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PEACHTREE ROAD
Elton John
(Mercury/Universal)
He's still standing. Or is that standing still? It's tough to be sure sometimes on Elton John's 26th non-soundtrack studio disc Peachtree Road.
On the one hand, this ballad-heavy dozen-song set feels like a continuation of 2001's promising Songs From the West Coast, with Elton embracing a rootsy earthiness more in line with '70s fare like Tumbleweed Connection than '80s glop like Reg Strikes Back.
On the other hand, all that deja vu isn't always a plus -- often, you get the nagging feeling Elton is consciously mining and trading on his own past, reworking old material for some of these songs.
Sure, after 35 years on the job, he's nothing if not a confident and competent tunesmith. As a result, the gently rocking melody of Porch Swing in Tupelo, the Philadelphia Freedom soul of Answer in the Sky, the countrified piano-blues of Turn the Lights Out When You Leave and even the hillbilly boogie of They Call Her the Cat are all likable and listenable, even if they can't hold a candle in the wind to his classics.
Bottom line: You gotta like the fact that Elton seems more concerned with songcraft than the singles chart. And we're glad he's getting back in touch with his past.
But for this artistic comeback to really stick, he's going to have to start thinking about the future.
Track Listing
1. Weight of the World
2. Porch Swing in Tupelo
3. Answer in the Sky
4. Turn the Lights Out When You Leave
5. My Elusive Drug
6. They Call Her the Cat
7. Freaks in Love
8. All That I'm Allowed (I'm Thankful)
9. I Stop and I Breathe
10. Too Many Tears
11. It's Getting Dark in Here
12. I Can't Keep This from You