Elton John: Madman Across the Water Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		5.0
Video		2.0
Audio		5.0
Extras		5.0
Overall		5.0

Elton John: Madman Across the Water Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Jeffrey Kauffman June 11, 2022

Update 8/18/2022: I'm happy to report I've received my replacement Blu-ray and can confirm that not only is the Mick Ronson track now properly there, in what I personally consider to be even better news, the surround track is now lossless DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1. Since I assume retail going forward will have this spec, I've updated it here.

When exactly did Elton John morph from a Rock Legend into something arguably a bit (a lot?) kitschier and what might be termed his generation's Liberace? I'm not sure exactly how or at what point it happened, but listening to "early" Elton can be like listening to a completely different artist than Elton became later, and that's probably testament to the fact that Elton was able to change with the times, though some may feel as I do that at least some of his changes may have seemed at times to be aimed more toward style than substance. If 1972's Honky Château was the album that really shot Elton into the stratosphere, it may be at least in part due to the fact that it was the final triumph in a trifecta that had previously offered 1970's Tumbleweed Connection and 1971's Madman Across the Water. Kind of interestingly in that regard, then, and in terms of Elton's ultimate conquering of the globe with his music, Madman Across the Water was received substantially more positively on "this side of the pond" than in his native land, potentially helping to grease the wheels (or whatever the suitable metaphor might be) for what would be the inarguable success of Honky Château.

As of the writing of this review, only Elton John: Goodbye Yellow Brick Road has made it onto Blu-ray, in a great sounding audio disc, though that release pales in comparison to this one in terms of packaging and extras. There's also arguably a somewhat less polished, grittier sound on hand in Madman Across the Water than in Goodbye Yellow Brick Road, though there's the same attention to arrangement finesse and songcraft that graced all of Elton's relatively early albums. While only "Tiny Dancer" and "Levon" got released as singles, the album has a number of standout tunes, not the least of which is the thrillingly dark title song, which both Elton and Bernie Taupin have insisted is not about Richard Nixon.

Update 6/11/2022: UMG has apologized for a production error on the first batch of Blu-rays, and the Mick Ronson version of "Madman Across the Water" was not included. Replacements are available by emailing OperationsSupport@umusic.com. Proof of purchase is required.

Elton John: Madman Across the Water Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

While I'm sure virtually all collectors are going to be getting this release for its audio component(s), there is some video included on the Blu- ray disc, though the upscaled 1080i 1:33 image is not going to set any hearts on fire. There are some baked in video anomalies like slight ghosting and some combing artifacts, and it's more than easy to spot signs of the upscale on things like the piano "harp", which is prone toward aliasing. Colors are mostly great looking, offering some glitz to Elton's always stylish garments.

Elton John: Madman Across the Water Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

Elton John: Madman Across the Water is presented on Blu-ray courtesy of a consortium that includes Mercury and Universal Music Group. The Blu-ray features stunning audio, to simply cut to the chase. Both the LPCM 2.0 and DTS 5.1 tracks are incredibly crisp and beautifully detailed, and even the "mere" stereo track offers some really fantastic separation and noticeable stereo imaging. But the surround track, while not DTS-HD Master Audio, is a marvel of engagement of the side and rear channels, and things like Paul Buckmaster's absolutely fantastic string arrangements waft over the band almost like there were an Atmos offering. The mix is pretty much perfectly done in my estimation, with Elton's nicely plaintive vocals forward (as I feel they should be), but with both the piano and other rhythm instruments never really forsaken in terms of presence. Fidelity and dynamic range are both top notch, and I personally had a really enjoyable time revisiting this album on Blu-ray after so many years.

Note: I have already received some PMs from fans wondering if there is an LPCM 2.0 option for the album (as opposed to the videos), and I can confirm there is, and in fact the disc defaults to the LPCM 2.0 track. After you've selected the Play Album link on the Main Menu, there's then a subsequent Audio Options submenu where you can select either LPCM 2.0 or DTS 5.1.

Elton John: Madman Across the Water Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

One man's supplement is another man's main feature when it comes to these music related Blu-ray releases. The two video "extras" are listed below, but this comes housed in a large slipbox that measures approximately 9 3/4" wide by 10" high by 1 1/2" deep. That in turn houses what amounts to a mutant sized "Digipack", in that it unfolds to offer four "quadrants" each with its own pocket holding a cardboard sleeve. Three of those have the CDs included in the packaging, and the fourth offers the Blu-ray, which (supposedly) has two versions of the title song (as mentioned above), with the complete album along with the videos listed below. Also in the slipbox is a really gorgeously appointed hardback book which has introductory comments from Sir Elton and Bernie Taupin, along with a history of the album and a ton of pictures. There's also a foldout poster.

The videos on the Blu-ray disc are:

• BBC Sounds for Saturday (29/04/1972) (HD; 46:32)


• Old Grey Whistle Test (07/12/1971) (HD; 17:28)

For Elton's set lists on these live television performances, consult screenshot 9.

The CDs offer: 1) the complete album in its 2016 remastered version, along with bonus tracks; 2) piano demos for the most part (along with one completed version of "Rock Me When He's Gone"; and 3) the soundtrack to BBC Sounds for Saturday.

Elton John: Madman Across the Water Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

I'm actually probably more of a fan of Tumbleweed Connection than I am of Madman Across the Water, but this beautifully packaged release reminded me of what an original songwriting team John and Taupin were during this period, and revisiting these songs with basically flawless audio was something of a revelation to me. This has jumped up a bit in price since I pre-ordered it, but if you have the pocket change to spare and you're a fan of Elton, I can't imagine not wanting to check this out. Highly recommended.