Comments for John, Elton, Empty Sky

Enigmatic album. Lyrics are downright bizarre and unitelligible in some places -- even Bernie, the lyricist, says he doesn't know what he was writing about -- and the music tends to be eclectic. Liberal use of harpischords, for example. Good track is "Skyline Pigeon," Bernie's first serious deep lyric, I think. The piano remake is lots better.

This album rocks!

Too much harpsichord, and flute. At times the album sounds closer to Jethro Tull than Elton John! Skyline pigeon is definitely the best track, but the piano only version on Here 7 There is astronomically better. I can't believe this album has a higher rating than GBYBR! What is wrong with you people?!?

I think this is a very good album. Piano version Skyline Pigeon much better. so what if not all the lyrics are serious! Imagination helped make this album great.

I love the feel of immediacy this album retains, in spite of all the pasted-upon chamber-orchestra trickery. Great vocals in the title track. "Western Ford Gateway" sounds bizarre, "The Scaffold" is a sort of rip-off from the Band's "Long Black Veil" and it works less well. But all in all the songs gel into an effective depiction of teenage English daydreaming about another country's way of life. This album makes me think that the idea one has of an idolized far away place (the Wild West, the pioneers old frontier) might reflect on one's perception of everyday reality in an oblique manner, pointing to totally abstract poetic results. Yes, the piano version of "Skyline Pigeon" on the live album "Here and There" is definitely superior. Leonardo.

This album is vastly underrrated, both as an Elton John album and as an example of the excellent British music being put out at its time of release. The title track is particularly addictive, the first version of Skyline Pigeon is inspiring and the sound collage of all the tracks blended at the conclusion is adventurous. An impressive start of an impressive album catalogue by Elton. An unjustly dismissed effort.

the coolest thing about this album isn't that it's elton's debut but that it's a true 60's relic. granted there's nothing here that wasn't done by someone else first but the influences are genuine and combined in a new exciting way. come to think of it that's a statement that could apply to elton's career. as a statement of what was going on in the late 60's as far as "hip" white rock this is an excellent microcasm but if you're looking for a typical blast of elton's usual antics buy something else.

If this does indeed have a higher rating than ''Yellow Brick Road'', then I''m throwing myself off a f****** bridge. "Skyine Pigeon" is cool, but the 1973 B-side piano version is soooo much better.

The first album..Notice the change in style compared to newer albums