Elton John gives fans new songs and older hits
By CHRIS HANSEN ORF Get Out May 12, 2005

Superstar Elton John gave the packed house at the Glendale Arena a 35-year retrospective of his classic career Thursday night, performing his latest songs and delivering energetic versions of his classic hits.

Backed by a crack band made up of an eight piece gospel choir, a drummer and percussionist, a bassist, lead guitarist and an extra keyboardist, John kicked off the show with eight straight songs from his latest album, “Peachtree Road.”

“The new record is growing on me,” said lifelong Elton John fan Rick Granville, 43, of Chandler. “I think it's classy, because he's got to play his new songs too.”

Nonetheless, the set list clearly divided the crowd.

“I think it's okay to do the first few (from the new album),” said Ian Kimm, a native of Glasgow, Scotland, who gave his age as “somewhere between 45 and 50” and was seeing John for the first time despite owning all his recordings. “But I don't think it's OK to do the first eight songs of the concert from an album that's not selling — that's 60 percentf his set!”

John explained that “new songs are hard to listen to” but that he is “very proud” of the new CD. The pop-based new material might have been smash hits 30 years ago, but in the new millennium it's gone largely unnoticed by radio programmers.

The crowd politely applauded the new tunes, but came alive as one when John, dressed in a black coat and tails with white leather shoes, delved into his catalog that has made him one of the premier singer/songwriters in the annals of rock ’n’ roll. When John played the staccato opening chords to his classic “Benny and the Jets,” the crowd rose as one to sing and clap along and, from there on out, John delivered a virtual greatest hits show that gave the audience what they'd come to see.

Leaning heavily on ’70s and ’80s hits such “Rocket Man,” ”Philadelphia Freedom,” “I'm Still Standing,” and probably his greatest composition, “Tiny Dancer,” John had his fans singing along word for word as he pumped out the instantly recognizable piano riffs on his black grand piano.

John ended the show with a rush of terrific material from his ’70s heyday, including a rousing version of “Saturday Night's Alright For Fighting,” and a plaintive solo reading of his first big hit, “Your Song.”

Set list:
Weight Of The World
Porch Swing In Tupelo
Answer In The Sky
Turn The Light Out When You Leave
My Elusive Drug
They Call Her The Cat
Freaks In Love
All That I'm Allowed (I'm Thankful)
Bennie And The Jets
Daniel
Take Me To The Pilot
Rocket Man
I Guess That's Why They Call it the Blues Tiny Dancer Sorry Seems To Be The Hardest Word Funeral For A Friend Love Lies Bleeding Philadelphia Freedom Sad Songs (Say So Much) Levon Don't Let The Sun Go Down On Me I'm Still Standing The Bitch Is Back Saturday Night's Alright (For Fighting) Your Song