"Honky Château" is the fifth studio album by British singer/songwriter Elton John, released in 1972. In 2003, the album was ranked number 357 on Rolling Stone magazine's list of the 500 greatest albums of all time.
Considerably lighter than Madman Across the Water, Honky Chateau is a rollicking collection of ballads, rockers, blues, country-rock, and soul songs. On paper, it reads like an eclectic mess, but it plays as the most focused and accomplished set of songs Elton John and Bernie Taupin ever wrote. The skittering boogie of "Honky Cat" and the light psychedelic pop of "Rocket Man" helped send Honky Chateau to the top of the charts, but what is truly impressive about the album is the depth of its material. From the surprisingly cynical and nasty "I Think I'm Gonna Kill Myself" to the moving ballad "Mona Lisas and Mad Hatters," John is at the top of his form, crafting immaculate pop songs with memorable melodies and powerful hooks. While Taupin's lyrics aren't much more comprehensible than before, John delivers them with skill and passion, making them feel more substantial than they are. But what makes Honky Chateau a classic is the songcraft, and the way John ties disparate strands of roots music into distinctive and idiosyncratic pop -- it's one of the finest collections of mainstream singer/songwriter pop of the early '70s.
Track List:
01. "Honky Cat" – 5:13
02. "Mellow" – 5:32
03. "I Think I'm Going to Kill Myself" – 3:35
04. "Susie (Dramas)" – 3:25
05. "Rocket Man (I Think It's Going to Be a Long, Long Time)" – 4:45
06. "Salvation" – 3:58
07. "Slave" – 4:22
08. "Amy" – 4:03
09. "Mona Lisas and Mad Hatters" – 5:00
10. "Hercules" – 5:20
11. "Slave" [Alternate Take] (Bonsu Track) – 2:53
Released: 19 May 1972
Recorded: Château d'Hérouville, Hérouville, France, January 1972
Genre: Rock
Length: 45:15
Label: Uni/DJM Records
Producer: Gus Dudgeon
Engineer: Ken Scott
Mastering Engineer: "Legs" Larry Smith
Remastering: Tony Cousins
Editing: Gus Skinas
All songs written by: Elton John and Bernie Taupin
Personnel:
Elton John - acoustic and electric pianos, organ
Davey Johnstone - guitars, banjo, mandolin
Dee Murray - bass
Nigel Olsson - drums, congas, tambourine
Ivan Jullien (fr.) - trumpet
Jacques Bolognesi (fr.) - trombone
Jean-Louis Chautemps & Alain Hatot - saxophones
Jean-Luc Ponty - electric violin
"Legs" Larry Smith - tap dance
David Hentschel - A.R.P. synthesizer
Ray Cooper - congas
Gus Dudgeon - rhino whistle & backing vocals
Madeline Bell, Liza Strike, Larry Steel, Tony Hazzard - additional backing vocals
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