CD Review of Elton John's One Night Only
From Onstage Magazine's "Captured Live" Section
by Bryan Beller
Published April, 2001

Live albums sometimes inspire cynicism as to the ultimate motive for their release. Was the artist just trying to cash in on sudden popularity? Was he/she incapable of writing and recording new material in a timely manner? You know, strike while the iron's hot? "Greatest Hits" compilations are usually seen in an even worse light: a contractual obligation, an imminent band breakup, or just plain greediness. Now you have Elton John-certainly an artist with nothing left to prove either commercially or artistically-releasing a Live Greatest Hits album. What is one to make of this?

Well, if Elton, Inc. set out simply to make a pristine document of an October, 2000 stint at New York's Madison Square Garden, they did it. Using some brand-spanking-new recording technology (namely a truckload of Aphex 1788 Remote-Controlled Mic-Preamps), they were able to take stage mikes and, with the help of a patented limiter circuit, gain an extra 20db of headroom before the digital conversion process used for the master recording.while at the same time sending an active signal out to the house console so as to avoid signal loss caused by excessive cable length. But enough mind-numbing tech talk; the sound is simply a thing to behold. Each individual piece of the large ensemble (including every part of the background vocals) is perfectly audible, and the bass in particular has both a punch and clarity to it that is so true, you'd swear it was overdubbed after the fact.

But it wasn't, and you can tell because both veteran Elton bassist Bob Birch and session ace Curt Bisquera are locked together tighter than a certain insect's hindquarters. Say one thing for Mr. John: he obviously does what he can to keep his band together. Along with Birch and Bisquera, the core of Nigel Olssen, Davey Johnstone, and John Jorgenson has been pounding out Elton's hits for years now, and it shows. Surely, any bunch of pros could do the material justice. There's just an intangible cohesiveness that comes along with this group, free of charge.

Granted, Elton doesn't even try to hit the falsetto highs on "Rocket Man" and "Bennie & The Jets" anymore. Why "I'm Still Standing" needed to be included is probably a mystery to all but the fiercely loyal. And even the most hardcore fan could likely do without Bryan Adams "helping out" on "Sad Songs (Say So Much)." But the live renditions of his greatest hits are what they are, and have been for years. Moreover, Sir Elton still delivers the goods on the hardest rockers ("The Bitch Is Back" and "Saturday Night's Alright"), both vocally and ivory-wise. If this is the best possible representation of Elton's Live Greatest Hits, then so be it, and to his own self be true. Oh, and was it mentioned that special guest Mary J. Blige's duet take on "I Guess That's Why They Call It The Blues" saves the whole record?

Rating (out of 5): 3

This is the original unedited text for a copyrighted article that originally ran in the April, 2001 issue of Onstage Magazine, a Primedia Business Magazines and Media publication. The actual article as it ran is posted at www.onstagemag.com, and reprint permission was not granted, nor is it permitted for any purpose. For subscription information, call (800) 245-2737 or visit the website address listed above.