This week, the patented random album generator serves up a curveball: an early Elton John record that neither Jeremy nor Jon had ever heard before.

Released in 1970, Tumbleweed Connection is a cinematic, roots-driven concept album steeped in the mythology of the American Old West—written by two guys (Elton John and Bernie Taupin) who had never even set foot in the United States at the time. Ditching the shiny pop formula for a swampy, Americana sound heavily influenced by The Band’s Music from Big Pink, this record proves why the early 70s was a golden era for artists exploring their sound and finding their footing.

In this episode, we discuss:

• The Americana Pivot: Exploring the rustic influence of The Band, Leon Russell, and Crosby, Stills & Nash on Elton's early sound.
• The State of the Industry: Why a major label today would likely never give an artist the freedom to release a non-commercial, exploratory third album.
• The Human Element: A tangent on the future of music and whether AI-generated pop will make audiences crave authentic, "warts and all" art.
• Studio Trivia: Elton's use of a massive 97-key Bosendorfer grand piano for a richer lower register, the formation of his legendary 70s rhythm section (Dee Murray and Nigel Olsson), and the track that famously opened the 1975 bank heist classic Dog Day Afternoon.

Our Track Highlights:

• Jon’s Picks: Where to Now St. Peter?, Talking Old Soldiers, Amoreena
• Jeremy’s Picks: Amoreena, Talking Old Soldiers, Burn Down the Mission

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