Elton John/ The Lockdown Sessions

BY NARENDRA KUSNUR 

Elton John/ The Lockdown Sessions

Genre: Pop-rock

Label: Mercury Records

Rating: ***

A week after Santana's multi-artiste collaboration album Blessings And Miracles, we have the concept repeated by Elton John. As the title suggests, The Lockdown Sessions was recorded during quarantine. And with a guest list that ranges from old-timers Stevie Wonder and Stevie Nicks to younger acts Dua Lipa and Charlie Puth, there's a lot of genre-hopping here.

Probably because of the drastic style-shifting, one finds a bit of inconsistency, and the track sequence jars at times. Yet, there are some good songs to compensate. The content is a mix of fresh material and reworked versions of older songs, with newer songwriters like Alexandra Tamposi and Andrew Wotman, and co-producer Jeffrey Watt helping the veteran.

Interestingly, the album kicks off with 'Cold Cold Heart', a neo-disco mash-up that includes parts of the Elton hits 'Sacrifice' and 'Rocketman'. This remix by Aussie act PNAU also features Brit sensation Dua Lipa.

Familiar material includes the Miley Cyrus take on Metallica's 'Nothing Else Matters', where Elton does a cameo and Yo Yo Ma dazzles on cello. This was also used on the recent compilation The Metallica Blacklist. There's a fresh take of the Pet Shop Boys song 'It's A Sin' by Years & Years and Gorillaz' 'The Pink Phantom', featuring rapper 6lack.

As a tribute to late country legend Glen Campbell, Elton adds his own voice to the posthumous release 'I'm Not Gonna Miss You'. It's a beautiful and moving but lesser-heard composition, and one hopes this version leads to a revival.

The other songs move from the synth-pop club stomper 'Orbit', the LGBT-friendly 'Chosen Family' with the supple-voiced Rina Sawayama and the country-laced 'Simple Things' with Belinda Carlisle. On 'After All', Elton's piano is in perfect sync with Puth's voice though the song lacks impact. 'E-ticket' with Pearl Jam's Eddie Vedder has a nice rock n' roll energy, but offers nothing new.

The great Stevie Wonder joins on 'Finish Line', and the two combine to get into a nostalgia trip, with the lines "Take me back some years when we were young without a fear, oh you have been the song that I want to hear". With its choir back-up and Wonder's trademark harmonica, this is probably the album's biggest highlight.

The vocal coordination with Stevie Nicks on 'Stolen Cars' is also perfect, as Elton reaches the high notes singing "Our love is like a stolen car". However, the hip-hop excursions with Young Thug and Lil Nas X' don't quite fit the album's mood.

At 74, Elton still retains his charisma, adding his distinct piano subtly. Unfortunately many listeners begin comparing new material with the old classics, which isn't actually fair. Times have changed, styles have changed, and the younger audience today has a completely different set of sensitivities. Elton tries to maintain a balance, and barring a few glitches, he largely succeeds.