Customer Rating:  
Summary: a great piece of Elton history!
Comment: This album is one of my favorites. It reminds me in a way of a early MTV unplugged show. 60 years on is my favorite cut. Elton's melodic piano playing along with Dee's heavy base performance makes chills run down my spine. Of coarse the 18 minute burn down the mission melody is tops! It just goes to show you that Elton knows how to Rock and just have a great time jamming with Dee and Nigel. A must have for any Elton fan for sure.
Customer Rating:
Summary: Happy 37th Birthday
Comment: Happy 37th birthday to one of my favorite albums of all time. Hard to believe it's been so long. This is Elton at his best. Before "Madman." Before "Tumbleweed." Before "Yellow Brick Road." And before the schlock he put out several years later. I love this record.
Customer Rating:
Summary: A fans dream album - almost....
Comment: This remastered version of 17-11-70 is well worth getting. It captures Elton at the very beginning of his breakthrough period. 'Your Song' would be his first UK top 10 hit within 3 months of this recording.
The band line-up for the album was very unusual then, and still is now. How many other Pop/Rock artists can you think of who have ever recorded with just Piano, Bass Guitar and drums? This is the classic line-up for a Jazz trio NOT a rock stars band! However, what this does for the album is give it an intimacy missing from some live albums recorded once the artist becomes a superstar. Listen to the little Elton says between songs and you can hear a very shy man who can't quite believe that its really happening.
There are a number of very good tracks on this album. The unfathomable 'Take to the Pilot' is probably the best track on the album. There is no point analysing the lyrics - they don't mean anything, but like a number of tracks on the album ('Sixty Years On' being another example) the band put everything into their performance, and this track really rocks. There is a rare cover by Elton on this album, and its a highly original arrangement of 'Honky Tonk Woman'. Starting with an acapella introduction and finishing with a double speed last chorus its a storming version.
Like a previous reviewer my one critcism of the remastered edition is the overall sound. I think that unneccessary phasing and other efects have been added to the sound. This is a small gripe, but if you have been listening to this album since the 70's like I have, you might find it rather irratating as well.
Customer Rating:
Summary: much improved from my old 8 track of course.
Comment: Even though I hated the 8 track format I still loved this live recording.
I saw this band at the Grande Ballroom in Detroit and they were superb.
The remix fixes alot, though not all, of the problems involved with old analog recordings and there are a few obvious techniques used that cover up performance flaws but this trio really rocks.Piano, bass & drums mesh perfectly and play off each other to provide a groove the studio recordings only hinted at.Highly recomended!!
Customer Rating:
Summary: Elton at his "Basic Best"
Comment: I first bought this record on vinyl many years ago and loved it dearly. It's "Live" in a studio setting with Elton, Dee (Bass) & Nigel (Drums). no frills at all, only thrills. Everyone plays their hearts out. The extra cuts on the CD are a real bonus. This is a very dynamic performance by a young group of guys who know how to play in a "Trio" setting. I highly recommend this CD to anyone who hasn't heard Elton at his simple best.
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