Revamp & Restoration
Revamp: Reimagining the Songs of Elton John & Bernie Taupin and Restoration: Reimagining the Songs of Elton John and Bernie Taupin are two tribute albums to English musician Elton John and his frequent songwriting partner Bernie Taupin, both released on 6 April 2018. Revamp was described as John's project and features covers of the duo's back catalogue by pop, rock and R&B artists, whereas Restoration was seen as Taupin's project and features covers by country music artists.[2][3] Revamp was released via Island Records and Restoration by Universal Music Group Nashville. The release of the albums coincided with John's 2018–2023 Farewell Yellow Brick Road tour.[4]
| Revamp: Reimagining the Songs of Elton John & Bernie Taupin | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Compilation album by various artists | |
| Released | 6 April 2018 |
| Label | Island |
| Producer |
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| Singles from Revamp: Reimagining the Songs of Elton John & Bernie Taupin | |
| |
| Restoration: Reimagining the Songs of Elton John and Bernie Taupin | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Compilation album by various artists | |
| Released | 6 April 2018 |
| Label | Universal Nashville |
| Producer | |
| Singles from Restoration: Reimagining the Songs of Elton John and Bernie Taupin | |
| |
The cover of "Mona Lisas and Mad Hatters" by Maren Morris which appears on Restoration was nominated for the Grammy Award for Best Country Solo Performance at the 61st Annual Grammy Awards.
Background
editOn the decision to release two separate albums encompassing different genres, Taupin told Rolling Stone:
From day one we borrowed from everything that's good about American music – whether it's blues, country, gospel, pop, pure rock – everything got thrown in the mix. It would be tiring if you just got stuck in one niche your entire career, especially when it's one as long as ours.[5]
According to John, "We have two completely different albums; Revamp being the pop one and Restoration being the country one and God we have so many great artists doing our songs, it's quite incredible."[2] Of his Revamp record, John told E!:[2]
It's always a huge compliment when an artist loves your song enough to take the time and effort to rework it. As songwriters, Bernie [Taupin] and myself are thrilled when singers we admire and respect as much as those on Revamp and Restoration choose to add their own unique twist in the process. It means that our music is still relevant and ultimately that our songs continue to reach new audiences. We're humbled and thank them all for their generosity.
He added, "On Revamp, I wrote out a wish list of people that I would love and asked them and to my surprise most of them said yes and we have quite an astonishing eclectic crew."[2]
Of Taupin's Restoration record, John said, "Restoration was Bernie's project and he's a huge country fan. He came up with an astonishing list of country performers both new and legendary".[6]
Cover art
editThe Revamp album features a pop-art style cover based on the Terry O'Neill photograph of John, recreated in neon. The Restoration artwork was created by Taupin who wanted to emphasise the role that American culture played in his and John's careers, stating:[6]
For me, there's an irony about the American flag. It's been battered and beaten and burned, but it's resilient. It's always come back. I incorporate it with other things, and lately I've done a lot of pieces with deconstructed guitars and other found materials: barbed wire, broken bottles, things that people identify with on an everyday level. If it's on the floor and it works, I'll put it into the artwork. But it all goes hand in hand with my belief in America and my interest, I would say obsession, with Americana."
Reception
editReviews of the two albums generally favoured the country reinterpretations of the John/Taupin catalogue, with significantly greater critical praise going to Taupin's Restoration volume than to John's Revamp. The Metacritic score for Revamp, which averages professional reviews from a wide range of media sources, was 58, indicating "mixed or average reviews". Meanwhile, the site assigned a score of 84 to Restoration, indicating "universal acclaim".
The professional consensus in favour of Restoration centered around what was perceived as this volume embracing both riskier and rootsier arrangements. Stephen Thomas Erlewine of AllMusic called Revamp "slickly produced" and "dull", though giving praise to tracks cut by Alessia Cara, Miley Cyrus, Q-Tip & Demi Lovato, and Queens of the Stone Age.[7] The same reviewer noted that on Restoration, "the artists take risks, and they -- and the songbook -- come out sounding the better for it."[8]
Chris Willman of Variety magazine, while praising individual tracks by Coldplay and Sam Smith, opined that "the list of predictably commercial names that fills out Revamp sits at the intersection of tasteful and cash-grabby" and that "this feels like an album designed more to move tickets for his farewell tour." Conversely, Willman had little but positive things to say about Restoration, singling out 10 of its tracks for special praise and noting of its country feel, "with Restoration, it’s a treat to get reacquainted with Las Cruces Elton."[9]
Jody Rosen of Rolling Stone gave three stars to Revamp, stating that the "best moments on Revamp, featuring big names from pop, rock and R&B, are those least faithful to the originals." Rosen gave four stars to Restoration, calling it "a revelation".[10]
In a three-star review of Revamp, Michael Hann of The Guardian wrote that "When it's good, Revamp is very good. When it's bad, it's awful."[11]
Revamp
edit| Aggregate scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| Metacritic | 58/100[12] |
| Review scores | |
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |    [13] |
| The Guardian | [14] |
| Rolling Stone | [15] |
Track listing
edit| No. | Title | Artist(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Bennie and the Jets" | Elton John, Pink and Logic | 3:11 |
| 2. | "We All Fall in Love Sometimes" | Coldplay | 4:00 |
| 3. | "I Guess That's Why They Call It the Blues" | Alessia Cara | 4:31 |
| 4. | "Candle in the Wind" | Ed Sheeran | 3:19 |
| 5. | "Tiny Dancer" | Florence and the Machine | 6:01 |
| 6. | "Someone Saved My Life Tonight" | Mumford & Sons | 6:09 |
| 7. | "Sorry Seems to Be the Hardest Word" | Mary J. Blige | 3:16 |
| 8. | "Don't Go Breaking My Heart" | Q-Tip featuring Demi Lovato | 4:06 |
| 9. | "Mona Lisas and Mad Hatters" | The Killers | 4:56 |
| 10. | "Daniel" | Sam Smith | 4:10 |
| 11. | "Don't Let the Sun Go Down on Me" | Miley Cyrus | 5:36 |
| 12. | "Your Song" | Lady Gaga | 4:16 |
| 13. | "Goodbye Yellow Brick Road" | Queens of the Stone Age | 3:11 |
| No. | Title | Artist(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 14. | "I'm Still Standing" | Takuya Ōhashi (Sukima Switch) | 2:11 |
Charts
edit| Chart (2018) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Australian Albums (ARIA)[16] | 5 |
| Austrian Albums (Ö3 Austria)[17] | 17 |
| Belgian Albums (Ultratop Flanders)[17] | 38 |
| Belgian Albums (Ultratop Wallonia)[17] | 98 |
| Dutch Albums (MegaCharts)[17] | 101 |
| German Albums (Offizielle Top 100)[18] | 31 |
| New Zealand Albums (RMNZ)[19] | 7 |
| Norwegian Albums (VG-lista)[20] | 28 |
| Swiss Albums (Schweizer Hitparade)[17] | 17 |
| US Billboard 200[21] | 13 |
Restoration
edit| Aggregate scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| Metacritic | 84/100[22] |
| Review scores | |
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic | [23] |
| Rolling Stone | [15] |
Track listing
edit| No. | Title | Artist(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Rocket Man" | Little Big Town | 4:47 |
| 2. | "Mona Lisas and Mad Hatters" | Maren Morris | 5:04 |
| 3. | "Sacrifice" | Don Henley and Vince Gill | 5:27 |
| 4. | "Take Me to the Pilot" | Brothers Osborne | 3:55 |
| 5. | "My Father's Gun" | Miranda Lambert | 4:39 |
| 6. | "I Want Love" | Chris Stapleton | 4:32 |
| 7. | "Honky Cat" | Lee Ann Womack | 5:17 |
| 8. | "Roy Rogers" | Kacey Musgraves | 3:36 |
| 9. | "Please" | Rhonda Vincent and Dolly Parton | 4:16 |
| 10. | "The Bitch Is Back" | Miley Cyrus | 3:33 |
| 11. | "Sad Songs (Say So Much)" | Dierks Bentley | 4:14 |
| 12. | "This Train Don't Stop There Anymore" | Rosanne Cash and Emmylou Harris | 5:04 |
| 13. | "Border Song" | Willie Nelson | 3:24 |
Charts
edit| Chart (2018) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Australian Albums (ARIA)[24] | 57 |
| Belgian Albums (Ultratop Flanders)[25] | 181 |
| New Zealand Heatseeker Albums (RMNZ)[26] | 9 |
| Swiss Albums (Swiss Hitparade)[25] | 59 |
| US Billboard 200[21] | 36 |
| US Billboard Country Albums | 4 |
Grammy salute
editOn 10 April 2018, CBS aired I'm Still Standing: A Grammy Salute to Sir Elton John which featured artists performing songs from the John/Taupin songbook, including many of the artists who recorded songs for Revamp and Restoration. At the end of the broadcast, John and Taupin were given Grammy Awards: the President's Award.[27][28]
Performers
edit- Miley Cyrus - "The Bitch Is Back"
- Ed Sheeran - "Candle in the Wind"
- Sam Smith - "Daniel"
- Alessia Cara - "I Guess That's Why They Call It the Blues"
- Lady Gaga - "Your Song"
- Little Big Town - "Rocket Man"
- Shawn Mendes and SZA - "Don't Go Breaking My Heart"
- Maren Morris - "Mona Lisas and Mad Hatters"
- Chris Martin - "We All Fall in Love Sometimes"
- Miranda Lambert - "My Father's Gun"
- Kesha - "Goodbye Yellow Brick Road"
- John Legend - "Don't Let The Sun Go Down On Me"
- Elton John - "Bennie and the Jets", "Philadelphia Freedom" and "I'm Still Standing" (with ensemble)
House band
edit- Davey Johnstone – guitar, musical director, backing vocals
- Nigel Olsson – drums, backing vocals
- John Mahon – percussion, backing vocals
- Kim Bullard – keyboards
- Matt Bissonette – bass guitar, backing vocals
- Adam Chester - piano, strings conductor, backing vocals
Christopher Jackson, Gayle King and Neil Patrick Harris provided recitations of Taupin's lyrics accompanied by Valerie Simpson and Jon Batiste. Additionally, Harris, Anna Kendrick, Lucy Liu, and Hailee Steinfeld served as hosts introducing some of the performances. Neil Portnow presented John and Taupin with their awards on behalf of the Recording Academy.
See also
editReferences
edit- ^ Leight, Elias (6 April 2018). "Producer Frank Liddell Explains How Bernie Taupin Tested Him for the Elton John Country Tribute Album". Billboard. Retrieved 9 July 2018.
- ^ a b c d Johnson, Zach (15 March 2018). "Elton John Announces Two Cover Albums Featuring Miley Cyrus, Lady Gaga and Ed Sheeran". E! Online.
- ^ Snapes, Laura (15 March 2018). "Ed Sheeran, Coldplay, Lady Gaga to feature on Elton John covers albums". The Guardian.
- ^ "Elton John Announces Retirement From Touring". Rolling Stone. 24 January 2018.
- ^ "Miley Cyrus, Lady Gaga, Ed Sheeran Set for Two Elton John Tribute Albums". Rolling Stone. 15 March 2018.
- ^ a b "Restoration: Reimagining The Songs Of Elton John And Bernie Taupin To Be Released April 6". Universal Music Group Nashville.
- ^ Erlewine, Stephen Thomas. 2018. "Revamp." AllMusic.
- ^ Erlewine, Stephen Thomas. 2018. "Restoration." AllMusic.
- ^ Willman, Chris. 2018. "Review: Country Elton John Tribute Album Bests Its Pop Counterpart." Variety.
- ^ Rosen, Jody. 6 April 2018. "Review: Megastars Turn Out for Splashy Elton John Tributes ‘Revamp’ and ‘Restoration’." Rolling Stone.
- ^ Hann, Michael. 2018. "Revamp: Reimagining Elton John review – Sheeran and Gaga join middling covers rehash." The Guardian.
- ^ "Reviews for REVAMP: REIMAGINING THE SONGS OF ELTON JOHN AND BERNIE TAUPIN by Various Artists". Metacritic. Retrieved 1 August 2019.
- ^ Erlewine, Stephen Thomas. "REVAMP: REIMAGINING THE SONGS OF ELTON JOHN AND BERNIE TAUPIN - Various Artists". AllMusic. Retrieved 1 August 2019.
- ^ Hann, Michael (1 August 2019). "Revamp: Reimagining Elton John review – Sheeran and Gaga join middling covers rehash". The Guardian. Retrieved 8 May 2016.
- ^ a b Rosen, Jody (6 April 2018). "Review: Megastars Turn Out for Splashy Elton John Tributes 'Revamp' and 'Restoration'". Rolling Stone. Retrieved 1 August 2019.
- ^ "ARIA Australian Top 50 Albums". Australian Recording Industry Association. 16 April 2018. Retrieved 14 April 2018.
- ^ a b c d e "ultratop.be – Revamp – Reimagining The Songs Of Elton John & Bernie Taupin". Ultratop. Retrieved 18 April 2018.
- ^ "Offiziellecharts.de – Various Artists – Revamp - Reimaging the Songs of Elton John & Bernie Taupin" (in German). GfK Entertainment Charts. Retrieved 13 April 2018.
- ^ "NZ Top 40 Albums Chart". Recorded Music NZ. 16 April 2018. Retrieved 13 April 2018.
- ^ "VG-lista – Topp 40 Album uke 15, 2018". VG-lista. Retrieved 14 April 2018.
- ^ a b "Billboard 200: April 17, 2018". Billboard. Retrieved 17 April 2018.
- ^ "Reviews for RESTORATION: REIMAGINING THE SONGS OF ELTON JOHN AND BERNIE TAUPIN by Various Artists". Metacritic. Retrieved 1 August 2019.
- ^ Erlewine, Stephen Thomas. "RESTORATION: REIMAGINING THE SONGS OF ELTON JOHN AND BERNIE TAUPIN - Various Artists". AllMusic. Retrieved 1 August 2019.
- ^ "ARIA Chart Watch #468". auspOp. 14 April 2018. Archived from the original on 2 August 2019. Retrieved 14 April 2018.
- ^ a b "ultratop.be – Restoration – Reimagining The Songs Of Elton John And Bernie Taupin". Ultratop. Retrieved 18 April 2018.
- ^ "NZ Heatseeker Albums Chart". Recorded Music NZ. 16 April 2018. Retrieved 13 April 2018.
- ^ Lynch, Joe (9 April 2018). "'Elton John: I'm Still Standing – A Grammy Salute': 10 Knockout Moments From Ed Sheeran, Kesha, Sam Smith & More". Billboard. Retrieved 16 September 2018.
- ^ Rice, Lynette (10 April 2018). "Elton John: I'm Still Standing: What you will and won't see on tonight's special". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved 16 September 2018.