Forced off the road by the COVID-19 pandemic,
Elton John kept himself busy by collaborating with friends, peers, admirers, and new guns. Those collaborations form the core of
The Lockdown Sessions, a determinedly eclectic album that touches upon nearly every side of
John's musical personality. Occasionally,
John specifically dredges up the past, as on "Cold Heart," where
Pnau remixes three
Elton oldies while
Dua Lipa sings the chorus to "Rocket Man," or he makes a sly wink at an old favorite as when he and
Eddie Vedder stir up some "Saturday Night's Alright for Fighting" vibes on "E-Ticket." The fact that
The Lockdown Sessions features the
Pearl Jam singer along with the British pop sensation
Lipa just scratches the surface of the eclecticism.
Elton finds space for everyone from hip-hop sensation
Lil Nas X to Americana stalwart
Brandi Carlile, even resurrecting Glen Campbell for a posthumous duet on "I'm Not Gonna Miss You." Although Campbell released his solo version of "I'm Not Gonna Miss You," that's not one of the many previously released tracks here: "One of Me" shows up on
Lil Nas X's debut, the version of
Metallica's "Nothing Else Matters" with
Miley Cyrus (and
Yo-Yo Ma) shows up on the deluxe edition of The Black Album,
Gorillaz put out "The Pink Phantom" on
Song Machine, plus he duetted with
Olly Alexander of Years and Years on a version of
Pet Shop Boys' "It's a Sin" at the Brit Awards, a performance that shows up here. The presence of these records doesn't contribute to the patchwork feel of
The Lockdown Sessions: the album was already plenty fragmented without these cuts. Part of the appeal is that it sounds like a shape-shifting, genre-bending playlist, an hour of snazzy modern pop where
Elton John is the center of gravity. The record is at its best when it's close to an old-fashioned duet album.
Carlile steers
Elton back toward his AOR '70s on "Simple Things," he finds sympathetic partners in schmaltz with
Charlie Puth and
Jimmie Allen, and sounds at ease duetting with
Stevie Wonder. Those are the moments where
John's personality shines through, whereas some of the modern dance music feels as if he's endorsing the proceedings instead of participating. If
Elton occasionally recedes from the spotlight,
The Lockdown Sessions demonstrates how he remains a powerful presence in pop even when he's in the midst of a farewell tour. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine