Wizened folks say you can’t have too much of a good thing. On “The Union,” the listener definitely does not have too much wizened piano playing.
The album is the joint project between two musicians who have built their careers around the piano: country artist Leon Russell and Elton John.
Both have been around the musical block. Russell is 70 years old and John isn’t far behind at 63. The two said that they’ve always been mutual fans, and the time was right for a dual-album.
It might be a dual album, but don’t expect any dueling pianos. Both artists stay within their comfort zones while playing and take turns being the primary vocalist while the other adds vocal harmonies. Piano isn’t the sole instrument either; an occasional gospel choir and a backing band provide a range of diverse styles for the headliners to plink the keys with.
And a range of styles there are.
“Hey Ahab” is almost a gospel track itself, building up to a finale where the choir rises in fervor along with the band. “Gone to Shiloh” immediately follows “Hey Ahab” with a slow and solemn track led by Russell, narrating the depression of a Civil War soldier.
Russell is actually the better half on the album, even if John’s name is the first used in the advertising campaign. “If It Wasn’t For Bad” is the best track on the album, led vocally by Russell, an artist who sounds like he really has seen it all. The hoedown-inducing “A Dream Come True” also goes a long way on his influence.
John does his part as well, though. There is no doubt that the combination of the two is a masterstroke. The two seem to have had a good time making the album and better yet, they did a good job of it.
