One at a Time: "Elton John" (1970) by Elton John

What is One at a Time? Check out the introduction here.

#468 "Elton John" (1970) by Elton John

Elton John is a little bit uneven. "Your Song" is a classic, but one that is uneven itself. I mean, the lyrics are pretty basic. "Take Me To the Pilot", "Sixty Years On", "The Greatest Discovery", "The Cage", and "Border Song" are some of my favorite Elton John songs.

"Sixty Years On" gives the theme from The Beatles' "When I'm Sixty-Four" the melancholic and genuine take it deserves. "The Greatest Discovery" details the birth of a younger sibling in exotic yet simple detail.

But the album can drag at times. Believe me, I'm not one to be turned off simply by the tempo of a song, but some of the songs on Elton John are a little slow, and the overall effect is not a slow burn, but a long drag. In some cases, it pays off big, with large build-ups to explosive finales, but a song like "The King Must Die" is forever building.

I'm going to take this moment to lament the fact that there's not more Elton John albums on this list. Madman Across the Water is my favorite of his, and one of my all-time favorites, and I'm also quite partial to Empty Sky and Don't Shoot Me I'm Only the Piano Player. By placing this album at #10 on my short list so far, I feel like I'm giving one of my favorite artists the short shrift because the list doesn't include what I feel are his best works.

1. "The Freewheelin' Bob Dylan" (1963) by Bob Dylan
2. "Greetings from Asbury Park, NJ" (1973) by Bruce Springsteen 
3. "Tapestry" (1971) by Carole King
4. "Document" (1987) by REM
5. "Tea for the Tillerman" (1970) by Cat Stevens 
6. "Car Wheels On a Gravel Road" (1998) by Lucinda Williams 
7. "I Want to See the Bright Lights Tonight" (1974) by Richard and Linda Thompson
8. "Number One Record" (1972) by Big Star
9. "Bookends" (1968) by Simon and Garfunkel
10. "Elton John" (1970) by Elton John
11. "The Bends" (1995) by Radiohead
12. "Armed Forces" (1979) by Elvis Costello and The Attractions
13. "Stop Making Sense" (1984) by The Talking Heads
14. "Honky Chateau" (1972) by Elton John 
15. "Tunnel of Love" (1987) by Bruce Springsteen
16. "Green River" (1969) by Creedance Clearwater Revival
17. "Burnin'" (1973) by The Wailers 
18. "The Rolling Stones Now!" (1965) by The Rolling Stones
19. "Born Under A Bad Sign" (1967) by Albert King
20. "Heaven Up Here" (1981) by Echo and the Bunnymen
21. "The Slim Shady LP" (1999) by Eminem