Diamonds Deluxe

As a huge Elton fan, I can’t imagine anyone being satisfied with the one-disc version of “Diamonds”. He has too many hits. Also, the track listing is similar to “Rocket Man: The Number Ones.”The 2-disc version duplicates 27 of the 34 tracks on “Greatest Hits 1970-2002”, which has been selling well for over a decade. To my utter disappointment, pop radio stopped playing new Elton around that time. He has had several more releases, many quite good, but chart success has been limited to the Adult Contemporary chart. Only four songs released since ’02 are included here.Disc 3 clearly made this worthwhile for me, especially when the price went down briefly a couple of months ago. This CD adds another four of “1970-2002”’s songs (“The One”, “Believe”, “Written in the Stars”, and “This Train Don’t Stop There Anymore”), leaving only the original version of “Don’t Let the Sun Go Down on Me”, “Blessed”, and shockingly, “Levon” missing. This package does include the #1 George Michael/Elton duet version of “Don’t Let the Sun Go Down on Me”.Disc 3 includes hits and rarities that have generally been left off other hits compilations. However, they were apparently chosen by Elton himself. At least two of these, to me, are among his very best. “Mama Can’t Buy You Love” is glorious cotton-candy soul produced by Thom Bell with backing by the venerable Spinners. It reached #9 in 1979 and crossed over to the R&B top 40. The heartbreaking “Empty Garden”, from 1982, should have done much better than #13. I have read enough to know that many listeners didn’t realize the song was about John Lennon’s murder, despite this concise put-down of his killer: “it’s funny how one insect can damage so much grain.”Maybe someone besides me cares about the first-time availability of the 7" version of "Victim of Love", the excellent title track and only worthwhile cut from EJ’s otherwise-chilly 1979 disco LP. Also great: the blistering “Pinball Wizard” from the “Tommy” soundtrack; "Part Time Love", actual hit from 1978's "A Single Man" bumped from the 2-disc version in favor of moody instrumental “Song For Guy”, which only Bubbled Under the U.S. chart; "Kiss the Bride", the third (actually second) single from "Two Low For Zero", is great fun--a bride's ex’s salacious thoughts about her during her wedding to someone else; the Dionne/Stevie/Gladyswhostoletherecord/Elton "That's What Friends Are For"; and 1973's awesome Christmas single "Step Into Christmas".No collection could cover all EJ’s 60+ hits and countless album tracks. I would note four unfortunate omissions. One is, of course, "Levon." Then there’s the rare-on-CD "Ego", a non-LP single from 1978 that had its own promotional film and some great hooks but only reached #34. Third is a minor 1977 hit which now remains the only Elton 45 unavailable on CD in its single version: "Bite Your Lip (Get Up and Dance)". It’s over six minutes long on “Blue Moves” but the 3-minute edit, in this case, shows that less can be more. The fourth is the underappreciated “Healing Hands” from 1989’s “Sleeping With the Past”. It actually did better than “Sacrifice” here in the U.S. but seems to have lost favor since then.The 3-disc version of “Diamonds” includes a nice hardcover book with liner notes and a picture-sleeve replica devoted to each selection. The liner notes are interesting. There is also, as a cushy extra, a set of postcards with nifty images of Elton. I also find the latest remastering on this whole set exceptionally good.

Great Playlist: what is hidden are the songs that get overlooked and make Elton's songs GO!So from 1969 to 2004 here are the Uncut Diamonds. The qualifier being none of the songs could be on a previous compilation.74 Songs at 5 hours and 31 minutes. A Road Trip Playlist.LP or CD/Year/SongEmpty Sky - 1969SailsElton John - 1970I Need You To Turn ToThe CageTumbleweed Connection - 1971AmoreenaWhere To Now St. PeterHonkey Chateau - 1972AmySusieI Think I Am Going To Kill MyselfSalvationHerculesDon't Shoot Me I'm Only the Piano Player - 1973Midnight CreeperBlues for My Baby and MeI'm Going to Be a Teenage IdolHigh Flying BirdTexan Love SongElderberry WineGoodbye Yellow Brick Road - 1973Dirty Little GirlThe Ballad of Danny BaileyI've Seen That Movie TooRoy RogersSweet Painted LadySocial DiseaseCaribou - 1974PinkyDixie LillyGrimsbyStinkerCaptain Fantastic and the Brown Dirt Cowboy - 1975Writing(Gotta Get A) Meal TicketBitter FingersCaptain Fantastic and the Brown Dirt CowboyTell Me When the Whistle BlowsRock of the Westies - 1975Street KidsBilly Bones and the White BirdBlue Moves - 1976TonightOne Horse TownOut of the BlueThe Wide-Eyed and LaughingSomeone's Final SongIdolBite Your LipA Single Man - 1978I Don't Care21 at 33 - 1980Sartorial EloquenceChasing the CrownThe Fox - 1981Heart in the Right PlaceNobody WinsHeels of the WindJump Up! - 1982Dear JohnSpiteful ChildPrincessWhere Have All the Good Times GoneToo Low For Zero - 1983CrystalToo Low For ZeroReligionBreaking Hearts - 1984Li'l FrigeratorSlow Down GeorgieDid He Shoot HerIce on Fire - 1985Soul GloveLeather Jackets - 1986Don't Trust That WomanGo It AloneSleeping with the Past - 1989Healing HandsI Never Knew Her NameThe Complete Thom Bell Sessions - 1989Are You Ready For Love with The SpinnersDuets - 1993Teardrops with K.D. LangI'm Your Puppet with Paul YoungDuets for OneAin't Nothing But The Real Thing with Marcella DetroitMade In England - 1995PleaseThe Big Picture - 1997Recover Your SoulJanuarySongs From The West Coast - 2001The WastelandLove Her Like MePeachtree Road - 2004Too Many TearsThey Call Her The CatUncut Diamonds still waiting!

I remember the first time I heard Elton when I was a kid in grade school. I didn't know what to think of him with his flashy clothes and sunglasses. His music was nothing I had ever experienced before. I think it was his recording of "Crocodile Rock" that I first heard back in late 1972. I was only 7 years old at the time and was only able to hear it on a transistor AM radio. It made a strong impression.In late 1974 I got to hear his recording of "Lucy In The Sky with Diamonds" and was completely unaware of the Beatles recording because my parents were not into rock 'n' roll and never got their records.In the summer of 1975 I got to hear "Someone Saved My Life Tonight" from "Captain Fantastic and the Brown Dirt Cowboy". I was hooked. My brother picked up a copy of the 1974 version of the Greatest Hits on record. We wore the grooves of that first copy.Fast foward to now. I purchase this handsome box set, which contains a showcase of his finest work. It comes with 3 CD's, an envelope with 5 sketch paintings and a hard covered booklet with a track by track synopsis. The remastering is done very well and sounds just as if it came for the first time. It never ceases to amaze me the great body of work this artist has put out over 5 decades and still keeps going.I would get this boxed set and also the earlier box set, "To Be Continued" because it has album tracks and outakes not included in this collection.

Liked it.

alle mooiste songs staan op de cd's. Mooi !!

Endlich alle Hits auf 3 CDsTop top ich höre sie rauf und runter

Llegó mucho antes de la fecha que me daban cuando lo compré. Sonido muy bueno. Si eres fan de este grande de la música, no lo dudes. Buy it.

Nessun problema. Articolo conforme e spedizione puntuale