Vinyl Record
Elton John - Rock of the Westies
Elton John - Rock of the Westies on LP vinyl. A 1975 record available from Kilmorna Collection in Listowel, Ireland.
LP ยท 1975
Available from Kilmorna Collection in Listowel.
Buyer notes: 1975 LP, currently available from the Kilmorna Collection vinyl shelf. Pay for pickup in Listowel or ship within Ireland for EUR 5.50.
Rock of the Westies is Elton John refusing to coast immediately after one of his most carefully shaped albums. Released in 1975 only months after Captain Fantastic and the Brown Dirt Cowboy, it is leaner, rougher and more rhythm-driven, a record that pushes the band toward funkier rock textures without letting go of Elton's melodic instincts. The title nods to West of the Rockies, and the album feels like it wants dust, speed and amplifier heat around the piano. The opening Medley (Yell Help/Wednesday Night/Ugly) is a statement of intent: not the expected grand ballad, but a swaggering, sectional piece with gospel-flavoured vocal energy and a sense of musicians testing each other in real time. Island Girl became the major hit, bright and immediate, while Grow Some Funk of Your Own makes the album's rhythmic ambitions explicit. I Feel Like a Bullet (In the Gun of Robert Ford) gives the record its wounded centre, a ballad with one of Taupin's most memorable images from this period. Street Kids, Hard Luck Story and Feed Me keep the mood tougher and more physical than the ornate Elton of the previous few years. Its place in the catalogue is fascinating because it is both a blockbuster and a left turn. It became another American No. 1 album, yet it does not behave like a cautious sequel. The writing is looser, the band sound more abrasive, and the record's pleasures are less about flawless architecture than about pressure, groove and momentum. For listeners used to the polished hits, Rock of the Westies shows Elton's 1970s dominance could still carry risk.
Rock of the Westies matters because it extended Elton's extraordinary mid-1970s chart run while changing the feel of the records around it. After the autobiographical detail of Captain Fantastic, this album leans into band attack, funk-rock muscle and a less ornate sound. It is an important reminder that Elton's commercial peak was not a single mood; it included restless experiments with rhythm, personnel and rock energy.
This is a rewarding album for collectors who already know the canonical Elton titles and want the tougher companion piece. It belongs near Captain Fantastic and Blue Moves, not because it sounds like either, but because it shows the pressure and speed of that period. The record is especially useful on a vinyl shelf where Elton is represented as a full-band rock artist, not only as a piano balladeer or singles craftsman.
Muscular mid-1970s piano rock with funk accents, gospel-tinged backing vocals, gritty band energy and one wounded ballad at the centre.
Recommended for: Elton John collectors seeking the harder-rocking side of the 1970s run; Fans of Island Girl and Grow Some Funk of Your Own; Listeners who like piano-led rock with funk and band pressure.
What year was Rock of the Westies released? Rock of the Westies was released in 1975. How does Rock of the Westies differ from Captain Fantastic? It is less autobiographical and more rhythm-driven, with a tougher band sound and stronger funk-rock elements. Which tracks should new listeners try first? Island Girl, Grow Some Funk of Your Own, I Feel Like a Bullet (In the Gun of Robert Ford) and the opening medley are the best starting points.