Elton John

The quintessential Elton John album for fans of his earlier work. Originally released in 1974, Greatest Hits covers most of the hits up to that time, including radio favorites "Crocodile Rock," "Goodbye Yellow Brick Road," and "Rocket Man." It's difficult to find fault with this collection, except it's a bit skimpy.

I don't agree that singles are Elton's metier--his method is too hit-or-miss to permit such a surefire formula, and some of his best stuff ("Your Sister Can't Twist," "Solar Prestige a Gammon") has proven too wild or weird for a&r/p.d. consciousness. There are no clinkers here, and I suppose if you only want one of his albums this is it. But it's stylistically ragged, two of its four great cuts are also on Honky Chateau, and I'd just as soon hear the first side of Caribou. (Grade - B+)