Surprisingly there were no singles taken from this collection, taking Elton John on a wonderous journey into superstardom that was to spiral out of control. But for now the next 4 studio albums `Madman Across The Water', `Honky Chateau', `Don't shoot me I'm only the Piano Player', and the `Double Goodbye Yellow Brick Road' were all landmark albums in the world of rock. Unfortunately by the time of Elton's 9th Studio album `Captain Fantastic', and the `Dirt Brown Cowboys', it had all gone terribly wrong with massive egos taking over, all band members being fired and the partnership with Bernie Taupin terminated. The live shows were still great, but Elton's album output throughout the eighties and nineties was tedious at best, consisting mainly of Sub-Chicago plod-rock, before a welcome return to form last year with `Songs from the West Coast', which, not surprisingly, co-incided with him reuniting with Bernie Taupin and his old band mates, Nigel Olsson and Davy Johnstone.

But, back in 1970 with `Tumbleweed Connection', this was the first time a road band as such had been used in the studio, making it more the Elton John band rather than just Elton on his own. Nigel Olson had been offered the drum stool whilst in Brit Heavy Rockers Uriah Heep but, seeing the potential, made the job his own. He was joined by the amazing Dee Murray on bass, and the job that would soon be filled by Davey Johnstone was done by Caleb Quaye of label mates Hookfoot for these sessions.

It really was a case of everything was in position for world domination.

The album opens up with the blues rock of `Ballad of a well-known Gun', the story of a gunslinger reaching the end of the road. From there on out you are taken on a wonderful musical journey through the album's original ten songs, with a recurring wild west of America theme.

At all times the musicianship and songwriting is faultless, with Elton putting every ounce of emotion into Bernie's lyrics. The production by Gus Dudgeon was to set standards for years to come, and Paul Buckmaster's arrangements of the musical scores, both with band and strings, is nothing short of perfection, whether on epics like `Burn Down The Mission' (an amazing live version, which was laid down with just piano, bass, and drums on the band's live album 17.11.70, where you can actually hear Elton kick his piano stool away in the excitement), or on the tender `Love Song'. This only song on the album, not written by John/Taupin, is a beautiful Lesley Duncan song, which Lesley also sings on this version. But it is when Elton sits at the piano alone to regale us with `Talking Old Soldiers' that his talent really stands out. This story of an old warrior looking back on his youth whilst addressing a group of youngsters, is a shot straight at the heart.
"I know what they are saying, son
There goes old mad Joe again
Well, I maybe mad at that, I've seen enough
To make a man go out his brains"

The remastered edition of Tumbleweed connection for C.D has two bonus tracks `Old Man's Shoes', the b-side to `Your Song', which fits in perfectly with the rest of these songs. But the real treat is left till last, the original recording of the next albums title track `Mad Man Across The Water', featuring Mick Ronson on lead guitar (Ronson was just about to hit the big time himself as lead guitarist and musical director for David Bowie's Spiders from Mars band). It is a completely guitar based version clocking in at nearly nine minutes with the piano-bass-drum format used as a rhythm section, whilst Ronson lays down some rip-roaring lead axe. He dominates this song in the same way as he did on David Bowie's `Moonage Day Dream', which he made his own. The price of the C.D is worth it for this song alone.

Add to this the artwork included in the sixteen page booklet, `Tumbleweed Connection' is a real gem.

Mott the Dog.


Before Elton was fab   May 22, 2005
John Stodder (livin' just enough)
47 out of 50 found this review helpful

As time has gone by, the music audience's awareness of Elton John's "classic" period has boiled down to his hit singles (a disproportionate number of them novelty songs or nostalgia exercises) and his most outlandish costumes. Although in recent years, he has clearly tried to put the emphasis back on his music, the image of Sir Elton John paying court to Princess Diana, wearing peacock feathers and giant clown glasses while collecting royalties on 70s nostagiac fluff like "Crocodile Rock" seemed to eliminate him from serious consideration. He was good for fun memories and a few million for good causes, but not someone whose music should be considered alongside the Stones, Springsteen, Aretha Franklin or The Band.

But at the same time as his hit singles were topping the charts, Elton John put out four or five of the best "rock" albums of rock's classic era. "Tumbleweed Connection" is the finest of them all, but it is the most neglected because nary a song off it shows up on a Greatest Hits package. Not because the album "failed" to produce a single, but because there is not one song on it that sounds like an artistic compromise, or playing for the galleries. While not exactly a "concept album," it is clearly meant to be played all at once. It sustains a mood, and is adroitly balanced between some pretty hard rockers, some gorgeous love balladry, and a couple of songs that perfectly reflect the questing, questioning qualities of rock at its most meaningful--"My Father's Gun" and especially "Where To Now, St. Peter?"

Like so many albums of the early 1970s, "Tumbleweed Connection" was heavily influenced by The Band. The lyrics also borrow heavily from the Bob Dylan of "John Wesley Harding," and the words Robert Hunter contributed to the Grateful Dead for "American Beauty" and "Workingman's Dead." The old-west/Civil War atmosphere is so thick, it is reflected in the sepia-toned packaging. The packaging also gives prominence to Taupin, underscoring that this album is a collaboration.

But it wouldn't be a great album without the artistry that Elton John brought to it as a songwriter, singer and pianist. The piano-playing is especially strong on this disk, and his singing is powerful, emotional, real; none of the archness or forced irony that started to infect his work a few years later. The piano is mixed right up front on most tracks, and is stunningly great. The guitar is rock's signature instrument, but the piano has a long tradition too, from Fats Domino and Little Richard, to brilliant sidemen like Roy Bittan and Nicky Hopkins. On this album, Elton tops them all. This record is to rock piano what "Electric Ladyland" is to the guitar.



Gentle, Expressive Country-Folk Music - His Best Album   November 8, 2001
Eric R. Last (San Bruno, CA United States)
13 out of 13 found this review helpful

Everybody seems to love this album, so what do I have to add? Like many others, I believe that "Tumbleweed Connection" is Elton John's best album. Why? Because of the SOUND. This album sounds like nothing else Elton has ever done. It has a rich acoustic sound - acoustic guitars, acoustic piano - with a healthy dose of country and folk in the arrangements. It is this sound that makes me prefer this album in the same way that the rich acoustic sound of "Blood On The Tracks" makes that my favorite Bob Dylan album. And then there are the songs! What great songs! The album kicks off with 5 straight classics - "Ballad of a Well Known Gun", Come Down in Time", "Country Comfort", "Son of Your Father", and my favorite, "My Father's Gun", a wonderful Civil War tale written from the unique perspective of a young southern man rushing off to join the Confederate army following the death of his father at the hands of Union soldiers. Bernie Taupin at the top of his game! More great songs follow: "Love Song", "Amoreena", "Burn Down The Mission". After this album John moved away from the western sound and into more pop territory. He became a hit machine in the process, but I prefer this hit-free album.


his best effort, period   October 1, 2005
K. Salaets
12 out of 13 found this review helpful

This, his third album, was his best. Recorded during many of the same sessions as his second (and first American) release, the self-titled 'Elton John,' take "Sixty Years On" from that album and add "Madman Across the Water" sans strings (which they've done here, sort of...), and you have Elton John and in absolute sync with Bernie Taupin's American vision.

I remember playing this album five times straight, lying on my bed with the lights off, staring into the darkness. Taupin's words painted living images in my imagination, while John's soundtrack and vocals, and Dudgeon's production, added color and dimension.

"My Father's Gun." "Burn Down the Mission." "Country Comfort." "Where to Now, St. Peter." "Talking Old Soldiers." You can almost smell the whiskey and taste the dust.

An absolutely amazing album. Still.


If you haven't heard it, it's new to you.   October 8, 1999
10 out of 11 found this review helpful

The one classic Elton John album I had never heard turns out to be the best one!

I became a rabid Elton John fan in 1972 when I first heard the Honky Chateau album, and remained one until 1976 when his talent seemed to dry up. During those five years there were few things more exciting for me than the release of a new Elton John album, and I also bought some of his pre-1972 albums to satisfy my appetite to hear more of his songs. However, when I would see Tumbleweed Connection in the rack at the record store it never interested me because I didn't recognize any of the song titles, and the old-west theme seemed hokey. Only recently did I buy the album (after reading a record review website which ranked it as one of the ten best albums of all time) and heard it for the first time.

Like most pre-1976 Elton John albums, this is one of those records that you can listen to from beginning to end and then immediately want to listen to it again. With the exception of a couple of boring songs ("Love Song" and "Talking Old Soldiers") this almost-a-concept-album has a beautiful flow and lots of variety, but it also has an overall earthy sound that's not as slick and popsy as his later megahit albums. It also benefits from the lack of any of the overly cute songs of later albums that sometimes made it embarrassing to be a fan (e.g. "Crocodile Rock"). Elton seems to have created an entirely original style and sound out of thin air; it formed the basis for his later pop hits, but to me it sounds better in the pure, pre-evolved form heard on this album.