Elton John could do no wrong as the calendar came to the close of 1971. Madman Across the Water, his third album in that calendar year alone, came out in November, and it was considered to be the best entry in his Trident Studios orchestral trilogy, featuring production by Gus Dudgeon and arrangements by Paul Buckmaster. (The previous two releases in said trilogy were April 1970’s self-titled Elton John and October 1970’s Tumbleweed Connection.)
is the first of what surely will be many a 50th anniversary collection to is available in a variety of options—1LP, 2CD, 4LP, and 3CD/1BD. The copious bonus material includes outtakes, piano demos, and of-era live performances. Since this collection was likely contracted before supply-chain issues delayed box set releases in recent years, a Dolby Atmos mix probably wasn’t on the table—a shame, really, since the Atmos mix of the opener “Tiny Dancer” on Apple Music (via Elton’s updated compilation) takes full advantage of the height channels.
