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Review: Elton John's Soundtrack to 'The Road To El Dorado'
by William S. Repsher

published 3/13/00

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William Repsher is a LeisureSuit.net staff writer based in Queens.



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Subj: elton john
i like elton john songs and he has a great voice when he sings

-- maggie
Feb 8, 2009 at 12:00AM

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It’s hard to say exactly when Elton John lost it. Brutally honest fans tend to go back to 1978’s "A Single Man," his first album without lyricist Bernie Taupin. That was a mediocre album, but then again, many of his classic earlier albums had filler, too, although the hits on each tended to over-compensate for the b-side moments. It’s also wise to point out that all through the 80’s, he still managed to knock out good singles (like “I Guess That’s Why They Call It the Blues” or “Sacrifice”) on a regular basis.

It was throughout the 90’s that I not so much gave up as recognized that his better moments (like his single “The One”) were going to be guilty pleasures. Why? I’d say an over-reliance on ballads--he’s written some of the best, but after writing dozens of them, nearly all of them now feel formulaic. He still has a pretty good voice, yet each recording has some weird echo effects added to needlessly match it to 90’s production values. It’s still wise not to under-estimate him--he became a superstar for very good reasons, the best being his undeniable talent, even if he’ll never knock out another “Goodbye Yellow Brick Road.”

Following up his wildly successful work with Tim Rice on The Lion King, John and Rice are providing the entire soundtrack to the new Dreamworks animated feature, The Road to El Dorado. According to the Dreamworks Web site, these songs are “almost wholly written for the film but entitled to stand on their own.” And I’m more than willing to view them as such, mainly because like a bunch of conquistadors dragging an incapacitated Incan in a net, a few bouncer types would have to similarly force me into the theater to see this movie. I have about as much interest in the story of El Dorado, the fabled City of Gold, as the makers of the movie do. As with most animated features of this kind, I’m sure we’ll get a tidy little politically-correct tale that serves as a backdrop for a love story and wacky animated characters to do their thing while the occasional Elton John soon-to-be-hit pops in for key scenes.

This collection has a few love songs, one of which is the big single, “Someday Out of the Blue.” It’s fairly bland, the melody line isn’t strong, and as with the worst of Elton’s songs with Bernie Taupin, it sounds like he was forcing the melody to match the lyrics. In other words, it will be a hit, thanks to the machinery behind it. My question: Who’s buying it? Middle-aged people? Kids? I can see a sort of unity in taste here between 13-year-old girls who need a break from the Backstreet Boys and their middle-aged parents who dug Elton John on the way up and now find solace in the easy-listening station at the office. And I can see them both sitting in the movie audience, sharing one of the last “childhood” experiences they’ll have before the teenage wars begin, then rushing out to buy the soundtrack afterwards.

Is there anything worthwhile here? Actually, yes. “Without Question” is one of those patented Elton ballads that simply gets it right--in a perfect world, he’d get his old band together, ditch the shitty over-production and do justice to the song. The same can be said for “Friends Never Say Goodbye” and “The Panic in Me.” He can still do it, although as I pointed out earlier, his will to do so is unpredictable.

On the flip side, we get to hear the magic of Tim Rice with such lines as “Just because we are Hispanic doesn’t mean we’re oceanic,” and “We are Spanish not Caribbean, we are human not amphibian.” (So let me get this straight: Spanish = human, and Caribbean = amphibian?) I spent as little time paying attention to the lyrics as I could, but every now and then zingers like that would surface. Randy Newman makes a fairly meaningless appearance in the duet “It’s Tough to Be a God.” I’d imagine that because he’s also on Dreamworks and working fairly regularly on soundtracks, the producers thought it would be a nice fit. But all I can do is wonder what’s happened to both artists, when a union like this in, say, 1974, would have been jaw-dropping in its potential.

I don’t mean to be too hard on Elton John: this is what he does these days. And he does it well. Hats off to him for not just surviving, but ruling in a business that chews up most artists and spits them out in a matter of two or three years. This must be his handsome reward: the freedom to be mediocre and not have anyone mind. I can handle that aspect of it, but am a little annoyed that the machinery of the record business moves in a manner not just to tolerate, but reward and promote mediocrity of this kind, whether it’s Elton, or a sickly boy band, or a diva, pumping out hits that are usually written by hired guns with their sights set on the top of the charts as viewed through past cookie-cutter pop concoctions. It’s both a compliment and insult to Elton John that he’s lasted this long in such a climate.

Is there anyone out there willing to put “The Circle of Life” on the same shelf as “Goodbye Yellow Brick Road”?


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Name: maggie
Subject: elton john
-- Feb 8, 2009 at 12:00AM
i like elton john songs and he has a great voice when he sings

Name: Evan
Subject: Elton John
-- Sep 3, 2007 at 5:58PM
i dont think the Backstreet Boys are similar to Elton John the Backstreet Boys sung for kids Elton John sings for adults

Name: Evan
Subject: Elton John
-- Mar 15, 2007 at 5:54PM
i hate Justin Timberlake he deos not have a good voice hes dirty Elton John has better music

Name: Evan
Subject: Elton John
-- Mar 2, 2007 at 1:55PM
the Pussycat Dolls are dumb i hate the Pussycat Dolls there song dont cha is not fun to sing its ugly the beat is terribal Elton John songs are better

Name: ryan
Subject: "sacrifice" ; meaning
-- Apr 25, 2006 at 1:49PM
“Sacrifice” is the song of a 40-year-old man, Bernie Taupin, who had been through failed marriages and disastrous sexuals conqueses. Inspired by Aretha Franklin and Percy Sledge music, the song is a lament about being insensitive to what you sacrifice when others suffer as a result of your pursuit of self-gratification. It's knowing and clearly autobiographical.


(lifted off of another website)

Name: Evan
Subject: Eltons number one fan
-- Apr 19, 2006 at 3:52PM
i like his song tonight i wolud sing that one about Georgie Henly

Name: Evan
Subject: Elton John fan
-- Apr 17, 2006 at 3:00PM
i think Elton John is a good singer

Name: kevin
Subject: sacrifice
-- Apr 4, 2006 at 6:38PM
Can any one there explain me the meaning of the song Sacrifice sung by Elton John?

Name: An LS.n Reader
Subject: Review: Elton John's Soundtrack to 'The Road To El Dorado'
-- Jan 10, 2006 at 7:48PM
Umm..I wonna where El Dorado is located ???

Name: Katie Glebova
Subject: Sacrifice song
-- Jul 21, 2005 at 9:19AM
Can any one there explain me the meaning of the song Sacrifice sung by Elton John?

Name: Rob
Subject: Return to glory
-- May 10, 2005 at 9:23PM
Heeeee's Baaaack! If you thought Reginald Kenneth Dwight was finished, think again!
Road to El Dorado harkens back to the days of Yellow Brick Road. This is the Elton John we love - raw, edgy, and emotional. His piano is poppin' and the lyrics are rockin'. Road to El Dorado is the most important rock n' roll album of the decade. I haven't heard music this rich since Face Value by Phil Collins.

Name: brij raj singh
Subject: music and lyrics
-- Jun 18, 2004 at 6:27AM
i am agreat fan of elton and yours, sir, u people have made it such a heavenly experience watching this movie, may god give a long-long life to both of you.

Name: Joney
Subject: Music Only
-- Jun 29, 2003 at 1:45AM
I am your great fan,
your music in Road to El Dorado seems to me like a deream.God give u power tomake such music
thank u

Name: Joney
Subject: Music Only
-- Jun 29, 2003 at 1:43AM
I am your great fan,
your music in Road to El Dorado seems to me like a deream.God give u power tomake such music
thank u

Name: steve temama
Subject: wake up william
-- Jul 20, 2002 at 9:52AM
My, my ,'tis time to wake up desr sir, u keep on dreamin' then you'll fall...it's a new millenium, and no one goes about 'beseechin' some one any more.

Name: steve temama
Subject: wake up william
-- Jul 20, 2002 at 9:52AM
My, my ,'tis time to wake up desr sir, u keep on dreamin' then you'll fall...it's a new millenium, and no one goes about 'beseechin' some one any more.

Name: William S. Repsher Responds
Subject: Re: response to dear W.S.Repsher
-- Jul 12, 2002 at 8:10AM
Balderdash, my good man, absolute balderdash. Why, I never! The last time I felt so insulted was at the World's Fair in 1892, Vienna, when Sigmund Freud called me a cigar smoker. Cease and desist, good sir, in the name of all things wise and wonderful, I beseech you!

Name: steve temama
Subject: response to dear W.S.Repsher
-- Jul 12, 2002 at 5:04AM
Poppycock you say ,pal!!! u should have your ears checked immediately, and i mean right now...People who don't know good quality music (e.g. elton john's music) should be banned from listening at all, music that is.

Name: William S. Repsher Responds
Subject: Re: i'm for sir john
-- Jul 9, 2002 at 11:38AM
Why, good sir, this is sheer poppycock! I demand an immediate apology, or a duel at sunrise. Dear Lord, the sheer indignity of it all!

Name: steve temama
Subject: i'm for sir john
-- Jul 9, 2002 at 10:53AM
for me, no matter what the critics say, elton john is a very very good in his profeession.And the way he plays the piano is how i would like to play too one day.'Bout his lyrics resently, well! i must confess i have used afew lines in my letters,love letters i.e. ;and i'd say one can still very much express himself throuh Sir Elton John's music

Name: nix
Subject: elton john
-- May 6, 2001 at 4:31PM
Why are everyone saying that Someday Out Of The Blue has forced melody to match the lyrics. It is the best song on the album and probably one of Eltons best singles in last five years. It only has too much love songs like Without Question or The Panic In Me cause he did it 100 times before so it doesn't make too much sense, but if you never heard Elton before then probably you will like it. It's four stars out of five. Still hope that his new album will be for five stars. This is probably machinery of record business but it's still Elton, and Elton is always Elton, one of the greatest songwriter of our time. He is always in and thats reason why we must listen to him more than 30 years.

Name: Sad
Subject: Road to El Dorado
-- Apr 8, 2000 at 5:10AM
Elton John is now a full-on hack musician. Over the last 6 years, his work has become the definition of musical comprimise. Aida, the Lion King, now this hogwash. He has been reduced to producing music to "spec" for corporate sponsors. His latest hits?...a morass of homogenous stagnation.

Name: William S. Repsher Responds
Subject: Re: Road to El Dorado
-- Mar 22, 2000 at 8:12AM
Fair play, Katie. I'd say up until Blue Moves, I was a huge fan, and a sporadic fan after that. This new stuff isn't my cup of tea, but that's all right. He's proved himself a few hundred times over.

Name: Katie
Subject: Road to El Dorado
-- Mar 21, 2000 at 9:14PM
Elton John is one of the greatest musical artists that I have ever seen. Yet I am only 19 years old but I own many of his CDs and The Road to Eldorado. I think he is still producing wonderful music. I am looking forward to the movie even though it is a cartoon.

Name: William S. Repsher Responds
Subject: Re: Road to El Dorado
-- Mar 17, 2000 at 10:19AM
Kudos to you, Michael, although I'd advocate boycotting this flick because, above all else, it had "awful movie" written all over it. Maybe the next big-budget animated epic will be about how General Custer was really the Indians' best friend?

Name: Michael J. Jimenez
Subject: Road to El Dorado
-- Mar 16, 2000 at 8:03PM
As an Indiginous Tribesman of this land, I must say that I am very disapointed with Elton John's decision to make a soundtrack for the movie El Dorado.
This film is actually trying to sugar-coat and make happy the idea of the European Invasion of ANAHUAC (this land's REAL NAME!). I love Elton John's music, but this really disapoints me.
The very subjects this film deals with, two Europeans being worshiped as gods by the local 'savages'? The attempts at Europeans to coerse the 'natives' to give them wealth with a smile on their faces?
The showing of scantily clad tribal women, dancing around like a bunch of whores to the delight of two European invaders? Ii is typical of hollywood to make sick garbage like this, filth that continues to stereotype
Native Americans. The invasion of ANAHUAC is no joke, and it doesn't matter how you try to sugar coat it, no movie can make what was done (and is still being done) seem as a good thing! And if anyone out there who wishes to end the stereotyping of Native Americans,
then you can protest by NOT GOING TO SEE THIS MOVIE! Don't expose your children to lies about Native Americans, this filth on reel is poison to your kid's minds! BOYCOTT THE ROAD TO EL DORADO!!!

Name: William S. Repsher Responds
Subject: Re: Tim Rice
-- Mar 13, 2000 at 8:54PM
As opposed to thin dick? Actually, I rarely wonder how guys like Tim Rice end up millionaires in mansion. I simply wonder what they're doing the 99% of the other time when they're not churning out 10 sets of lyrics every three or four years. Lyricist has to be the best job going around, next to Hollywood gynecologist.

Name: Argot
Subject: Tim Rice
-- Mar 13, 2000 at 8:52AM
Tim Rice sucks fat dick.

Don't you sometimes wonder how some guys get to the top of their profession?


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