Elton John's 'Lockdown Sessions' is a masterpiece

Feb. 15—Full disclosure: I am a huge Elton John fan. The singer/songwriter may have bigger fans — the ones who slip into the fanatics category, perhaps — but not many.

It started with the release of "Madman Across the Water" in 1971, which led me back to "Empty Sky," "Elton John," "11-17-70" and the "Friends" soundtrack, and it's included everything since.

I've seen him live four separate times — once with Billy Joel — and I actually got to help put his piano together at the Albany Civic Center when I served as a one-day "roadie" to write about the experience.

I caught a little grief from the more redneck among us in Irwin County when I said Elton's coming out as gay didn't change his music — or the way I felt about him as a performer and a songwriter.

I offer that preamble so that you know where I'm coming from. I'll understand if you think my love for this man's music renders me unable to give an unbiased and fair accounting of Sir Elton's COVID-19 masterpiece, "The Lockdown Sessions," so named because the recordings were made during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. Biased or not, though, this two-album collection, recorded with some of John's musical contemporaries, is one of the most amazing releases I've heard in ... well, ever.

I got a copy of the 16-song set for Christmas, so I don't want to imply it's a brand-new work by any stretch of the imagination. But after listening to it thoroughly, and taking time to get more acquainted with the songs and the artists who helped create them, I'm convinced this is the perfect late-career vehicle to remind music fans what the fuss was all about back in the '70s when the world embraced Elton-mania.

(As a side note, I also received a copy of Elton's book, "Me," for Christmas, and reading it offered insights that helped frame a new reference for "The Lockdown Sessions.")

In trying to judge the songs on the two albums solely on their merit, I realized fully 13 of the 16 tracks stood out as exceptional or better for one reason or another. Delving deeper, though, and poring over the notes Elton wrote on the genesis of each song, I realized what a unique treasure I'd been given. (My gift, by the way, was the blue vinyl version of "Lockdown," which seems appropriate somehow and adds yet another element of splendor to the event of listening to the music.)

Initially, the songs that stand a bit more head-and-shoulders above the others are "Nothing Else Matters," "Cold Heart," "E-ticket," "Finish Line" and "I'm Not Gonna Miss You," tracks recorded with, respectively, Miley Cyrus, Dua Lipa, Eddie Vedder, Stevie Wonder and Glen Campbell. (Read those collaborators' names again. That alone is reason enough for a quickening of the old blood pressure if you're more than a casual music fan.)

"Nothing Else Matters," the Metallica classic that still confounds many of the hard-rockers' fans because it slows their typical at-the-speed-of-sound delivery to — gadzooks — ballad-level, is a wonder. Yes, Miley's rough-hewn vocals are perfect, but consider her collaborators: Elton doing a dynamic piano intro, Metallica bassist Robert Trujillo, Red Hot Chili Peppers drummer Chad Smith, 18-year-old plays-like-he's James Hetfield guitarist Andrew Watt, and a chilling coda played by Elton on piano and classical cellist Yo-Yo Ma.

Hint: This song alone makes the album worth getting.

Many of you may have heard on hipper radio stations the Elton/Dua Lipa duet "Cold Heart," which is a remix by Pnau, with whom Elton had recorded before. It's a perfect medley of John/Bernie Taupin classics "Sacrifice" and "Rocket Man," with a touch of what I believe is "Where's the Shoorah" from 1976's "Blue Moves" thrown in for measure. And a perfect mix, it is.

Elton and Stevie Wonder, both playing pianos on the track and Stevie adding his one-of-a-kind harmonica touches, sound as if their collaboration on "Finish Line" took them back a few decades, each coming off as younger versions of themselves. Elton even wrote in the liner notes of his contemporary, with whom he'd recorded before on the "That's What Friends Are For" single, "I haven't heard him sound so young since he was 19 or just before he did 'Talking Book.'"

The addition of a gospel choir adds a rave-up feel to the song, and former Heartbreaker Benmont Tench's organ playing is a bonus.

Elton confirms that Pearl Jam frontman Vedder, as rumored, is "one of the nicest people I've ever met." Vedder told Elton having the Rocket Man write a song to one of his lyrics was on the rocker's bucket list, and John complied, writing "one for him and one for me." "E-ticket" rocks like the bastard child of Sir Elton's "Saturday Night's All Right for Fighting" and Peral Jam's "Alive." Foo Fighter drummer Taylor Hawkins gives the song an extra kick, and it rocks from start to finish.

A warning before you listen to Elton's "duet" with the late Glen Campbell: If you have a heart at all, it will make you cry. I don't know that a sadder, sweeter song has ever been recorded.

Country star Campbell, whose "Wichita Lineman" is a classic, after being diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease, recorded a final album and played a brief tour before the disease took him away from the spotlight and eventually claimed his life. His staff decided to re-record his final album, turning the album's solo tracks into duets. Elton was asked to record "I'm Not Gonna Miss You," which turned out to be the last song Campbell wrote.

"I thought it was one of the most beautiful songs that I ever heard," Elton wrote.

The lyrics are (intentionally) haunting: "I'm still here but I'm gone; I don't play guitar or sing my song ... You're the last person I recall, And best of all: I'm not gonna miss you."

Be forewarned: Having tissues on hand is a must.

That handful of songs would make any musical collection a masterpiece. But songs with Young Thug and Nicki Minaj — or as the Queen Bee of hip-hop intones at the end of the record, "Sir Elton John, Young Thug and Barbie." — ("Always Love You"); Rina Sawayama ("Chosen Family"); Olly Alexander of Years and Years ("It's a Sin"); S.G. Lewis ("Orbit") — an out of this world dance number — Elton's fan and soulmate Brandi Carlile ("Simple Things"); the exceptional rising country star Jimmie Allen ("One of Me"); a very sassy Stevie Nicks ("Stolen Car"), and maybe the most crucial — for apparent reasons — duo with rapper Lil Nas X ("One of Me").

Elton writes of the latter number: "(Lil Nas X) has balls of steel. It's so brave to be an out black gay performer in the hip-hop community. ... I want to continue to be his friend and to do more work together, because I think it's really important as two gay figures ... making these great records with an incredible vision and incredible common sense. ... He's just brilliant."

Songs with Surfaces ("Learn to Fly"), Charlie Puth ("After All") and Gorillaz mastermind Damon Albarn and rapper 6LACK ("The Pink Phantom") would be standouts on other collections, but here they're secondary to some of the best music released in the 2000s, and some of Elton John's best ever.

I won't ask you to take my word for it. Find "Nothing Else Matters," "Cold Heart," "E-ticket," "Finish Line" or "I'm Not Gonna Miss You" online and judge for yourself. I promise, this is one collection you'll be happy you purchased ... whether you splurge for the blue vinyl version or not.