Elton John

Elton John's "The Bridge" is the troubadour's standard brand of melodramatic piano-driven soft rock that, at times, evokes shades of "Your Song." That's the good news. Without a palpable hook or the kind of lavish, over-the-top orchestration we've gotten used to from John, however, "The Bridge" comes up somewhat flat -- no pun intended. But the hint of "classic" Elton is reason enough to hope his upcoming album, The Captain and the Kid, delivers something special.