Elton John's Tumbleweed Connection Remastered with Bonus CD: One of the Best Albums of All Time Re-released April 1, 2008

Elton John has gone through many stages, from serious young man in the late 60’s and early 70’s, overblown glam-star in the mid 70’s, useless synth-pop wannabe in the 80’s, Diana-loving repressed English person in the 90’s and cool gay-person who releases two good albums in the naughties (Peach Tree Road, The Captain and the Kid)

The absolute zenith of his career came early, in 1970, with the release of his pure Country-Rock album, Tumbleweed Connection

In his discography it's between the 'black album' (with Your Song) and the honky tonk live beauty of 17-11-70 (he bled on his piano for his art on that one).

Tumbleweed Connection placed 463 on the Rolling Stone's 500 top albums of all time, quite a feat for Elton, but probably an insult. Think of what happens to to city slicker when he goes to the country; the relaxation, the faux meditation, the return to meaning.

It’s a juicy, funky, sing-a-long masterpiece, a one-off in Elton John’s career (excluding the 2 albums above, Madman Accross the Water, Goodbye Yellow Brick Road, Honky Chateau, Captain Fantastic, and quite alot of tracks off Blue Moves, Single Man for sentimental reasons,

Well, if you’re a lover of this album, like me, (and unfortunately Axl Rose, who say’s it’s a work of art), you’ll be excited to hear that a remastered and extended version will be released in April 1 2008 (no joke). You’ll shed a tear to Talking Old Soldiers, take all your clothes off to Country Comfort, fall in love again to Amoreena, etc

Here’s are the bonus tracks (thanxs Spin CD’s)

Disc 2 1 There Goes A Well Known Gun previously unreleased

2 Come Down In Time piano demo/previously unreleased

3 Country Comfort piano demo/previously unreleased

4 Son Of Your Father previously unreleased

5 Talking Old Soldiers piano demo/previously unreleased

6 Into The Old Man's Shoes piano demo/previously unreleased

7 Sisters Of The Cross piano demo/previously unreleased

8 Madman Across The Water original version

9 Into The Old Man's Shoes

10 My Father's Gun BBC session

11 Ballad Of A Well Known Gun BBC session

12 Burn Down The Mission BBC session 13 Amoreena BBC session

Image Courtesy: Mercury, distributed by Universal Music