Revamp: Reimagining the Songs of Elton John & Bernie Taupin and Restoration: Reimagining the Songs of Elton John and Bernie Taupin are two tribute albums to English musician Elton John and his frequent songwriting partner Bernie Taupin, both released on 6 April 2018. Revamp was described as John's project and features covers of the duo's back catalogue by pop, rock and R&B artists, whereas Restoration was seen as Taupin's project and features covers by country music artists.[2][3]Revamp was released via Island Records and Restoration by Universal Music Group Nashville. The release of the albums coincided with John's 2018–2023 Farewell Yellow Brick Road tour.[4]
On the decision to release two separate albums encompassing different genres, Bernie Taupin told Rolling Stone:
From day one we borrowed from everything that's good about American music – whether it's blues, country, gospel, pop, pure rock – everything got thrown in the mix. It would be tiring if you just got stuck in one niche your entire career, especially when it's one as long as ours.[5]
According to Elton John, "We have two completely different albums; Revamp being the pop one and Restoration being the country one and God we have so many great artists doing our songs, it's quite incredible."[2]
Of his Revamp record, John told E!:[2]
It's always a huge compliment when an artist loves your song enough to take the time and effort to rework it. As songwriters, Bernie [Taupin] and myself are thrilled when singers we admire and respect as much as those on Revamp and Restoration choose to add their own unique twist in the process. It means that our music is still relevant and ultimately that our songs continue to reach new audiences. We're humbled and thank them all for their generosity.
He added, "On Revamp, I wrote out a wish list of people that I would love and asked them and to my surprise most of them said yes and we have quite an astonishing eclectic crew."[2]
Of Taupin's Restoration record, John said, "Restoration was Bernie's project and he's a huge country fan. He came up with an astonishing list of country performers both new and legendary".[6]
Cover art
The Revamp album features a pop-art style cover based on the Terry O'Neill photograph of John, recreated in neon. The Restoration artwork was created by Taupin who wanted to emphasise the role that American culture played in his and John's careers, stating:[6]
For me, there's an irony about the American flag. It's been battered and beaten and burned, but it's resilient. It's always come back. I incorporate it with other things, and lately I've done a lot of pieces with deconstructed guitars and other found materials: barbed wire, broken bottles, things that people identify with on an everyday level. If it's on the floor and it works, I'll put it into the artwork. But it all goes hand in hand with my belief in America and my interest, I would say obsession, with Americana."
Reception
Reviews of the two albums generally favoured the country reinterpretations of the John/Taupin catalogue, with significantly greater critical praise going to Taupin's Restoration volume than to John's Revamp. The Metacritic score for Revamp, which averages professional reviews from a wide range of media sources, was 58, indicating "mixed or average reviews". Meanwhile, the site assigned a score of 84 to Restoration, indicating "universal acclaim".
The professional consensus in favour of Restoration centered around what was perceived as this volume embracing both riskier and rootsier arrangements. Stephen Thomas Erlewine of AllMusic called Revamp "slickly produced" and "dull", though giving praise to tracks cut by Alessia Cara, Miley Cyrus, Q-Tip & Demi Lovato, and Queens of the Stone Age.[7] The same reviewer noted that on Restoration, "the artists take risks, and they -- and the songbook -- come out sounding the better for it."[8]
Chris Willman of Variety, while praising individual tracks by Coldplay and Sam Smith, opined that "the list of predictably commercial names that fills out Revamp sits at the intersection of tasteful and cash-grabby" and that "this feels like an album designed more to move tickets for his farewell tour." Conversely, Willman had little but positive things to say about Restoration, singling out 10 of its tracks for special praise and noting of its country feel, "with Restoration, it’s a treat to get reacquainted with Las Cruces Elton."[9]
Jody Rosen of Rolling Stone gave three stars to Revamp, stating that the "best moments on Revamp, featuring big names from pop, rock and R&B, are those least faithful to the originals." Rosen gave four stars to Restoration, calling it "a revelation".[10]
In a three-star review of Revamp, Michael Hann of The Guardian wrote that "When it's good, Revamp is very good. When it's bad, it's awful."[11]
On 10 April 2018, CBS aired I'm Still Standing: A Grammy Salute to Sir Elton John which featured artists performing songs from the John/Taupin songbook, including many of the artists who recorded songs for Revamp and Restoration. At the end of the broadcast, John and Taupin were given a special Grammy Award: the President's Award.[27][28]
