A simple approach works for Elton John

NEW YORK—A step back in time proved to be a forward-looking move for Elton John.

Upon the suggestion of producer T Bone Burnett, the 66-year-old singer reverted to a musical format he used when starting out more than four decades ago. The new album features John, his piano and vocals backed primarily by bass and drums, with subtle embellishments.

The disc, “The Diving Board,” is getting positive reviews and John said he’s “ecstatic” about how it came out. His compositions with writing partner Bernie Taupin offer mature reflections, from Taupin’s tribute to his father and the World War II generation in “Oceans Away” to the title cut’s take on stardom. He performed one of the new songs, “Home Again,” on the Emmy Awards telecast.

“I’ve made over 35, 36 albums and I’d never thought of making an album like that,” John said. “I mean, how crazy am I?”

“The Diving Board” continues one of music’s oddest creative partnerships. Once the musical approach became clear, there was no sit-down with Taupin to lay out a master plan. There was no thematic scheme. It was the same as always: John tells Taupin he needs new songs by a certain date, and waits for lyrics to arrive. He then sits down at a piano and puts them to music.

“I don’t see any reason to change it because I like it more and more as I get older,” John said. “It’s always exciting to not know what you’re going to get.”

Capitol Records is offering “The Diving Board” in three versions— the standard CD, a “deluxe” version that includes a bonus track and three songs recorded live in the studio and a “super deluxe” package with CD and vinyl versions of the album, a photo book and DVD of the in-studio live performance.

The challenge will be reaching an audience.

John is at that career stage reached by artists with a long track record where many fans aren’t interested in hearing something new. They want what they remember. Artists can rage at the injustice and try to squeeze into new styles. They can essentially turn off the creative spigot and make money on memories. Or they can be creatively liberated by not having to worry about hits.

When he tries to play a new song in a big arena, John said it’s “usually met by a mass exodus to the toilet.”

In some upcoming European shows, he plans to try some of the new songs to see which ones click with the audience, in the hope that two or three of them can be included in the set when he plays the United States later this fall.