I've Seen The Saucers - Elton John (1974)
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- Опубліковано 26 сер 2024
- "I've Seen The Saucers" was released on Elton John's eight studio album, Caribou, in the summer of 1974. This is one of my favorite songs on an album with almost all great or good songs, but an album that I have long considered one of the worst "albums" recorded by any of my favorite major artists at the height of their powers (see below for my rambling Caribou thoughts). I've wanted to do something for a few tracks off this album for a long time, and I've started things for several...this wasn't one of those, I had dug up my old files for Graham Parker's "Waiting For The UFO's" for an update, and the theme got me thinking about this song, so I grabbed some footage from Earth Vs. The Flying Saucers and edited it really quickly just to have something to upload. ;-) It doesn't quite work, but if nothing else listen to the audio; FLAC audio sourced from 2019's Japan Remastered SHM-CD.
I was 12 when Goodbye Yellow Brick Road was released and I remember buying it as my first Elton album. I remember coming home from school and laying on my mom's vinyl couch and listening to it as the sunshine streamed in the window onto the jacket as I poured over the lyrics....those summers seemed endless. The next thing I remember about growing up listening to EJ is everything is the same, except I'm a bit older and the album is not GYBR, but Captain Fantastic and the Brown Dirt Cowboy. Then moving forward into high school with Rock of the Westies, Blue Moves and A Single Man (recollections of all also being played on my mom's huge RCA entertainment center and that same vinyl couch...but there were also memories associated with those not related to that living room). Then on to college with 21 at 33 and The Fox especially (I really love both of those albums), and then on to the string of eighties albums.
I've mentioned the years I worked at a record store in Texas in the early to mid '80's and it's during this time that I finally started buying Elton's back catalog. The thing that has always been so strange to me is that I somehow completely missed Caribou, and didn't buy the album until the mid-eighties as I was collecting his old stuff. Now I do know my best friend at the time had it and I know I'd heard it many times at his house, but somehow my fanaticism (not quite the level of my best friend, but close!) for Elton John, which was at it's peak the year Caribou was released, didn't include the album released right between GYBR and CFATBDC?!
Caribou has always been odd album out with me. Maybe it's because it just didn't make the impression on me that the album before it and the album after it did? The thing that has always stood out about Caribou to me is that it just doesn't seem like an album at all, rather a random selections of songs; one undeniable hit, one epic centerpiece and some random songs just thrown together? Although I really like most of the songs (I can live without "Dixie Lily" and (though the song is good) I think I'd like "Stinker" much better if it had a different lyric and title, but all of the songs besides "The Bitch Is Back" and "Don't Let The Sun Go Down On Me" are just varying degrees of odd, and listening to the album never leaves any sense of cohesiveness. I think different sequencing might have helped some (I'll add my preferences in comment section).
Taking a road trip to the Texas Hill Country a few weeks back, I had the opportunity to listen to the new 2019 Japan Remastered SHM-CD..and the thing that struck me most (after how amazing the album sounded, such punch and clarity on these 2019 Japan SHM-CD's!) is that I think I finally realized why I somehow missed out on Caribou....it's the single greatest example I know of where mostly very good songs were put together on an album in a way that weakened the overall effect and where the whole is somehow less than the individual parts? For over 40, when I'd think about Caribou I always misremember it as the album that came right before Goodbye Yellow Brick Road. I still think of it that way, because there's no way this could have been the album released between Goodbye Yellow Brick Road and Captain Fantastic!!! LOL! Sorry for that ramble, but this is what Caribou does to me every time. ;-)
Maybe I should have just referred to the producer's thoughts?
From Wiki: In the liner notes to the 1995 CD re-release, John described the album as being quickly recorded in January 1974, with only about 9 days to get everything recorded, as he and the band "were under enormous pressure" to finish the album and then immediately embark on a Japanese tour. Producer Gus Dudgeon would later add additional backing vocals, horns and other overdubs after John and the band had finished their work. Dudgeon later called the album "a piece of crap ... the sound is the worst, the songs are nowhere, the sleeve came out wrong, the lyrics weren't that good, the singing wasn't all there, the playing wasn't great and the production is just plain lousy".
50 years old and still sounding great!
50 years ago I was stationed on Okinawa 1974. I loved this album. I bought the cassette and wore it out. Semper Fi from an old Marine
One Elton and Bernie's most talented (albums) works ever. I had to have the album when I was about 16, every time I hear a song from it I recall those days of my youth. It never gets old for me, its weird how I feel about it. Actually this album is probably in my own top 10 albums of all time. ❤😊😊😊❤❤.❤
Caribou is an AMAZING album, simply because it IS an oddball album. "Solar Prestige A Gammon", "Grimsby", "Pinky", "I've Seen The Saucers", "Ticking", "Stinker", Dixie Lily and "The Bitch is Back" are ALL amazing songs. "You're So Static" seems to be the weakest song of the album, but heck, I have that ranked at #200 of my top favorite 393 Elton John studio songs. Maybe it had something to do with the time when I was just 5 years old and hearing this on 8-track tape every night when going to sleep and just being amazed at the incredible sounds of these songs, but they surely have passed the test of time indeed! As an Elton Connoisseur, I have to say although I am extremely partial to him as my favorite artist of all time, I am also highly critical of all of his work. "Victim of Love" undeniably HAS to be the worst album of Elton's catalogue, as most Elton fans would agree.
UFO's are built at Area 51 by Lockeed Martian engineers funded by our tax dollars. Martians are created in labs at Area 51 using gene splicing tech to cross hybridize Humans with Reptiles or Bears. The government is one deception after another. One shadow government of occultists controls all governments worldwide
Illuminati scientists & engineers have created Human/Reptile Hybrids & UFO's here on earth ! They can create any Monster, Dinosaur & ET Hollywood has shown us. They use Directed Energy to create hurricanes, tornadoes, lightning, hail, wind driven fires, volcanic eruptions, mega powerful earthquakes & massive tsunamis
1974, I was in the United States Marine Corps on Okinawa. Loved this album (cassette) so much I bought it at the PX at Ft Buckner, Okinawa
Yet another phenomenal video interpretation for MGM ... LOVE this one, and a great track selection! Caribou was a bit of a hodgepodge, given Elton, Bernie and the gang had literally 9 days to write and record it (in a new studio they weren't used to yet) before embarking on a tour of Japan. It's still a fun, quirky collection. Besides, how do you try to follow something like Goodbye Yellow Brick Road? The answer is simple: you don't. Elton and Bernie took this same tack again coming off of Captain Fantastic and the Brown Dirt Cowboy. In the case of Caribou, they made a fun pop-rock record, and in the case of Rock of the Westies, they did a straight ahead rock record. Caribou had many standout tracks, not the least being The Bitch Is Back (a concert favorite) and Don't Let The Sun Go Down On Me, which is one of their very best ballads. (Nigel's drum work on the latter is just flawless - give it a close listen sometime ... perfection.) And then you also had album gems such as Pinky, Dixie Lily, Ticking and of course I've Seen The Saucers. It's all good!
I have to agree with a lot of what you say. From the description we are exact contemporaries and, for whatever reason, have felt this to be a “filler” album while he was touring for GYBR. I really loved the mood of Don’t Shoot Me too. But in the last couple of weeks I have revisited this album, saw a live, EJ and piano only, version of Grimsby from 1974 on UA-cam which is fantastic and I have been playing over and over. Then this oddball great tune that I have always loved. I would literally wear down the grooves on every EJ album when it came out, so we differ there on this album, but I always felt it was a guilty pleasure. Glad to hear others also enjoy it so much
Great song, off of the album caribou, one of my favorite Elton John album’s
love this song!!!
This is fantastic! Great juxtaposition of mediums. I've seen the Blue Orb in my room in L.A. at night.
I didn't know the song neither movie but liked the song and suitable footage was a pleasant surprise. Good job MGM, thanks!
Thanks W! Happy you liked it/them!
Lol at Dudgeon's description.
Fantastic job on the video. I always like this song. Solar Prestige A Gammon and Grimsby also. I could see Grimsby fitting in quite well on the Captain Fantastic album. There does seem to be a little filler in this album though.
This song is about a night time alien visitation and abduction. " Something touched me, I was only sleeping.!-EJ
Great song and FANTASTIC video!! A++++
Rock on!
Satanic ? Obviously this is propaganda setting the stage for a fake Martian invasion with UFO's & Human/Reptile Hybrids created here on earth by Illuminati scientists funded by our tax dollars
Bloody hell, great vid plus a track I'd never heard from Mr. Dwight👏🏻👏🏻
Glad you enjoyed it....I think it's a pretty good tune!
@@MetalGuruMessiah Jon, hope all is good. Feel free to Ig or Fb me. Keep up the good work, not something I heard much from my teachers.😂
Caribou? Elton John's worst? How is that? I've listened to this on CD and there were more songs from this CD I loved than hated. Among those I loved were *"I've Seen the Saucers",* *"Dixie Lily",* and *"Pinky".*
In my description I tried to explain why I was calling it one of the "worst albums by one of my favorite artists" (I updated that to "worst album by one of my favorite artists recorded at the height of their powers"), and mentioned that it is an album of all mostly great or at least very good songs...but I guess I wasn't very clear. The thing is Jason, I think it a bad album because it has always had zero cohesiveness to me, and the whole somehow is less than the individual parts....AND also because this was recorded smack dab in the middle of two towering musical monuments (Goodbye Yellow Brick Road and Captain Fantastic), and it's so "off" that it's hard for me to believe it was actually recorded during such a period of when EJ was firing on all 12 pistons and then some! ;-)
This is just hilarious and perfect........One of Elton's underrated songs but soooo cooool....
'Wonder what's cookin' at 3 mins😃 Superb👏🏻👏🏻
THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU!!!!!!! AWESOME!!!!!! WOW! Thanks We can use this video for training for SciFi films = Great "MOOD" & "Genre Historic Appreciation" = motivation. and yes 'Caribou' IS an amazing set of great songs. Peace & Health
Another great video, Brother! 👍😎👍
Stay safe out there ✌
Thanks, you too!
Wow!!!!!!! That Was Perfect!!!
Wow, that's a whole lot of Elton angst circulating in your psyche Jon lol Fascinating how impactful music can be. (Especially at that age) Anyway, it was enjoyable reading about your EJ experience. Btw, you have me wanting to know how the movie ends. I assume that since we're still here, Earth wins? lol :) PS Cool song too! I don't think i ever heard the whole album, so this one was new to me, thanks!
LOL! Yeah, growing up I can't remember a time when Elton's music wasn't there. Almost all the songs on the album are either great or very good and definitely it's worth finding time to listen to if you've never done so before. Thanks Michael!
Thanks for your comments. Gave me a different perspective to the album. I suppose I am about 2 year younger than you maybe, so I can remember buying certain albums in that time. Most notable for me was Captain Fantastic, standing in line at Target behind many in the record department waiting in line to get checked out with their own copy, it was surreal. Just want to say, I'm amazed at the effort you put into these video's and I appreciate your efforts as itself is an art form. I'm hoping to one day see one I'm highly interested in seeing done. I'll stay tuned to this channel in hopes one day it is one of your choices.
Peace!
As far as I know Elton never once played I've Seen the Saucers live in concert which is surprising. It's one of my all time favorite Elton John songs. If it had been released as a single I think there's a good chance it would have been at least a top ten hit.
Loved the video. A classic EJ song. Not sure I would agree with the slight dismissive tone of the album. Some real gems like Ticking, I’ve Seek the Saucers, Grimsby , Pinky snd the two commercial singles.
Great video, great job.
The sequel to “Rocket Man” The saucers are bringing Rocket Man back home..
Here's my Top 30 Elton John albums of all time:
FINAL RANK
Goodbye Yellow Brick Road 10/5/1973 1
Caribou 5/24/1974 2
Captain Fantastic and the Brown Dirt Cowboy 5/19/1975 3
The Big Picture 9/22/1997 4
Peachtree Road 11/9/2004 5
Made In England 3/17/1995 6
Don't Shoot Me, I'm Only the Piano Player 1/26/1973 7
Sleeping with the Past 8/29/1989 8
Songs From the West Coast 10/1/2001 9
Blue Moves 10/22/1976 10
Honky Chateau 5/19/1972 11
Tumbleweed Connection 10/30/1970 12
The Diving Board 9/13/2013 13
Too Low for Zero 5/30/1983 14
Breaking Hearts 6/18/1984 15
The Captain and the Kid 9/18/2006 16
The One 6/22/1992 17
Reg Strikes Back 6/24/1988 18
Wonderful Crazy Night 2/5/2016 19
A Single Man 10/16/1978 20
Rock of the Westies 10/4/1975 21
Leather Jackets 10/15/1986 22
Elton John 4/10/1970 23
Ice on Fire 11/4/1985 24
Jump Up! 4/9/1982 25
21 at 33 5/13/1980 26
Empty Sky 6/6/1969 27
Madman Across The Water 11/5/1971 28
The Complete Thom Bell Sessions 2/1/1989 29
Victim of Love 10/13/1979 30
Madman not in top 5???
@@donshelton7490 All his albums from 1970 through 1976 are in the top ten or twelve or thirteen albums as far as I'm concerned. Those include:
1. Goodbye Yellow Brick Road -1973
2. Captain Fantastic and the Brown Dirt Cowboy-1975
3. Honky Chateau-1972
4. Don't Shoot Me I'm Only The Piano Player-1973
5. Tumbleweed Connection-1970
6. Madman Across The Water-1971 ?
7. Caribou-1974
8. 17/11/70
9. Elton John self titled-1970
10. & 11. Blue Moves or Rock of The Westies
12. Empty Sky - debut album- 1969
13. Friends movie soundtrack album-1970 (well worth a listen)
You can change the order around any way you like but those are the ones that top the list of Elton John's classic period. His best album is supposed to be GYBR. I see lots of people saying that they love "Tumbleweed Connection," his and Bernie's western themed album and think it's his best album. I like that one a lot. I'm a bit shaky on the exact dates they were released. Then you can throw in a couple of eighties hits like I Guess That's Why They Call It The Blues from Too Low For Zero which hit #4 on Billboard and is a really good song with Stevie Wonder on harmonica. I'm probably biased about most 70s music. Also I have not listened to most of his 1980s albums. He has a lot of albums. I also try and find the live versions of songs online if possible and I watch any concert footage from the 1970s mostly that is available plus his 1980 Central Park concert which is a great one. All this is a lot of work and it will take very long to catch up. I also get sidetracked a lot with listening to other artists (mostly other English artists for some reason). there is so much music that I haven't listened to, never had the time or money to buy all of the albums but now so much is online it so much easier to go between albums, songs and artists. I could never have dreamed of having this kind of access in the 70s.
P.S. I am not a musician this is just my personal opinion. But what do I know? I did watch his Madman Across The Water performances online most of them are available. Live versions. Absolutely wonderful performances. He even did some of these with an orchestra. Magnificent.
I love this song..the end
Brilliant
We sure have a lot of experts in the comments! 😂😂😂
Good one.
Thank you! Cheers!
A very well done on the video from a beloved movie - But black and white would have been good.
I wish George Michael was still alive to recover and cover these John deep cuts on a series of albums. His voice couldve made a spacy dancey prog rock lp.
they coming fr tho now. 20 years after attack on public
Not like Simon and Garfunkel - more like Simon and a guy who wrote lyrics . Strange , even weird lyrics , but a collaboration crafted in another dimension .
June 5, 2023 #UFODisclosue
The Saner Choice ?
Such an offbeat song reminds me of something Bowie would do.