Elton John/ Leon Russell – The Union

Elton John/ Leon Russell

Decca Records: The Union

It would make sense to say that both Elton John and Leon Russell could bring out the youth in each other when jamming together. At the ripe ages of 63 and 68 respectively, it’s easy to imagine the two dueling their pianos in a studio with the eagerness of 20 and 30-year-olds. Two honky-tonk kings combining their historical prowess to make music that would contest the sound of youngsters.

The truth is, upon hearing The Union, the first collaborative album between John and Russell, instead of igniting the young inside each other, the two seem to cement the ageless wisdom and musical genius that they possess in their ages. In essence, they have brought out the “old” in each other, and in this case senility sounds magnificent.

Union goes down like a shot of good scotch; it’s undeniably smooth with a hint of toughness. It’s a soft rock album with balls as big as a classic rock record. The first track “If It Wasn’t For Bad,” is no laughing matter. It begins with a mini, regal piano solo and kicks off into a flurry of hammering keys while John hugs the microphone with the coolest lisp ever – “ I knew it from the first time I met you/ That something just wasn’t quite right/ Love like an innocent stranger/ something was just out of sight.” It’s a song featuring more mini solos that interchange with verses humming along with a bluesy thump. It even chimes in John’s “ Yellow Brick Road ” for a half a minute.

On “Jimmie Rodger’s Dream,” a song written by John, his longtime writing partner Bernie Taupin and producer T Bone Burnett, Russell and John hand off verses superbly displaying their identical ability to sing with a harsh coo. “I’ve seen dusty beaten delta boys cutting heads/ A black face carney showman scare a song to death/ In my short life I’ve seen as most men need/ Now I’m just looking for some cleaner air to breathe,” showcases classic John cutting and stretching words with an English twang.

Burnett spit his producing style all over this album and with big name contributions like Brian Wilson, Neil Young and Don Was, it makes for the best Sir Elton album since the seventies. With Russell’s help, John taps the early days of complex piano intros. “A Dream Come True,” and, “Hey Ahab” display his ability to have a flashy, quick style while remaining mechanically nearly perfect. The talent that made him famous, got him knighted and helped him waltz into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

Although this listen adds to the many accolades of Elton John, the unsung hero is undoubtedly Russell. John has mentioned Russell as a massive influence to him. It may be the reason why Elton is such a premier solo artist. In a turn of events, John has helped Russell stepped out of the shadow of “session musician” and into the lime light, shedding light onto an artist that may not be known to many rock fans out there but can now get the well deserved attention. In the end, this “union” turned out to be a great idea.

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