The Union | Music | Christianity Today

Home > Music > Reviews > 2010

Elton John and Leon Russell
The Union (Decca)
Released October 2010
Josh Hurst

Comments (0)

Style: Country-rock; compare to John's Tumbleweed Connection or The Captain and the Kid

Top tracks: "Hearts Have Turned to Stone," "I Should Have Sent Roses," "If It Wasn't for Bad"

A lot of records could be termed "labors of love," but it may never have been truer than with The Union. Elton John conceived the album as a platform for him to re-introduce his longtime idol, '70s rock and roller Leon Russell, to the music-listening public, and the result is a full-on duets album, complete with dueling pianos and traded vocal duties, the genuine warmth between the two men emanating from every note. John called in T-Bone Burnett to produce, and the result is a rootsy but still mainstream effort—half ballads and half rockers, with heavy leanings into country, gospel, and blues.

Comments (0)

Subscribe to Christianity Today and get 3 free trial issues. No credit card required.

Please allow 4-6 weeks for delivery. Offer valid in U.S. only.

If you decide you want to keep Christianity Today coming, honor your invoice for just $19.95 and receive nine more issues, a full year in all. If not, simply write "cancel" across the invoice and return it. The three trial issues are yours to keep, regardless.

Click here for international orders

2-for-1 Gifts!

[Reader Reviews]