Greatest Hits 1970-2002 Music

Average Rating:

But despite a well-written essay and photographs, and an extra disc featuring duets with Luciano Pavarotti and Alejandro Safina (an unbelievably overwrought "Your Song") , this collection fails against Elton's three previously released best-ofs.

Elton's first such collection from 1974 remains one of pop/rock diamonds. He, songwriting partner Bernie Taupin, producer Gus Dudgeon (who with John coordinated this set) mixed fast and slow, hard and soft, pulling pop music and cultural influences left and right to create one of music's most fertile, creative five year success runs. Repeated here, songs from that collection are missing ("Border Song") or truncated ("Daniel" and "Saturday Night's All Right For Fighting") Moreover, "Friends," among Elton's beloved songs, is missing and would have been a great value-add.

His second volume from 1977 chronicled his three years as the world's most popular singing star. Yet two #1 radio hits from that collection missed this set, his bombastic "Pinball Wizard" and his audacious, reggae-tinged take on the Beatles "Lucy In The Sky With Diamonds." Elton made those tracks from respective rock superstars his own, sealing his dominance of the era.

Elton's 1976-86 greatest hits collection, released by two different labels, covered his resurgent 80s career linked closely to the return of his piano-ballad style and acknowledgement from artists he influenced (everyone from George Michael to Guns n' Roses). Yet some remarkable songs from even that set (especially "Blue Eyes" and 1979's Thom Bell-produced "Mama Can't Buy You Love") are noticeable by their absence. Any would have formed a more compelling third disc than, say, 1990's flaccid Elton-Michael duet on "Don't Let The Sun Go Down On Me."

Even the artwork looks slipshod. The cover recreates a 70s pencil-style drawing on white cover, with dates (1970-2002) indicating a short life, not a long career Elton defiantly announced was "To Be Continued" on his 4CD box set. Yet its hard arguing with the songs here, most correctly chronicling Elton's gradual shift from camp rocker to soft rock balladeer to Broadway and film composer/ classical collaborator. This set is recommended for casual fans or those wanting one spot for Elton's biggest hits. But fans wanting to dig deeper into Elton John's music and the pop culture he epitomised are better served by the three individual sets.