A Single Man (1978)

*Ignore all other online reviews for this record. This one is correct!*

Elton John's A Single Man is the first without his best friend and writing partner, Bernie Taupin. It’s a creative endeavor often marked by experimentation as it offers quite a lot of diversity. From somber piano ballads to disco-infused rock, each track holds a unique place in Elton's extensive catalog. This record is far from perfect and maybe even be short of “good”. Considering the nuances, occasional strengths, and missteps that shape this record, here are my ultimate thoughts.

Shine on Through is a somber ballad opening the album with isolated vocals and piano. Though not reaching the heights of classics, Elton's strong vocals and emotive delivery, paired with evolving orchestral grandeur, make it a gorgeous album opener. Return to Paradise is deeply infused with tropical cliches. The song introduces steel drum elements, giving it that Caribbean feel. While fresh, the song lacks vitality, and the Spanish-styled horns and guitar, though agreeable, don't elevate it. The track's lyrical depth falls short, making it a miss despite the innovative musical elements.

With energetic vibes, I Don’t Care features gospel-like backing vocals, lively piano, and catchy guitar interplay. A significant step up as it stands as one of the album's strongest tracks. Despite slight repetitiveness, its overall dynamic composition and toe-tapability distinguish it positively. Big Dipper ventures into a whimsical Carnival Burlesque-like style, reminiscent of a New Orleans Disney cartoon. While unique, it falters in execution and falls prey to repetitive elements. Simple lyrics and the lack of Taupin's touch leave this track feeling less refined compared to Elton's previous works. Not a miss that warrants skipping it, but I would understand if you didn’t save it to your library.

As the album's ‘epic’, It Ain’t Gonna Be Easy spans over 8 minutes. While it captures attention with a bluesy power-scat attempt, the repetition and a lack of lyrical depth suggest a need for some tweaking. Despite this, it remains one of my favorites on the record for its infectious energy. If you turn your critical brain off, you can really get lost in the emotion and drama of this song (in a good way).

Part Time Love weirdly explores themes of adultery and falters with uninspired lyrics and a fluffy, wimpy feel. Attempting to be upbeat and interesting, it struggles to leave a lasting impression, highlighting another miss on the album. Georgia is a cookie-cutter "gospel/pop-rock" entry. From reviews I’ve read online, it receives more praise than I think it deserves. They brought the quality with the harmonies and steel-pedal guitar. However, it falls prey to a certain blandness, lacking the spark to make it truly memorable. Also .. the state of Georgia .. dedicating a whole song to Georgia? .. It’s not all that great… (writes the Florida native).

The jazz lounge styled Shooting Star is filled with sultry saxophone that appeals to me a lot. I understand it might not for others, though. To me it is reminiscent of Idol from Blue Moves, which was one of the larger surprises and standouts to me on that record. Despite its simplicity in lyrics, the highly palatable atmosphere achieved makes it a quite a memorable track.

Madness continues the pre-disco exploration that Elton dipped his toes into on Blue Moves. I read a review that suggested the song resembles a Dudley Do-Right cartoon soundtrack. Now I can’t get that comparison out of my head. Its simplicity and length draw concerns, but the song's fun elements and impressive piano playing salvage a little extra appeal out of it. Not a lot… Just a little.

Serving as a sonic bridge, Reverie transitions from the intensity of Madness to the ballad somberness of Song for Guy. Serving as a poignant instrumental, Song for Guy is a tribute to Elton's late friend. Primarily featuring Elton's piano, subtle percussion, and a drum machine, its beauty lies in its simplicity and emotional resonance. I do find it hard to critique a song with so much emotion and lore behind it, so I’ll let you as the listener decide for yourself.

Originally a Taupin song, Ego explores Elton's ego in a Billy Joel style. It’s technically sound and its humor and meta elements are enjoyable, but there isn’t enough to make it a frequent revisit. Attempting a throwback to something maybe from the Don’t Shoot Me.. era, Flinstone Boy features pleasant acoustic guitar and piano but, again, succumbs to simplistic lyrics and repetition. Musically pleasing, yet lacking the depth for repeated listens.

I Cry at Night teeters between a great ballad and a ballad with very awkward phrasing. A strong middle portion reminiscent of Elton's self-titled record is contrasted by less polished elements in other sections. There is a solid minute where this ballad is great, and then the rest of it is just awkwardly worded and sung.

A softer disco-rocker, Lovesick attempts to be the Philadelphia Freedom of the record. It falls slightly short of its potential, but is fairly solid nevertheless. While not as standout as Philadelphia Freedom, it offers more than a mere pass in the album's context. It’s one that’ll grow on you. Closing the album, Strangers successfully channels the style of Captain Fantastic. With twangy guitars, grand ballad vibes, and impeccable harmonies, it stands as a top-tier song, concluding the record on a high note.

The landscape of this A Single Man’s experimental spirit is palpable. From hits to misses, the album is a showcase of Elton’s artistic exploration post-Bernie Taupin. I think both showcasing that Elton can do a lot on his own, but he definitely was missing the love and partnership of Taupin. As Elton would say, welcome to his “C*nt Era”.

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Highlight Songs:

• I Don’t Care

• Shooting Star

• Lovesick

• Strangers

• It Ain’t Gonna Be Easy

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Own It, Stream it, Forget about it

If you’re an Elton completist then you gotta own it, BUT, for the average listener I would suggest stream it. Not quite low enough to warrant skipping it all together, because there are a handful of songs that might get a replay or two out of you. Give it a listen, save what you want, move on to the next.

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Overall Rating:

3 Stars