Music Review: Elton John's ‘Live From the Rainbow Theatre With Ray Cooper' spotlights a rich catalog
Deep cuts from John's rich catalog are given the spotlight on 'Live From the Rainbow Theatre With Ray Cooper.' The 13-song set was culled from a six-show residency in London in May 1977, with John at the piano and his longtime percussionist, Cooper, joining him for the second half of the show.
The album initially received a limited release on vinyl for
Record Store Day
and will be available digitally and on CD for the first time beginning Friday.
While John, of course, performed his biggest hits during the residency, the album wisely focuses on often overlooked material, pointing to the astounding quantity of quality songs John produced early in his career.
That includes 'Cage the Songbird,' a lilting tribute to
Édith Piaf
from the underrated 1976 LP 'Blue Moves.'
Another highlight from that album is the cabaret jazz ballad 'Idol,' which shows John could have thrived in a lounge had the rock star thing not worked out.
The piano man's playing here is closer to
Liberace
than
Little Richard,
because ballads predominate, and Cooper's role is tastefully restrained. Even when the tempo gets brisk on 'Better Off Dead,' the song is delightfully hammy operetta rather than rock 'n' roll.
From start to finish, John sings with relish: He knows how good these songs are. 'Where To Now St. Peter?' features an especially vigorous vocal, including full-throated falsetto.
'Live From the Rainbow Theatre' underscores
John's lyricist Bernie Taupin's
vital role in their songwriting partnership. The album opens with 'The Greatest Discovery,' a pairing of sweet sentiment and a charming melody, while 'Ticking' is a gripping tale set in Queens that anticipated America's epidemic of gun violence.
John introduces 'Ticking' and two other songs by noting he doesn't perform them often, or often enough. Banter elsewhere is mostly brief and stiff, but his droll wit does surface in one exchange with a spectator.
'How are you tonight? Nice handkerchief,' John says, before telling the rest of the audience, 'He hasn't washed that in three years.'
The 1977 performances took place as punk and disco were knocking John off his pop pedestal and ending his years-long reign as a consistent hitmaker. 'Live From the Rainbow Theatre' offers a reminder that not all of his superb songs were singles.
___
More AP reviews:
https://apnews.com/hub/music-reviews
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Associated Press
6 hours ago
- Associated Press
'South Park' co-creator jokes he's 'terribly sorry' over premiere that drew White House anger
SAN DIEGO (AP) — 'South Park' co-creator Trey Parker had the briefest of responses Thursday to anger from the White House over the season premiere of the animated institution, which showed a naked President Donald Trump in bed with Satan. 'We're terribly sorry,' Parker said, followed by a long, deadpan-comic stare. Parker was asked for his reaction to the fracas as he sat on the stage at San Diego's Comic-Con International at the beginning of a Comedy Central animation panel that also included his 'South Park' partner Matt Stone, 'Beavis and Butt-Head' creator Mike Judge, and actor Andy Samberg, who co-created the animated 'Digman!' Earlier in the day, the White House issued a statement on the 27th season premiere, which aired Wednesday night. 'This show hasn't been relevant for over 20 years and is hanging on by a thread with uninspired ideas in a desperate attempt for attention,' White House spokesperson Taylor Rogers said in the statement. 'President Trump has delivered on more promises in just six months than any other president in our country's history – and no fourth-rate show can derail President Trump's hot streak.' Later in the panel, Parker said they did get a note from their producers on Tuesday night's episode. 'They said, 'OK, but we're gonna blur the penis,' and I said, 'No you're not gonna blur the penis,'' Parker said. The premiere also took aim at Paramount and its $16 million recent settlement with Trump just hours after Parker and Stone signed a five-year deal with the company for 50 new episodes and streaming rights to previous seasons. The Los Angeles Times and other outlets report the deal was worth $1.5 billion. In the episode, Trump sues the town of South Park when its residents challenge the presence of Jesus Christ – the actual person – in its elementary school. Jesus tells them they ought to settle. 'You guys saw what happened to CBS? Yeah, well, guess who owns CBS? Paramount,' Jesus says. 'Do you really want to end up like Colbert?' CBS and parent Paramount Global canceled Stephen Colbert's 'Late Show' last week, days after Colbert sharply criticized Paramount's settlement of Trump's lawsuit over a '60 Minutes' interview. CBS and Paramount executives said it was a financial decision to axe 'The Late Show.' The efficiency of 'South Park' production, and the brinksmanship of its creators, allow it to stay incredibly current for an animated series. 'I don't know what next week's episode is going to be,' Parker said at Comic-Con. 'Even just three days ago, we were like, 'I don't know if people are going to like this.''
New York Post
7 hours ago
- New York Post
Rapper GloRilla busted for drug possession following break-in at Atlanta home — and blasts cops for nabbing her instead of burglars
Rapper GloRilla was hit with drug charges after cops found a large stash of marijuana in her Georgia home while investigating a break-in – and the Grammy-nominated artist is now slamming police for arresting her instead of the burglars. The 'Yeah Glo' hitmaker, whose real name is Gloria Hallelujah Woods, was slapped with possession of marijuana and a controlled substance after voluntarily turning herself into police on Tuesday, according to the Forsyth County Sheriff's Office. GloRilla's arrest came after deputies responded to reports of a break-in at her Atlanta home around 1:30 a.m. Sunday – just hours after she performed at halftime during the WNBA All-Star Game in Indianapolis. 4 Rapper GloRilla was arrested after cops found cannabis in her closet during a home invasion investigation. Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP Police said three bandits – who still remain at large – broke into the 25-year-old's home and were in the middle of stealing items when someone inside opened fire, prompting the uninjured thieves to flee. While investigating the brazen intrusion, deputies smelled 'a strong odor' and discovered 'a significant amount of marijuana' in plain view inside the 'F.N.F. (Let's Go)' artist's master bedroom closet. GloRilla, who was previously busted for a DUI last April, was released Tuesday on a $22,260 bond. 4 She was previously arrested last April for a DUI. Gwinnett County Sheriff's Office 'My House got Home Invaded Saturday while I was in Indianapolis performing for the WNBA all star game & instead of focusing on finding the Suspects, they focus on some cannabis,' the Tennessee native said in a fiery X post Thursday afternoon. 'Long story short my house gets home invaded and Im the only one that gets arrested. So that's tea.' The rapper's 'traumatized' family was inside the home when the intruders struck — allegedly making off with 'high value jewelry,' her lawyers said in a statement, blasting their client's arrest as a 'disturbing window into how warped law enforcement priorities have become.' 4 GloRilla slammed police for arresting her instead of the three suspected bandits in fiery post on X. GloRilla ð¦ 'When her family members did the right thing and called law enforcement, instead of investigating the violent home invasion and theft at Ms. Woods' home, they instead sought a search warrant,' her attorneys said. 'No arrest warrants have been issued for the violent home invaders. Ms. Woods is a victim, not a suspect. This is our tax dollars at work, absolutely unbelievable.' Police, who have yet to find the three bandits following 'an extensive search,' agreed that the 'Blessed' star is a victim, but said they still have a duty to uphold the law. 4 She was charged with possession of marijuana and a controlled substance. Getty Images 'The homeowner is a victim of a serious crime, and we are committed to bringing the suspects to justice,' Sheriff Ron Freeman said. 'At the same time, we must continue to uphold and enforce the law in all aspects of this case.' The investigation is ongoing. With Post wires.
Yahoo
11 hours ago
- Yahoo
Hulk Hogan, icon in professional wrestling, dies at age 71
CLEARWATER, Fla. (AP) — Hulk Hogan, the mustachioed, headscarf-wearing, bicep-busting icon of professional wrestling who turned the sport into a massive business and stretched his influence into TV, pop culture and conservative politics during a long and scandal-plagued second act, died Thursday in Florida at age 71. Hogan was pronounced dead at a hospital less than 90 minutes after medics in Clearwater arrived at his home to answer a morning call about a cardiac arrest, police said. 'There were no signs of foul play or suspicious activity,' Maj. Nate Burnside told reporters. Hogan, whose real name was Terry Bollea, was perhaps the biggest star in WWE's long history. He was the main draw for the first WrestleMania in 1985 and was a fixture for years, facing everyone from Andre The Giant and Randy Savage to The Rock and even WWE co-founder Vince McMahon. But outside the the ring, Hogan also found trouble. WWE in 2015 cut ties with him for three years, even removing him from its Hall of Fame, after it was reported that he was recorded using racial slurs about Blacks. He apologized and said his words were 'unacceptable.' Hogan won at least six WWE championships and was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2005 and reinstated there in 2018. WWE matches are now held in professional sports stadiums, and millions of fans have watched the company's weekly live television program, 'Raw,' which debuted in January on Netflix. 'He was a trailblazer, the first performer who transitioned from being a wrestling star into a global phenomenon,' McMahon said of Hogan. Hogan's own brand of passion 'Hulkamania,' as the energy he created was called, started running wild in the mid-1980s and pushed professional wrestling into the mainstream. He was a flag-waving American hero with the horseshoe mustache, red and yellow gear and massive arms he called his '24-inch pythons.' Crowds were hysterical when he ripped off his T-shirt in the ring — a trademark move — revealing a tan, sculpted body. Hogan was also a celebrity outside the wrestling world, appearing in numerous movies and television shows, including a reality show about his life on VH1, 'Hogan Knows Best.' In recent years, Hogan added his celebrity to politics. At the 2024 Republican National Convention, he merged classic WWE maneuvers with then-candidate Donald Trump's rhetoric to passionately endorse him for president. 'Let Trumpamania run wild brother! Let Trumpamania rule again! Let Trumpamania make America great again!' Hogan shouted into the raucous crowd. He ripped off a T-shirt emblazoned with a picture of himself on a motorcycle to reveal a bright red Trump-Vance campaign shirt underneath. Trump stood to applaud the move. 'We lost a great friend today, the 'Hulkster,'" Trump said Thursday on Truth Social. 'Hulk Hogan was MAGA all the way — Strong, tough, smart, but with the biggest heart.' Hogan lately began to invest in alternatives to theatrical, professional wrestling, announcing plans in April to serve as the first commissioner for the Real American Freestyle organization, which describes itself as the "first unscripted pro wrestling' league in the world. The first event is Aug. 30 at Cleveland State University. 'The idea was so exciting that I get a chance to be involved with all these young people and help guide them in any way, especially to make them huge stars and create a future for them,' Hogan said. 'People might be surprised, but wrestling is wrestling, brother.' The league released a statement, saying it is now part of Hogan's legacy "and we intend to honor it.' Broken leg and a new attitude Hogan was born in Georgia but lived much of his life in the Tampa, Florida, area. He recalled skipping school to watch wrestlers at the Sportatorium, a professional wrestling studio in Tampa. 'I had been running my mouth, telling everybody I'm going to be a wrestler, and in a small town, the word gets out,' Hogan told the Tampa Bay Times in 2021. 'And so when I went down there, they were laying low for me. They exercised me till I was ready to faint.' The result: a broken leg and a subsequent warning from his dad. 'Don't you ever let anybody hurt you again,' Hogan recalled his father saying. 'So I went back four or five months later with a whole new attitude. The rest is history.' Hogan first became champion in what was then the World Wrestling Federation in 1984, and pro wrestling took off from there. His popularity helped lead to the creation of the annual WrestleMania event in 1985, when he teamed up with Mr. T to beat 'Rowdy' Roddy Piper and 'Mr. Wonderful' Paul Orndorff in the main event. He slammed and beat Andre the Giant at WrestleMania III in 1987, and the WWF gained momentum. His feud with the late 'Macho Man' Randy Savage – perhaps his greatest rival — carried pro wrestling even further. Hogan was a central figure in what is known as the Monday Night Wars. The WWE and World Championship Wrestling were battling for ratings supremacy in 1996. Hogan tilted things in WCW's favor with the birth of the Hollywood Hogan character and the formation of the New World Order, a villainous stable that put WCW ahead in the ratings. He returned to the WWE in 2002 and became a champion again. His match with The Rock at WrestleMania X8, a loss during which fans cheered for his 'bad guy' character, was seen as a passing of the torch. Hogan was perhaps as well known for his larger-than-life personality as he was his in-ring exploits. He was beloved for his 'promos' — hype sessions he used to draw fans into matches. He often would play off his interviewer, 'Mean' Gene Okerlund, starting his interviews off with, 'Well, lemme tell ya something, Mean Gene!' Outside the ring He crossed over into movies and television as well. He was Thunderlips in the movie 'Rocky III' in 1982. In 2016, a Florida jury awarded Hogan $115 million in a lawsuit against Gawker Media and then added $25 million in punitive damages. Hogan sued after Gawker in 2012 obtained and posted video of him having sex with his former best friend's wife. He said the post violated his privacy. Hogan ended up settling the case for millions less after Gawker filed for bankruptcy. There was other fallout. The litigation led to the discovery that Hogan had used racial slurs on the tape. 'It was unacceptable for me to have used that offensive language; there is no excuse for it; and I apologize for having done it,' Hogan said. After Hogan was booed at the premiere of Netflix's new WWE show in January, former WWE wrestler Mark Henry, who is Black, said that the scandal was a 'dark cloud' over Hogan's career. Henry said he believes in second chances but that Hogan 'never wanted to go forward and fix it.' Outside Hogan's Hangout, his restaurant in Clearwater Beach, people talked about their admiration for Hogan as news of his death spread. Rich Null of St. Louis said the two men worked out together. 'Thirty minutes into our workout in the gym, he said, 'cut the Hulk Hogan crap, call me Terry,'' Null said. 'He was a really super nice guy, and we're gonna miss him.' —- White reported from Detroit. AP writer Safiyah Riddle contributed from Montgomery, Alabama. Curt Anderson And Ed White, The Associated Press
