You know me by now. There’s always a story to everything I write. My review of Elton John’s new CD is no exception.

I have a friend named Kerryl. Not only is she a great friend—she makes the best coconut cake. And . . . she’s also connected to Sir Elton John in an indirect manner. Her niece was at one time Elton’s roommate.

I knew this. We know a lot about each other, however, this week when we met for lunch, I asked her to stop with me at the store to buy Elton’s latest CD. It was then she reminded me again of the connection.

“That’s right. Hey, did you ever get to meet him, Kerryl?”

“No.”

“Oh, well . . . I bet you have a big Elton John collection, though!”

“No. I don’t have any of his records.”

“Why?”

“I just have never bought any. I’m not a music collection kind of person.”

And she’s not. She likes music. She has CDs. She just doesn’t spend as much time as I do in music departments and on Amazon.com. However, our friendship works well – and occasionally there is cake! We also go to concerts together. Let’s see, there’s been Clay Aiken, Blue Man Group—later this year we will see Clay Aiken again, and Genesis in September.

Although we may not get to see Elton together in concert, I’m definitely making sure she gets his newest CD. It’s like a concert in a small plastic case.

Rocket Man – Number Ones is a two disc set. On the first disc you get seventeen songs. Twelve are tried and true number ones and include hits like “Bennie & The Jets” and “Can You Feel The Love Tonight?” I will give you the whole listing of works at the end of the article and you will find five songs that are a pleasant surprise.

One of my favorites is “Tiny Dancer”, a song written about Maxine Feibelmann, a dancer who was on tour with Elton and who later married Bernie Taupin. They are divorced now, but the song will forever be a beautiful story and mind’s eye visual performance to me. Close your eyes when you listen, you can see her dance.

Now, one song I would have liked on this compilation is “Ticking.” That is just me, and that song is another of my all-time favorites.

When you’re finished listening to disc one, you’ll be filled with memories of where you were and what you were doing at the time each of the songs hit the airwaves. It was a nice return to the past. You can sing along, wash dishes, take a walk, or just listen. It was nice to have all the hits in one place.

As much as I love the music, I really loved the second disc in the set. The DVD is also broken up into two sections.

Five videos (the good kind – the when MTV was all about videos kind) are on the disc. “Tinderbox” is nostalgic and you see some of the old band mates when they were young and footage of shows and concerts, bus trips and plane rides. The cinematography is awesome and I’m not sure if I watched or listened more.

If you remember “I Want Love”, this is a haunting piece that uses Robert Downey, Jr. He’s in an empty apartment looking for love with sad eyes, hardwood floors, a fireplace and great windows. I think I want to live there. Although the focus in this piece is on Downey, Elton sings lyrics that weave a story. You will also smile at the video of “I Guess That’s Why They Call It The Blues.” This video hits home now with the war and so many soldiers leaving and returning to the United States. At the end of the “Your Song” video, I clapped. In my study, alone with my cat, Gus, I clapped at my laptop screen.

Don’t fear if you’re a fan of live music. This compilation has something on there for you as well. You can see performances from Elton’s “The Red Piano Show” in Las Vegas.

After watching the concert set I decided I may be wrong; I might get Kerryl to an Elton John concert yet! I forgot how great he was on stage. I saw him in Cleveland a long time ago. I was a size 5 then, more interested in scanning the crowd for boys then appreciating that I was in the presence of a fantastic performer. Oh, so is youth.

Speaking of youth, if you are a bit older, like me, this is a great CD to share with your kids. They will get a good review of Elton’s work and also get to see him perform.

Also, just a bit of added info, remember when we talked about the RIAA? This is one of those disc sets considered as 2 separate CDs. If a set sells 1 million copies, the “double Album” can be certified as double platinum.

This article is my opinion and I welcome you to differ or agree in our Pop Talk forum. Let me know what you think.

Have a great weekend.

Chel

Rocket Man, Number Ones by Elton John
©2007 Mercury Records, Ltd.