When "Here And There" was originally released in 1976, it was obviously a rush job released to help Elton get out of his contract with Dick James Music. There were only 10 performances on a two sided lp spanning two great shows, possibly the best of Elton's career.

Fortunately, in 1995, a team of producers rectified the album by turning it into a two cd collection including all the songs that were on the original version as well as adding many more. If the album had been released this way in 1976, it would no doubt have been dubbed a classic.

Disc One is from his 1974 performance at The Royal Albert Hall in London. This set has Elton, along with his band of Davey Johnstone (guitar), Dee Murray (bass), Nigel Olsson (drums) and Ray Cooper (percussion), revisiting several lesser known gems, including a dazzling "Skyline Pigeon", "Border Song", "Country Comfort", "Love Song", "Take Me To The Pilot" and "Bad Side Of The Moon". You also get a lot of the standard live fare, including "Your Song", "Candle In The Wind", "Crocodile Rock", "Honky Cat", "Saturday Night's Alright For Fighting" and a blistering "Burn Down The Mission".

Disc Two contains his Thanksgiving of '74 performance at Madison Sqaure Garden. This cd is more hits heavy, which isn't a bad thing, especially when these hits include excellent performances of "Rocket Man", "Bennie And The Jets", "Daniel", "Don't Let The Sun Go Down On Me" (Elton's best song ever), "Your Song" (in a version better than the one on disc one) and "The Bitch Is Back". And here too does Elton dust off some forgotten gems. Elton performs a thrilling version of the "Goodbye Yellow Brick Road" epic "Funeral For A Friend/Love Lies Bleeding". And the version they include of "Take Me To The Pilot" is much better than the one on the first disc. But the real highlight is when Elton is joined by a certain Liverpudlian from a certain 1960s' band to perform three songs with Elton: "Whatever Gets You Through The Night", "Lucy In The Sky With Diamonds" and "I Saw Her Standing There". (For those of you who haven't guessed who it is, it's John Lennon).

The bottom line, "Here In There" has been made into one of the finest live albums of all time, even if took nineteen years to actually release it rightfully. This is a must have.

This CD is absolutely essential for any true Elton John fan. In fact, this may be the greatest live record that Elton has ever released. Listeners get two different perspectives: The rather stuffy, reserved concert in London that took place in front of a British Princess v.s. the rowdy, incomparable American Madison Square Garden crowd. Both CD's offer some of Elton's rare songs (Skyline Pigeon, Border Song, Burn Down the Mission, You're So Static, etc.) None of these, though, compare with the electricity present when John Lennon takes the stage for what would be his final live performance. Lennon's appearance is reason enough to buy the CD but there are plenty of other reasons too. This album paints a picture of Elton on his way to the top, the rising of a rock legend.

What is so amazing about this album is that it was almost not released to begin with. Elton felt like he'd flooded the air waves and wanted to give the fans a break and take one himself after extensive touring and recording. He was planning a new studio album, but, wanted to wait to release it. Elton was under contract to Dick James Music at the time and they wanted to cash in on Elton's momentum and the demand from the fans for a new album. Against Elton's wishes, Dick James Music cashed in and released the LP despite Elton's objections. Elton protested the release of Here and There (the original release on vinyl was only a single album) and not only did he not endorse it, he asked the fans not to buy the album. Because of this, the LP did not do that well. However, I was in Portland, OR at the time and the local FM station played several of the cuts from the LP. I fell absolutely head over heels in love with the live version of "Love Song" featured on the original LP. This cut alone is reason enough to purchase the CD. Additionally, I have the only vinyl release of the three cuts Elton did with John Lennon, featured here on CD for the first time. I have cherished these for years and have played them for friends who had no idea that John Lennon and Elton John had even performed live together. Both Mr. Lennon and Mr. John are in rare form. After purchasing the LP, EP (of Lennon and John together) and later the CD, I realize that Dick James Music was BRILLIANT to release the original version and later to re-release this extended CD version. What a stroke of GENIUS that was overlooked for many years. The ironic thing is that Davey Johnstone had to show John Lennon the Chord Progression for "Lucy In The Sky (With Diamonds)" and "I Saw Her Standing There" because it had been so long since John had played either that he'd forgotten. What is sad is that this would be John Lennon's last live performance captured for the world to enjoy. OVERALL: This album, due to the controversy when it was originally released was OVERLOOKED. This is one of the finest Live Albums ever produced!

Some of his finest songs stretching from his early days to the mid 70's. Has been generously expanded. This gives an accurate interpretation of the Elton John Band live act at the peak of their powers. Highly recommended over later CDs (Live in Australia, etc). And yes, they did play "Funeral For A Friend" live without background tapes!

This album released in 1976 filled Elton's contract with Dick James Music, the company that discovered him and made him a star: the company that he had long since outgrown.

The original package was a collection of songs spanning two dates: the first a 1974 concert in Royal Albert Hall in London with Princess Margaret present, the second a raucous Thanksgiving Day concert in the same year at Madison Square Garden in New York. The original collection of 10 songs or so was hardly worth the buy (though the album went to number six on the Billboard charts). This new remastered version, with over a dozen new songs, is well worth the buy. Moreover, the recording sounds great...

In the Roayal Albert Hall concert, Elton presents a snapshot of his career. Starting off alone, he performs a beautiful version of "Skyline Pigeon." Dee Murray and Nigel Olson come on to perform "Border Song" and a jamming "Take Me to the Pilot." Other standouts here are "Bad Side of the Moon", the tender "Love Song" (very different from the version that appears on "Tumbleweed") sung with the songwriter Leslie Duncan, and the foot-stomping "Burn Down the Mission". By the time Elton hits the classics "Honky Cat" and "Crocodile Rock", the crowd has shed its formal, golf-clap guise and morphed into just another rock crowd.

Elton's New York concert starts off raucous from the get go. "Funeral for a Friend/Love Lies Bleeding" was Elton's usual intro in those days, and the song starts the concert off in high gear. The crowd sings along in "Bennie and the Jets." There is another version of "Take Me to the Pilot" which is substantially different from the London concert. Elton closes with an emotional version of "Don't Let the Sun Go Down on Me" and the rousing "Bitch is Back"

The New York concert is historically notable for being John Lennon's last ever performance on stage. Lennon had developed stage fright. When Elton helped Lennon record his "Walls and Bridges" album, Lennon made a bet with Elton: if Lennon's next single went to number one, he'd play on stage with Elton. "Whatever Gets You Through the Night" became a surprise #1 hit for Lennon, and here Lennon and Elton sing it as the crowd goes wild. It was also the night Lennon and Yoko got back together again, but that's another story...

These are both historic concerts and show off Elton at the peak of his poularity.