ELTON JOHN – 21 AT 33 (LP VINYL)

180gr.
2-LP Europe
Popular
Reissue, High Quality
Released in November 1995, Love Songs was Elton John’s second CD retrospective of the 90s and built on the enormous success of The Very Best Of, and his first solo UK No 1, Sacrifice in 1990. Collecting 18 of Elton’s best loved ballads, Love Songs reached No 4 in the UK charts and remained in the listings for 48 weeks.

The vinyl version of the release was extremely limited, as a result, copies change hands for three-figure sums. This 2022 edition is presented as an audiophile 180gm double set.

Anniversary Edition, Reissue, Remastered, Expanded Edition, High Quality
Released in May 1972, Honky Chateau was the album that made Elton John a superstar, and ushered in a new era for him. Named after the residential studios outside Paris where the album was recorded, Honky Chateau bought a new level of simplicity and directness to Elton’s music that had previously only been seen in glimpses. Shorn of the complexities and ornate orchestrations of his recent work, Honky Chateau seemed freewheeling and intimate. It was helped by Rocket Man, the record which became another of Elton’s signature songs. These special editions contain the original album, and on both vinyl and CD editions a newly created selection of outtakes from the sessions, produced from the original tapes by Matt Still, which highlight the warmth and humour of the sessions.

On CD only there are eight tracks from the album that were recorded at the Royal Festival Hall in 1972, all receiving their live debut, just a few days back in the UK after recording. Assembled with the customary care by Elton’s catalogue team, the album comes as a gatefold with an eight-page booklet with rare photos, memorabilia and an essay by cocurator and music writer Daryl Easlea, featuring interviews from those who were there. Honky Chateau has been mastered at Lurssen in California, and the vinyl cut at Abbey Road.