Elton John: Rocket Man

Chris Roberts

PALAZZO The colourful tale of Captain Fantastic.

In keeping with the extravagance of the recent biopic and the pizazz of the ongoing Farewell Yellow Brick Road tour, this lavish pictorial biography does its utmost to shoehorn half a century lived in the spotlight into the space available. Its dimensions and heft invite the not always flattering description “coffee-table book”, but alongside the hundreds of striking images, the words of seasoned music journalist Roberts offer in-depth and insightful critical appraisal of a performer who, at the height of his 1970s superstardom, was responsible for one of every 20 records sold anywhere on the planet.

Facts and figures on every Elton album are accompanied by fresh perspectives on records which have stood the test of time, which were perhaps unfairly dismissed upon release, and how they either helped or hindered the momentum of an extraordinary career. Although the author’s task didn’t include interviewing his subject, Roberts’s diligent research in finding revealing quotes from decades of newspaper and magazine interviews paint a satisfyingly complete portrait of a man whose artistic spectrum stretches from soul-searching introspection to flamboyant showmanship. It’s a beautifully packaged and presented celebration, words and pictures working in tandem to tell the fascinating story of an icon. ■■■■■■■■■■