Personnel: Elton John (vocals, piano); Caleb Quaye (acoustic guitar, electric guitar); Davey Johnstone (acoustic guitar, mandolin, sitar); Les Thatcher (acoustic guitar); Chris Spedding (electric guitar, slide guitar); B.J. Cole (steel guitar); Jack Emblow (accordion); Brian Dee (harmonium); Rick Wakeman (organ); Diana Lewis (ARP synthesizer); Chris Laurence (acoustic bass guitar); Dee Murrey (bass guitar, background vocals); David Glover, Herbie Flowers, Brian Odgers (bass guitar); Nigel Olsson (drums, background vocals); Roger Pope, Terry Cox, Barry Morgan (drums); Ray Cooper (tambourine, percussion); Liza Strike, Roger Cook, Sunny Leslie, Terry Steele, Tony Burrows, Barry St. John, Leslie Duncan, Sue Glover (background vocals); Cantores in Ecclesia.
Liner Note Author: John Tobler.
Recording information: Trident Studios, London, England.
MADMAN ACROSS THE WATER produced only a couple of minor hits, which may have something to do with the fact that its best songs are all five or six minutes long. But they're among the strongest songs in the entire Elton John catalog--especially the lovely opening track, "Tiny Dancer," which builds from a light, delicately melodic verse to a sweeping, dramatic chorus. Another highlight is the inscrutably biographic "Levon," whose title character was born "on a Christmas day when the New York Times said God is dead."
John's luxurious piano melodies, Bernie Taupin's poetic lyrics, and Paul Buckmaster's lush string arrangements all stretch out on MADMAN, giving the record a grandiose, sweeping feel when it is not riding dark, surging currents, as on the memorably edgy title track. There is a painstaking, interior quality here that goes missing from John's early pop-song oriented albums and from the later excesses of GOODBYE YELLOW BRICK ROAD. For this reason, MADMAN ON THE WATER is a crucial, unique addition to the John catalogue.
