Elton John - Elton John

Elton John - his eponymous album.  I had look that up - one who is referred to as eponymous is someone who gives his or her name to something.  It's on MCA's UNI label with the funky swirl pattern on the label.  It is what I call his first record, from April 1970.  Elton did have a record out before this one, called Empty Sky - but is was not released in the US until 1975.  I was struck by this cover because Elton features as equals, besides his bandmates and lyricist Bernie Taupin, his famed arranger - Paul Buckmaster and also this record's (and many more of is records) brilliant producer, Gus Dudgeon.  Years later on Elton's live in Australia, before going into Have Mercy on the Criminal, Elton takes a moment to point out the genious Buckmaster's fine strings arrangement.  Listen for that if you have that CD.   Also in that photo line-up above left is Diana Lewis.  She is credited as playing the Moog synthesizer.  Buckmaster plays cello here.  This record opens with Your Song on side one.  My personal favorite - and remains today among his best, is Sixty Years on.  Take me to the Pilot appears as song 3, side one.  Border Song is song two, side two.  On the upper left of the left photo above, it reads Suitable for Mono.