Music Review: Elton John, Wonderful Crazy Night

By Tyler Hodg

Since the release of his debut album Empty Sky in 1969, Elton John’s career and personal life have reached the highest of highs, and lowest of the lows. One month shy of his 69th birthday, John has long been settled in all aspects of his life, including his music style. He is comfortable no longer being the rocket man.

Wonderful Crazy Night is the latest release from the icon, and a comprehensive fit within the discography of an aging (but not fleeting) musical genius. While the album is far from his greatest composition, a few surprises and the absence of any career-tarnishing aspects make it a decent addition to his extensive discography.

Without a doubt, Wonderful Crazy Night is the most youthful record that John has put out in nearly ten years. The last two efforts, The Union and The Diving Board, were works of magic, but more adult-contemporary than ever. The brand-new album is bursting with life, both in its upbeat nature and lustful lyrics.

Through interviews, John claims the life that he’s currently carved out is something he could never imagine, and he is at his happiest. His love for life bleeds through into his music, with the majority of songs included on the album being reflective and uptempo.

But in terms of songwriting, Wonderful Crazy Night feels like a coast. John has settled on the typical song structure (verse-chorus-verse-chorus-bridge-verse-chorus), which becomes tiresome. What made the classic songs so great was that the rule book was always thrown out of the window at the famous France chateau where most of his older albums were recorded.

It would be an understatement to say that the songs are safe, but it would be an overstatement to say they are unique. And most of the unusual aspects that are in the tracks don’t come through the core of the songs themselves, but through the band. Specifically, Davey Johnston remains one of the most unique and fluid guitarists, and never fails to spice up even the most typical of songs.

In addition to the band, T-Bone Burnett returns as producer for the third album in a row. There are less whipping chains and low toms in his latest project with John, but his signature style is still there. Burnett’s involvement has surely helped in improving the album, but the overall sound of the record is too sterile to develop an electric energy.

It’s impossible to critique John’s music without taking a serious look at his counterpart, Bernie Taupin. For those who’ve lived under a rock, Taupin has written lyrics for nearly every one of John’s songs for the better amount of 50 years.

Taupin could possibly be the greatest lyricist in music history, but Wonderful Crazy Night isn’t anything to revere. One song in particular, “Tambourine,” is up there with the worst Taupin lyrics ever produced. The chorus line of “Smack in the middle / Toss it in the air / I don’t care/You can play me everywhere” is cringe-worthy. Fortunately, the rest of the tracks pass muster as listenable.

To hear an artist claim that their latest album is “exactly like the classic albums” is all too common. And let’s get real, it never is. John has never made that claim with Wonderful Crazy Night, but to much surprise, the album has tracks that could genuinely be from his heyday. Songs like “Wonderful Crazy Night” and “Looking Up” sound like they’re picked from the Caribou days, while “In the Name of You” could have easily been an album cut on Tumbleweed Connection.

There is a lot to love about Wonderful Crazy Night. The album is a well-rounded collection of good tracks that represent what appears to be a comfortable and enjoyable time in both John and Taupin’s lives. Expectations are consistently set high for their work, and the latest album is solid enough to reach them. Despite not being an “instant classic”, Wonderful Crazy Night seems to have a lasting quality that encourages revisiting.

Wonderful Crazy Night was released by Mercury Records on February 5.