Elton John vs. Pnau – “Phoenix”

We probably should have seen this coming

Contrary to conventional wisdom, “timeless” and “classic” are not necessarily synonyms. Classic rock bands like Led Zeppelin and Pink Floyd were brilliant in their time, but the music has to be appreciated in the context from whence it came. In arguably one of the best defenses of pop music as a genre with integrity, the recent collaboration between Elton John and Pnau prove that pop songwriting can transcend classic status into the extremely elusive category of timeless. The Rocket Man blasted off into the future after giving the Australian dance duo his blessing and support to rework a small selection of his more obscure 70s hits on Good Morning To The Night – the standout being “Phoenix,” an electronic revisitation of “Grey Seal.”

You’d almost think the songwriting was meant for this kind of presentation. It fits perfectly, like the best RAC remix you’ve ever heard, and almost makes you wonder if decades ago Elton John knew things were heading this way. And don’t even act like his fashion sense wasn’t a foreshadowing of the yet-to-be realized electro pop scene. In this feature on the Guardian, John sounds like a 20-something blogger plugging his favorite new bands among his friends. Consider that this comes from a man who has been performing since the late 60s and it becomes clear that he isn’t just a classic, because he never really went away.

Elton John vs. Pnau – “Phoenix”