TORONTO -- I had a major concert flashback last night.

As the familiar sound of Elton John's Funeral For A Friend, from his 1973 benchmark album, Goodbye Yellow Brick Road, opened the British piano man's show at the Air Canada Centre, I was transported back to my very first concert experience.

I was all of 12 years old, accompanied by elementary school friends and my older sister, who had to be tracked down when I fainted while standing in a massive lineup to get inside the Pacific National Coliseum in Vancouver.

Some nice man scooped me up from the ground, brushed past the sweaty hordes and took me to the first aid centre, where after a couple of minutes, the blood rushed back to my head and I was able to make my way to my seat before the show began.

Following that excitement was the concert itself, which captured John at the height of his powers, given this was the tour in support of Goodbye Yellow Brick Road.

Now I'm not saying that John's sold-out show in front of 18,500 people last night at the ACC compared to the thrill of that experience but he certainly redeemed himself after a couple of painful decades of producing schlocky pop balladry and Disney tunes.

The 54-year-old John told the audience it would be a night of "familiar" songs. And he wasn't kidding. Someone Saved My Life Tonight. Bennie and the Jets. Philadelphia Freedom. Rocket Man. Daniel. And that was just in the first hour of a 23/4-hour performance.

He also informed us that there would be some new tunes from his just-released latest album, Songs From The West Coast, which he said he was very proud of.

The new record, featuring John collaborating with longtime songwriting partner Bernie Taupin, features a stripped-down sound more akin to his golden '70s period.

West Coast, represented in total by seven songs, was first represented by Ballad of the Boy in the Red Shoes, which John explained was about U.S. politicians failing to act when the AIDS epidemic broke out in the '80s.

"The Reagan administration, followed by the Bush administration, did absolutely nothing," said John in his first political statement of the night.

Other strong comments were reserved for the terrorist attacks on New York City before he launched into Mona Lisa and the Mad Hatters -- a tune set in the Big Apple -- and the shocking 1998 murder of gay Wyoming student Matthew Shepard, which inspired the new song, American Triangle.

"I didn't think human beings could be that evil and then something happens 31/2 weeks ago that surpasses that," said John, shaking his head.

Other new material included pumped-up rockers, The Wasteland and Birds, the first single, I Want Love, featuring actor Robert Downey Jr. lipsynching in the video shown on two large screens, and Original Sin, which John dedicated to his "Canadian family." (His long-time partner is film-maker David Furnish, of Toronto).

But none really matched the glorious heights of such oldies but still vital goodies as Love Lies Bleeding, Bennie and the Jets, Rocket Man, Daniel, Take Me to the Pilot, Levon, The Bitch is Back, Saturday Night's Alright for Fighting, Don't Let the Sun Go Down on Me and Candle in the Wind.

Decked out in a sparkly blazer patterned in orange, red, and black material suitable for pillow coverings -- God bless him -- and orange tinted glasses, John was accompanied by a five-piece group including longtime bandmates Davey Johnstone on guitar and Nigel Olsson on drums.

But his stage, which offered 360 degree views, was uncharacteristically stripped down.

John, in great voice and piano form throughout the night, casually made his entrance and sat at the piano.

Although after almost every song he made a point of standing up and waving, bowing or giving two thumbs up. Later on, he even high-fived people standing at the front of the stage and signed autographs.

JAM! Rating: 4.5 out of 5(More on Elton John)

Set List

Funeral for A Friend/Love Lies Bleeding

Someone Saved My Life Tonight

Bennie and the Jets

Philadelphia Freedom

Ballad of the Boy with the Red Shoes

The Wasteland

RocketMan

Daniel

Roy Rogers

Mansfield

Meal Ticket

I Want Love

Birds

Country Comfort

Take Me to the Pilot

Mona Lisa and the Mad Hatters

Holiday Inn

Tiny Dancer

Levon

American Triangle

Original Sin

I'm Still Standing

The Bitch is Back

Saturday Night's Alright for Fighting

First Encore

Believe

Crocodile Rock

Second Encore

Your Song

Don't Let the Sun Go Down on Me

Candle in the Wind