ELTON JOHN "GOODBYE YELLOW BRICK ROAD" FIRST PRESSING 1973 MCA YELLOW SLEEVES

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ELTON JOHN "GOODBYE YELLOW BRICK ROAD" FIRST PRESSING 1973  ROLLED TRI-FOLD JACKET ~ YELLOW INNER SLEEVES
ELTON JOHN "GOODBYE YELLOW BRICK ROAD" LABEL: MCA RECORDS MCA2-10003 RELEASED: OCTOBER 5, 1973 EDITION: FIRST U.S. PRESSING ~ ROLLED TRIFOLD JACKET ~ YELLOW SLEEVES PRESSING: MCA PRESSING PLANT ~ GLOVERSVILLE RECORD COMPANY: MCA RECORDS INC. RECORDED AT STRAWBERRY STUDIOS Château d’Herouville ~ FRANCE  MIXED AT TRIDENT STUDIOS LONDON PRODUCER: GUS DUDGEON ENGINEER: DAVID HENTSCHEL ALBUM COVER ART: IAN BECK ALL LYRICS WRITTEN BY BERNIE TAUPIN MATRIX (SIDE A): (etched) MCA 354-W1. (Stamped) ⧈-G-⧈
CONDITION: VINYL: VG+  SLEEVES: VG+  JACKET: VG++
I've been going thru my massive vinyl record collection these past few weeks and pulling out some LPs that I thought that someone else would want for their collection. I've been collecting records for over 45 years and it's time to pass some of them on to the next generation of collectors.
This week on EBay I am offering up this 1973 First U.S. Pressing of Elton John's classic 'Goodbye Yellow Brick Road.' 
This is my original copy, purchased back in the mid 70's, shortly after it's release, that I've taken great care of for many years. See details on Condition below.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Original First Pressings can be identified by the 'rolled' rather than 'folded' Tri-fold jacket, the yellow inner sleeves, unique to First pressings, the circle (⦿) mark after the catalog number on the label, and "BMI" at end of the publishing information on the labels.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ This 1973 MCA First Pressing reveals just how deeply layered, dynamic and intense Elton John's music is. The instruments are well separated, vocals are crisp & clear, and there's a good sense of space and depth. The overall sound is warm, intimate, vibrant and dynamic.
This early first pressing stills sounds amazing. 
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ The album jacket artwork on these pressings is amazing, both inside and out, and vividly displayed in a deluxe tri-fold format. 
The creative outside cover art was created by Ian Beck.
The theme of this album suggests longing for nostalgia and loss of innocence, so the cover shows Elton John entering a painting of the Yellow Brick Road from the Wizard of Oz, a suggestion of entering and rediscovering nostalgia.
The multiple inside illustrations were drawn by David Larkham, Michael Ross and David Schutt. The inside features an individual color drawing and complete lyrics for each track.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 'Goodbye Yellow Brick Road' continues to be Elton John's greatest commercial achievement and is considered by many to be his best and most iconic release. It's one of the greatest albums written and recorded in the 70's
Elton John was riding high, in the zone, and at the apex of his collaboration with Bernie Taupin when he released this record, but this album launched the Rocket Man's career even higher into the stratosphere.
Although it’s not perfect, it is one of the greatest albums ever released, and considered Elton's best work.
'Bennie and the Jets' was the big hit from this album, Elton's second #1 single in America.
Released in October 1973, 'Goodbye Yellow Brick Road' was the 7th studio album, 8th overall, by legendary singer-songwriter Elton John. 
The album is a diverse blend of musical styles; rock, pop, and ballads, all combined with Bernie Taupin's amazing lyrics, making it a timeless masterpiece.
If you like Elton John and collect his records, this is a fantastic First Pressing of 'Yellow Brick Road' is an essential addition to your collection.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 'Goodbye Yellow Brick Road' is an amazing achievement when you consider the situation under which the album was written and recorded.
Bernie Taupin wrote all the song lyrics for the new album over a period of two and a half weeks, then Elton composed most of the music in just three days while staying at the Pink Flamingo Hotel in Kingston, Jamaica. 
Elton chose to record in Jamaica because the Rolling Stones had just recorded their classic album 'Goats Head Soup' there and Elton loved the sound and production on that record. He wanted that same sound for his next album.
In Jamaica, Elton wasn't able to get the piano sound he wanted, and that, mixed with the Country's political protests surrounding the Joe Frazier-George Foreman boxing match in January 1973, forced Elton to retreat to the Château d’Herouville in France, the same studio where he recorded 'Honky Château' and 'Don’t Shoot Me..' to finish making the record.
Back in his comfort zone at the legendary Château d’Herouville and full of confidence, Elton and his band were able to quickly put together this amazing album.
'Goodbye Yellow Brick Road' was released on October 5, 1973 to much fanfare and acclaim.
It was a fully packed record, containing 17 songs and very long, clocking in at over 76 minutes. Of these 17 songs, all written by Bernie Taupin, and banged out in just 15 days, many have become rock and FM radio classics.
It’s easy to sometimes overlook the fact that, in addition to being a great composer, vocalist and showman, Elton's also an incredible pianist. His brilliant piano skills are all over this album.
It's also easy to overlook what a great band Elton had at the time. Drummer Nigel Olsson and bassist Dee Murray had been with Elton John for many years, and played perfectly, fluidly, and tightly behind him. They also add beautiful harmonies behind Elton's voice, which gave these songs their signature sound.
'Goodbye Yellow Brick Road' finds Elton John, Bernie Taupin, and the band working at the collective peak of their powers. 'Goodbye Yellow Brick Road' remains an essential record that defined John's career
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Elton John's 1973 masterpiece 'Goodbye Yellow Brick Road' is nothing short of pure perfection, one of his best albums, and considered by many to be one of the greatest albums of all time. 
This classic double album contains many of Elton's signature songs like “Bennie and the Jets”, “Goodbye Yellow Brick Road”, “Candle in the Wind” and “Saturday Night’s Alright (For Fighting)”, as well as the fantastic album opener “Funeral For A Friend/Love Lies Bleeding”. 
It contains epic songs, memorable ballads, hard rockers, pop hits, and some surprise songs that explore the darker sides of life.
This album collects songs of many completely different styles and genres, but they show Elton’s versatility and the amazing songwriting skills of Elton and Bernie Taupin.
The songs reveal Elton's brilliant piano skills, his emotive vocals, Bernie Taupin’s poignant lyrics, and the brilliance of the duo's great compositions.
Often overlooked is the amazing, extraordinary, musicianship of Davey Johnstone on guitars, Dee Murray on Bass, and Nigel Olsson on drums and percussion, who bring all these great songs to life.
There are 17 songs, over 2 LP's, on 'Yellow Brick Road', and while there are some weaker tracks, as would be expected on any double album, all of the songs are excellent, well written and well performed.
'Goodbye Yellow Brick Road' is a quintessential, timeless album that leaves a lasting impression on the listener.
~~~~~ 'Goodbye Yellow Brick Road' kicks off with one of the best full sides of any Elton John album; "Funeral For A Friend / Love Lies Bleeding," "Candle in the Wind" and "Bennie and the Jets."
The fantastic combo of "Funeral For A Friend / Love Lies Bleeding" is classic Elton John, and one of my choices for the greatest 'Side 1 - Track 1' lead-off songs in all of 70's rock. A fantastic introduction to this classic double album.
The epic 'Funeral for a Friend/Love Lies Bleeding' is an 11-minute long, grandiose and dramatic blend of classical, progressive, and pop rock. It's a work of pure genius that shows the Elton John/Bernie Taupin songwriting team at their peak.
It's not about an un-named friend's funeral, it's written by Elton thinking about his own funeral.
The song starts with a long 6-minute somber, synthesizer filled, instrumental rock 'hymn', which seamlessly transitions into a vibrant, hard-driving rock anthem. 
The synthesizer opening is played on an ARP 2500 by session engineer Dave Hentschel, not Elton.
'Love Lies Bleeding' is just an amazing song. Davey Johnstone’s guitar playing is fantastic and adds a intense heavy rock feel to Taupin's lyrics
it’s easy to forget that, in addition to being a great composer, vocalist, and flamboyant showman, Elton John was an incredible gifted pianist. This album is full of Elton's amazing piano work, but no other song showcases his skills better than this epic album opener.
~~~~~ Next up on side one is one of Elton's most famous and beloved songs. 
'Candle In The Wind' is a beautiful, melancholic piano ballad that honors the life of Marilyn Monroe. Bernie Taupin's touching lyrics are written from the perspective of a fan trying to reconcile the myths and legends surrounding the legendary and tragic actress. 
Davey Johnstone’s guitar work is outstanding on this track and perfectly fits the song.
The song displays John's emotive vocals, as well as his incredible ability to craft intricate, touching, and lovely pop ballads.
'Candle in the Wind' is a timeless song and many people, from all walks of life, can relate to it. As you know, this song was reworked and performed by Elton as a tribute to Diana, Princess of Wales, at her Funeral in Westminster Abbey in 1997.
~~~~~ The amazing first side of this double album, finishes off with the great, funk-infused, glam rock track 'Bennie And The Jets.' This upbeat song has an odd quasi-live sound, a catchy sing-along chorus, and a great glam-soul feel.
This song represents the peak of Elton John’s glam rock outrageousness and is clearly influenced by Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars and the whole Glam-rock scene that was happening in the early 70s.
This song sums up all the different 'personas' that Elton John had gone thru by 1973, when this album was released. Lyricist Bernie Taupin said the stomping glam-rock gem was meant as a satire about the greed and glitz of the early 70s music industry. ‘Bennie and the Jets’ has remained a fan favorite over the years.
~~~~~ Side two of this album kicks off with another epic masterpiece, the title track “Goodbye Yellow Brick Road.”
This song has a piano driven, soft-rock, almost country feel to it. It evokes the feeling of past nostalgia and innocence lost. ‘Goodbye Yellow Brick Road’ is one of Elton's best vocal performances.
Many fans claim that the song is about the breakup of the Elton/Bernie song-writing team, which happened shortly after this album was released.
Taupin was recently divorced from his first wife and his lifestyle of vodka, cocaine and women was taking a toll. Taupin moved to Southern California, entered rehab in order to clean up his life, and distanced himself from Elton, a continent away, at least for a few years.
The loss of Bernie Taupin's songwriting skills was evident on 1975's 'Blue Moves', one of the low points in Elton's long career.
~~~~~ 'This Song Has No Title' is a beautiful follow-up to 'Goodbye Yellow Brick Road.' 
This is the shortest song on the album, but incredibly enjoyable. It's another melodically rich song that shows off Elton's piano skills and has clever, inventive lyrics.
'Grey Seal' is one of my favorite songs on this album full of outstanding songs. It's a terrific feel good party song.
It has a fantastic introduction, cool use of wah-wah effects on guitar, great piano playing, and terrific backing vocals. 
Nobody's quite sure what the song is about, even Bernie Taupin who wrote it. Elton has called it "Procol Harum-ish absurd, like a Dali painting."
'Grey Seal' is actually an old Elton John song, one of his earliest works. It was written for Elton John's second (self-titled) album. It didn't make the album, but was released as the B-side to his 1970 single ‘Rock and Roll Madonna’. Elton dusted it off, updated it, and added it to this great album.
~~~~~ Many fans were confused by the inclusion of the Caribbean infused, reggae-like 'Jamaica Jerk-Off ' Many people don't realize that this album was initially meant to be recorded in Jamaica and the songs were all written and conceptualized there. 'Jamaica Jerk-Off' is Elton's nod to where the music and lyrics were first written and where the album project started.
This album has a wide variety of songs and styles, so this fun, unique reggae-infused song isn't that out of place. Still, it's not the best song on this album, but it's a fun listen and demonstrates Elton's ability to write songs in many different styles.
~~~~~ 'Saturday Night's Alright for Fighting' is one of the best and most exciting songs that Elton John ever recorded. It's uptempo rock and roll, and a hard-driving tune, with great edgy guitars and fantastic piano. This song has some of Davey Johnstone's best electric guitar playing on the whole album.
The odd lyrics have Elton singing about getting as oiled as a diesel train and finding solace at the bottom of a glass. Elton sings with an untamed vocal that gets more wild and raw as the song progresses and picks up steam.
The song demonstrates Elton's effortless ability to switch on his charm and charisma when he wants to. It's one of the greatest rock and roll songs of the 70's.
~~~~~ 'All The Girls Love Alice' is another great track and a fantastic rock and roll tune. 
It has an infectious melody and strong vocals. It has a powerful driving beat, abrasive synths, mixed with distorted psych guitar lines, which gives the song an edgy and dangerous vibe. The pace of the song also has interesting changes, where the speed slows down during the choruses, then picks up again.
It's another hidden gem on this album.
“All The Girls Love Alice” tells a tragic story about a young lesbian who dies in the streets. Though the lyrics are somewhat depressing, the song has a fast rhythm, great bass and drums, great backing vocals, and funky early 1970s production.
Kiki Dee sings some backing vocals on this track, and she would hook up again with Elton later for the hit "Don't Go Breaking My Heart" in 1976.
~~~~~ 'Your Sister Can't Twist (But She Can Rock 'N Roll)' is another upbeat track that adds a touch of rockabilly to this diverse album. It's fresh, fun and different from the rest of the album. 
It has the feel of a 1950s-style rocker from the dawn of rock and roll, like an early Elvis Presley hit. Elton cranks up the energy and it's a fun song to dance to.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 'I've Seen That Movie Too' doesn't get much attention, but it's a beautiful ballad, and one of the best compositions on this album. Another hidden gem.
It hints at the style of music that Elton would do later in his career. The lyrics are about someone who gets tricked and fooled by someone else, but refuses to be fooled again. 
The storytelling is well-written and the music creates a moody, haunting, noir-like atmosphere. Elton plays some “lounge” piano, and there are awesome guitar solos over cinematic string backing. Interestingly, there are only 'vintage' instruments used on this, with no modern synthesizers or electronic trickery.
~~~~~ Another great song with an 'Americana' feel to it is 'Social Disease'
It's an upbeat song with a country-rock vibe, right down to its use of a banjo-heavy bluegrass style. It also has a smooth, perfectly placed saxophone solo.
The song has a saloon, bar-room feel, which fits the lyrics perfectly. The lyrics are quite creative, and are about squalid living and alcoholism, the 'Social Disease'. The great artwork for this song inside the tri-fold jacket shows Elton? Bernie? drinking Mateus wine straight from the bottle.
~~~~~ 'Sweet Painted Lady' is another song that demonstrates musical storytelling at its very best. The lyrics are great. It's a lovely song with a playful arrangement and vivid imagery. 
It tells a sad story, but is set over happy music, with uplifting piano and some fun accordion that adds a distinctive Parisian flair. When you realize the 'Sweet Painted Lady' is a prostitute, it adds a different interpretation to the music and lyrics.
~~~~~ 'The Ballad Of Danny Bailey' is a dramatic song, with bouncy honky-tonk style piano. It has the feel of an old saloon drinking song. A tale that you'd hear in an old Pub. It's another song that demonstrates Taupin’s amazing storytelling abilities. 
~~~~~ 'Roy Rogers' is a lovely reflective ballad, with a real 'Americana' vibe, something Elton John did so well thru his long career. Elton always had a feel for the American West, despite being British.
The song is about Roy Rogers, the 50's western star of Film and radio. It has a cinematic presence, a slow country ballad feel, and even contains some effective slide guitar. Elton sings this one with a strange British, Western, Cowboy accent.
The lyrics are about a kid imagining and wishing to be a Star, like his Cowboy hero. Another reference to the longing for Nostalgia that runs thru this record.
~~~~~ This great album closes out with ‘Harmony’, another perfect, straight forward Elton John ballad. It's a beautiful, simple, heartfelt, piano-driven ballad that reflects on love, friendship, and finally finding inner peace. 
Elton's pure, emotive vocals, sweeping orchestral backing, and wonderful vocal harmonies, are a perfect way to end this album. It makes you want to go back, repeat the album, and hear all those great songs over again.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 'Goodbye Yellow Brick Road' was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame in 2003, and is ranked #91 on Rolling Stone magazine’s list of the 500 greatest albums of all time. Rolling Stone eventually called the album a classic, but it's interesting to note that, in 1973, Rolling Stone said “This new record is a big fruity pie that simply doesn’t bake"
'Goodbye Yellow Brick Road' is a very strong album that rightfully deserves its spot on any greatest albums ever list. It remains one of Elton John’s finest works to date and belongs in any classic rock vinyl collection. 
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ CONDITION: I tried to show good hi-resolution photos of the cover, gatefold, sleeves, labels and vinyl in my pictures.
I purchased this copy back in the mid 70's, 50 years ago, and have taken great care of it since. A very decent condition, original First Pressing.
VINYL: The vinyl still looks great. Clean and bright. Maybe a few tiny hairlines, but No serious scuffs, palpable scratches, or dings. It looks great across all 4 sides and I'm sure you'll be very happy with it.
The Deadwax has the first pressing marks, but is rather plain otherwise. The plating marks on side A are 'W1', an early stamper. See the full Matrix numbers above.
I tried to show some close-up pictures of the vinyl to show how good it looks. I'm sure you'll be pleased with it.
I haven't messed with it or cleaned it, other than my trusty 'DiscWasher' brush, in 50 years, since Nixon was in office. It would benefit from a good deep cleaning to make it even better looking and better sounding than it already is. 
LABELS: This is pressed with the 'classic' mid 70's 'rainbow' MCA labels. The labels are clean and bright. No marks or damage. The spindle holes are still sharp and clean, suggesting minimal playing and my careful handling over the years. (note the vinyl 'tail' on side 2)
JACKET: As you can see from my pictures, this still looks very nice for a 50 year old OG copy. 
This thick, trifold jacket is notorious for showing ringwear, dirt, scuffs and damage, but this copy is still quite nice. The artwork is bold and bright, the corners are sharp, and the original gloss is still present.
This comes with both original yellow inner sleeves, which were unique to the 1973 First pressings. The inner 3-way gatefold is clean and crisp. The spine is straight. A nice survivor.
Overall, I'll call the whole record a strong VG+.
This record has been sleeved and stored properly for decades, and is still quite nice for an original pressing. This copy is all original, complete, and a real gem. I'm sure you'll love it.
This classic, timeless record belongs in any classic rock vinyl collection.
~~~~~~~~~~~~ ** NOTE: I'm selling this rare 'Collector' record "AS IS" and "NO RETURN". It's rare and as described and I'm sure you'll be very happy with it.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ I’m recently retired and downsizing and letting go some gems and rarities from nearly 45 years of vinyl record collecting. Check out the many other fantastic 45s and 33s coming soon to my page!
All records have been carefully evaluated and graded by me. I visually inspect all records under bright light, personally gently clean them with a soft cloth and then, if unsure, play them on a modern high-end turntable to get a true picture of condition. Please look at all the high-resolution pictures I added. They are all my own and are of the actual record being sold. The pictures are part of the description and can show small details, label variations, and condition better than I can put into words. 
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THANK YOU for looking and reading if you got this far.  -- JOHN