Today I pulled a safe pick, something I haven't listened to in a long time. It is Day #1 after all, need to take it slow. I nabbed my $1.00 copy of Elton John's 1970 masterpiece 'Tumbleweed Connection' from the piano bench record stash in our sunroom. It was sandwiched between Elton's 'Rock of the Westies' and 'Honkey Chateau'.
Original Source - The now (sadly) defunct BTV Record Store Downtown Discs
Price - $1.00
Elton John's music has been omnipresent in my life. I think it was due to my birth year having been during his peak of powers. Mostly the pop songs, greatest hits, and of course - Yellow Brick Road. But I hadn't heard 'Tumbleweed Connection' until I saw the Cameron Crowe film 'Elizabethtown'. The film is about a really good soundtrack that follows Orlando Bloom and Kirsten Dunst around a movie for 90 minutes or so. The soundtracks (two volumes) alone turned me onto so much new music when it came out in 2005. In the film, there is a really poignant scene where the song 'My Father's Gun' (Side B, last track) plays over Orlando's coping of his father's passing. It was intoxicating. The drama, the gospel, the rise and fall of the song. At the time I didn't realize how much foreshadowing this scene would be to my own life three years later when I had to cope with my own father's passing. Having felt the power of 'My Father's Gun' in the film, soundtrack, and my vinyl copy, it was only natural to head back to it to help cope with loss. Of course it helped at the time, all music did, but this song did the most. I identify 'My Father's Gun' and the album as a whole so much with this period of my life I have found myself buying extra used copies when I see them. I am convinced that I can give that record a better home than the dusty used vinyl bins I see them in. Currently, I think we are up to three copies. 'Tumbleweed Connection' acts as a security blanket that somehow helped me through. Of all things, it was a flipping dollar copy of an Elton record.
The album is a high water mark of his 70's output. Sure, other albums sold more copies and vaulted him to super stardom and endless issues. But 'Tumbleweed' was a bunch of young musicians doing what they loved with seemingly nothing to prove other than their deep love for American music. Steeped in country western twang that Elton wouldn't revisit until 35-40 years later, it is a true testament to the strong songwriting relationship between Elton and Bernie Taupin that would last for the next bazillion years.
'Tumbleweed' has clearly influenced so many bands. It practically birthed a sub genre all on it's own - Americana Alt Country. I have heard the CA jam band Tea Leaf Green cover 'Ballad of a Well-Known Gun". I swear I was the only one singing along. Page from Phish has even offered a hat tip by covering 'Amoreena' on Summer Tour 1997. Perhaps the record entered their life in a similarly profound way it did mine. Who knows?
When the remastered CD's were sent around in 2005 (ish) we got an early look into the painted windows of The Madman Across the Water with the original version of the tune. The 'Tumbleweed' sessions were so fruitful they spawned another album! I actually prefer this version to the fancier version on the album of the same name that would be released the very next year in 1971. Elton would catapult to ridiculous levels of stardom with the Madman album, but 'Tumbleweed' casts a huge shadow over it.
That's all for now,
Bandy
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