Second appointment dedicated to Elton John: today we talk about "Goodbye Yellow Brick Road".

After a first European tour riding the wave of success from "Elton John," in August 1970 the artist landed in America for a series of six dates at the Troubadour in Los Angeles. The American audience was nothing short of enthusiastic, to the point that it became necessary to extend the tour by adding dates in San Francisco and New York. For these occasions, Elton showed off eccentric and extravagant looks, which he himself described as a way to leave behind a childhood full of constant restrictions. The artist's emancipation also passed through his sexuality, so much so that during this period he met and fell in love with EMI promoter John Reid, with whom he would have his first homosexual relationship away from the spotlight. In October 1970, "Tumbleweed Connection" was released, an album that rooted its sound in roots rock and American country western atmospheres. Once again made in collaboration with Gus Dudgeon, the record is an authentic rock masterpiece, widely praised by critics and included by Rolling Stone among the 500 greatest albums of all time. Elton John was now more determined than ever to extend his popularity worldwide, and to do so he decided to hire his partner John Reid as his manager. In 1971, a long tour began that would stop in the United States, England, Japan, and Australia, this time as a headliner. That same year, "Friends" was also released, written as the soundtrack for the film of the same name, in which a softer rock side of the John-Taupin duo emerges. But 1971 was an extremely productive year for the artist, who in April also released his first live album "17-11-70" and in November his fourth album "Madman Across the Water," recorded in just three days with the now indispensable Paul Buckmaster and Gus Dudgeon. It wasn't long before Elton released his next album: in May 1972 "Honkey Château" came out, which stayed at the top of the US charts for five weeks. Adding value to this latest work is the memorable ballad "Rocketman," in which Taupin tells the story of an astronaut leaving for a space mission, torn between the desire for discovery and the melancholy of being separated from his family. 1973 saw the release of two more albums, the lesser-known “Don’t Shoot Me I’m Only the Piano Player” (which features the lively “Crocodile Rock”) and “Goodbye Yellow Brick Road,” the artist’s definitive masterpiece, a double album consisting of seventeen tracks, for a total of almost 80 minutes of music straddling glam rock, power ballads, and psychedelic turns. Recorded at the Château d'Hérouville studios (where “Honky Chateau” and “Don't Shoot Me I'm Only the Piano Player” were also made), Elton's seventh work opens with “Funeral for a Friend/Love Lies Bleeding,” a progressive suite that transforms from a solemn funeral march into a thrilling rock 'n roll accompanied by Davey Johnstone's guitar, Dee Murray's bass, and Nigel Olsson's drums. Next comes the sweet ballad “Candle in The Wind,” later adapted for the death of Lady Diana in 1997 and becoming one of the artist's greatest hits. The R&B of “Bennie and the Jets” then gives way to the title track, which, like many songs written by Taupin, nostalgically dives into the past to tell the need to reconnect with one's roots. After the ballad “This Song Has No Title” and the orchestral “Grey Seal,” the Afro-Caribbean atmospheres of “Jamaica Jerk-Off” come into play, followed by the jazz elegance of “I’ve Seen That Movie Too.” The second part of the album, introduced by “Sweet Painted Lady,” consecrates Elton as a central figure in the glam rock scene thanks to tracks like “Dirty Little Girl,” “All The Girls Love Alice,” and "Saturday Night's Alright (For Fighting)" (the latter also performed by bands like The Who and Queen). Critics did not hesitate to call “Goodbye Yellow Brick Road” one of Elton's best works, which quickly achieved worldwide success, reaching the top of the American charts for eight weeks and climbing numerous European charts, with a total to date of over 30 million copies sold.

We now leave you to listen to the delicate and emotional title track “Goodbye Yellow Brick Road,” included by Rolling Stone among the 500 greatest songs of all time.