Not only is To Be Continued an absolute must for every Elton John fan but it has been remastered and sounds even better than it did 10 years ago! It sounded great when it was first released but I compared it with the original and there is no comparison.So if your thinking of getting this box set better put it on your wish list as each box is numbered and it apparently is a very limited edition.Don't miss it the second time around it may be the last.
I have owned this CD since it first came out (I can't believe it is 10 years) and it is one of my most listened to. EJ introducing John Lennon sent chills down my spine the first time I heard it. This is also one of the few places that you can find music from EJ's movie, Friends, which I remember going to see. This is a must have for any serious collector of 60's and 70's rock music
I am 22 years old and have been an Elton John fan for about 8 years now, so I am still getting up to speed on the immense quantity of music which he has produced during his career. I've been to one of The Man's concert, and I own seven of his regular production albums. In an ideal world, I would go out and purchase everything he has ever released, but since I am a poor graduate student, this doesn't work too well. "To Be Continued" has offered me an excellent opportunity to become more familiar with the music Elton released before I was old enough to appreciate it, without forcing me to take out additional student loans. I would highly recommend this boxed set to anyone looking to gain a glimpse of Elton John's career before "The Lion King." I should also mention that in a decade during which so much bland music has been produced by so many boring bands, this boxed set offers the chance to enjoy some really original music by a really original artist.
I Think This Will Be A Nice Way To Introduce John's songs. Goes to 1965 to 1990. It Has A lot of his Greatest Hits Like Bennie And The Jets, Rocket Man,Your Song,Pinball Wizard,and More. It Also has some rarities like Ego,Song for Guy, and others. The Large 40 page booklet contains Rare Photos, Interviews By Elton And Bernie, Songs, And At The Bottom of Each page has some USA & UK Single Releases. If You Want The Rocket Man's Best Carrer of Hits And Some Great Rare Gems, Get To Be Continued...If You Want His Most Famous Hits I Would Recommend Greatest Hits And Vol.2.When I Brought This Box Set, I Liked It Because inside there where 4 cds of the likey Elton (Like A CD Puzzle).I Also Have Goodbye Yellow Brick Road on Cd. It Was Great. I Went To UK And I Saw The United Kingdom Version, It Was Different But I Brought It Anyway. These Were Collector Items. UK's Booklet was A 62 Booklet.These Were Very Expensive. You Would Also Find His [inexpensive] CD's At A Bargain Store Like Greatest Hits.If You Are A Rare Elton John Collectors I Recommend You Buy His 1992 Two Cd Set Cd Rare Masters. This Is A Great Collection.
By 1990, Elton John had had more success in his 20 - year career than anybody could ever have expected. So it was no surprise thta the boxed set "To Be Continued" was released. It contained four discs filled with big hits, rarities and four new studio tracks made to entice hardcore fans (which still doesn't make them bad). The results were great, to say the least.
Disc 1 contains mostly rarities and album tracks along with a few hits singles. The rarest track here, a song Elton recorded in 1965 while he was a member of Bluesology. He also wrote the song, and despite his own criticism, his lyrics aren't that bad (I'm beginning write my own songs, and you should see how bad mine are), but the melody is better (and proof that Elton can write music in his sleep). There are more rarities here: "Lady Samantha", "It's Me That You Need", the demo of "Your Song", the first version of "Your Song", "Friends", "Bad Side Of The Moon" and "Rock And Roll Madonna". The album tracks here are also very good: "Border Song" (actually a single), "Take Me To The Pilot", "Sixty Years On", "Country Comfort" (surprisingly, the only representatice of "Tumbleweed Collection" here), and "Mona Lisas And Mad Hatters". As for the hits, they're the usual: "Your Song", "Levon", "Tiny Dancer", "Rocket Man" and "Honky Cat". Despite the fact we've heard these songs thousands of times, they're still great. I did find it a little bothersome that "Burn Down The Mission" wasn't included.
Disc 2 and the first part of disc 3 contain all of Elton's biggest 1970s' hits: "Crocodile Rock", "Daniel", "Saturday Night's Alright For Fighting", "Goodbye Yellow Brick Road", "Bennie And The Jets", "The Bitch Is Back", "Lucy In The Sky With Diamonds", "Philadelphia Freedom", "Someone Saved My Life Tonight", "Island Girl", "Don't Go Breaking My Heart" (with Kiki Dee) and "Sorry Seems To Be The Hardest Word". Disc 2 also contains some excellent rarities like the piano version of "Skyline Pigeon", "Jack Rabbit", and the seasonal "Step Into Christmas". Two essential songs are missing, though: the studio versions of "Candle In The Wind" and "Don't Let The Sun Go Down On Me".
The second half of disc 3 contains Elton's most obscure works, such as "Ego", a bonechilling live version of "I Feel Like A Bullet (In The Gun Of Robert Ford)", "Song For Guy", "Donner Pour Donner" (with France Gall) and "Chloe" are great songs yet to be discovered. Also, a few big late 1970s' and early 1980s' hits are included: the soulful "Mama Can't Buy You Love" (this song, a collaboration with "Philly soul" producer Thom Bell, was a surprise top 10 hit in August, 1979, peaking at number 9), the whimsical and wondeful "Little Jeannie" and the lush "Blue Eyes".
Disc 4 begins with the haunting John Lennon tribute "Empty Garden (Hey Hey Johnny)". This disc documents his 1980s' comeback, when he scored a huge string of classic hits: "I'm Still Standing", "I Guess That's Why Call It The Blues", "Sad Songs (Say So Much)", "Nikita", a chilling live version of "Candle In The Wind" and "I Don't Wanna Go On With You Like That" (represented in a exhillerating 12" dance remix). As usual, there are great rarities here: a novelty version of "Give Peace A Chance", "Act Of War" (with Millie Jackson) and a pretty live version of "Carla Etude".
The bonus tracks are an excellent touch. "Made For Me" is a great rocker sing with gusto by Elton. "You Gotta Love Someone" is an uplifting gospel number used in the movie "Days Of Thunder". The chorus at the end is thrilling. "I Swear I Heard The Night Talkin'" is good if not all that memorable". The closer (of the disc and the set) is the best of the four. "Easier To Walk Away" is a soulful, Motown - style number with a great beat and equaly soulful vocals.
There are few complaints I must make about this set. First, there are several albums tracks I would have liked to have seen included: the previously mentioned "Burn Down The Mission", "Where To Now, St. Peter", "Amoreena", "Talking Old Soldiers", "This Song Has No Title", the "Goodbye Yellow Brick Road" version of Grey Seal", "Solar Prestige A Gammon", "Cage The Songbird", "White Lady, White Powder", "Hoop Of Fire", "Paris", "I Fall Apart", "Amazes Me" and "Blue Avenue". And as one reviewer, several lesser singles are missing. They are:
"Don't Let The Sun Go Down On Me" (studio version) (number 2)
Still, you can't have everything. Get this boxed set. It's a must - have collection for all music fans. Let's hope another Elton boxed set (maybe a live one) is released soon and spans up to today.
