The ultimate exploration into Elton John’s extensive back catalogue, ‘Jewel Box’ encompasses a selection of deep cuts chosen by Elton himself; rarities from the earliest stage of his and Bernie Taupin’s musical journey; B-sides spanning 30 years, and songs discussed in Elton’s best-selling, critically acclaimed 2019 memoir, ‘Me’. The eight discs come in a beautiful hardcover book, enclosed in an outer slipcase. Each section contains extensive notes and, for ‘Deep Cuts’, there is track-by-track commentary by Elton. The set contains an unprecedented number of previously unheard, unreleased tracks from 1965-1971, the years that cemented the foundations of the iconic John-Taupin partnership: ‘Jewel Box’ truly is a treasure trove for Elton John fans.
The British label Pickwick/Hallmark, is characterized by making re-editions. This time I scored another point by purchasing this double LP’s live by Elton John many, many years ago, with two concerts recorded in the 70s decade (1970 – 1974). I say a success because the records are intact, just like their original versions and the best in a single double album! What more can I ask for?
Elton John is the second studio album by English singer-songwriter Elton John, released on 10 April 1970 by DJM Records. It was released by Uni Records. The album was the first release by John in the United States because Empty Sky was not released in that country until 1975…
The 1990 collection The Very Best of Elton John is an excellent 30-track summary of his peak years, running from "Your Song" to "You Gotta Love Someone." In a sense, it's the concise counterpart to the box set To Be Continued, released that same year but spanning four discs and filled with rarities. Although that set has several great songs that aren't here, this set has nothing extraneous – just the biggest hits from a time when John was hitting the U.S. and U.K. Top 40 every single year. There are no American collections that perform the same task, which is a shame because there isn't a better Elton John hits collection than this; if you're looking for all the biggest hits on one album, it's certainly worth the import prices.