Description:

Elton John celebrates his 60th birthday with a greatest hits cash-cow. Although – no, really, wait for it! – this is the definitive hits. Not merely great. But definitely the best. Yes, sir.

Which means?

Exactly the same stuff as the last time he released a greatest hits collection. And the time before that. And the time before that. And, to a large extent, the time before that, too. Hmmm. Is there a theme developing here?

Is it much cop?

Actually, despite the above cynicism, yes, it’s very good indeed. ‘Definitive’ might not, in truth, be far wrong: this is a collection of Elton’s very best, distilled into a single disc rather than the cumbersome two, or even three-disc sets which have preceded Rocket Man.

How many good tracks?

17. Which, out of 18, isn’t bad going, really. There’s all the regular classics here, from the ubiquitous ‘Your Song’ to the ebullient ‘Crocodile Rock’, and even the previously overlooked ‘Tiny Dancer’, made popular again by the film Almost Famous. ‘Can You Feel the Love Tonight’, at least for those of a certain age, also brings back a little, Disney-scented thrill.

Biggest disappointment?

The inevitable, yet entirely unnecessary, inclusion of the latest single from his somewhat underwhelming album, The Captain and the Kid. ‘Tinderbox’ – wait for the irony – lacks anything approaching a spark. It’s dull, too American-sounding and is apt to put you to sleep. Thankfully, the UK edition includes the final bonus track, ‘Are You Ready for Love?’ – the surprise hit of a few summers back, which still provokes a childish smile and inescapable foot-tapping.

Verdict:

For an artist who’s sold over 200 million records, perhaps it shouldn’t come as a surprise that no matter how many times you hear them, his best songs never get boring. In terms of sheer quality, barring the waste of air and chords that is ‘Tinderbox’, this album takes some beating by any measure. Even if you own the tracks in other formats, it’s almost worth getting this, or at least listening to the tracklist, because the order of the songs works superbly as a piece – an unusual feat in a greatest hits collection, especially one spanning four decades. So, happy birthday, Elton. And for the love of all that’s holy don’t release another one of these any time soon – the joke is old.

 (4/5)