Songs From the West Coast certainly beats The Lion King, but it's nothing to run out and purchase.
The spirit and drive that made Elton John a success in the '70s have returned in his latest album. After wasting the '90s with saccharine Disney projects, John has returned to his roots. Once again collaborating with longstanding lyricist Bernie Taupin, the tracks demonstrate the trademark piano stylings and vocals that made John a star. The album is a throwback to Honky Chateau and Captain Fanastic.
Fans will rejoice. Others, beware. The songs are repetitive and the lyrics sickeningly trite. In "Birds," Elton crones, "How come birds/ Don't fall from the sky when they die?/ How come birds/ Always look for a quiet place to hide/ These words/ Can't explain what I feel inside? / Like Birds I need a quiet place to hide." These lyrics would make a pre-pubescent Britney Spears fan weep. Other tracks provide a soapbox from which Elton preaches about AIDS and homosexuality.
