Elton John's 'Union' falls flat

Elton John hails this collaboration as a chance to restore his idol and one-time mentor Leon Russell to prominence. Sadly, the pairing fails to rejuvenate Captain Fantastic.

“The Union["] was John's idea, and it held promise. Russell's resume includes work with George Harrison, Phil Spector and Joe Cocker, and although he fell into obscurity in recent decades, his blend of gospel and Southern boogie influenced John's transcendent work in the early 1970s.

Alas, there's no “Border Song["] or “Burn Down the Mission["] to be found here. Instead it's mostly more middling late-period Elton, underwritten and overproduced.

John recruited T Bone Burnett to oversee the project, raising the enticing prospect of stripped-down recording sessions with lots of lively piano and two-part harmonies. Instead we get a horn section, a 10-member gospel choir and a parade of guest artists. Booker T. Jones and Robert Randolph sit in, and Neil Young and Brian Wilson contribute vocals. Even Sharon Stone drops by.

The layers of sound leave no room for any chemistry between the co-stars. Burnett mostly buries their pianos in the moneyed mix, and while it's good to hear Russell's distinctive voice again, he can't turn back the clock for his former protégé.

Check this out: John and Bernie Taupin wrote most of the material, and their best effort is the twangy country shuffle “Jimmie Rodgers' Dream.["] For a change, John sounds like he could be singing something from “Tumbleweed Connection["] rather than, say, “Aida.["]