The Union (Elton John and Leon Russell album)
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| The Union | |||||
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| Studio album by Elton John and Leon Russell | |||||
| Released | 19 October 2010 (US) 27 October 2010 (UK) |
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| Recorded | 2010 | ||||
| Genre | Rock | ||||
| Length | 63:12 (Standard album) 66:28 (iTunes deluxe LP) 71:22 (Deluxe CD and vinyl) |
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| Label | Decca (US) Mercury (UK) |
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| Producer | T Bone Burnett | ||||
| Elton John chronology | |||||
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| Leon Russell chronology | |||||
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The Union is a collaboration studio album by singer-songwriters Elton John and Leon Russell, released on 19 October 2010 in the US and on 25 October in the UK. This is the 30th studio album by John and the 34th by Russell. This is the first studio release by John since 1979's Victim of Love without any of his regular band members. It is also his highest charting studio album on the Billboard 200 since 1976's Blue Moves, debuting at No. 3, as well as Russell's highest charting studio album since 1972's Carney. The Union was No. 3 on Rolling Stone magazine's list of the 30 Best Albums of 2010.[1]
The album features appearances by: Booker T. Jones (playing Hammond B-3), Neil Young (contributing vocals), Robert Randolph (playing pedal steel), and Brian Wilson (contributing vocal harmonies). This album was dedicated to Guy Babylon, John's keyboard player who died a year before its release.
"If It Wasn't for Bad" was nominated for the 53rd Annual Grammy Awards for Best Pop Collaboration with Vocals and "Hey Ahab" became a staple in John's concert tours.
Contents
Track listing
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "If It Wasn't for Bad" | Leon Russell | 3:43 |
| 2. | "Eight Hundred Dollar Shoes" | Elton John, Bernie Taupin | 3:23 |
| 3. | "Hey Ahab" | John, Taupin | 5:39 |
| 4. | "Gone to Shiloh" (Featuring Neil Young) | John, Taupin | 4:50 |
| 5. | "Hearts Have Turned to Stone" (Moved to twelfth track on some CD copies) | Russell | 3:47 |
| 6. | "Jimmie Rodgers' Dream" | John, Taupin, T Bone Burnett | 3:42 |
| 7. | "There's No Tomorrow" | John, Russell, Burnett, James Timothy Shaw | 3:45 |
| 8. | "Monkey Suit" | John, Taupin | 4:46 |
| 9. | "The Best Part of the Day" | John, Taupin | 4:45 |
| 10. | "A Dream Come True" | John, Russell | 5:07 |
| 11. | "I Should Have Sent Roses" | Russell, Taupin | 5:21 |
| 12. | "When Love Is Dying" | John, Taupin | 4:51 |
| 13. | "My Kind of Hell" (Bonus track on iTunes Digital Deluxe LP, Deluxe CD and vinyl only) | John, Taupin | 3:16 |
| 14. | "Mandalay Again" (Bonus track on Deluxe CD and vinyl only) | John, Taupin | 4:54 |
| 15. | "Never Too Old (To Hold Somebody)" | John, Taupin | 4:58 |
| 16. | "In the Hands of Angels" | Russell | 4:43 |
Personnel
- Elton John: piano, vocals
- Leon Russell: piano, vocals
- Jim Keltner: drums, percussion
- Jay Bellerose: drums, percussion
- Debra Dobkin: beaded gourd
- Dennis Crouch: acoustic bass
- Don Was: bass
- Davey Faragher: bass
- Drew Lambert: electric bass
- Marc Ribot: guitar
- T Bone Burnett: electric guitar
- Robert Randolph: pedal steel
- Russ Pahl: pedal steel
- Booker T. Jones: Hammond B-3 organ
- Keefus Ciancia: keyboards
- Martin Grebb: keyboards
- Jason Wormer: dulcimer
- Brian Wilson: background vocals on "When Love Is Dying"
Reception
| Professional ratings | |
|---|---|
| Aggregate scores | |
| Source | Rating |
| Metacritic | 76/100 [2] |
| Review scores | |
| Source | Rating |
| Allmusic |    [3] |
| Clash |   [4] |
| Consequence of Sound | [5] |
| Contactmusic.com | [6] |
| Daily Mirror | [7] |
| Financial Times | [8] |
| The Guardian | [9] |
| The Independent | [10] |
| Los Angeles Times | [11] |
| Rolling Stone | [12] |
| Uncut | |
The Union received mostly positive reviews with critics praising it as some of the pair's best work to date. It reached No. 3 on Rolling Stone magazine's list of the Greatest 30 Albums of 2010.[13]
Charts
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| Chart | Peak |
|---|---|
| Australia | 28 |
| Austria | 28 |
| Belgium (Fl.) | 66 |
| Brazil | 7 |
| Canada | 7 |
| Croatia | 46 |
| Denmark | 15 |
| Europe | 19 |
| France | 51 |
| Germany | 23 |
| Greece | 61 |
| Ireland | 52 |
| Israel | 5 |
| Italy | 28 |
| Netherlands | 60 |
| New Zealand | 24 |
| Norway | 5 |
| Russia | 15 |
| Spain | 30 |
| Sweden | 24 |
| Switzerland | 27 |
| UK | 12 |
| US Billboard 200 | 3 |
Grammy Awards
| Year | Recipient/Nominated work | Award | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2011 | "If It Wasn't for Bad" | Best Pop Collaboration with Vocals[14] | Nominated |
Certifications
| Country | Provider | Certification |
|---|---|---|
| United Kingdom | BPI | Silver(60,000) |
| Canada | CRIA | Gold (40,000) |
References
- ↑ "The 30 Best Albums of 2010". Rolling Stone (25 December 2010). Retrieved 18 January 2011
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