spends money like a drunken sailor (or maybe on drunken sailors). The guy has had, from all I've heard, a number of cash crises. Like I said, Rush's money is as good as anyone else's.

[bush_cheney2004]

Because Elton John spends money like a drunken sailor (or maybe on drunken sailors). The guy has had, from all I've heard, a number of cash crises. Like I said, Rush's money is as good as anyone else's.

...and that's exactly what Chrissie Hynde (Pretenders) said when informed that Rush Limbaugh was using her music as a theme song for his radio program. Money talks...bullshit walks.

[ToadBrother]

...and that's exactly what Chrissie Hynde (Pretenders) said when informed that Rush Limbaugh was using her music as a theme song for his radio program. Money talks...bullshit walks.

If you've got the cash to be self-righteous, so be it. Otherwise, well, you get it where you can. Elton John isn't any different from any other guy in his 60s, realizing his earning potential has only way to go, and that's down. So he plays for guys like Rush Limbaugh. I don't fault him for it. If I had as much money waved at me as Elton obviously had waved at him, hell, I'd play Rush's wedding. People are acting like he played for Mussolini or something.

But that's always the way of the entertainment world. Pete Townshend got in deep doodoo because he didn't join his fellow rock stars and condemn the Iraq invasion (not that the invasion was a good idea), and I thought it was horrible. On the one hand you've got the Dixie Chicks being shut out by certain radio networks because of their stand against the Iraq War, and that generates righteous indignation from all and asunder, but Townshend doesn't tow the party line, and suddenly he's a traitor to the cause. That's the problem with these movements in general, you're free to say whatever you like, providing it's what your peers declare is the orthodoxy.

Conservatives in the entertainment world tend to keep their heads down and their thoughts to themselves. Who knows, Elton John is a miserable old crank (his music sucks now, but I do enjoy his outbursts, it must be nice to be an elder statesmen of any kind and be able to say what you like), and might actually agree with some of the things Rush says (I'll wager he'd agree with Rush on paying way too much tax). For me, the shock isn't that Elton would play some conservative commentator's wedding, the shock is that Rush would want a flamboyantly gay man to play at his wedding, but maybe, sometimes, people are a little more complex than politics supposedly allows. Besides, I think Rush and Elton have something in common, they're both entertainers.