"…Ballad Of A Well-Known Gun…"
Reginald Dwight's 3rd album proper was released in late 1970 and firmly
established Elton John as one of the great singer-songwriters of the Seventies.
This June 2008 DELUXE EDITION on Universal/Mercury/Rocket 53052556 (Barcode 0600753052556) is a fully upgraded 2CD
version of that breakthrough vinyl album (much better than the 1995 single disc
version) - and in my books is one of the jewels in Universal’s very hit and
miss ‘DE’ Series. Here are the English cowboys and American pistols:
1. Ballad Of A Well-Known Gun
2. Come Down In Time
3. Country Comfort
4. Son Of Your Father
5. My Father’s Gun
6. Where To Now St. Peter?
7. Love Song
8. Talking Old Soldiers
9. Burn Down The Mission
Disc 1 is the 10-track album “Tumbleweed Connection” originally released
in the UK in October 1970 on DJM Records DJLPS 410 and in the USA on Uni
Records 73096 (47:04 minutes)
1. There Goes A Well-Known Gun
2. Come Down In Time (Piano Demo)
3. Country Comfort (Piano Demo)
4. Son Of Your Father
5. Talking Old Soldiers (Piano Demo)
6. Into The Old Man’s Shoes (Piano Demo)
7. Sisters Of The Cross (Piano Demo)
8. Madman Across The Water (Original Version)
9. Into The Old Man’s Shoes
10. My Father’s Gun (BBC Session)
11. Ballad Of A Well-Known Gun (BBC Session)
12. Burn Down The Mission (BBC Session)
13. Amoreena (BBC Session)
Disc 2 is the BONUS. 10 of the 13 tracks are PREVIOUSLY UNRELEASED (1 to
7 and 11 to 13) while the other 3 are rarities with upgraded sound from their
previous release in 1988 (1 track) and 1995 (2 tracks) (61:07 minutes)
PACKAGING:
The LP originally sported a textured gatefold sleeve with an attached
12-page booklet that has been faithfully reproduced in the excellent 28-page
booklet that accompanies this set. Along with photos from the time of both
Elton and Bernie, there's a very informative new essay by noted writer JOHN
TOBLER, press adverts and billboard posters from 1970, session details and the
fold-out flaps of the digipak even reflect the pictures on the left and right
of the inner gatefold of the original album - all very nice touches indeed.
However, if I was to nitpick, the outer plastic wrap lists no information of
any kind, which means the casual buyer picking it up off a shelf can't tell
what's inside this DELUXE EDITION? But that's a minor niggle that can be fixed
on repressing because the really big news is the SOUND....
SOUND:
Sourcing the first generation original masters tapes from the Universal
Archives, GIOVANNI SCATOLA and TONY COUSINS at Metropolis Mastering in London
have carried out the re-mastering - and surely some kind of Audio Award awaits
each of them. As the owner of way too many re-issue CDs - this is simply one of
the best remasters of an old album that I've ever heard. Twenty seconds into
the opener and I was already writing a review and picking my jaw up off the
table as I went…
So what's changed? When GUS DUDGEON replaced the useless 1980s CDs with
the excellent 1995 remasters, he got the best sound out of the tapes that he
could at the time (he sadly passed away a few years ago). But 13 years on to
2008 and that's a lifetime in remastering techniques. These 2008 versions
breathe - you can hear everything - and clearly too. A good example is the
quietly delicate duet with LESLEY DUNCAN on her own "Love Song" - as
pretty a tune as you could hope to hear - it's beautiful now - finally given
the clarity that it has always deserved. (She later did her own superlative
version on GM Records in 1974).
BAND/GUESTS:
Other vocal contributions come from DUSTY SPRINGFIELD, MADELINE BELL and
Bronze Label Artist TONY HAZZARD on "My Father's Gun" and
"Ballad Of A Well-Known Gun". UK folk duo SUE and SUNNY make a rare
appearance on "Son Of Your Father" while IAN DUCK, the lead vocalist
for HOOKFOOT puts in great harmonica work on one of the album standouts
"Country Comfort". In fact, the majority of HOOKFOOT (his DJM label
mates) makes up the bulk of his band - and would stay with him for years
afterwards.
Disc 2 gives us excellent Previously Unreleased Piano Demos along with
two separate BBC sessions - the "Dave Lee Travis Show" from April
1970 and the "Sounds Of The Seventies Show" from July 1970. They vary
in sound quality, but are more than pleasantly good. Having said that, there
are THREE genuine sensations on Disc 2. When Sting was asked to do a cover for
the all-star "Two Rooms" compilation in 1991, he wisely chose
"Come Down In Time", which for me has always been the best track on
the album. Well track 3 on Disc 2 is a recently found Piano Demo of "Come
Down In Time" and it's sensationally good - just beautiful. Stripped of
clutter and intruding instrumentation - the melody shines though and luckily
this is one of those demos that is in tip-top studio quality condition - very
little hiss - just him and his lovely song. It's truly fantastic stuff and will
remind many a weary fan of why they loved Elton John in the first place - he
was a bloody good songwriter.
Second up is the near 9-minute "Original Version" of
"Madman Across The Water" with MICK RONSON on Lead Guitar instead of
Chris Spedding (Spedding was the guitar player on the shorter album version
finally released on the "Madman Across The Water" album in October
1971). Along with the next track discussed, it turned up on the 1995 re-issue
CD as a bonus track. What makes this version better is the upgraded remaster
which gives his raunchy guitar work an in-your-face clarity that pummels real
axe-power into the song. Ronson, Bowie and Mott fans will absolutely love it!
Last is a rare B-side. Although "Tumbleweed" produced no
singles at all, "Your Song" from the previous album "Elton
John" was given a belated UK release in January 1971 with a unique
non-album B-side, "Into the Old Man's Shoes". It first turned up on
the 1995 Gus Dudgeon remaster with good sound - but here its upgraded sound
quality is stunning.
To sum up: I've loved coming back to this album - the great sound
quality - actual tunes with thought-provoking lyrics - the attention to detail
in the well-thought out packaging - the bonuses you'll play more than once -
all of it. And his 2nd self-titled album “Elton John” has received the lavish
DE treatment too – and with the same high quality results.
Well done to all involved…
PS: see also my reviews for the 2004 SACD/Surround Sound CD Remasters of 1971's "Madman Across The Water" and 1972's "Honky Chateau" - and the 2014 Bob Ludwig Remaster of 1973's double-album "Goodbye Yellow Brick Road"...
