Elton John - Ice On Fire (1985) LP

It has a lot of good songs, and sounds very mid-80s, which is great for those of us that love that era! Many of the tracks blend his writing skill brilliantly with a fairly synthesised sound: among the best are the opening This Town, which goes well with the last, Act Of War, even though they are very different in theme. Both feature soul stars - the first has Sister Sledge on backing vocals, the latter being a duet with Millie Jackson. This song was missed off the remastered version from 1999, but I think it's a great track, it has such energy in its tongue-in-cheek confrontation, and Millie's singing is electrifyingly fierce. Other highlights include Soul Glove, and a duet with George Michael, Wrap Her Up, which really makes you want to hear it through over and over. Too Young is interesting and has a certain emotional pull; Cry To Heaven touching - there seems to be a social awareness filtered through the album.