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| Songs from the West Coast | ||||
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| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | 1 October 2001 | |||
| Recorded | 18 September 2000 – 30 April 2001 | |||
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| Genre | Pop rock | |||
| Length | 54:06 | |||
| Label | ||||
| Producer | Patrick Leonard | |||
| Elton John chronology | ||||
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| Singles from Songs from the West Coast | ||||
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Songs from the West Coast is the twenty-sixth studio album by English musician Elton John, released worldwide on 1 October 2001.
For this album, John once again collaborated with long-time lyricist Bernie Taupin, marking the first time the pair had written together in person. Patrick Leonard produced the album and played keyboards on several songs, as was the case for The Road to El Dorado soundtrack, released the year before.
Drummer Nigel Olsson returned to the Elton John Band full-time and Tata Vega makes an early appearance as a backup vocalist, joining the band later. Stevie Wonder, who previously worked with John on the songs "I Guess That's Why They Call It the Blues" and "That's What Friends Are For", played harmonica and clavinet on "Dark Diamond". Guy Babylon, Bob Birch and John Mahon, three of John's band members at the time, do not appear on this album.
It was the first non-soundtrack studio album from John to be released after PolyGram and Universal Music Group merged, consolidating distribution rights to his entire catalogue.
Rufus Wainwright sings backing vocals on the track "American Triangle", which is about Matthew Shepard, a gay college student who was brutally murdered in 1998. [1] The album was dedicated to Shepard and Oliver Johnstone, band member Davey Johnstone's late son.
John has said that the inspiration for many of the songs on this album came from when he listened to Heartbreaker by Ryan Adams.
In an interview with Jon Wiederhorn in 2001, John revealed that the album was recorded using analogue tape, as he believes "the voice and instruments sound warmer".
In 2002, the album was repackaged as a special edition containing a bonus disc with remixes, B-sides and non-album singles from the time of its release.
"I Want Love" was the first single to be released from the album, later going on to be nominated for a Grammy Award. It reached No. 9 in the UK Singles Chart, No. 10 on the US Billboard Bubbling Under chart and No. 6 on the Adult Contemporary chart. It reached No. 9 in Canada. "This Train Don't Stop There Anymore" and "Original Sin" also became hit singles. None of the songs from this album hit the Billboard Hot 100 in the United States, which froze John's record of 31 years with at least one song in the Billboard Hot 100 (30 with at least one in the top 40).
The music video for the song "I Want Love" was directed by Sam Taylor-Wood and features actor Robert Downey Jr. lip-synching to the song. [2] He is the only person to appear in the video. The entire video is one long shot where the camera follows Downey from room to room of a large empty house (Greystone Mansion).
The music video for the song "This Train Don't Stop There Anymore" features Justin Timberlake portraying a young John.
The music video for the song "Original Sin" features Elizabeth Taylor and Mandy Moore. It also features John playing the father of Moore's character and the husband of Taylor's character. Moore was the centre of the video, who plays a huge Elton John fan from the 1970s who is transported by a dream (à la The Wizard of Oz ) to one of his concerts, where she socialises with various celebrities of the period (Bette Midler, Sonny & Cher, Barbra Streisand, etc.) played by look-alikes. Then at the end she wakes up and John's character asks, "Who is this Elton John, anyway?" It also has more of an upbeat dance mix to the music.
Photographed by Sam Taylor-Wood, the restaurant shown on the album's cover is Rae's Restaurant, which is frequently used as a location for many Los Angeles-based film shoots, including 1993's True Romance and 2005's Lords of Dogtown . John's partner David Furnish and his Director of Operations Bob Halley appear on the album cover: Furnish as a cowboy at the bar and Halley as the man getting handcuffed.
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| The Advocate | favourable [3] |
| AllMusic |   [4] |
| The Encyclopedia of Popular Music | [5] |
| Entertainment Weekly | A− [6] |
| The Guardian | [7] |
| Jam! | favourable [8] |
| Los Angeles Times | positive [9] |
| People | favourable [10] |
| Rolling Stone | [11] |
| BBC | favourable [12] |
For the most part, Songs from the West Coast was warmly received by music critics. AllMusic's Stephen Thomas Erlewine was glad that John made a record that sounds like his classic albums from the early 1970s, even though he still included some adult contemporary material. Erlewine went on to say that the record does not have all the "warmth" of his classic albums, but that it is still the best album he has made in years. [4] Ken Tucker of Entertainment Weekly stated that the album effectively sounds like John's early recordings. He felt that Taupin's lyrics, such as "American Triangle", devalue the song, but at other times make John "liberated". [6] Jane Stevenson, writing for Jam! CANOE, felt glad that John returned to his roots, even if he does not quite make it there. [8] Barry Walters of Rolling Stone wrote that back-to-the-roots albums by artists rarely work, but John was able to make it work on Songs from the West Coast even if some songs, such as "American Triangle" and "The Emperor's New Clothes", miss the mark. Others, like "I Want Love", effectively manage to sound like his earlier work. [11]
All songs written by Elton John and Bernie Taupin.
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "The Emperor's New Clothes" | 4:28 |
| 2. | "Dark Diamond" | 4:26 |
| 3. | "Look Ma, No Hands" | 4:22 |
| 4. | "American Triangle" | 4:49 |
| 5. | "Original Sin" | 4:49 |
| 6. | "Birds" | 3:51 |
| 7. | "I Want Love" | 4:35 |
| 8. | "The Wasteland" | 4:21 |
| 9. | "Ballad of the Boy in the Red Shoes" | 4:52 |
| 10. | "Love Her Like Me" | 3:58 |
| 11. | "Mansfield" | 4:56 |
| 12. | "This Train Don't Stop There Anymore" | 4:39 |
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Your Song" (with Alessandro Safina) | 4:21 |
| 2. | "Teardrops" (with Lulu) | 4:45 |
| 3. | "The North Star" | 5:29 |
| 4. | "Original Sin" (Junior's Earth mix) | 3:52 |
| 5. | "Your Song" (with Alessandro Safina; Almighty mix) | 4:33 |
| 6. | "I Want Love" (video) | |
| 7. | "This Train Don't Stop There Anymore" (video) | |
| 8. | "Your Song" (video) |
| Year | Nominee / work | Award | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2002 [13] | "I Want Love" | Best Pop Vocal Album | Nominated |
| 2003 [14] | "Original Sin" | Best Pop Vocal Performance – Male | Nominated |
Weekly charts
| Year-end charts
|
| Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
|---|---|---|
| Australia (ARIA) [38] | Gold | 35,000^ |
| Canada (Music Canada) [39] | Gold | 50,000^ |
| Denmark (IFPI Danmark) [40] | Platinum | 50,000^ |
| Italy (FIMI) [41] | Platinum | 100,000* |
| Norway (IFPI Norway) [42] | Gold | 25,000* |
| Sweden (GLF) [43] | Gold | 40,000^ |
| Switzerland (IFPI Switzerland) [44] | Gold | 20,000^ |
| United Kingdom (BPI) [45] | 2× Platinum | 600,000^ |
| United States (RIAA) [46] | Gold | 500,000 [47] |
| Summaries | ||
| Europe (IFPI) [48] | Platinum | 1,000,000* |
* Sales figures based on certification alone. | ||
Peachtree Road is the twenty-seventh studio album by English musician Elton John, released on 9 November 2004. The album was named after Peachtree Road, the northern part of Peachtree Street in Atlanta, where one of John's four homes is located. This is the only album during his long career on which John has sole credit as producer, although on some previous projects he was listed as a co-producer, with Clive Franks, or Greg Penny. It was recorded in January 2004.
Madman Across the Water is the fourth studio album by English musician Elton John, released on 5 November 1971 by DJM and Uni Records. The album was his third album to be released in 1971, at which point John had been rising to prominence as a popular music artist. John's first progressive rock album, Madman Across the Water contains nine tracks, each composed and performed by John and with lyrics written by songwriting partner Bernie Taupin. Yes keyboardist Rick Wakeman plays Hammond organ on two songs.
Honky Château is the fifth studio album by English musician Elton John. It was released on 19 May 1972, and was titled after the 18th century French chateau where it was recorded, Château d'Hérouville. The album reached number one on the US Billboard 200, the first of John's seven consecutive US number one albums.
Goodbye Yellow Brick Road is the seventh studio album by English singer, pianist, and composer Elton John, first released on 5 October 1973 as a double album by DJM Records. Recorded at the Studio d'enregistrement Michel Magne at the Château d'Hérouville in France, the album became a double LP once John and his band became inspired by the locale. Among the 17 tracks, the album contains the hits "Candle in the Wind," US number-one single "Bennie and the Jets," "Goodbye Yellow Brick Road" and "Saturday Night's Alright for Fighting", along with the live favourite "Funeral for a Friend/Love Lies Bleeding."
Rock of the Westies is the tenth studio album by English musician Elton John, released on 24 October 1975. The title is a pun on the phrase "West of the Rockies", the album having been recorded at Caribou Ranch in the Rocky Mountains of Colorado.
The One is the twenty-third studio album by British recording artist Elton John, released on 22 June 1992. It was recorded at Studio Guillaume Tell in Paris, produced by Chris Thomas and managed by John Reid. The album was dedicated to Vance Buck, and its cover artwork was designed by Gianni Versace.
Too Low for Zero is the seventeenth studio album by English musician Elton John, released in 1983. The album marked a comeback for John, whose previous four albums had failed to yield many enduring international hit singles, and had disappointing sales compared to his string of hit records released during the first half of the 1970s.
Ice on Fire is the nineteenth studio album by English musician Elton John, released in 1985. It was recorded at Sol Studios and his first album since Blue Moves produced by his original long-time producer, Gus Dudgeon. David Paton and Charlie Morgan appear for the first time on bass and drums respectively, replacing original band members Dee Murray and Nigel Olsson. Fred Mandel, who had played with John during the Breaking Hearts tour, also contributed guitar and keyboards.
Reg Strikes Back is the twenty-first studio album by English musician Elton John, released in 1988. It was his self-proclaimed comeback album, and his own way of fighting back against bad press. The "Reg" in Reg Strikes Back refers to John's birth name, Reginald Kenneth Dwight.
Made in England is the twenty-fourth studio album by English musician Elton John, released in 1995. It was produced by John and Greg Penny, his first album since Leather Jackets without producer Chris Thomas. The album was dedicated to John's boyfriend and future husband David Furnish. It was also dedicated to the memory of Denis Gauthier and Peter Williams. It was the last album to feature regular percussionist Ray Cooper until 2016's Wonderful Crazy Night. Bob Birch became John's full-time recording and touring bass player until his death in 2012.
Breaking Hearts is the eighteenth studio album by English musician Elton John, released in 1984. It features the quartet of John, Davey Johnstone, Dee Murray and Nigel Olsson. There were four top-40 singles from the album: "Sad Songs ", "Who Wears These Shoes", "In Neon", and the UK No. 5 hit "Passengers".
The Big Picture is the twenty-fifth studio album by English musician Elton John. It was released on September 22, 1997 through The Rocket Record Company and Mercury Records. The album was recorded at Townhouse Studios in London and is John's last release to date to be produced by Chris Thomas.
Jump Up! is the sixteenth studio album by English musician Elton John. It was released in 1982 by The Rocket Record Company except in the US and Canada, where it was released by Geffen Records. In the United States, the album was certified gold by the RIAA in November 1982.
Duets is the first collaboration studio album by English musician Elton John, released in 1993. The album debuted at No. 7 in the UK. In the US, it peaked at number 25 on the Billboard 200 chart and was certified platinum in January 1994 by the RIAA.
"Friends" Original Soundtrack Recording, released in 1971, is the fourth official album release by Elton John. It was a project John and Bernie Taupin took on before their breakout success in the US, and served as the soundtrack album for the Friends film released in the same year. It was certified Gold in April 1971 by the RIAA. It became John's third gold record in as many months in that market. The title track was a minor hit in the US despite the film's mediocre performance. The album also received a 1972 Grammy nomination for Best Original Score Written for a Motion Picture.
Sleeping with the Past is the twenty-second studio album by English musician Elton John, released on 4 September 1989. It is his best-selling album in Denmark and is dedicated to his longtime writing partner Bernie Taupin. The album features "Sacrifice" and "Healing Hands", which were issued as a double A-side and became John's first solo number-one single in his home country of the UK. The single's success helped the album also hit number one there, his first since 1974's Elton John's Greatest Hits. It also became his first platinum album in the UK since 1985's Ice on Fire. In the US it was certified gold in October 1989 and platinum in April 1990 by the RIAA. Sleeping with the Past became John's best selling album of the 1980s.
Blaze of Glory is the debut solo studio album by Jon Bon Jovi, the frontman of Bon Jovi. The album was released on August 7, 1990, through Mercury Records. It includes songs from and inspired by the movie Young Guns II. Emilio Estevez originally approached Bon Jovi to ask him for permission to include the song "Wanted Dead or Alive" on the soundtrack.
The Captain & the Kid is the twenty-eighth studio album by English musician Elton John, released in 2006. It is his second autobiographical album with lyricist Bernie Taupin, picking up where Captain Fantastic and the Brown Dirt Cowboy (1975) left off. The Captain & the Kid chronicles the events in their lives over the intervening three decades.
The Diving Board is the twenty-ninth studio album by English musician Elton John. It is the second of his studio releases since 1979's Victim of Love without any of his regular band members. The album was released in the United Kingdom on 16 September 2013 and debuted at No. 3 on the UK album chart, his highest-charting studio album in his home country since 2001's Songs from the West Coast, and at No. 4 on the Billboard 200. It is also his highest-charting solo album in the United States since Blue Moves in 1976.
The albums discography of British singer, songwriter and pianist Elton John consists of 32 studio albums, 5 live albums, 10 soundtrack albums, 16 compilation albums, 4 extended plays, 3 tribute albums, 4 collaboration albums, and 2 holiday albums.
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