REVIEW - Elton John & Leon Russell – The Union – Decca Records
October 31, 2010 – This project started after Elton John just happened to mention his chief influences on “Spectacle,” a TV program hosted by Elvis Costello and produced by him and partner David Furnish. “I talked about three singer/songwriters that I thought had been forgotten; says John, “Leon Russell was one of them. The other two were Laura Nyro and David Ackles, who have both passed away.” This was 2008, flash forward one year later, by then Furnish had downloaded the music of this special group of legends. While on safari in South Africa, of all places, Elton was completely taken off-guard yet pleasantly surprised to hear Russell’s “Retrospective” coming from Furnish’s ipod and he cried. In fact, Elton cried uncontrollably. I call these “musical JFK moments” – we always remember where we were when they happened and they change us. The moment certainly rejigged Elton John and this album served as a diary for that muse.

Elton was heavily influenced by Russell, the pair knew each other after sharing gigs in the early seventies, but their relationship had been severed by 37 years of different roads and decisions. Long story short, Elton decided to call Russell followed by producer T Bone Burnett?’ Elton’s long-awaited thank you to Russell was going to finally happen.

Before I start foaming at the mush over “The Union” I'd be remiss not to mention that this project is like fine wine so the young ones probably won’t get it. You can’t jump to the last scene of “Gone with the Wind” and expect to feel a damn thing. Having an appreciation for the history and the music makes a difference.

What’s learned in a lifetime? Some old-cat musicians get lost on the way to the bathroom let alone remember how they earned their Rock ‘n Roll kingdom. Both John and Russell had their own dance with drugs, but they never got too lost to forget how to build brilliance. It could be that the sum is greater than the whole of its parts kind of thing. Honestly, I don’t care. This album truly surpassed any idea I had of John and Russell at this point in their careers.

“If It Wasn’t For Bad” opens the album, calendar pages flipping back in time, to John’s “Tumbleweed Connections” or “Madman Across the Water” era of the early seventies. This intro track is soaked with Gospel/Blues and fuelled by a backbone of trombones, a trumpet and tuba. John’s early Russell influence was obvious to some and this tune easily made me feel a little mushy – they found each other after all those years.

“Eight Hundred Dollar Shoes,” penned by John and his long time songwriting partner Bernie Taupin, is more garden variety Elton John. Though pretty and melodic it could have been taken from any one of his albums from the last 20 years.

With “Hey Ahab” the project hits top speed. Another John/Taupin number with a deliberate strong-march  “get-the-hell-out-of-my way” bass backbone. I kept thinking of Bruce Hornsby during the track, a long time fan of both John and Russell, I couldn’t help but imagine him recording something very similar and that’s a compliment for all three.

“Gone to Shiloh” features Russell on intro lead vocals with John joining in the chorus with special guest Neil Young. It has that sombre taste of war and torn feelings of optimism that’s usually too hard to hold on to.

“Jimmy Rodgers Dream” is a familiar road trip to Nashville. Russel knows it well and Elton fans have cherished his Country/Bluegrass/Folk inspirations of the American old-west songs like “Roy Rogers,” “Indian Sunset” and “Texas Love Song.” Russ Pahl makes it work with a blanket of pedal steel.

Like most, I found it easier to reminisce about the golden days of Elton John with this album rather than Leon Russell (I have 42 Elton albums while only 3 Leon CD’s) “The Union” does revisit and sometimes tries to recapture the best work from both, though impossible especially for John, it does have head-scratching moments like on “Monkey Suit” where the listener is left surprised that these two old honky cats really still have the juice. This rocker, penned by John and Taupin is where Elton’s “Don’t Shoot Me” album meets one of his best post-70’s LP’s “The One.” Burnett was almost channelling the late great Gus Dudgeon (who produced most of Elton’s classic 70’s albums) and Phil Spector (Russell was part of his house band) this thumping wall of sound certainly satisfies on “Monkey Suit.”

In the past twenty years Elton’s exercise to make Taupin words sound natural in the walls of his music has almost always sounded totally in sync, though there are times Elton ends up sounding wordy. “The Best Part of the Day” is perfect John/Taupin synchronicity with hook-laden phrasing and adding Russell just makes it tastier. It’s a damn catchy tune.

“A Dream Come True,” the only song written by only John and Russell, is toe tapping and very representative of both of their pasts and the energy is infectious. Easily one of the best tunes on the album. The title may be very obvious to this great marriage. It’s a little honkey tonk that’s totally radio friendly.

John displays his best vocal performance in years on “When Love is Dying,” and though Elton’s old band is absent on this CD the tune features the “Goodbye Yellow Brick Road/Captain Fantastic”  angelic/melancholy background made famous by seventies backup band of Nigel Olsen, Davey Johnston and the late Dee Murray. Best song on the album! If someone had told me it was an outtake from the “Captain Fantastic” album I would have bought it. Even doubters would cement these two singers together on this tune.

The pair turn up the heat on “Hearts Have Turned To Stone,” another gospel flavour which serves as an understanding for long time Elton fans that might of missed the importance of Leon’s influence blanketing Elton’s earlier art. It’s also a kick ass-driving tune…

Appropriately, the last word on “The Union” goes to Russell with the soft, gospel tinged “The Hands of Angels.” Written by Russell, it’s the smallest production piece with him on vocals and piano accompanied by Martin Grebb on keys, Drew Lambert on Electric bass and a host of background singers. It’s hard not to be swept away by the glorious nature of the tune.

It’s a rare occasion when two giants of music hang together and create something in the studio without biting each other’s heads off, even rarer when the product is this good.

With the album entering the Billboard charts at #3 this week, Elton’s highest ranking since 1976’s underrated “Blue Moves,” this new project easily works for both but especially for Russell who last saw #2 on the charts with his classic “Carney” in 1972. Elton says he was angry that we had forgotten Leon; I doubt that he feels the same way now. – By John Beaudin