Album of the Day: Elton John vs Pnau - Good Morning to the Night

I happen to like Elton John but sometimes only in small doses. Some songs I LOVE (like the entirety of the Goodbye Yellow Brick Road album) and some I loathe. My husband Perry however is a huge Elton John fan (need I be worried?!) so I have him to thank for introducing me to this album: Elton John Versus Pnau- Good Morning to the Night. It is a somewhat collaboration between the legend Elton John and Australian dance-music duo Pnau which you may be more familiar with their side project: Empire of the Sun. I had never heard of Pnau but Perry assured me that I sort of had as I happen to really like Empire of the Sun’s music and Pnau features a member from Empire of the Sun, Nick Littlemore, and also Peter Mayes, who co-wrote songs for EOTS’s debut album “Walking on a Dream”.

This album is essentially Elton John songs remixed into dance tracks by Pnau. It is a project that was initiated by Sir Elton himself and to be honest, I prefer some of the remixed sounds to the originals (sorry EJ)..but only some! It was released and peaked at number 1 in the UK charts in July 2012 so why am I reviewing it now? Because I can’t get enough of it, it is definitely worth a listen, and I want to share it with the world…just as Elton John is sharing the news of the newest addition to his family with the world (congrats Elton and David)! Plus, I wasn’t blogging back then…

My favorite tracks from this album are the title track “Good Morning to the Night”, “Sad”,  “Black Icy Stare”, “Phoenix”….ahhh who am I kidding? The whole album is great! The Elton John songs that are sampled (see below for a list) are primarily from the 1970s but the remixes provide a fresh and modern sound to Sir Elton’s classics. This is perfect for introducing the younger generation to Elton John’s sounds. At times, the underlying remixed sample is so different from the original that I can’t even hear what song is being sampled (For example the “Crazy Water” sample in “Sad”). However, the vocal samples do not stray too far from the original and it is evident which song is being sampled when the vocals are heard. It is a very creative project and although it is quite modern, it is bound to make some listeners nostalgic for the 1970s.

At only 8 tracks, and just over 28 minutes long, the album is rather short but I really have no problem playing it on repeat 4 or 5 times in a row as it is so upbeat. It may be a dance album but for me, the best time to blare this through the speakers is in the morning. It wakes me up and gets me going and best of all, it puts me in a good mood! Not a morning person? Try this album, it may help!

I am hoping that the collaboration between Elton John and Pnau will continue, but for now, this will keep me going! If you are not an Elton John fan, this may change your mind. It is worth a listen so check it out!

Album Tracks and Songs Sampled:
(Click on title to see/hear track on YouTube (where available) – links open in a new window/tab)

1. “Good Morning to the Night”
Featuring samples of:
“Philadelphia Freedom”
“Mona Lisas and Mad Hatters”
“Funeral for a Friend/Love Lies Bleeding”
“Tonight”
“Gulliver/It’s Hay Chewed”
“Sixty Years On”
“Goodbye Yellow Brick Road”
“Someone Saved My Life Tonight”

2. “Sad”
Featuring samples of:
“Nice and Slow”
“Crazy Water”
“Curtains”
“Sorry Seems to Be the Hardest Word”
“Friends”

3. “Black Icy Stare”
Featuring samples of:
“Cold Highway”
“You’re So Static”
“Solar Prestige a Gammon”

4. “Foreign Fields”
Featuring samples of:
“Pinky”
“Someone Saved My Life Tonight”
“High Flying Bird”
“Sweet Painted Lady”
“Cage the Songbird”
“Chameleon”

5. “Telegraph to the Afterlife”
Featuring samples of:
“Harmony”
“We All Fall in Love Sometimes”
“Funeral for a Friend”
“Sweet Painted Lady”
“I’ve Seen That Movie Too”
“Love Song”
“Indian Sunset”

6. “Phoenix”
Featuring samples of:
“Grey Seal”
“Are You Ready for Love”
“Bennie and the Jets”
“Someone Saved My Life Tonight”
“Where to Now St Peter?”
“Love Lies Bleeding”
“Border Song”
“Country Love Song”
“Three Way Love Affair”

7. “Karmatron”
Featuring samples of:
“Madman Across the Water”
“Funeral for a Friend”
“Stinker”
“The Ballad of Danny Bailey (1909-1934)”
“Tonight”
“One Horse Town”
“Screw You (Young Man’s Blues)”

8. “Sixty”
Featuring samples of:
“Sixty Years On”
“Sixty Years On (Live in Australia)”
“Sixty Years On (17-11-70)”
“Indian Sunset”

Download this album on iTunes
        Buy this album on Amazon
(and check out all the great reviews on those links as well…see, I am not the only one loving this album!)