Echoes Of Goodbye Yellow Brick Road On Elton John's New Album

Feature Photo: Adam McCullough-Shutterstock.com

Let’s face it, as old-school long-time Elton John fans, we all long for the old days when Elton John released albums like Honky Château, Don’t Shoot Me I’m Only the Piano Player, Captain Fantastic and the Brown Dirt Cowboy, and of course, Goodbye Yellow Brick Road. Elton and Bernie Taupin crafted some of the greatest pop songs of all time during that period between 1970 and 1976. First and foremost, those songs were fueled by Elton’s high tenor; he could reach notes and sing melodies so creatively original that fans fell in love with his music and Bernie’s words.

Something changed in Elton’s music after the ’70s. He still wrote and released great songs, though some albums were a bit of a letdown. But there was a difference, and for the most part, even Elton has admitted that a change occurred because his voice shifted. Elton John could no longer sing those high melodies; his voice grew deeper, and as his range changed, he had to compensate in his compositions. This isn’t a put-down; it’s simply a significant difference from the music he released in the seventies.

Elton John’s collaborative album with Brandi Carlile, Who Believes in Angels?, was released on April 4, 2025. The album’s opening track, “The Rose of Laura Nyro,” is a wonderful tribute to Bronx native Laura Nyro, one of our favorite musical artists here at ClassicRockHistory.com. She is, in fact, a much-overlooked artist and often forgotten when people talk about the great songwriters of the ’60s and ’70s. She had her hits, but her albums were deep collections of heartfelt, emotionally epic pieces filled with rhythmic time changes and spectacular musical performances. It was no wonder that bands like Blood, Sweat & Tears covered her music. The album later reached number one on the UK Albums Chart and number nine on the Billboard 200.

The tribute to Laura Nyro, which opens the album, also echoes in many ways the opening track “Funeral for a Friend/Love Lies Bleeding” from Goodbye Yellow Brick Road. It’s the first Elton John album since then that opens with a long instrumental featuring fiery guitar work in an adventurous musical performance. It’s simply spectacular. The moment the vocals come in, and listeners hear Brandi Carlile and Elton singing together, that old Elton John magic begins.

The collaboration between Brandi Carlile and Elton John on their heavenly album is significant for many reasons. What really hit me hard was that the melodies on many of these songs shift into a register Elton John used to sing but no longer can. With Brandi Carlile standing next to him, he could write those melodies again and have her sing them. He sings them with her but, of course, in harmony, where he doesn’t have to hit those high notes. Brandi Carlile sounds just gorgeous singing these melodies. On the album’s title track, “Who Believes in Angels?,” I was constantly reminded of the chorus on the single “Goodbye Yellow Brick Road.” It’s very similar, not in a copycat kind of way, but in a stylistic way. It’s as if Elton John had the freedom once again to write melodies that his voice had restricted him from doing.

Of course, it’s not all about just the melodies; it’s about the collaboration with Brandi Carlile. She brings a modern sense to his music, even though Elton has continued to release music and collaborate with other artists that have always sounded modern. Brandi Carlile is a very special artist. She’s a wonderful songwriter, a stunning singer, and she just seems like a really special human being. I mean, of course, one would have to be all of that to release an album and collaborate with Elton John. She has her own fan base, but hopefully this will help her build an older one. What she brings to this recording- her lyrics, her vocal performances, and just her spirit really helps make this a special album.

It’s interesting and very impressive that Elton John has never sounded old; for a man in his seventies, his spirit, at least in his music, has always sounded fresh. Yes, we do miss the days of songs like “Daniel,” “Tower of Babel,” “Blues for Baby and Me,” and all those gorgeous songs he used to write. But in all honesty, I’m just really happy that Elton John is still releasing new music.

The album also showcases Elton John’s piano playing. It’s a shame Elton isn’t talked about enough for his piano playing. Of course, any of his old fans who wore out 11-17-70 on their turntables knew very well just how hard he could rock the piano. On the album, he brings that old rocking piano playing back front and center on the tribute to Little Richard called “Little Richard’s Bible.”

You have to hand it to him. This man has never really left. He’s had his ups and downs; he’s been through rough times just like all of us. But every couple of years, he comes back and releases something new. If you don’t like it, then go fu*k off. I have to tell you, I’m happy that I still live in a world where Elton John lives, and ten times happier that I still live in a world where I can go out and buy a new Elton John album every couple of years.

Perhaps the album’s most emotional moment occurs on the recording’s final song, “When This Old World Is Done with Me.” While we’ve been discussing Elton’s high tenor that no longer walks alongside him, he’s compensated over the years by developing a rich, soulful low voice reminiscent of Ray Charles, and it’s very present on the closing track. As many of us have seen lately, when our rock and roll heroes have aged and released albums toward the end of their lives, they have written songs that reflect an acceptance of moving on from this life.

Elton touches on that acknowledgment beautifully in the song “When This Old World Is Done with Me.” In his singing, I could feel the cold front coming, and the listener feels just as chilled. It’s hard to hear your heroes say things like that, to sing those words, because as we all know, we’ve lost many of them in recent years. But Elton is one we just don’t want to let go of.