Year/Genre/City: 1976, Pop Rock, London, EnglandMatrix #: MCA2-11004Condition: EX, sounds great, looks great Cultural Facts: Post Peak: Dropping after an absurd run of early-’70s dominance, this double LP is often read as Elton deliberately stepping away from the “hit factory” pace—bigger, heavier, and less optimized for radio. Band Transition: It’s tied to a major shift in the classic era: this is the last studio album for a long stretch to feature key members of the original Elton band lineup, marking the end of that tight core chemistry period. Honest Moment: “Sorry Seems to Be the Hardest Word” became the signature single—one of his starkest mainstream heartbreak statements—showing how a quieter emotional track could still cut through the mid-’70s pop spectacle. UPDATED 6/11/25 - EK 1/20/2026 CC
