Live in Australia | 
| Artist: Elton John
Label: Island
Category: Music
List Price: $13.98
Buy Used: $1.95
You Save: $12.03 (86%)
New (25) Used (32) from $1.95
Rating:  7 reviews
Sales Rank: 12541
Format: Live, Original Recording Reissued, Original Recording Remastered
Media: Audio CD
Discs: 1
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.2
Dimensions (in): 5.6 x 5 x 0.5
MPN: 558477
UPC: 731455847727
EAN: 0731455847727
ASIN: B00000APS3
Release Date: March 20, 2001
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
| |
| Tracks:
| • | Sixty Years On | | • | I Need You to Turn To | | • | Greatest Discovery | | • | Tonight | | • | Sorry Seems to Be the Hardest Word | | • | King Must Die | | • | Take Me to the Pilot | | • | Tiny Dancer | | • | Have Mercy on the Criminal | | • | Madman Across the Water | | • | Candle in the Wind | | • | Burn Down the Mission | | • | Your Song | | • | Don't Let the Sun Go Down on Me |
|
| Similar Items:
|
| Customer Reviews: Read 2 more reviews...
Elton Classics Revisited June 28, 2007
Tim Brough (Springfield, PA United States)
4 out of 4 found this review helpful
Elton's Geffen Records contract had run its course and his old home, MCA, made him an offer he couldn't refuse. MCA also wanted to bring Elton back into prominence, to regain the respect and sales he'd accumulated in the 70's. How better to do that, then, than to revisit those early songs in a live context? Better yet, Elton enlisted the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra and James Newton Howard to create a televised extravaganza with eyes towards a live album. The set list leaned heavily towards the early years (nearly half the "Elton John" album is here) and tapping some underrated songs like "Tonight" from "Blue Moves" and "Don't Shoot Me I'm Only the Piano Player's" "Have Mercy On The Criminal."
The orchestration is magnificent, utilizing the original Paul Buckmaster and James Newton Howard arrangements, and on CD they are absolutely majestic. Elton made one of his last forays into costume drama, showing up in full Mozart gear and powdered wig. "Live In Australia" even paved the way for "Candle In The Wind" to finally become an American hit, hitting number 6 in 1987. It is a gorgeous album, lush in sound and giving justification to all claims of the brilliance of Elton and Bernie's songwriting.
Only one problem: Elton's voice was almost shot. He was mere weeks away from major, voice threatening throat surgery and the roughness on his vocal chords shows. He can't sustain the highs and his falsetto is gone. On some of the songs, he makes up for it admirably. In fact, he sounds really good on the songs where range isn't a major requirement (like the dramatic "The King Must Die" or "Take Me To The Pilot"), but the ballads occasionally show the frayed spots (like "Tonight," where the orchestration is very Gershwinesque, or "Sorry Seems To Be The Hardest Word"). Had it not been for those moments where Elton's voice betrays him, this could have been a five-star definitive work, on a par with "Procol Harum Live: In Concert with the Edmonton Symphony Orchestra." While "Live In Australia" is still pretty darn good, the definitive live Elton remains the remastered "Here and There."
Remastered, But Not Improved March 16, 2007
Richard Thompson (El Paso, Texas)
6 out of 8 found this review helpful
I am a huge Elton John fan. Just saw his Captian and the Kid tour in February. Fantastic! Best 2 1/2 hour show I have ever seen. Just as good as the Fleetwood Mac 2003 Say You Will tour. Anyway, let's all just keep hoping and praying that Universal / Chronicles Music group will put out a Deluxe 2-disc set of Elton John's Live In Australia album, the complete show, including the 90 minute opening set of Elton's band without the Melbourne Symphony (check out the video of the show).
This quote "Remastered" version is no more than a re-issue by Island Records. It has no more output or better sound than my original Live In Australia issued by BMG back in 1986. Don't waste your money if you are looking for improved sound. It does have a nicer booklet and new liner notes, but that's all.
The same thing happened to me when I purchased the 2001 Island version of Elton John's Greatest Hits 1976-1986. I figured the newer version surely would sound better than the old 1992 original version. WRONG. They were exactly the same.
Now you know.
 If I could only own one CD this would be it February 22, 2007
T. Ashley (huntington Indiana)
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
I can listen to this CD over and over and over without getting tired of it. I just absolutely love the orchestra backing up ELton's raspy singing voice, the combination is magical to me. I am not as fond of the music coming from Elton John in the last decade or two as I was in his earlier days, and this album to me is ELton singing the best of the best. I also especially like that at least half of the songs are not his most known songs and so they have not been played on the radio ad nauseum (even though I play them in my car ad nauseum!)
 Broken CD box June 12, 2009
M. BENSON (Belgium)
Music from EJ is always a joy, but beware of transit damage to fragile CD boxes!!!!!!!!!!!
Passionate or Overblown? April 6, 2008
David Sigler (Baltimore, Maryland)
Being a die hard Elton fan is sometimes not easy. I've titled this review to compare two major thoughts I always have while listening to this cd. I can never quite make up my mind where this is a truly passionate delivery from Elton or just completely overblown effort. Let me explain. There's no doubt that Elton pours his heart out on this release. He was in the midst of a tabloid scandal in Britain, his latest studio album didn't do so well(Leather Jackets) and was also at the height of his drug abuse. Not to mention a voice problem that led to surgery. On this release, his voice has no enjoyable quality: it's ragged, strained and monotone. It's a shame because staging a show this large just can't be canceled. So on with the show despite the singer's troubled vocal chords.
But the orchestrations of these songs are simply superb. James Newton-Howard embellishes the most appealing moments from these early tracks (Paul Buckmaster did the original arrangements on the early '70 tracks). There are some standout performances here to: I Need You To Turn To and The Greatest Discovery, in particular due to their delicate lyrics which benefit from the understated arrangements here. On the other hand, Take Me To The Pilot, in which Elton appears to struggle through, is so overdone, it's no wonder his vocals were showing signs of problems. He can barely get through it without sounding out of breath.
Many of these songs are taken from the classic years ('70-'76). Some real notable songs from Elton's Geffen years ('81-'86) were omitted due to record label contract issues (Elton returned to MCA for this 1987 release after 6 years with Geffen). But the listener missed out on some key tracks such as the brillant Cold As Christmas from '83's Too Low For Zero and Slow Rivers, one of the few highlights from '86's Leather Jackets.
All in all, if you can get past his voice here, you will enjoy the cd overall. It's such a shame that his voice wasn't better for such a high profile ocassion.
Best Tracks: 60 Years On, I Need You To Turn To, Madman Across The Water.
|
|
|
