Victim Of Love (1979)
Elton decides to get serious about disco on Victim of Love. Are the reviews online a bit too harsh on Elton? Maybe a little. He was still reeling from his split with Bernie Taupin during a period when popular music was going through a big change. Can we blame him for rolling with the times? No, not at all. Did he execute this pivot as well as he could have? No… not at all. Although I can’t say this record is without energy and some of the flair Elton has become so synonymous with over the years.
The album opens with a cover of Johnny B. Goode, and I find it to be the most tolerable track on Victim of Love. It has fun energy and it doesn’t do the original any disservice. Does it run a little longer than it should? Maybe, but that was the style of the time! At the release of this record, it would’ve been weird if there weren’t extended dance breaks in it. And they rock. The piano breaks and the bass guitar breaks are pretty good. But the next track is where the rest of the record falls…
Warm Love in a Cold World is practically unlistenable to me. It’s so wimpy. It’s awkward at the chorus, right where it needs to be catchy. One of my lowest-rated songs on Warewolf Reviews. But does Elton pick it up a little with Born Bad? Eh… just a little. It’s definitely more listenable, but it is very generic and overly simplistic, even for this style of music. The verses have some really pleasing chord progressions, but outside of that, the song doesn’t offer much else.
Thunder in the Night teases that it could be epic at the start. It has this dark, nighttime-in-New-York feel to it, then gets really wimpy at the chorus. It had some potential and then delivered disappointment more than anything. Elton’s vocals are strong, though, with the range and energy he brings to the track. You could get away with sneaking Born Bad onto a disco playlist scratch-free, but I don’t think you can with this one.
Spotlight kicks off with a driving drumbeat and some interesting piano playing. Then… the hand claps… sigh, it gets so wimpy. But like REALLY wimpy. Disco doesn’t have to be wimpy. Elton isn’t a wimpy artist. But there’s just some Disney-like, childish wimpiness to this track. Not one I care to revisit. Also, I’m very self-aware of my overuse of “wimpy” in this review. It’s truly one of the only right words to describe the majority of Victim of Love’s content.
Street Boogie, on the other hand, isn’t nearly as offensive. What it is, though, is forgettable. I’ve listened to this album so many times and I still can’t ever remember how this one goes. Is it listenable? Yes. Is it replayable? You’d never know, because you’ll never remember it.
The album closes with Victim of Love, which I find to be one of two songs worth saving from the record. It holds my interest long enough to not skip it. It’s got very solid disco drumbeats carrying the track and fun synth accents. Are they a bit contrived? Maybe, but what disco isn’t a little contrived anyway? It’s catchy, dark, and the obvious best way to close the album. This is by no means the worst album ever, but it does make a strong case for being Elton’s worst. It doesn’t have a lot of tracks and its diversity is very limited. It doesn’t have to be innovative, since it’s strictly a disco record, but at least he tried to put some Elton flair into it.
Occasionally there’s some commendable musicianship that’s very Elton, but in no way enough to get you to revisit most of these songs. Could you skip the entire album? Many wouldn’t hesitate to say yes, but I do think there are a few sprinklings of interest shaken over certain parts of the record. Having said that, it’s worth listening to just for the context and the knowledge of what this record is and why so many people have strong opinions about it.
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Highlight Songs:
Johnny B. Goode
Victim of Love
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Own It, Stream it, Forget about it
Stream it. If you’re a completist like I am, then own it just for the collection, but just stream it. I won’t go as far as saying skip it, because you’ll be a more well versed person having heard this record. That being said, boogie at your own risk.
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Overall Rating:
1.5 Stars
