Elton John-Madman Across the Water (1971)

Elton John's fourth album marked his first foray into the realm of avant-garde and progressive rock, which, unlike his first three albums, showcased a repertoire of longer, darker, and more complex songs. Recorded between February and August 1971 at Trident Studios in London, Elton John enlisted a vast array of collaborating musicians for the album's creation, including Rick Wakeman, Chris Spedding, Herbie Flowers, Ray Cooper, Terry Cox, B.J. Cole, and Caleb Quaye. Under the production of engineer Gus Dudgeon, Elton John and Bernie Taupin composed a reflective and far more sophisticated repertoire than most of the upbeat and carefree compositions of his previous albums. The melancholic "Tiny Dancer" opens this album, while the orchestral "Levon", the arranged "Razor Face", and the baroque "Madman Across the Water" provide the aforementioned progressive touch. On the other hand, the melodic country "Holiday Inn", the exquisite mid-tempo "All The Nasties", and the epic "Goodbye" complete an appealing work that would once again achieve great success worldwide, earning several platinum records and sales that far exceeded two million copies.