1
"And sooner or later
Everybody's kingdom must end"
Elton John had already cut an album that wasn't even released in the U.S. Despite the Troubadour hoopla, most people first became aware of Elton on the radio, with "Your Song," another ballad by a pop star.
Only it wasn't. Not only was "Your Song" a step above, far from evanescent, a track that hit you in a different way from the rest of the hit parade, it wasn't really representative of who Elton was, or didn't show his suit of many colors, shall we say.
Now conventional wisdom at the time was that "Tumbleweed Connection," released shortly after the American debut, the eponymous "Elton John," was superior. And I felt the same until the release of the CD.
"Tumbleweed Connection" didn't have a hit single, but it had the studio version of the live showstopper "Burn Down the Mission." And Spooky Tooth covered "Son of Your Father," and Rod Stewart did an even better version of "Country Comfort" on his true American breakthrough, "Gasoline Alley," whereupon Rod the Mod gained believers, who were ready to spread the word when "Every Picture Tells a Story" was released.
As for the rest of the album, for a long time my favorite Elton number was the second side opener, "Where to Now St. Peter," I'd play it every day when I got back from skiing at the Middlebury Snow Bowl, and there is the exquisite "Come Down in Time," never mind the charming yet insistent "Amoreena" and the floating down the river feel of "My Father's Gun."
But "Tumbleweed Connection" sounded different from "Elton John." And I didn't truly realize this until the CD was released.
Unlike a lot of albums, the initial Elton John CDs sounded great. And I played them a lot. And being able to cherry-pick and repeat tracks, I got beyond hooked on "Sixty Years On" and "The King Must Die."
Now my favorite cut initially was "Take Me to the Pilot," which never got the respect it deserved. This showed that Elton was not just the crooner of "Your Song." You only had to hear "Take Me to the Pilot" once to get it, and when you listened to it it brightened your mood.
But now it was the opener and closer of side two that had my attention, twenty five years later.
"Sixty Years On" is eerie. Magnificent. The kind of haunting track that built the reputation of rock music. It was far from one dimensional. Rock was a big tent that allowed experimentation, which is why you could hear Jethro Tull, Yes and Elton on the same radio station, never mind Led Zeppelin.
As for who'll walk me down to church when I'm sixty years of age, the most amazing thing, the spookiest thing, is I'm older than that now.
And as big as Elton was, he became even bigger. Many listeners believe "Goodbye Yellow Brick Road" is the best, but it's not. And let's be sure to mention "Captain Fantastic," but that first American album was cut when Elton was nobody, when he had something to prove. And you can hear it. And it sounds not like it was cut in a studio, but a church.
"Caesar's had your troubles
Everybody's kingdom must end
And I'm so afraid your courtiers
Cannot be called best friends"
You can't do it alone, you can never do it alone. We live in a society. Those billionaires would not be if the public didn't buy their products. And there's a story in today's "New York Times" how Tesla's sales are off because the left-leaning acolytes who purchased the cars are now looking elsewhere:
rb.gy/xuyxcm In other words, it's a two way street. Even if you're a dictator, that does not mean you're safe, ever heard of a revolution? That's what happens when you push too far, when you abuse the public.
Everybody's kingdom ends. No one lives forever, no one rules forever, even though many think they will. They serve at the mercy of the public, even though it may not seem that way. But even more they serve the board, their constituents, the elected officials.
You may pack the board with your cronies, but good luck once things go wrong. You may get a proxy fight, you must always look over your shoulder, you've got to sleep with one eye open. Rust never sleeps and neither do your detractors, the Apostles even plotted against Jesus.
2
"And sooner or later
Everybody's kingdom must end"
What they've been telling us is not true. That it's Biden's decision whether to continue to run for President or not. He not only serves at the will of the people, but the Democratic Party, which is now turning against him.
That's today's news. Gotta say, we haven't had this momentary excitement since Napster. Or at least I haven't been refreshing the news on the internet this constantly since Napster. But now there are even more sites. I'm looking for stories, I'm trying to take the temperature. Exactly what is going on?
It's one thing to have a belief, to pontificate, but it's another thing to know which way the wind blows.
Today is the beginning of the end. Because elected Democratic officials are breaking rank. They're speaking publicly, Nancy Pelosi just said on MSNBC that Joe Biden's mental status is a "legitimate question."
And then there's the slew of news on Axios:
Four hours ago:
"'Freaking the f*** out.' Turmoil in the White House over Biden":
t.ly/ToQ0K And posted at the same time:
"Biden faces growing revolt from Democrats in Congress":
t.ly/8fJwO Within this article it was stated that Sheldon Whitehouse had broken ranks. And Peter Welch too. Both elected Democrats.
And then just twenty five minutes ago:
"Scoop: Inside House Democrats' anti-Biden vent session":
t.ly/9wJ3H But it wasn't only Axios, the "Wall Street Journal":
"Biden Campaign Tries to Calm Democratic Donors, Lawmakers as Criticism Mounts - Rep. Lloyd Doggett calls on president to leave race, while other Democrats urge him to take hard look at his future":
t.ly/OPz2C That's right, another elected Democrat has come out of the closet, broken ranks, it's not quite a tsunami, but it's a very different situation than it was over the weekend.
And the "New York Times" came out with a double-barreled shotgun:
"Biden's Lapses Are Said to Be Increasingly Common and Worrisome - People who have spent time with President Biden over the last few months or so said the lapses appear to have grown more frequent, more pronounced and, after Thursday's debate, more worrisome.":
rb.gy/vjmoow And the piece-de-resistance:
"Democrats Go Public With Panic About Biden Amid Fears of an Electoral Debacle - After days of quiet hand-wringing, a few Democrats went public with their concerns about the president, worried not only about his chances but also the party’s ability to hold the Senate and win the House.":
rb.gy/76piyi Never mind Biden's campaign alienating Democrats by calling those agitating for Biden to drop out as "the bedwetting brigade," as out of touch and offensive as Hillary Clinton labeling citizens "deplorables."
3
I'd rather write about music. Politics is not my passion. Art and skiing are. But I've been distracted by the maelstrom, in addition there's so much at stake.
Then again, Elton John appealed to everybody without even trying. He didn't make music for a small subset of listeners. There was melody, choruses, and in addition to being able to write and play Elton could sing, prodigiously.
But the stars had to align for him to reach people, to have commercial success. It took a team, and talk to any label, they don't want to work with a**holes. It's not as simple as delivering a great record.
But Elton did.
It ain't easy for Elton to crack the Spotify Top 50 these days, then again he's one of the few classic rockers able to do this. Has Elton lost his touch, or is the game unrecognizable. Nepo-baby Gracie Abrams has been the beneficiary of umpteen reams of hype, but did you listen to her voice? This is not Elton John. As for great lyrics and great delivery, Joni Mitchell aced it in the vocal department too. And her music is still sitting there online for youngsters to discover and listen to.
There comes a time when it ends for everybody. And now it's Biden's time to go. And since he wouldn't leave of his own volition, he's being pushed. And once a couple of people break ranks, the dam crumbles, and everybody else does.
It's kind of like seeing an act that can't sing anymore. Are you going to go again?
Even Bob Dylan. He's got fans just like those of Biden who say how great his shows are. But his voice has deteriorated and he rearranges the songs to the degree that you don't know what they are, even if you know the recordings by heart. Some people still go, but most are not interested, especially if you've seen him in the last thirty years, once is enough.
We vote every day in the music business. By choosing to stream, by choosing to purchase a ticket. But we only get to vote for president every four years. And we depend upon our proxies, the parties and the elected officials, to vet and put forth the best candidates. And you can't hide failings, you can only obfuscate for so long. And then the truth comes out.
The truth was revealed Thursday night.
The king is dead.
Long live the king.
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