Elton John Album: “Ice on Fire”

Is this the best Captain Fantastic cd?..............NO. Is it a very good cd?..............Yes. That's the key. Never compare Elton John to himself.........Compare him to the other's on the radio. That's when you can start appreciating his brilliance even on a cd like Ice On Fire. It's Very Good.

This is the cd that gave birth to "Nakita" - A Great Song. The standout along with Wrap Her Up, but some pretty fair music on this cd.

If Elton John had produced this album in the first half of the 1970's or in the same way as 'Songs from the West Coast'/'The Captain and the Kid' was made it would probably be a fine album. As it is its an average album spoilt my the 1980's production values.

There are some very good songs on here: This Town, Cry to Heaven, Shoot Down the Moon. There are at least a couple of others that merit a few listens. Eventually once you get though the treacled layers of 80's keyboards you will find Elton's unique melodic gift shining through.

All the musicians on this album are top notch, but to a large degree they are wasted. If you want final evidence of the souless nature of this recording compare the album version of 'This Town' with Elton's performance on the UK TV show The Tube. There is no comparison the live version on the Tube is absolutely stunning. The album version sounds castrated by comparison.

So its worth getting, but be prepared to have to listen to it a few times to find the gems.

This CD can only be appreciated by someone that already likes Elton John. NOTE: Do not use this CD to try and convert a non-fan. Cry to Heaven and Nikita are the more popular tracks but I liked Wrap Her Up and Shoot Down the Moon as well. I however have to agree with the others that Act of War is the WORST track on this CD. Not Elton's best but worth listening to.

Generally forgettable album from 1985 that seemed to stunt the resurgence seen on albums like "Jump Up" and "Too Low For Zero." There were a couple of hits from this one and both of them, "Wrap Her Up" and "Nikita" keep this one from being a complete lost, but you'd be better off looking for these songs on various "greatest hits" compilations.