Maps of Music

The Lockdown Sessions (2021)

Where the lyrics of The Lockdown Sessions take you, and where it was really made.

The title comes from the lockdown that paused Elton John's tour, and some of the recording sessions were done remotely over Zoom.

Key places

Metropolis, London recording site (2021)

Recording site Metropolis Studios — Listed as a recording location for the album. The album was recorded during the pandemic, and some sessions were done remotely. Google Maps · Apple Maps

How to get there: See the map for directions.

Henson Recording Studios, Los Angeles (2021)

Recording site A&M Recording Studios — Listed as a recording location for the album. The album was recorded during the pandemic, and some sessions were done remotely. Google Maps · Apple Maps

How to get there: See the map for directions.

The Village, Los Angeles (2021)

Recording site Village Recorders — Listed as a recording location for the album. The album was recorded during the pandemic, and some sessions were done remotely. Google Maps · Apple Maps

How to get there: See the map for directions.

Abbey Road Studios, London (2021)

Recording site Abbey Road Studios — Listed as a recording location for the album. The album was recorded during the pandemic, and some sessions were done remotely. Google Maps · Apple Maps

How to get there: Jubilee line to St John's Wood station, then about a 5-minute walk.

Sunset Sound Factory, Los Angeles (2021)

Recording site Sunset Sound Factory — Listed as a recording location for the album. The album was recorded during the pandemic, and some sessions were done remotely. Google Maps · Apple Maps

How to get there: See the map for directions.

Album story

Overview

• The Lockdown Sessions: fourth collaborative studio album by British musician Elton John
• Released 22 October 2021 by EMI in the UK and Interscope Records in the US
• Title refers to lockdown pausing the Farewell Yellow Brick Road tour
• Three singles: Cold Heart (Pnau remix) with Dua Lipa, After All with Charlie Puth, Finish Line with Stevie Wonder
• 2022 reissue adds Merry Christmas with Ed Sheeran and Hold Me Closer with Britney Spears

Background

• Several tracks were released before the album, including Learn to Fly, released June 2020
• Learn to Fly features the band Surfaces, with John on vocals and piano
• Chosen Family is a duet with Rina Sawayama from her Sawayama album
• The Pink Phantom from Gorillaz' 2020 album Song Machine, Season One: Strange Timez, with John and 6lack as guests
• It's a Sin, a cover of the Pet Shop Boys song with Years & Years, released May 2021
• Miley Cyrus' version of Nothing Else Matters, released June 2021 from The Metallica Blacklist
• One of Me, a collaboration with Lil Nas X from his debut album Montero
• Other collaborators include Eddie Vedder, Brandi Carlile, Nicki Minaj, Young Thug, Stevie Nicks and Glen Campbell

Recording

• Some sessions were done remotely via Zoom, a method John had never used before
• Some sessions followed strict safety rules, with artists separated by glass screens
• John said working this way reminded him of his start as a session musician in the late 1960s

Sources: en.wikipedia.org

Tracklist

Sources: musicbrainz.org

Artist

Formation

• Born Reginald Kenneth Dwight in Pinner, Middlesex, on 25 March 1947.
• Won a junior scholarship to the Royal Academy of Music at age 11.
• Formed the blues band Bluesology in 1962; took the name Elton John in 1967.
• Joined DJM Records as a staff songwriter with lyricist Bernie Taupin in 1968.

Members

• Partnered with lyricist Bernie Taupin since 1967; Taupin writes lyrics and John composes the music.
• Backing band over the years included Davey Johnstone, Nigel Olsson, Dee Murray and Ray Cooper.

Career

• Debut album Empty Sky (1969); Honky Château (1972) became his first US number-one album.
• Seven consecutive US number-one albums between 1972 and 1975.
• Composed The Lion King and Aida with Tim Rice; won Academy Awards and a Tony Award.
• Farewell Yellow Brick Road tour (2018–2023) was the highest-grossing tour at the time.

Sources: en.wikipedia.org

Reception

At release

• Critics gave the album generally positive reviews
• Metacritic: weighted average 70 out of 100 from 10 critic scores
• AnyDecentMusic?: 6.8 out of 10, based on critical consensus
• AllMusic (Stephen Thomas Erlewine): said the record is at its best when close to an old-fashioned duet album
• The Independent (Helen Brown): praised a couple of stunning vocal performances, including Rina Sawayama on Chosen Family
• Mojo (John Aizlewood): called it probably his most varied album
• MusicOMH (John Murphy): said it was a surprising, creatively rich endeavour rather than a vanity project
• NME (Gary Ryan): said the record fits the post-genre Spotify world of 2021
• The Observer (Kate Hutchinson): called it all fun but a little disjointed
• PopMatters (Rich Wilhelm): called it an engaging series of snapshots of time well spent
• Rolling Stone (Jon Dolan): called it a glowing testament to his enduring pop gravitas
• Uncut (Stephen Troussé): described it as a rum selection of Zoom collaborations
• Variety (Annie Zaleski): called it a charming listen

Reappraisal

• The Lockdown Sessions received a generally positive critical reception as a whole
• Reviews singled out the performances and the diversity of the collaborations

Records

• UK Albums Chart: number one on 29 October 2021, John's eighth UK number-one album
• UK first-week chart sales: 31,000, of which 84% were physical (CD and vinyl)
• US Billboard 200: debuted at number ten with 29,000 album-equivalent units in the first week
• US first week: 17,000 pure album copies
• US Top Album Sales chart: debuted at number four
• Cold Heart (Pnau remix) reached number one on the UK Singles Chart in October 2021
• Hold Me Closer reached number three on the UK Singles Chart
• Cold Heart and Hold Me Closer both reached the US top 10
• Finish Line failed to chart on the Official UK Top 100

Sources: en.wikipedia.org

Trivia

• Cold Heart (Pnau remix) was John's first UK number one in 16 years, after the 2005 posthumous Tupac Shakur collaboration Ghetto Gospel.
• Cold Heart combines elements of John's songs Sacrifice, Rocket Man, Where's the Shoorah? and Kiss the Bride.
• In the UK midweek chart, the album was described as in a four-way battle with Duran Duran, Lana Del Rey and Biffy Clyro for the number-one spot.
• The album was John's second UK number one in less than a month, after Cold Heart.
• When the album hit number one in the UK Albums Chart on 29 October 2021, John said he was so proud of what they had created.

Sources: en.wikipedia.org

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