Elton John - Don't Shoot Me (1972) Album Score: 11

Coming off the heels of his massive critical and commercial success Honky Chateau, Elton John decides to alter his sound a bit to make it more appealing to the public psyche. Instead of writing so much confessional, clever stuff and making great use of his piano and soaring singing voice, he writes things that are more geared toward the popular radio. It's here that he comes up with two of his most recognizable hits: "Daniel" and "Crocodile Rock." Elton John hadn't even attempted anything even remotely that cheesy and "populist" before… Both of them even abandon his traditional piano for electric pianos and buzz synthesizers. Oh, dearie…

But, then again, those are both excellent songs, so I'm not going to complain about a thing. "Daniel" is a ballad that's endearing from beginning to end. The cutesy electric piano riff is something that's easy to fall in love with, and so is that infectious melody. …It's also incredibly dated (especially because of those flute synths), which isn't something I usually accuse Elton John of being. But I think the melody remains strong enough to sell it to anyone who cares about it. "Crocodile Rock" is an incredibly cheesy mock-'50s pop song, but I rarely run across melodies that are quite as infectious as *that*. And, even though it's just a silly ditty, they did manage to bring in some really kicking instrumentation… The guitars are bold and bubbly without ever sounding cheap, and they fit perfectly with the tune. That's not such an easy feat to accomplish that well. As far as radio staples go, those two are about as good as it gets in my book.

The ballad "Blues For Baby and Me" might not have been a hit, but it sounds like it could have been. Yeah, it's a tad too long and takes awhile to get warmed up, but once it does it'll have you taking out those cigarette lighters for sure. It's not as immediately easy to get into as "Daniel," but it's certainly a treat once you get caught up into it. "Have Mercy on the Criminal" is a terribly overblown blues ballad… The instrumentation is way too pompous when I would have preferred something more down-to-earth. But at least John's boisterous chops are strong enough to back it up. "High Flying Bird" is the ballad where he truly drops the ball, though. Sadly, the hooks are weak, and Elton John's vocal performance comes across as a bit canned … he's not nearly as genuine as he used to sound. …Uh oh, he's starting to sound like his '80s incarnation. THE PLAGUE IS COMING!

"Midnight Creeper" is a good rock song with some of the finest bass on an Elton John song. And he sings a melody that is quite infectious albeit perhaps not as memorable as something like "Crocodile Rock." The bouncy guitars keep the rhythm of the song fresh, and Elton's vocals are playful. If this doesn't make you get up out of your seat and do a little bottom wiggling, then nothing will. "Teacher I Need You" is another fun, rockin' dance track that's sure to have a similar effect on you… although I felt a little disappointed at his vocal performance, which his a far cry away from the boisterous way he sang on 11-17-1970. Oh well.

"I'm Going to Be a Teenage Idol" is a bit of an oddity … it's difficult to categorize. It's a mid-tempoed, sluggish track with an unusual, wobbly effect in the chorus. The chorus, as it turns out, is the best part about the song… the rest of it is just Elton John singing boldly to a bouncy piano riff. "Texan Love Song" is a retread into country-western, a genre he had explored in Tumbleweed Connection, but it was a terrible misfire… Its melody is unappealing and bland, the instrumentation doesn't do much… if Taupin would have toned down his lyrics, it would have found a great home on a John Denver album somewhere. That's a big disappointment.

While this is undoubtedly a step down from his classic Honky Chateau, I still found Don't Shoot Me I'm Only the Piano Player to be an enjoyable experience. I talked about how this was the beginning of John's career decline, but there would still be a few years before that would start to be obvious. Sit back in your easy chair and enjoy his signature ballads, and get out of the chair to wiggle your hips with the dance songs. (And go to visit the toilet for the country-western tune.)

TRACKS

Daniel A

I probably don't need to say that this is one of Elton John's most well known ballads, and it's gorgeous! Though one thing you'll probably notice about it immediately is how dated it sounds, which wasn't exactly something that came to my mind when I was reviewing Honky Chateau. Yup, Sir Elton was taking his first steps into sappyville… but we knew that was going to happen, right? And anyway it's hard not to love that freaking electric piano anyway, eh?

Teacher I Need You A-

Yeah, this is a lot cheesier than anything on his previous albums… I can't remember him trying to sound this cutesy before. But I suppose if he continues to deliver the hooks in such a strong fashion, then why would I ever want to complain about it? The rock 'n' roll instrumentation is enough to make me want to get up and do some DANCES! So, this song gets my endorsement.

Elderberry Wine B+

This is a rock 'n' roll track much like the previous one except not quite as infectious. But, naturally, it remains an Elton John song, which is all I ever wanted in life! The melody is very good, naturally, and Elton gives a good, glammy performance. It's based on a pretty wicked piano riff, and whoever plays that rumbling bass guitar deserves a high-five.

Blues For Baby and Me A-

Amazingly, this wasn't one of Elton John's recognizable hits… and by the sound of it, it should have been. It's one of his inspired ballads with a beautiful melody, a soaring chorus, enchanting harmonies … and even a nicely used sitar! Isn't this guy great when he's at the peak of his career? The only possible complaint I have of it is the length, which did seem a tad excessive.

Midnight Creeper A

Once again, whoever is rolling that bass guitar deserves a massive high-five. That, along with the incredibly infectious melody, makes this upbeat Elton John ditty one of the most delightful things ever to grace this album. The electric guitar solo at the half-point mark is really fun, too. This is completely unpretentious stuff… You don't have to do anything but wiggle your bottom to the merry beat! Of course, Elton's presence is so likable, that it increases the merriment tenfold. Don't you just love this guy?

Have Mercy on the Criminal B+

He loses me a little bit here, but not an incredible amount. I've typically only had good things to say about his bluesy undertakings just because he has such a great voice that suits the material perfectly. But for some reason, I find this thing just a bit overbearing. The melody doesn't strike me as being too wonderful. The instrumentation is good, but its pomposity lends to that overbearing feeling I get from it. …But naturally, there's still a lot of life in this old thing thanks to Elton's heartfelt vocals.

I'm Going to be a Teenage Idol B

Well, this isn't bad. It has a pretty good horn riff, and I like the chorus. Some wobbly effects in the chorus were sort of neat. But listening to it more carefully, I notice something incredibly wrong with it: It's overblown and not memorable. Well, it's not a bad experience overall, but this is proof that this album was the beginning of the end for Elton John.

Texan Love Song C+

Oh god, I used to hate this song like poison, because it was country music. But I suppose I figured out what there was to like in country music since then… It helps that Elton John could make anything likable at this stage in his career. But at the same time, this thing does sound incredibly weak, doesn't it? I cannot extinguish the thought: This is much more appropriate for John Denver than Elton John. (Of course, Denver would have to alter the lyrics… make it about some dumb coyote or something.)

Crocodile Rock A

OK… this is what people always cite as Elton John embarking on career decline. His previous albums didn't even approach anything this cheesy. ……..And yet, it's so good! I know that cheese-pop had been around for quite awhile, but this is so much fun that it's brought to a whole new level. It's possibly the greatest, cheesy pop song around (if there's one that's even greater, please don't tell me until 2014… my poor heart won't be able to take it). He seems to have replaced the buzz-synth with the piano, but they're fun to hear. And those bubbly guitars sound great. And the melody is catchy as all hell.

High Flying Bird B-

Really, "Crocodile Rock" wasn't the event that had me thinking that he was sliding off his peak … But "High Flying Bird" is the sort of bland, overblown ballad that characterized his late '70s and '80s career in which he mostly existed in some sort of pop-rock purgatory. Sure it's an OK song, but it really should have been more than that. It should have been genuine.

BONUS TRACKS:

Screw You (Young Man's Blues) B- This is OK, but I don't find anything incredible about it. The melody isn't that memorable or hooky… The bouncy guitars are nice, but they get old after awhile. The saxophone solo was fine, too, though a little too squeaky.

Jack Rabbit B

Another one of Elton John's cutesy country-western things. This is a far cry away from the more serious pieces of Americana that he used to make in Tumbleweed Connection… Oh well. It's a fun thing to hear, I guess.

Whenever You're Ready (We'll Go Steady Again) B

These bonus tracks aren't impressive at all. Yes, they're a lot of fun, and I guess that's all Elton John wanted to do. This is a Jerry-Lee-Lewis-style rocker, and Elton does his best to give a boisterous performance (though it doesn't present near the same level of verve as his live album 11-17-1970. But anyway, this is a decent enough of a time passer.

Skyline Pigeon (piano version) A

The reason he decided to re-record this sweet piano ballad from his debut, Empty Sky probably because the album still hadn't been released in the USA… and he wanted people to hear that excellent ballad! This certainly sounds more like his usual style as opposed to the more minimal way the original was presented … Well, they're both great to listen to.