Elton John – The Fox (LP) (1981) – €10,00

by Record Facts

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The Fox is the fifteenth studio album by English musician Elton John, released in 1981. The album was produced by John, Clive Franks, and, for the first time, Chris Thomas, who would produce many more albums with John through most of the 1980s and ’90s.

Five of the songs were recorded during the sessions for his previous album 21 at 33. All B-sides released around this time were also from those sessions. The whole album was considered as a hidden gem due to the limited success it received and the album was unknown to many people.

The early ’80s were not a particularly focused time in Elton John’s career. The Fox (1981) is a reflection of the tentative regrouping that began on his previous effort, 21 at 33 (1979). In fact, a third of the material was left over from the same August 1979 sessions. This results in dithering musical styles and ultimately yields an uneven and at times somewhat dated sound. The reunion with Bernie Taupin (lyrics) that commenced on 21 at 33 is once again sparsely tapped. He contributes the tepid “Heels of the Wind” as well as “Just Like Belgium,” which foreshadows the pair’s future lightweight efforts such as “Nikita.” Slightly more promising, however, is the midtempo rocker “Fascist Faces” — which may well be a nod to David Bowie‘s infamous “Britain could benefit from a fascist leader” statement. The album’s introspective title track instantly recalls the slightly bittersweet “Curtains” coda from Captain Fantastic and the Brown Dirt Cowboys (1975). Gary Osborne and Elton John’s collaborations were beginning to yield some impressive results, including “Heart in the Right Place” — which could easily have been a follow-up to the slinky Caribou (1974) track “Stinker.” The tender “Chloe” conclusion to the “Carla/Etude/Fanfare” medley became one of two tracks extracted as singles. The other, “Nobody Wins,” sports a Euro-beat flavor and was adapted from a French techno-pop hit by Osborne and Jean-Paul Dreau. According to John, the dark and noir “Elton’s Song” remains a favorite, and he very occasionally revives it for live performances. Although The Fox isn’t a grand slam, it isn’t exactly a bunt either.