Whose idea was it to make a greatest hits mixtape anyway? Come on, fess up…. Ok fine, it was me. The thing is I am so freaking predictable when it comes to the music I like. Especially when it comes to finding some band that not everyone has heard to make a greatest hits. I bet everyone thought I would pick Steely Dan or Cake, right? Well guess what? I’m not going to give you the satisfaction. So there.
Something has always amazed me about Elton John; he doesn’t write his own lyrics. Because of that my brain can sometimes get stuck on songs like Levon and Country Comfort, I mean come on. “Well she asked me if sometime I’d fix her barn, Poor old girl she needs a hand to run the farm.” Yeah Sir Elton John helping to repair a barn? I can’t buy that. HOWEVER I cannot and will not deny the GENIUS of his piano playing and composing. If you can hear him play piano without it touching you, then there’s something dead inside of you.
Elton John’s Greatest Hits ALA Jen seeing as how she doesn’t LOVE Elton John like everyone else in the world
Mona Lisas And Mad Hatters – Isn’t it odd how you one of your very favorite songs can come from a man whose catalog of music isn’t that appealing to you?
Levon – I love this song so much, that I was planning to name my first child after it. (when I was 18) Of course I thought better of it, but I did name my cat Levon.
Harmony – Ok, to me, Harmony and Tiny Dancer are interchangeable, but Tiny Dancer is more overplayed. Meanwhile, I really don’t know the difference between the two.
I picked this live version because he really sounds like he can rock now, with that deep voice of his.
Country Comfort – see above. Meanwhile still love this song, it’s like the fake version of Rocky Mountain High – with a piano.
Don’t Let the Sun Go Down on Me – I guess this is another gimme. But man, do I love to belt this one out!
I would have included Don’t Go Breaking My Heart , but somehow I felt that would be cheating. The song was never released on an album, only as a single as Elton John and Kiki Dee. And it really is a disco anthem. I could put it on any greatest hits, not just this one.
Also, if you doubt at all how gifted Elton John is, I suggest watching this video of him doing Inside The Actor’s Studio, he demonstrates how he is more in danger of running out of lyrics than music.
Here’s the fun part! The rules of Twisted MixTape are as such: Try and create a 5 song mix based on this week’s theme. This week our theme is Best of Any Band, make a 5 song playlist of your favorite songs from one band and you’re done! Easy Peasy for our Holiday Weekend!
Take it easy, make it flow, remember in your mind you are creating your mixtape for a friend.
Create your own post and link it up, or put your mix in the comments. If you are going to link-up there must be a song – relating to the theme – in your post. And really, if you’re not ready to link up with us, no worries! We love songs in the comments! So bring it!
This week I’m unveiling my new blog Raised on the Radio. I’d love for you to go visit. It’s a place for anyone to share memories of music from when the only way to hear it was on the radio or buying the album. I’m sending out a call to one and all to write a guest post about music. I want regular people, not just wackadoodle music freaks. If you’ve got an idea, let me know!
Please visit your fellow mix-makers, and if you can, comeback every so often to see if anyone new has arrived. Share this all over the place, the more the merrier! And go visit my lovely cohort, without whom I would have never had the guts to make this happen – Kristi at Finding Ninee. She’s always got a song, a funny story and some silly Drawrings. Mostly, just have fun, there’ s no pressure here.
http://www.linkytools.com/basic_linky_include.aspx?id=209678
And if you need to own these songs, please click these links to go to iTunes:
Mona Lisas and Mad Hatters – Honky Château
Levon – Madman Across the Water
Harmony – Goodbye Yellow Brick Road
Country Comfort – Tumbleweed Connection (Remastered)
Don’t Let the Sun Go Down On Me – The Lost Boys (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack)
Don’t Go Breaking My Heart – The Greatest Hits 1970-2002
And…..
The List Of All Lists:
September 10 – Make a mix for a friend of songs you think are beautiful. Either because they make you happy, they are musically composed in some way because they are pleasing to you or they just plain make you think…this is beautiful. (that doesn’t always mean happy)
September 17 – Free for all! New feature! Every 6 weeks I’m gonna post a free for all. Make a mix, any mix! Whatever speaks to you is AOK with me. Maybe you have a theme in your head, an idea to showcase. WHATEVER YOU WANT!
September 24 – Relaxing slow jams. You wanna chill, you want your friends to chill. Any genre from rock to jazz to hip-hop, but it’s gotta be slow-jams
October 1 – Our own Troy from As Long As I’m Singing contributed this week’s theme: the (5) seminal songs who made you the person you are today. The shutter-openers, the wakers, the “I can see clearly now the rain is goners.” The tunes that forced you to look in the mirror and say, “Hey good-looking, you seem familiar, yet new.”
October 8 – I wouldn’t love these songs so much if they weren’t part of a Soundtrack. Your favorite songs from soundtracks, could be anywhere from pop music you love to original scores, you decide. Try and use the point of view that it was the Soundtrack that made you love the song.
Jen Kehl 
Elton John is da bomb! My favorite from him is “I Guess That’s Why They Call It The Blues”. I have no idea why. He has never made a song I didn’t like. Great mix!!!! You always amaze me with your musical taste. That’s a compliment!
You and Linda, that was a serious break up song for me, so I had to take a pass!
Cannot disagree with you, Elton John is a pure genius and seriously still jealous my husband saw him in concert before we ever met. Would love to see him someday perform live. By far, my favorite song by him will always be Goodbye Yellow Brick Road, because it truly a song I listened quite often during a difficult time in my life, but still could listen to just about any song by him and truly be happy just to hear his music.
I’m so happy I picked someone so uniformly loved, I’m jealous of your husband too Janine!
I love this list. Right off the bat with “Mona Lisas”. “Don’t Let the Sun”…what can I say? I still get goosebumps – it’s that fun to sing along when I hear it. It’s one of those ‘stop everything you’re doing and just listen/sing’ type of tunes. If I were doing an Elton mix, I’d add “I Guess That’s Why They Call It the Blues” just because it has a very special significance to me.
Meanwhile…I shall resist the urge to do a Tom Petty mix. Everybody knows where I stand on that issue. 😉 Hmmm….who to pick now?
LOL Linda, exactly my point! Surprise us!
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‘Tumbleweed Connection’ is simply one of the best albums of that time (was that late sixties or early 70s? I have to admit the years are kinda… melded? hazy? in any event I was there and I remember the album when it came out. It was one of those albums that was good on a dormitory date-visit, cause you didn’t have to worry about getting up to skip any tracks… they were all suited to the next, it was perfect.
Good memories (real or imagined).
However the memories come Clark, if they’re good, I’ll take ’em!
Hey Jen… Excellent Choice & Excellent Choices!!! Such good tunes. Very nice to listen to.
Really Enjoyed, Slu
Thanks Slu! It was fun picking them… it took a while though, because I had to listen to every one!
I thought about doing Elton John, but I couldn’t pick just five songs! Crocodile Rock is my absolute favorite EJ song ever, with Don’t Go Breaking My Heart a close second. And congrats on your new blog, my friend.
Thank you Dana! I picked EJ because my favorites are my favorites, you know?
My favorite Elton song is “I Guess That’s Why They Call it the Blues,” but these were also great! Forgot about “Levon!”
Amy it seems like that one is on everyone’s list!
I do love me some Elton John. “The Bitch is Back”, “Crocodile Rock”, “Honky Cat”. Stewie singing “Rocket Man” never fails to make me smile, and I purposely pull a Phoebe when I sing “Tiny Dancer” . . . I mean, “Tony Danza”. Oh, my God . . . and EVERYTHING from “The Lion King”!! And Ewan McGregor singing “Your Song” . . . ? ~sigh~
Yep. Elton John rocks.
Yea Kelly! So glad you likey!
CRAP! I used the wrong link tool again. But I made the right tape 🙂 One of these days I will get it right. I swear.
Kerri! YOU CRACK ME UP!
Oops just read Clark’s post and apparently I did not follow the rules of choosing one band. My bad. Am I banned yet?
I’m keeping you around for comic relief Kerri!
Oh yes, gave John a break this week. A great list of his hits, Jen, you’re one cool gal.
Thanks Michelle! You’re not so bad yourself!
Love Elton and this list!!
Thanks Jenna!
Great list! My fave is Tiny Dancer. When I fell in love with Almost Famous, I just loved it even harder. He has so many great songs!
I know Melissa! That’s actually why I picked him, because my faves are my faves!
Like you, I’m not a huge Elton John fan, but so many of his songs I will sing along to, and fess up to loving them! I would have added “Funeral for a Friend/Love Lies Bleeding” and “I Guess That’s Why They Call it the Blues” if I were making the list (wished I had thought of Elton for my post–which is upcoming..*sigh* Didn’t get it done in time…)
Great list!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z314pQhLb2Q
I know Kari, it’s a weird thing about Elton John.
Take Me To The Pilot was the first ever 100 word song almost 2 years ago.
I love those first three picks. His early 70s stuff is amazing.
I totally have my brother to thank for the early Elton, Lance. Now my brother hates me, but I still got to keep the music in the divorce!
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OMG DUDE. I love you so hard. Elton John is one of my top ten forever favorites. Sorry that I got confused earlier, when over at your new blog, thinking that was TMTT. Gah, I need to sleep more often. OH! Recently, my kid liked the movie Gnomeo and Juliet. As the song Hello, Hello! Came on, I was like (2 words, you’d be proud) “That’s Sir Elton!” Turns out he did the song for a kids movie with um. Um. I think Lady Gaga maybe? Do you know it?
Kristi you are cracking me up so hard. I need Isaiah to see gnomeo and juliet, can’t wait!
Elton John is amazing, pure genius. The lyrics are wacky, but it really doesn’t matter, because he is channeling pure spirit when he sings and plays piano. My favorite has to be Tiny Dancer. I’m fond of Benny and the Jets because my dad used to sing it to me and my sister and he’d say he was Benny and we were his Jets. 🙂
I love awesome memories like that! I agree about the spirit and the piano, that’s why I can love him so much!
OK. First off, “the fake version of Rocky Mountain High” would make for an AWESOME neo-Country gothic band name.
And then, since you almost mentioned it, there’s this:
Sorry, the damned link didn’t stick the first go-round…
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Hey Jen,
I’m just gonna put this right here…
http://dailypost.wordpress.com/2013/09/05/introducing-blog-event-listings/
I am not a huge Elton John fan to speak of. It’s not that I don’t like him. There are very few songs lyrically that move me, but his piano playing out shadows all that by far. Perhaps I should say, lyrically, not into Elton, but instrumental wise, he’s like the Stevie Ray Vaughan of pianos. lol. I do love Candle in the Wind, Sorry Seems to Be The Hardest Word To Say’. What I find awesome is the fact so many people have collaborated songs with him. Eminem, Timbaland, Fall Out Boy on their latest album, and I’m sure many more I can’t think of. Great List.
That was totally my point Donetta. I would never call myself an Elton John fan, yet somehow I am.