Elton John

Too Low For Zero (1983)

1.Cold as Christmas (In the Middle of the Year)
2.I'm Still Standing
3.Too Low For Zero
4.Religion
5.I Guess That's Why They Call it the Blues
6.Crystal
7.Kiss the Bride
8.Whipping Boy
9.Saint
10.One More Arrow

If Jump Up! suggested that Elton John was on the mend, Too Low for Zero declared, emphatically, that he had never truly gone anywhere. Released in 1983, this record didn’t just mark a return to form—it felt like a restoration. The band was back, the songwriting partnership rekindled, and for the first time in years, Elton sounded like Elton again.

The classic lineup from the halcyon '70s days returned in full: Nigel Olsson on drums, Dee Murray on bass, Davey Johnstone on guitar, and Bernie Taupin back as sole lyricist. Chris Thomas remained at the production helm, but now with a better sense of direction and confidence. What results is an album that doesn't just echo the past—it reinvigorates it for a new era.

Right from the start, the hits speak for themselves. I’m Still Standing—a rousing, ironic anthem if there ever was one—quickly became one of Elton’s most recognizable singles, helped in no small part by a vividly colourful, MTV-ready video. That it also serves as a commentary on his resilience after years of commercial uncertainty only strengthens its place in his canon. Its companion piece, I Guess That’s Why They Call It the Blues, is pure vintage Elton—the aching balladeer in full voice, harmonica solo courtesy of Stevie Wonder, and Taupin’s lyrics pitched perfectly between sentiment and strength.

Elsewhere, Kiss the Bride offers a punchy, radio-friendly rocker that should have been bigger in the U.S., while the title track wraps Elton’s increasingly synth-heavy style in a smooth, shadowy veneer—melodic, stylish, and unmistakably 1980s, but not in a way that grates. Cold as Christmas (In the Middle of the Year) is a fine ballad, although perhaps misplaced as the album’s opener—a more fitting closer, given its gentle, mournful tone. Religion, oddly buoyant for a song about spiritual redemption, adds a twangy lift following the downbeat title track, and Side Two carries on with no obvious stumbles. Crystal leans a bit heavily into the era’s sonic aesthetic—digital textures and all—but remains listenable. Whipping Boy finds Elton rocking out again, while Saint and One More Arrow close the album on a note of sincere reflection. The former, elegant and underappreciated, could easily have been a successful single. The latter, a moving meditation on mortality, stands among Taupin’s most sensitive lyrics and Elton’s most restrained, heartfelt deliveries.

Released at the dawn of MTV, Too Low for Zero also benefitted from a medium that confounded many of Elton’s contemporaries. But rather than resist it, he embraced it—colourfully, flamboyantly, and entirely on his terms. The video for I’m Still Standing alone helped introduce him to a new generation of fans, reaffirming his ability to adapt without surrendering identity.

In short, Too Low for Zero wasn’t just a return to the charts—it was a return to relevance. After years of drift, this was Elton re-establishing himself not as a legacy act, but as a contemporary artist still capable of great things. The title may speak of despair, but the music suggests anything but. This was a triumph, and, fittingly, one of the great chapters in the Elton John story.

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