Elton John Honky Château U.S UNI Pressing Vinyl Rip Flac
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Honky Château
Studio album by Elton John
Released 19 May 1972
Recorded Château d'Hérouville, Hérouville, France, January 1972
Genre Rock
Length 45:15
Label Uni (US/Canada)
DJM Records
Producer Gus Dudgeon
Professional reviews
* Allmusic 5/5 stars link
* Robert Christgau (A-) link
* Rolling Stone (favourable) link
Honky Château is the fifth studio album by British singer/songwriter Elton John, released in 1972. In 2003, the album was ranked number 357 on Rolling Stone magazine's list of the 500 greatest albums of all time.[1] This was the final Elton John album on the Uni label in the US and Canada before the Music Corporation of America consolidated all of its various labels under the MCA brand. This and Elton's earlier Uni albums were later reissued on MCA Records.
Contents
Music
This is the first album since John's debut (Empty Sky) not to feature strings on any songs, except for violinist Jean-Luc Ponty on "Mellow" and "Amy". It also marks the beginning of his transition from a singer/songwriter in the mould of James Taylor, Leon Russell or Carole King to a more rock 'n roll style that would become more evident on such albums as Goodbye Yellow Brick Road, Caribou and Rock of the Westies.
It was also the first album to feature Elton's road band of Dee Murray on bass and Nigel Olsson on drums (along with new member Davey Johnstone on guitars and other fretted instruments) as the sole core group of musicians. Previously, per his record label's insistence, Elton was limited using his road band for only one track each on Tumbleweed Connection and Madman Across the Water. The rest of the songs on those two albums were done by various groupings of studio session players.
The opening track "Honky Cat" is a New Orleans funk track reminiscent of Dr. John and Allen Toussaint and features a four-piece horn section, arranged by Gus Dudgeon. Also of note is the debut on record of the backing vocal combination of Johnstone, Murray and Olsson, who first added what would soon become their "trademark" sound to "Rocket Man." The trio's unique approach to arranging their backing vocal tracks would become a fixture on Elton's singles and albums for the next several years.
Critical appraisal and chart action
Jon Landau of Rolling Stone approved the original LP as "a rich, warm, satisfying album that stands head and shoulders above the morass of current releases".[2] Other reviews were likewise mostly positive. More recently, Stephen Thomas Erlewine of Allmusic confirms that the album has stood the test of time by proclaiming that "it plays as the most focused and accomplished set of songs Elton John and Bernie Taupin ever wrote".[3]
Honky Chateau became the first of a string of albums by Elton John to hit #1 in the Billboard Charts in the United States. In Canada, the album peaked at #3 on the RPM 100 Top Albums Chart, reaching this position on July 29, 1972, dropping two places to #5, then returning to #3 for a further straight twelve consecutive weeks before falling to #9 on November 4 of the same year.
Track listing
All songs written by Elton John and Bernie Taupin.
Side one
1. "Honky Cat" – 5:13
2. "Mellow" – 5:32
3. "I Think I'm Going to Kill Myself" – 3:35
4. "Susie (Dramas)" – 3:25
5. "Rocket Man (I Think It's Going to Be a Long, Long Time)" – 4:45
Side two
1. "Salvation" – 3:58
2. "Slave" – 4:22
3. "Amy" – 4:03
4. "Mona Lisas and Mad Hatters" – 5:00
5. "Hercules" – 5:20
Personnel
* Elton John - acoustic and electric pianos, organ
* Davey Johnstone - guitars, banjo, mandolin
* Dee Murray - bass
* Nigel Olsson - drums, congas, tambourine
Additional musicians
* Davey, Dee, and Nigel - backing vocals (tracks 3, 5, 6, 8, 10)
* Ivan Jullien (fr.) - trumpet (track 1)
* Jacques Bolognesi (fr.) - trombone (track 1)
* Jean-Louis Chautemps & Alain Hatot - saxophones (track 1)
* Jean-Luc Ponty - electric violin (tracks 2 and 8)
* "Legs" Larry Smith - tap dance (track 3)
* David Hentschel - A.R.P. synthesizer (tracks 5 and 10) (credited as "David Henschel" on sleeve)
* Ray Cooper - congas (track 8)
* Gus Dudgeon - rhino whistle & backing vocals (track 10)
* Madeline Bell, Liza Strike, Larry Steel, Tony Hazzard - additional backing vocals
Production
* Producer: Gus Dudgeon
* Engineer: Ken Scott
* Mastering engineer: "Legs" Larry Smith
* Remastering: Tony Cousins
* Editing: Gus Skinas
* Digital transfers: Ricky Graham
* Surround mix: Greg Penny
* Brass arrangement: Gus Dudgeon
* Cover photo: Ed Caraeff
* Liner notes: John Tobler
Charts
Album
Year Chart Position
1972 UK Album Chart 2
1972 US Billboard Pop Albums 1
1972 Canadian RPM 100 Top Albums Chart 3
Singles
Year Single Chart Position
1972 Honky Cat UK Singles Chart 31
1972 Honky Cat US Billboard Adult Contemporary 6
1972 Honky Cat US Billboard Pop Singles 8
1972 Rocket Man UK Singles Chart 2
1972 Rocket Man US Billboard Pop Singles 6
Certifications
Organization Level Date
RIAA – USA Gold 24 July 1972
RIAA – USA Platinum 11 October 1995
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