Live from Moscow 1979 explained

Live from Moscow 1979
Type:	live
Artist:	Elton John
Cover:	Elton-John-Live-From-Moscow-Album-Art.jpg
Released:	13 April 2019 (limited edition LP) 24 January 2020
Recorded:	28 May 1979
Venue:	Rossiya Concert Hall, Moscow
Length:	97:44
Label:	Universal Music
Prev Title:	Revamp & Restoration
Prev Year:	2018

Live from Moscow 1979 is a live album by English musician Elton John released in April 2019. It was recorded during John's May 1979 tour of the Soviet Union, when he played a series of shows in Leningrad and Moscow accompanied by percussionist Ray Cooper. The live recordings were initially broadcast by BBC Radio 1 and were long available on bootleg albums. Footage was also included in the 1979 documentary To Russia...With Elton.^[1] The official release, as a limited-edition double LP, was issued for Record Store Day 2019 to celebrate the 40th anniversary of the tour. The album was then re-released in 2020 on vinyl and CD, and in digital music stores.^[2]

The album includes 16 of the 27 songs from John's 28 May concert at the Rossiya Concert Hall in Moscow.^[3] He describes the show as "probably one of the best concerts I've ever given in my life".^[4]

Track listing

All songs written by Elton John and Bernie Taupin except where noted.

Disc one

1. "Daniel" – 3:56
2. "Skyline Pigeon" – 4:02
3. "Take Me to the Pilot" – 6:50
4. "Rocket Man" – 7:33
5. "Don't Let the Sun Go Down on Me" – 5:36
6. "Goodbye Yellow Brick Road" – 3:04
7. "Candle in the Wind" – 3:34
8. "I Heard It Through the Grapevine" (Norman Whitfield, Barrett Strong) – 11:50

Disc two

1. "Funeral for a Friend" – 2:57
2. "Tonight" – 7:41
3. "Better Off Dead" – 2:58
4. "Bennie and the Jets" – 12:31
5. "Sorry Seems to Be the Hardest Word" – 3:33
6. "Crazy Water" – 7:58
7. Medley: "Saturday Night's Alright (For Fighting)/Pinball Wizard" (John–Taupin/Pete Townshend) – 10:11
8. Medley: "Crocodile Rock/Get Back/Back in the U.S.S.R." (John–Taupin/Lennon–McCartney/Lennon–McCartney) – 3:30

Personnel

• Elton John – vocals, grand piano, electric piano
• Ray Cooper – percussion (disc 2, tracks 1–7)

Notes and References

1. Web site: Elton John and Ray Cooper formed the perfect team in Moscow. 25 June 2020 .
2. Web site: Goldmine staff. Elton John's 1979 Moscow Performance to Be Released on 2-LP or 2-CD Set. Goldmine. 21 January 2020. 6 February 2021.
3. Web site: Elton John's Historic 1979 Show in USSR Released as 'Live from Moscow'. Paul. Sexton. uDiscover. 18 November 2019. 6 February 2021.
4. Web site: Paul. Sexton. 'Live from Moscow': Behind Elton John's Landmark Russian Concert. uDiscover. 24 January 2021. 6 February 2021.