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List Price: $29.98 | | Label: Island / Mercury
Salesrank: 18553
Released: June 3, 2008 |
| Our Price: $15.26 |
| Used Price: $13.94 |
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| Media: Audio CD |
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Editorial Review:
2008 digitally remastered deluxe two CD edition of Elton's hit album featuring a bonus CD containing 13 additional tracks including previously unreleased cuts, demos and more. Originally released in 1971, Tumbleweed Connection featured EJ classics like 'Burn Down The Mission', 'Love Song' and 'Country Comfort'. This deluxe edition features piano demos of many of the album's tracks plus BBC sessions and more. 23 tracks total. Universal.
Tumbleweed Connection Reviews:
Historically critical, yet incomplete 
2009-04-11 - The various labels that have had the rights to these tapes since 1971 made EJ fans wait 37 years before releasing this rare material, and STILL did not give up the goods. There are several demo versions of Tumbleweed Connection songs that have been available underground for years, yet are not included on this official release. And who knows how many demos lay in the vaults that have not been released as bootlegs and therefore the millions of fans still do not know of their existence? This should have been a bigger release; if not now, then when? After another 37 years when another two generations of fans have passed on and cannot enjoy the music? The bonus disk is certainly worth owning even at this price--the very first bonus track is an entirely different sound for EJ--but it is a disappointing release.
Tomac from Cincy 
2009-01-07 - Elton and Taupin's best album, especially the lyrical theme. This is Elton at his pre-weirdo best. The second CD of unreleased versions of the songs is worth the price by itself. Great for new and old Elton John fans.
One of the Best Records of the 20th Century
2008-09-30 - I can't imagine anyone who enjoys the music of Elton John on any level not already owning Tumbleweed Connection in some form. Not only is this the best record EJ ever made, it is one of the finest records of the 20th century! So the only thing that could possibly be keeping any fan from getting this Deluxe Edition is not knowing whether the "improved" sound of the remaster and the bonus disc are worth the twenty dollars or so that will have to be shelled out. After listening to both discs many times, my opinion is that it will be one of the best twenty-dollar purchases you've ever made.
Since most fans know Tumbleweed Connection very well, I don't need to spend a lot of time commenting on the original album except to note that it is one of those rare albums on which there is not a single weak song. My introduction to the album came back in 1971 through radio play of Come Down In Time and Love Song, both of which I still favor. But I can listen repeatedly and tirelessly to the entire album and remain amazed every time I hear it how ground-breaking it sounded when first issued and how great it still sounds today.
It is the quality of the bonus disc which should tip the balance in favor of purchase for any fan still wavering. As with the original, I like it all. But I do have my favorites. Those are: An excellent countrified rendition of Ballad of a Well-Known Gun (called There Goes A Well-Known Gun on the demo version); a stripped-down take on Come Down In Time; a hard-charging rendition of Son of Your Father; and the magnificent original "long" version of Madman Across the Water. Please note that many of the cuts on the bonus disc have an "unplugged" feeling to them due to their status as piano demos, but that gives you all the more reason to buy this.
Tumbleweed Connection Deluxe Edition is handsomely packaged in double gate-fold style and comes with an informative booklet that features the lyrics of all songs on the original release, commentary about the album, pictures, and all pertinent song information. If you were allowed to purchase only one Elton John album, Tumbleweed Connection is about as close to perfect as you'll find.
ELTON JOHN'S "Tumbleweed Connection" Gets A SENSATIONAL NEW REMASTER!!
2008-07-29 - Reginald Dwight's 3rd album proper was released in late 1970 and firmly established Elton John as one of the great singer-songwriters of the Seventies. This 2 June 2008 DELUXE EDITION 2CD set is a fully upgraded version of that breakthrough album and in my books is already up there as one of the REISSUES OF THE YEAR.
Here's the layout:
DISC 1 is the 10-track album originally released in the UK in October 1970 on DJM Records DJLPS 410 and in the USA on Uni Records 73096 (47:04 minutes)
DISC 2 is the BONUS DISC containing 13 tracks, 10 of which are PREVIOUSLY UNRELEASED and the other 3 are RARITIES with upgraded sound from their previous release in 1988 (1 track) and 1995 (2 tracks) (61:07 minutes)
PACKAGING:
The LP originally sported a textured gatefold sleeve with an attached 12-page booklet which has been faithfully reproduced in the excellent 28-page booklet that accompanies this set. Along with photos from the time of both Elton and Bernie, there's a very informative new essay by noted writer JOHN TOBLER, press adverts and billboard posters from 1970, session details and the fold-out flaps of the digipak even reflect the pictures on the left and right of the inner gatefold of the original album - all very nice touches indeed. However, if I was to nitpick, the outer plastic wrap in the UK lists no information of any kind, which means the casual buyer picking it up off a shelf can't tell what's inside this DELUXE EDITION - no album track list - nor any idea of what bonus tracks are on Disc 2? But that's a minor niggle that can be fixed on repressings, because the really big news is the SOUND....
SOUND:
Sourcing the first generation original masters tapes from the Universal Archives, the re-mastering has been carried out by GIOVANNI SCATOLA and TONY COUSINS at Metropolis Mastering in London - and surely a GRAMMY awaits each of them! As the owner of way too many re-issue CDs, this is simply one of the best remasters of an old album that I've ever heard! Twenty seconds into the opener and I was already writing a review and picking my jaw up off the table as I went!
So what's changed? When GUS DUDGEON replaced the useless 1980s CDs with the excellent 1995 remasters, he got the best sound out of the tapes that he could at the time (he sadly passed away a few years ago). But 13 years on to 2008 and that's a lifetime in remastering techniques. These 2008 versions BREATHE - you can hear everything - and clearly too. A good example is the quietly delicate duet with LESLEY DUNCAN on her own "Love Song" - as pretty a tune as you could hope to hear - it's BEAUTIFUL now - finally given the clarity that it has always deserved. (She later did her own superlative version on GM Records in 1974).
BAND/GUESTS:
Other vocal contributions come from DUSTY SPRINGFIELD, MADELINE BELL and Bronze Label Artist TONY HAZZARD on "My Father's Gun" and "Ballad Of A Well-Known Gun". UK folk duo SUE and SUNNY make a rare appearance on "Son Of Your Father" while IAN DUCK, the lead vocalist for HOOKFOOT puts in great harmonica work on one of the album standouts "Country Comfort". In fact, the majority of HOOKFOOT (his DJM label mates) make up the bulk of his band - and would stay with him for years afterwards.
DISC 2 gives us excellent PREVIOUSLY UNRELEASED Piano Demos along with two separate BBC sessions - the "Dave Lee Travis Show" from April 1970 and the "Sounds Of The Seventies Show" from July 1970. They vary in sound quality, but are more than pleasantly good. Having said that, there are THREE genuine sensations on Disc 2. When Sting was asked to do a cover for the all-star "Two Rooms" compilation in 1991, he wisely chose "Come Down In Time", which for me has always been the best track on the album. Well track 3 on Disc 2 is a recently found PREVIOUSLY UNRELEASED PIANO DEMO of "Come Down In Time" and it's sensationally good - just beautiful. Stripped of clutter and intruding instrumentation, the melody shines though, and luckily this is one of those demos that is in TIP-TOP STUDIO QUALITY CONDITION - very little hiss - just him and his lovely song. It's truly fantastic stuff and will remind many a weary fan of why they loved Elton John in the first place - he was a bloody good songwriter.
Second up is the near 9-minute "Original Version" of "Madman Across The Water" with MICK RONSON on Lead Guitar instead of Chris Spedding (Spedding was the guitar player on the shorter album version finally released on the "Madman Across The Water" album in October 1971). Along with the next track discussed, it turned up on the 1995 re-issue CD as a bonus track. What makes this version better is the UPGRADED REMASTER, which gives his raunchy guitar work an in-your-face clarity that pummels real axe-power into the song. Ronson, Bowie and Mott fans will absolutely love it!
Last is a rare B-side. Although "Tumbleweed" produced no singles at all, "Your Song" from the previous album "Elton John" was given a belated UK release in January 1971 with a unique non-album B-side, "Into the Old Man's Shoes". It first turned up on the 1995 Gus Dudgeon remaster with good sound - but here its upgraded sound quality is STUNNING!
To sum up: I've loved coming back to this album - the great sound quality - actual tunes with thought-provoking lyrics - the attention to detail in the well-thought out packaging - the bonuses you'll play more than once - all of it...
For fans of this unduly forgotten gem of an album, this is an absolute MUST BUY!
A job well-done Universal - and roll on the same deluxe treatment for "Madman Across The Water" and "Honky Chateau".
Sublime, artful, tasty, masterful.
2008-07-09 - I have the SACD version of this disc - and it sounds fantastic. If you have a surround sound stereo and the ability to play SACD discs, I highly recommend getting the SACD version of this album.
In terms of the music itself, I enjoy this album more every time I listen to it. The fact that it didn't have a "commercial hit" song makes it even better, because the songs were never beaten to death on the radio. The songs are sublime, artful, tasty, and masterfully played and recorded. A perfect example of music created as art, rather than music created for commercial purposes.
