11-17-70 has always been one of my favorite live albums. Here, Elton John, Dee Murray, and Nigel Olsson make the simple combination of piano, bass, and drums sound like more than the sum of their parts.

As many have already observed, however, the overall feel of the album was substantially altered in the remastering process. The album has obviously been remixed, with the strict stereo separation of the original abandoned in favor of a more conventional, everything-in-the-center placement of the recording's key elements.

By itself, the tinkering with the stereo mix is not necessarily bad. What ultimately mars this remaster is the application of unnecessary effects, often creating a very watery, flange-y feel that only serves to distract one's attention from the music.

Another sin is that part of the original recording is actually missing. No longer is Elton's "stop it, man, I said stop it!" mugging present after "Take me to the pilot" (or was it "Honky tonk women"?). A minor omission, perhaps, but the point of remastering is usually to obtain a higher-quality transfer of the original analog master, not to alter an album's content.

Still, this album is definitely worth having. But you may also want to look for a used copy of the 1992 (1993?) Polydor re-issue, which was (supposedly) taken from the original British master...

When 11-17-70 was originally released in April 1971, it was significant for showing those who were buying Elton's records but hadn't yet seen him live that he was just as incredible a performer as he was a songwriter! This album may not have succeeded in its mission, but only because its sales paled in comparison to the slew of other Elton albums released in 1971-- Tumbleweed Connection, the Friends soundtrack and Madman Across the Water. 11-17-70 also had vinyl bootlegs to contend with, many of which included the entire radio concert from which the album was culled, as opposed to the mere six songs on the official release.

Until this album was remastered by Elton's (mainly) 70s producer, Gus Dudgeon, it was Elton's greatest live album and one of his best albums overall. In April 1971, people could clearly hear the mania in his singing and playing; indeed, every piano note came to the surface with aggressive abandon. Elton's non-verbal exclamations were also in abundance, as were multitudinous audience screams and clapping. Until Gus remastered it, 11-17-70 had a quality that increased one's heart rate and level of exhilaration before the first song was over! But Gus has erased the excitement by lowering the brightness of Elton's piano, muffling many of his non-verbal exclamations as well as those of the audience and erasing much of the clapping. What a horrible disappointment!

I would advise anyone interested in hearing this album who owns a functioning turntable to seek out the vinyl. If all you've got is a CD player, try the Polydor CD. Forget about this remaster!

Long before he was the gaudy, over-the-top piano player who used an array of musicians and did wild theatrics during his performances, Elton John was a quiet showman, whose concerts were little more than 40 minutes and featured a two-piece backing group. This album is a nice document of those early years.

A live album recorded live at WABC-FM as a live-in-concert broadcast on November 17th, 1970 (hence the title), this show is a great look at Elton's early years. The only 2 backup musicians

If this is all you can get, then buy it. But it leaves out the elements that lifted the original from good to great. I often talked about "11-17-70" as an example of the "before" in an artist's "before" and "after" comparison.

What I mean is that before an artist is a star, he will usually issue really tight, focused work with every note/word polished. The insecurity is part of what makes a great rising artist great. Then, once they get well known, many if not most artists tend to slack off and they lose much of what made them great.

"11-17-70" is Elton John at his best before he became rock and roll's Liberace. It is one of the most intense live recordings I've ever heard. I have the vinyl, and it's almost as if you can hear the beads of sweat falling off Elton's forehead as he sings. The creative tension is overpowering to the point of being almost mystical. My favorites are "Can I Put You On," "60 Years On" and "Burn Down the Mission." Man, what heat.

A lot of that is missing from the re-mix, which is very strange. Why would the re-mixers actually take out what made it great? Why would Elton tolerate it? If you can get the vinyl, go for it. Even on CD, though, "11-17-70" chronicles a rising star at his very best. It reminds you of what Elton John was, and could have been.

In late 1969, word caught on about a English singer-songwriter named Reginald Dwight. He had released several cover albums worth of stuff in the late-1960s under his stage name Elton John (these albums can be found here on Amazon: Search "Elton John 1969-1970" and you'll get some results) and in 1969, he landed a deal with Polydor Records. He released his debut LP that year, 'Empty Sky,' which went largely unnoticed in all areas of the world.

What a difference a year makes, however. By 1970, Elton John had released his sophomore album, which was self-titled, and it sold very well. Featuring the hit single 'Your Song' and the popular album track 'Take Me to the Pilot,' the 1970 album proved to be quite a turning point for 23-year old Elton's career.

Eventually, America caught on about Elton, realized his talent, and on November 17, 1970, Elton took the stage to a crowd of about 150 people at a local radio studio for a short live performance. Little did anyone know the impact this live performance would have on the young and fledgling John's career.

Fans and critics raved about John's performance at this radio show; by early 1971, it was widely bootlegged. Eventually, to satisfy the bootlegger's and the rapidly-growing Elton fans, Polydor Records, Elton's label, released the concert on an album called '17-11-70' (now retitled '11-17-70' for the CD reissue).

There's the background on this performance. Read on for the review.

To this day, this is in my opinion the best Elton John live album (although 'Live in Australia' comes close -- but that's another review). The sound cannot be beaten. It's incredible. Elton's band is clearly having a blast, and despite the small crowd, clearly they are as entertained as one could be by the young Elton. Right from the moment fellow DJ Dave Herman introduces Elton to the stage to open the album (and the show), you know this is going to be something special.

The best version of 'Take Me to the Pilot' appears on this album, with Elton just singing his heart out and pounding the crap out of the keys on his piano. Clearly the crowd is really enjoying Elton's showmanship here, and more importantly, his incredible playing skills too (Elton knows how to play the keys -- no denying it).

A fascinating cover of the Stones' 'Honky Tonk Women' is also here. This cover is an interesting one, no doubt, definitely one of the better Rolling Stones cover songs out there (believe me -- the Stones are one hard band to cover). Elton sings with great range here, and his band (as always) supplements him quite nicely as well.

But the real highlight is the finale. 'Burn Down the Mission' in all of its 20-minute glory. 'Tumbleweed Connection' would not be released for another month, so at the time of this show, this song was unheard of. But boy, does Elton and company jam. The piano playing on this version is AMAZING -- proving what a wizard Elton is behind the piano, and also showcases Elton's backing band as well. This is truly one of the all-time great moments in rock and roll's live concert history.

Overall, if you do not own '11-17-70' yet, buy it NOW. This live album made me an Elton John fan, and I will almost guarantee you, it will make you one too. The playing here is perfect, Elton is in tip-top shape, and this proves that Elton could really do it all -- play like a virtuoso, sing brilliantly, and entertain the crowd despite its small size. This was the album (if you ask me) that truly showcased the young Elton's skills and proved that he was going to be a star for a long time.

However, if I may offer some advice: Buy the Polydor edition used because the sound quality on that edition is much, much better. The Rocket remaster has remixed the tracks (to a certain extent) so the sound is slightly different. I prefer the original Polydor CD issue. That's the version to track down. However, in contrast, if you are a true Elton fan or a fan who doesn't feel like tracking down the original Polydor issue, buy this edition for 'Amoreena,' which was added here as a bonus track and does not appear on that issue. 'Amoreena' is offered here in a stellar version, however, one must wonder how it would sound un-remixed...

I strongly recommend '11-17-70.' Go for the Polydor edition (or both -- if you are a die-hard fan), sit down, relax, and enjoy the show!

Highly, highly, HIGHLY recommended.

ENJOY!!!