Madman Across the Water

Madman Across the Water is a piano-centered album that expands Elton John's sound with lush, orchestral arrangements and a darker, more cinematic mood than his earlier work. Bernie Taupin's narrative lyrics and John's melodic piano playing blend rock, soft rock and baroque pop elements with folk rock inflections on songs such as Tiny Dancer and Levon. The record emphasizes sweeping string and horn arrangements and marks a move toward more ambitious, arrangement-driven songwriting.