Elton John & Brandi Carlisle – Who Believes In Angels? (Island/EMI)
If this turns out to be Elton John’s final studio album, well, at least, he went out on a high note.
Actually, the high notes on Who Believes In Angels are supplied by Brandi Carlisle who collaborates with Elton on the 10 original songs here along with producer Andrew Watt and long-time lyricist Bernie Taupin.
With the help of ace studio musicians such as Pino Palladino (bass), Chad Smith (drums) and Josh Klinghoffer (guitar & keys), the quartet wrote and recorded this album in 20 days at LA’s Sunset Sound Studios during October of 2023.
And judging by the final song of this set, When This World Is Done With Me, Taupin’s lyrics sound very much like an elegy as John plays piano and sings as though his sun is, indeed, going down on him.
But this is not a downer of a record.
In fact, it very much has the sound and feel of Elton’s mid-70s chart toppers, beginning with the 6-minute plus opening track titled The Rose Of Laura Nyro. Not only is it a tribute to the tragically underrated songwriter whose song titles like Stoney End, Sweet Blindness and Beads Of Sweat are sprinkled throughout the song, but Elton chimes in with an “Eli’s Coming!” as Carlisle sings the verses. I was a bit worried when I heard the extended instrumental intro that, at times, sounded more like Supertramp and ELO than, Funeral For A Friend, but they get past that and the track is ultimately a triumph.
When I say “we”. I mean, Elton, Brandi, Andrew and Bernie as they pretty much all co-compose all the songs, although one quickly learns to determine which started with Carlisle and which were John/Taupin.
Track two, Little Richard’s Bible, is definitely one of Elton’s as he bangs away on his 88s in tribute of the self-proclaimed “Architect Of Rock & Roll”. A horn section kicks in as John sings about Richard’s need to “cast off sex and idols” and then rockin & rollin’ with Long Tall Sally and Tutti Frutti.
Brandi’s Swing For The Fences (the phrase is a baseball reference) is another early highlight, written as an anthem for gay kids with both Carlisle and John serving as role models.
Overall, the songs mix it up between piano ballads (Never Too Late) and all-out rockers (The River Man). Though Elton and Brandi largely take turns singing verses, when they do harmonize, they sound completely natural.
Watt, who seems to be the go-to guy for veteran rockers (The Rolling Stones, Pearl Jam) manages to create a sound and a feel that recalls Elton’s glory days of the 1970s without sounding retro.
If you want to better see how the album was made, I suggest you watch the accompanying 30-minute film also just released on YouTube.
Its clear from that footage and these songs that this album and these songs are important to the 78-year old Elton…who has recently suffered from a serious eye infection and lost vision in one eye.
We’re all getting older, and, let’s face it, I’m sure Elton John is comfortable enough that he doesn’t need to spend any more time in a recording studio. And something tells me that he may not do it again.
If this it it…well then, well-done Elton and Co.
Marty Duda
Who Believes In Angels is out now. Click here.
