Instead of repeating the formula that made Elton John a success, John and Bernie Taupin attempted their most ambitious record to date for the follow-up to their breakthrough.
A loose concept album about the American West, Tumbleweed Connection emphasized the pretensions that always lay beneath their songcraft.
Half of the songs don't follow conventional pop song structures; instead, they flow between verses and vague choruses.
These experiments are remarkably successful, primarily because Taupin's lyrics are evocative and John's melodic sense is at its best.
As should be expected for a concept album about the Wild West, the music draws from country and blues in equal measures, ranging from the bluesy choruses of "Ballad of a Well-Known Gun" and the modified country of "Country Comfort" to the gospel-inflected "Burn Down the Mission" and the rolling, soulful "Amoreena." Paul Buckmaster manages to write dramatic but appropriate string arrangements that accentuate the cinematic feel of the album.
| Title/Composers | Performer | Listen | Time | Size | Size | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ballad of a Well-Known GunElton John, Bernie Taupin | Elton John | Play | 04:57 | 11 MB | 30 MB |
| 2 | Come Down in TimeElton John, Bernie Taupin | Elton John | Play | 03:25 | 7 MB | 16 MB |
| 3 | Country ComfortElton John, Bernie Taupin | Elton John | Play | 05:07 | 11 MB | 30 MB |
| 4 | Son of Your FatherElton John, Bernie Taupin | Elton John | Play | 03:46 | 8 MB | 24 MB |
| 5 | My Father's GunElton John, Bernie Taupin | Elton John | Play | 06:19 | 14 MB | 37 MB |
| 6 | Love SongLesley Duncan | Elton John | Play | 03:40 | 8 MB | 17 MB |
| 7 | AmoreenaElton John, Bernie Taupin | Elton John | Play | 04:58 | 11 MB | 29 MB |
| 8 | Talking Old SoldiersElton John, Bernie Taupin | Elton John | Play | 04:07 | 9 MB | 18 MB |
| 9 | Burn Down the MissionElton John, Bernie Taupin | Elton John | Play | 06:20 | 14 MB | 37 MB |
| 10 | Where To Now St. Peter | Elton John | Play | 04:12 | 9 MB | 23 MB |
| 46 mins | 107 MB | |||||
| 46 mins | 266 MB | |||||
| Artist | Job | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Madeline Bell | Main Personnel, Vocals (Background) |
| 2 | Paul Buckmaster | Arranger, Conductor |
| 3 | Tony Burrows | Main Personnel, Vocals (Background) |
| 4 | Robin Geoffrey Cable | Audio Engineer, Engineer |
| 5 | Brian Dee | Main Personnel, Organ |
| 6 | Ian Duck | Harmonica, Main Personnel |
| 7 | Gus Dudgeon | Audio Production, Liner Notes, Producer |
| 8 | Lesley Duncan | Composer, Guitar (Acoustic), Main Personnel, Vocals, Vocals (Background) |
| 9 | Mike Egan | Guitar (Acoustic), Main Personnel |
| 10 | Herbie Flowers | Guitar (Bass), Main Personnel |
| 11 | Kay Garner | Main Personnel, Vocals (Background) |
| 12 | Dave Glover | Guitar (Bass), Main Personnel |
| 13 | Sue Glover | Main Personnel, Vocals (Background) |
| 14 | Ricky Graham | Digital Transfers |
| 15 | Tony Hazzard | Main Personnel, Vocals (Background) |
| 16 | Tammy Hunt | Main Personnel, Vocals (Background) |
| 17 | Gordon Huntley | Guitar (Steel), Main Personnel |
| 18 | Karl Jenkins | Main Personnel, Oboe |
| 19 | Elton John | Composer, Keyboards, Main Personnel, Organ, Piano, Primary Artist, Vocals, Vocals (Background) |
| 20 | Robin Jones | Congas, Main Personnel, Tambourine |
| 21 | Skaila Kanga | Harp, Main Personnel |
| 22 | David Larkham | Art Direction, Artwork, Cover Design, Design, Photography |
| 23 | Chris Laurence | Acoustic Bass Guitar, Bass, Bass (Acoustic), Main Personnel |
| 24 | Sunny Leslie | Main Personnel, Vocals (Background) |
| 25 | Barry Morgan | Drums, Main Personnel |
| 26 | Dee Murray | Bass, Guitar (Bass), Main Personnel, Vocals (Background) |
| 27 | Nigel Olsson | Drums, Main Personnel, Vocals, Vocals (Background) |
| 28 | Greg Penny | Producer, Surround Mix |
| 29 | Roger Pope | Drums, Main Personnel, Percussion |
| 30 | Caleb Quaye | Guitar, Guitar (Acoustic), Guitar (Electric), Main Personnel |
| 31 | Mick Ronson | Guest Artist, Guitar, Main Personnel |
| 32 | Gus Skinas | Editing |
| 33 | Dusty Springfield | Guest Artist, Main Personnel, Vocals (Background) |
| 34 | Sue & Sunny | Vocals (Background) |
| 35 | Sunny | Vocals (Background) |
| 36 | Bernie Taupin | Composer, Lyricist |
| 37 | Les Thatcher | 6-String Guitar, Guitar (12 String), Guitar (12 String Acoustic), Guitar (Acoustic), Main Personnel |
| 38 | John Tobler | Liner Notes |
| 39 | Johnny Van Derek | Main Personnel, Violin |
| 40 | Johnny VanDerrick | Violin |
| 41 | Barrie Wentzell | Photography |
| 42 | Barry Wentzell | Photography |
| Quality | Format | Encoding | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| Standard | MP3 | 320kps 44.1kHz | MP3 is an audio coding format which uses a form of lossy data compression. The highest bitrate of this format is 320kbps (kbit/s). MP3 Digital audio takes less amount of space (up to 90% reduction in size) and the quality is not as good as the original one. |
| CD Quality | FLAC | 16bit 44.1kHz | FLAC is an audio coding format which uses lossless compression. Digital audio in FLAC format has a smaller size and retains the same quality of the original Compact Disc (CD). |