The Fox by Elton John
The Fox is the fifteenth studio album by British singer/songwriter Elton John, released in 1981. The track "Elton's Song" was banned from radio play in some countries due to its content, which included references to homosexuality. The album was produced by John, Clive Franks and for the first time, Chris Thomas, who would produce many more albums with John through most of the 1980s and '90s. Three of the songs (noted below) were recorded during the sessions for his previous album 21 at 33. All b-sides released around this time were also from those sessions.
Elton John's eponymous second record isn't just packed with the kinds of songs that would define the singer—they'd also help define the burgeoning singer/songwriter era of pop music. John and his co-writer Bernie Taupin touch the uplifting “Border Song” with gospel, imbue the haunting ballad “First Episode at Hienton” with an eerie theremin (which adds to the song’s foreboding narrative before lush string arrangements pour in) and make one of the decade's most memorable tunes with the pensive, piano-based opener “Your Song”. It’s a winner from start to finish.
