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Rock of the Westies (1975)

Where the lyrics of Rock of the Westies take you, and where it was really made.

The title puns on "West of the Rockies", a nod to the Caribou Ranch studio where the album was recorded.

Key places

Where the album was recorded (1975)

Recording site Caribou Ranch — The album was recorded in mid-1975 at Caribou Ranch in Nederland, Colorado. The point marks the studio building. Google Maps · Apple Maps

How to get there: See the map for directions.

Album story

Overview

• Rock of the Westies: tenth studio album by British musician Elton John
• Released 24 October 1975 through DJM Records in the UK and MCA Records in the US
• Produced by Gus Dudgeon
• Recorded in mid-1975 at Caribou Ranch in Nederland, Colorado
• Contained a new lineup of the Elton John Band

Background

• Released less than five months after Captain Fantastic and the Brown Dirt Cowboy
• Repeated that album's then-unprecedented feat of entering the US Billboard 200 at number one
• Lead single "Island Girl" topped the Billboard Hot 100
• Last in a string of six straight US #1 studio albums, starting in 1972 with Honky Chateau

Recording

• John dismissed drummer Nigel Olsson and bassist Dee Murray, reportedly wanting a change in sound
• Davey Johnstone and Ray Cooper stayed; Roger Pope and Kenny Passarelli joined
• Caleb Quaye added as second guitarist; James Newton Howard played synthesizers
• Labelle and Kiki Dee provided backing vocals
• Mixing credited to Trident Studios, London

Cover

• Album cover photograph by Terry O'Neill
• Art direction and design by David Larkham

Sources: en.wikipedia.org

Tracklist

Sources: musicbrainz.org

Artist

Formation

• Born Reginald Kenneth Dwight in Pinner, Middlesex, on 25 March 1947.
• Won a junior scholarship to the Royal Academy of Music at age 11.
• Formed the blues band Bluesology in 1962; took the name Elton John in 1967.
• Joined DJM Records as a staff songwriter with lyricist Bernie Taupin in 1968.

Members

• Partnered with lyricist Bernie Taupin since 1967; Taupin writes lyrics and John composes the music.
• Backing band over the years included Davey Johnstone, Nigel Olsson, Dee Murray and Ray Cooper.

Career

• Debut album Empty Sky (1969); Honky Château (1972) became his first US number-one album.
• Seven consecutive US number-one albums between 1972 and 1975.
• Composed The Lion King and Aida with Tim Rice; won Academy Awards and a Tony Award.
• Farewell Yellow Brick Road tour (2018–2023) was the highest-grossing tour at the time.

Sources: en.wikipedia.org

Reception

At release

• Rolling Stone's Stephen Holden said the songs "barely accomplish their objective of providing the latest in synthetic boogie"
• Holden saw only "superficial" changes to John's sound from the new lineup
• Holden called the lyrics of "Island Girl" sexist and racist
• Holden named "Feed Me" as the only track with lyrics "more than a glib, slapdash effort"
• Robert Christgau praised the album and found it to have Taupin's best lyrics
• Christgau praised the band's "fiery temper" on "Street Kids" and "Hard Luck Story"

Reappraisal

• Contemporary and retrospective reviews have both been mixed

Records

• Debuted at number one on the US Billboard 200, following Captain Fantastic
• Reached number 5 in the UK
• "Island Girl" topped the Billboard Hot 100 and reached the top 20 in several other territories
• Sales of the album tapered quickly after release

Sources: en.wikipedia.org

Trivia

• The title is a play on "West of the Rockies", a nod to the Caribou Ranch studio.
• The album repeated the previous album's feat of debuting at number one on the US Billboard 200.
• It was the last of six straight US #1 studio albums, starting with Honky Chateau in 1972.
• Labelle and Kiki Dee provided backing vocals.
• Sales tapered quickly after release.

Sources: en.wikipedia.org

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