Tracks
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There have been hundreds of tribute albums by now, but in 1991, they were a special occurrence. The absolute peak of tribute albums had to be "Two Rooms", a tribute to the works of Elton John and Bernie Taupin.
The idea of a tribute album is to celebrate an artist by bringing in other musicians to present their take on well known songs. Elton John certainly has a large selection of hits to choose from, and the selection of both songs and artists was just perfect.
The mark of a good tribute song is that it would fit in with the performers own songs; they are not trying to reproduce a song, they are making it their own. Take "Crocodile Rock", done by the Beach Boys. This feels like it came from their own catalog. They add classic Beach Boy harmonies, and this becomes a 60s surfer song.
The Who chime in with "Saturday Night's Alright For Fighting", adding their trademark guitars, keyboard bits and Roger Daltry vocals, and this fits The Who even better than it does Elton John.
Staying in the rowdy songs, Tina Turner gives a raucous performance of "The Bitch is Back". Turner puts as much energy into the song as she does with her own work, as do most of the performers here. You really get the feeling that they aren't just here to make a buck, or get some publicity, they truly love the material.
On the quieter side, Bruce Hornsby, a piano playing virtuoso, gives a detailed, Jazz-infused version of "Madman Across the Water". Hornsby was just starting to show his talents beyond pop, and would soon go solo to play more varied styles, much like he does on this track.
"Two Rooms" is a rare tribute album that perfectly matches artists to songs. Just about any one of the songs here could have been released as a single for the tribute artist, and would fit right in with their other releases. It's a true celebration of the material, and a must for both fans of Elton and fans of the participating artists.
The idea of a tribute album is to celebrate an artist by bringing in other musicians to present their take on well known songs. Elton John certainly has a large selection of hits to choose from, and the selection of both songs and artists was just perfect.
The mark of a good tribute song is that it would fit in with the performers own songs; they are not trying to reproduce a song, they are making it their own. Take "Crocodile Rock", done by the Beach Boys. This feels like it came from their own catalog. They add classic Beach Boy harmonies, and this becomes a 60s surfer song.
The Who chime in with "Saturday Night's Alright For Fighting", adding their trademark guitars, keyboard bits and Roger Daltry vocals, and this fits The Who even better than it does Elton John.
Staying in the rowdy songs, Tina Turner gives a raucous performance of "The Bitch is Back". Turner puts as much energy into the song as she does with her own work, as do most of the performers here. You really get the feeling that they aren't just here to make a buck, or get some publicity, they truly love the material.
On the quieter side, Bruce Hornsby, a piano playing virtuoso, gives a detailed, Jazz-infused version of "Madman Across the Water". Hornsby was just starting to show his talents beyond pop, and would soon go solo to play more varied styles, much like he does on this track.
"Two Rooms" is a rare tribute album that perfectly matches artists to songs. Just about any one of the songs here could have been released as a single for the tribute artist, and would fit right in with their other releases. It's a true celebration of the material, and a must for both fans of Elton and fans of the participating artists.