This is my favorite Elton John album. It was also his first U.S. No. 1 album, and the first time he used his touring band of Nigel Olsson (drums), Dee Murray (guitar) and Davey Johnstone (bass) as a recording unit.

Along with lyricist Bernie Taupin, Elton presents a joyous--even fun--collection of songs. Even when the subject is suicide ("I Think I'm Going To Kill Myslef"), the music is upbeat. You have to love a song with a tap dance solo! [Favorite line: "If you want to save my life/Brigitte Bardot gotta come and see me every night."]

Of course there were the hits: "Honky Cat" and "Rocket Man." But each song bristles with energy, like "Hercules," "Amy" and "Susie (Dramas)." Of course, there are a handful of ballads, like "Salvation" and "Mona Lisas and Mad Hatters" just to mix things up a bit.

In addition, Elton tried some new things on this album. Electric violinist Jean-Luc Ponty is brought on board for a couple tracks ("Mellow" and "Amy"). And in addition to playing guitar, Davey Johnstone plays banjo on "Rocket Man" as well as mandolin on "Mona Lisa and Mad Hatters." And there are no drums on this latter track. The only bonus track is an absurdly fast version of "Slave."

While Elton would go on to have even bigger hits and better selling albums, this is the one I return to time and again. ESSENTIAL

Without question, "Honky Chateau" has to be regarded as one of Elton John's finest albums, even if it's not as good as his masterpiece "Goodbye Yellow Brick Road". The first of several albums recorded in an old French chateau - hence the album's title - it is Elton John's and Bernie Taupin's last major foray into American folk rock. And it's an album where every tune still sounds as fresh and vibrant now; there's no obvious filler material here, though "Susie (Dramas)" and "Hercules" come close. Aside from the hits "Honky Chateau" and "Rocket Man", there are several great tunes which should be regarded as among the Elton's best, with great melodies and splendid lyrics from Bernie Taupin: "Mona Lisas and Mad Hatters", "Mellow", "Think I'm Gonna Kill Myself" and "Slave". Jean Luc-Ponty's splendid electronic violin solo is heard in "Mellow", and is among the reasons why "Honky Chateau is an essential Elton John album. As an added bonus is an alternative version of "Slave", which valiantly tries to come across as Elton's rock and roll take on The Band's music. The album's original producer, Gus Dudgeon, and his team have done a fantastic job in remixing the album using the latest digital image bit technology.

I have the greatest admiration and affection for Elton John. He has tackled and conquered most styles of music with great success. HONKY CHATEAU is his fifth album, released in May 1972. I hope to review all his seventies albums and this is the first I drew "out of the hat".

After his two previous albums which were artistic, but not commercial triumphs, Elton went for the larger audience with HONKY CHATEAU and created a more pop orientated album, without sacrficing his artistic ideals. He started to shake off the obsession with the American Wild West and sang about more modern subjects. Americana is atill in evidence especially on HONKY CAT, SLAVE, MONA LISAS AND MAD HATTEERS and ROCKET MAN but it is more varied. Nothing wrong with that as I was getting tired of hearing about people labelled as "guns" in his previous albums. The seeds of what can be described as Elton's band, Nigel Olsson, Davey Johnstone and Dee Murray originated here and they were the core of musicians during Elton's golden period in the early and mid 70's. Even Ray Cooper plays on some tracks.

The cover is one of the most misleading I have seen. Who is that bearded, serious guy? Surely a better cover could have been deivsed. Anyway to the album itself. I would like to give it 4.5 stars but am not allowed by the rating system. Song titles are followed by the song time.

It kicks off with HONKY CAT (5.13). I haven't heard Elton having this much fun since he sang THE CAGE on his self-titled album which was three albums previous. This is a great song with great Taupin lyrics. Definitely one of my favourites.

Next is MELLOW (5.32). This one I can skip although most reviewrs consider it a highlight. I like the verse but not the chorus and it goes on too long. On of my peeves with artists is songs that go on longer than they should. This is one of them. Too many chorus repeats.

Song 3 is I THINK I"M GOING TO KILL MYSELF (3.34). This is very light-hearted and not to be taken seriously. Just listen to the arrangement! Honky-tonk piano, tap dancing and spoons. Sounds like a big spoof.

SUSIE (DRAMAS) (3.24). Another favourite and it is the first gutsy song on the album. The Dramas part escapes me and is not necessary. BLACK-EYED SUSIE would have been a better song title.

Then comes ROCKET MAN (4.41). One of Elton's biggest hits. Great tune, great vocal, great arrangement but some of the lyrics are lazy especially in Verses 3 and 4. "Mars ain't the kind of place to raise your kids. In fact it's cold as hell" are two wonderful lines but what follows "and there's no-one there to raise them if you did" doesn't make much sense". The next verse about "it's just my job five days a week, a rocket man" etc is also a letdown.

The next two songs: SALVATION (3.58) and SLAVE (4.20) are the two most dismissed songs by other reviewers. SALVATION is quit a nice song with a gospel feel to it but I think SLAVE is a highlight. It has a very laid back whimsical feel to it although the lyrics are on the angry side and it is rare on an Elton song that the keyboards take a back seat. Great acoustic guitar, country guitar and banjo all played by Davey Johnstone!

AMY (4.03) is probably the weirdest song on the album and one of Elton's most unique songs in that there is no tune!. You cannot sing or whistle it but that is why I like it. Very odd lyrics but I love the line "Amy you're the girl that wrecks my dreams". Aslo listen to the bizarre electric violin played by Jean-Luc Ponty!

MONA LISAS AND MAD HATTERS (5.00) gets the most praise and it does hit the nail on the head about New York City. My only problem is that it cries out for a third verse and not an amalgamation of Verses 1 + 2. I feel the song is over half-way through and it has nothing to say for the last two minutes. Sorry for going against the grain of thinking. But it is my one main gripe about Elton John in that some songs could be shorter. TINY DANCER, MY FATHER"S GUN, BENNIE AND THE JETS and SOMEONE SAVED MY LIFE TONIGHT are other examples.

Last song is HERCULES (5.20) which is a lot of fun and ends the album on a fun singalong note! Obscure lyrics again from Bernie. I can just about glean from the words that it is about a girl in love with a muscle boy but the words incorporate much more that I cannot fathom.

There is also a bonus track, a fast rocking version of SLAVE(2.51) which is worth listening to but the album version is much better.

"Honky Chateau" is an example of why Greatest Hits albums just do not work for great artists. This early Elton John effort is an example of when John and Taupin had some edge and grit to their songs with some western influence. The whole album seems interconnected with excellent music, vocals and words that bond to one of their greatest collaborations. "Rocket Man" was the big hit during the albums original debut but the many of the other songs were virtually bigger in quality and longevity. "Honky Cat" starts with a smart jazzy sound with Elton in a cocky voice talking about his "redneck ways" that jumps and hops but in the next song he steps down and eases into the song "Mellow", which slows up to a laid back story of love behind close doors with a lover that makes him sing in a tired but pleased voice "You make me mellow, oh you make me mellow" and the song does make you ease into feeling the mellow he sings about. I like the sound and lyrics of all the songs but the oddly up tempo song about a typical teenager being morose in "I think I am going to Kill Myself" is spritely entertaining sound of a youth complaining about small transgressions like not using the car then he downshifts suddenly down in a lyrical sound into a slowing middle eight of "Get a little headline news, I'd like to see what the papers say, On the state of teenage blues", particularly when Elton soulfully extends the word blues into a long bluesy wail that just puts this song in a unique category. Salvation is an almost gospel sounding song that starts off slow with "I have to say my friends, this road goes a long, long way" with great guitars and backing harmonies that is virtually uplifting in a sound that is optimistic in spite of the challenges exposed in the lyrics. "Amy" is just a fun tune that sounds like a young man teased by a wild and more mature woman and he sings with pain and but with optimism in his voice "Amy I may not be James Dean, Amy I may not be nineteen, And I may still be in romper boots and jeans, But Amy you're the girl that wrecks my dreams". One of the ultimate classics is "Mona Lisa" an up lifting song about a tough life in NY city that crosses the dimensions of different type of people, the poor and the affluent as Elton mournfully sings "Until you've seen this trash can dream come true, You stand at the edge while people run you through, And I thank the Lord there's people out there like you, I thank the Lord there's people out there like you" that in the end is uplifting, that he has found something and someone in a tough time and place. Finishing with a flourish, "Hercules" is a rollicking tune about being in love with a woman who is unfortunately in love with a muscleman, a "cat named Hercules". The song has John with an excellent vocal with backing vocals with a touch of beach boys' sound and although the song seems to end in defeat, it sounds like the man will persevere with a touch of humor. "Rocket Man" is the classic song that Elton used to sing for 20 minutes in concert and it is a great song about a man being a long way from home in a cold desolate environment but the whole album is full of great songs and perhaps this is the best John/Taupin collaboration. The additional alternate version of the western sounding "Slave" is more up tempo than the original and is very good but the core 10 songs are just wonderful and always memorable.

One of the true classics of Elton's prolific early period and one of the greatest piano records in all of Pop, HONKY CHATEAU has stood the test of time, remaining fresh and less dated than many of its contemporaries.

Except for "Mellow." Yech.

But the high points of this CD are many: "Honky Cat," "Mona Lisas and Mad Hatters," the always fantastic "Rocket Man," and the overlooked "Hercules," which really would have fit in better on DON'T SHOOT ME I'M ONLY THE PIANO PLAYER.

At this point in his career Elton could have had hits (and good ones at that) if he'd been singing the phone book. Luckily for us Bernie Taupin was writing great lyrics. Taupin gets the occasional jab from rock critics; I couldn't disagree with them more. Taupin knew how to touch people (people my age anyway) with a few carefully chosen phrases. Did he spell it out like Lennon or Townshend? No. Did he know how to speak to his audience? Obviously, yes.

A great LP.