{"id":39726,"date":"2006-04-20T00:00:00","date_gmt":"2006-04-20T00:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/dailyvault.adishjain.in\/index.php\/reviews\/the-fox\/"},"modified":"2006-04-20T00:00:00","modified_gmt":"2006-04-20T00:00:00","slug":"the-fox","status":"publish","type":"review","link":"https:\/\/dailyvault.adishjain.in\/index.php\/reviews\/the-fox\/","title":{"rendered":"The Fox"},"content":{"rendered":"

<\/p>\n

The Fox<\/i> signals the end of Elton John’s
\nmediocre string of albums from the late 70s to the early 80s. While
\nits successor Jump Up!<\/i> was the true return to form, The
\nFox<\/i> shows signs of an artist having weathered musical styles
\nlike punk and disco and coming out of it strong. However, Elton was
\nnot out of the woods just yet.<\/p>\n

I am fully aware that The Fox<\/i> was recorded in
\nthe 80s, but that does not mean I have to like it. There are many
\nmoments that sound horrendously out of date; “Nobody Wins” is
\nprobably the most glaring example, with a heavy
\nsynthesizer\/keyboard\/drum trigger sound that was state of the art
\nat the time but is hard to take seriously today.<\/p>\n

Besides the old-school 80s sound, most of the music
\noff The Fox<\/i> sounds similar to John’s previous albums.
\nThere’s a dance\/disco vibe that underlies a few of the tracks,
\nthough it is nowhere near as horrible as Victim Of Love<\/i>.
\n“Heels Of The Wind” could have been lifted from 21 At 33<\/i>, as
\ncould have “Heart In The Right Place.”<\/p>\n

This all being said, a few moments have stuck with me
\nsince first listen. The opening track, “Breaking Down Barriers,” is
\none of John’s best rock numbers of the decade, propelled along by
\nhis superb piano work and diverse vocals. This number showcases the
\nlow and high facets of Elton’s voice, which I would argue was at
\nits peak from this point to Breaking Hearts<\/i>.<\/p>\n

The pairing of “Carle Etude” and “Fanfare\/Chloe” is
\nwithout question the highlight of The Fox<\/i>. The former is a
\nfull orchestral piece, on par with “Tonight,” and these tracks make
\nme wish Elton did more straight up instrumental work. “Fanfare” may
\nsuffer a tad from the aforementioned onslaught of fake
\ninstrumentation, but as with Stevie Wonder’s “Village Ghetto Land,”
\nthe songs are fleshed out because of the synths. The “Chloe” piece
\nis a relatively straight-up ballad, but with a catchy refrain and
\nexcellent orchestra arrangements from James Newton-Howard.<\/p>\n

The two other tunes that caught my attention were
\n“Elton’s Song” and the title track. “Elton’s Song” is relatively
\nunadorned, with just Elton and the piano for most of its running
\ntime… moments like these are always appreciated on any Elton
\nalbum. “The Fox” fits alongside such track as “The Flintstone Boy”
\nand “The Retreat” with a pop\/country feel that John is quite good
\nat pulling off. The argument could be made that these tracks are
\nmore country than what passes for country music today.<\/p>\n

There was enough material to keep my interest
\nthroughout the The Fox<\/i>, especially considering that the
\nsecond half of the album contains its best material. More
\nimportantly, the stage was set for Jump Up!<\/i> and Too Low
\nFor Zero<\/i>. That is probably the most lasting impact The
\nFox<\/i> has in Elton John’s catalog.<\/p>\n

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