Rating: 
Summary: There was just one thing
Review: Actually, I bought this DVD so I could hear about the making of "Bennie and the Jets." I have never been able to find out what are "electric boots."Listening to the interviews, one gets an idea of what are the characters like (I can see why self-absorbed Bernie Taupin has been married, like, 4 times), and what is the process like for making songs. It is interesting to see that the songs are made in something like 1 hour each and that the writing process was not as grandiose as one would imagine for people who sold so many albums. From what I gathered, the writing of a song was taking some lyrics and then working out a chord sequence to throw onto them-- and it worked!! Because of the way in which they were written, there was not really that much to be said about them. One gets the sense that they were fishing to find something intelligent to say in the making of this documentary. Saleable, if for no other reason than the novelty.
Rating:
Summary: A Look at the Way They Were
Review: An excellent DVD; I highly recommend it. It has some footage from the early 70's and a lot of interviews interspersed with some of the music from the album. My only criticisms would be 1. They did not really play any song all the way through. I would have liked that and I would have liked to see some of them played live with vintage concert footage. And 2. Although Davey Johnstone talked at length about his guitar work on the album (and played some, too), they barely mentioned the late Dee Murray's bass guitar work. And although there were some brief shots of Nigel Olsson playing in concert, they were not long and certainly not close-up, and they never showed him playing now. I realize the DVD is not primarily about the band, but I feel that they were a big part of how it turned out. Nigel's drumming on the album was wonderful and he should have had the air time that Davey was given to show his playing. Otherwise, it really is an interesting DVD. Just remember that it's not a "music video" but rather a documentary about how a classic album was created.
Rating:
Summary: A Look at the Way They Were
Review: An excellent DVD; I highly recommend it. It has some footage from the early 70's and a lot of interviews interspersed with some of the music from the album. My only criticisms would be 1. They did not really play any song all the way through. I would have liked that and I would have liked to see some of them played live with vintage concert footage. And 2. Although Davey Johnstone talked at length about his guitar work on the album (and played some, too), they barely mentioned the late Dee Murray's bass guitar work. And although there were some brief shots of Nigel Olsson playing in concert, they were not long and certainly not close-up, and they never showed him playing now. I realize the DVD is not primarily about the band, but I feel that they were a big part of how it turned out. Nigel's drumming on the album was wonderful and he should have had the air time that Davey was given to show his playing. Otherwise, it really is an interesting DVD. Just remember that it's not a "music video" but rather a documentary about how a classic album was created.
Rating: 
Summary: Behind the yellow brick road...
Review: Don't miss this opportunity to explore the songwriting process of what became a landmark pop album of the '70s. Elton John and Bernie Taupin were truly at their creative peak when this double album was released. Song by song, these tunes should be required listening for anyone remotely interested in pop music. Not only have these songs stood the test of time but continue to be the bench mark upon all future releases the dynamic duo would be judged. Hey, they almost pulled it off again two years later with '75's Captain Fantastic and the Brown Dirt Cowboy. But the latter was less commercial in it's approach and told a more personal story of their humble beginnings. Wanna know why Elton John is important? Buy this dvd and see. And hear. Together with virtually everyone involved (excluding bassist Dee Murray who died of cancer in '92), you won't miss a single detail about how this album was crafted. This "music factory" was basically, Elton, Taupin, the band and producer Gus Dudgeon (who also has died since this was taped). Together they were responsible for the string of classic Elton John albums and singles from 1970-1975. From Elton's ability to easily craft melodies from Taupin's story book lyrics, the deft hand of Gus Dudgeon guiding the process, and the incredible band that took each song to new heights (not to mention the soaring backing vocals), you'll find yourself buying the cd immediately if you don't already own it.
Rating:
Summary: Wake Up
Review: For those of you who bought this DVD to hear all the songs...wake up. The Classic Album series is about the MAKING of albums. Buy the CD of the album if you just want the music.
Rating:
Summary: Great Insight Into an Amazing Album
Review: Goodbye Yellow Brick Road introduced a lot of people to Elton John in 1973; it was his first really successful album (though it wasn't the first to hit number one). It propelled him into superstardom, and this DVD is a great "Behind-the-Scenes" look at it. It provides interviews from everyone involved with this album, including Elton John himself, lyricist Bernie Taupin, guitarist Dave Johnstone, drummer Nigel Olsson, Producer Gus Dudgeon, and string arranger Del Newman. They all discuss what was going on at the time of recording some songs; they even discuss some of the songs themselves, such as "Funeral For a Friend" and "The Ballad of Danny Bailey". It helps me appreciate the album more because of all the musicianship that was dedicated to it (great string arrangements, backing vocals, etc.). I really recommend this to anyone who wants to know more about "Goodbye Yellow Brick Road" or Elton John; it says much more than the liner notes of the album and provides great information as to the atmosphere and way of life the Elton John Band was undergoing in 1973.
Rating:
Summary: Great Insight Into an Amazing Album
Review: Goodbye Yellow Brick Road introduced a lot of people to Elton John in 1973; it was his first really successful album (though it wasn't the first to hit number one). It propelled him into superstardom, and this DVD is a great "Behind-the-Scenes" look at it. It provides interviews from everyone involved with this album, including Elton John himself, lyricist Bernie Taupin, guitarist Dave Johnstone, drummer Nigel Olsson, Producer Gus Dudgeon, and string arranger Del Newman. They all discuss what was going on at the time of recording some songs; they even discuss some of the songs themselves, such as "Funeral For a Friend" and "The Ballad of Danny Bailey". It helps me appreciate the album more because of all the musicianship that was dedicated to it (great string arrangements, backing vocals, etc.). I really recommend this to anyone who wants to know more about "Goodbye Yellow Brick Road" or Elton John; it says much more than the liner notes of the album and provides great information as to the atmosphere and way of life the Elton John Band was undergoing in 1973.
Rating: 
Summary: Elton John: Goodbye Yellow Brick Road.
Review: I had other expectations about this album ( Elton John: Goodbye Yellow Brick Road DVD), such as live music instead of interviews and cuts. I purshased "one night only" and I hope to be more lucky this time. Rgds.,
Rating:
Summary: We're Not In Kansas Anymore, Toto!
Review: I have the Classic Albums video of "Aja" by Steely Dan, so I expected the Elton John DVD to stick to the same formula - which it did. Contemporary interviews are interspersed with archival footage of the recording sessions. Elton discusses various aspects of the songwriting process, and which songs should or should not have been released as singles. At the time, he fought against "Bennie And The Jets" being released as a single, but thankfully the record company prevailed and it became a #1 hit. He regrets that by the time "Harmony" would have been issued as a 45, "Caribou" had been released and "Don't Let The Sun Go Down On Me" was issued as the next single to promote that album. Bernie Taupin talks about the inspiration and meaning of his lyrics. He reveals that "Candle In The Wind" wasn't just about Marilyn Monroe but is representative of anyone who dies young and at the peak of their career, mentioning James Dean and Jim Morrison as examples. The core Elton John band members finally get their due. Nigel Olsson discusses not only his drumming duties but his background singing as well. As he admits, his voice was so loud that he sometimes had to sing with his back to the microphone! Davey Johnstone demonstrates some excellent guitar riffs. He mentions that he came up with the classic, rocking intro to "Saturday Night's Alright For Fighting." Dee Murray, Elton's bass player, unfortunately passed away, but is fondly remembered. It's interesting to examine all of the elements that went into the making of "Goodbye Yellow Brick Road," one of the few double albums to reach number one in both the American and English charts.
Rating:
Summary: Incomplete! Was not worth the price,
Review: I was very disappointed with this dvd. First they say 90 minutes of time on the dvd but I believe there was only about 45 minutes. They call out a bonus section but it is a repeat of the first 45 minutes. I feel if they put a cut of every song, thats on the double album, and added those songs to the dvd, that would have been much more suitable. They do not even have a list of the songs or the great art work from the album.. Most dvd's made these days are jam packed with info. I am old enough to have bought the double album when it came out, and it changed my life. If a new fan would like to purchase a copy of this dvd they are not getting the whole picture.
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