Elton John - The Fox (1981/1988) [Complete CD] Europe

The Fox is the fifteenth studio album by English musician Elton John. It was released on 20 May 1981, through Geffen Records in the US (John's first release for the label) and The Rocket Record Company in all other territories. The album was John's first to be produced by Chris Thomas, who would go on to produce many of John's albums throughout the 1980s and 1990s, as well as John and Clive Franks. In addition to material written and recorded specifically for the album, multiple tracks originated from the sessions for John's previous album, 21 at 33 (1980).

As with its predecessor, The Fox contains contributions from multiple lyricists. In addition to the four songs written with longtime writing partner Bernie Taupin, the album also contains material written with Gary Osborne and Tom Robinson. The songs encompass a wide range of genres, including the synthpop of "Nobody Wins", the classical piece "Carla/Etude", and a stripped-back ballad in "Elton's Song".

Released among legal troubles with John's previous label MCA Records, The Fox was seen as a commercial slump, only reaching number 12 in the UK and number 21 in the US. "Nobody Wins" was released as the album's lead single and failed to make the top 40 in the UK, though it did reach the top 30 in the US. Reviews were tentatively positive, with many critics viewing it as an improvement from previous releases, yet not on the level of John's best work. To promote the album, music videos were created for each track and were released on a video collection entitled Visions. Retrospective reviews have been more positive, with reviewers noting the ambitious nature and diversity of the album.

Tracklist:
01 - Breaking Down Barriers 0:00
02 - Heart In The Right Place 4:41
03 - Just Like Belgium 9:52
04 - Nobody Wins 14:03
05 - Fascist Faces 17:41
06 - Carla / Etude - Fanfare - Chloe 22:53
07 - Heels Of The Wind 33:48
08 - Elton's Song 37:20
09 - The Fox 40:24

Personnel
Credits adapted from album liner notes:

Elton John – lead and backing vocals, pianos
Nigel Olsson – drums
Alvin Taylor – drums
Jeff Porcaro – drums, LinnDrum programming
Dee Murray – bass, backing vocals
Reggie McBride – bass
Richie Zito – guitars
Tim Renwick – guitars
Steve Lukather – guitars
James Newton-Howard – synthesizers, programming, vocoder, Fender Rhodes piano, organ, orchestral arrangement and conducting
David Paich – synthesizers
Steve Porcaro – synthesizer programming
Roger Linn – LinnDrum programming
Stephanie Spruill – tambourine, backing vocals
Victor Feldman – percussion
Jim Horn – alto saxophone
Mickey Raphael – harmonica
Venette Gloud – backing vocals
Tamara Matoesian – backing vocals
Bill Champlin – backing vocals
Gary Osborne – backing vocals
Max Gronenthal – backing vocals
James Gilstrap – backing vocals
John Lehman – backing vocals
Carl Carwell – backing vocals
Roy Galloway – backing vocals
Oren Waters – backing vocals
Ronald Baker – backing vocals
Chuck Cissel – backing vocals
Clarence Ford – backing vocals
Colette Bertrand – French Girl on "Just Like Belgium"
Rev. James Cleveland – spoken word
Cornerstone Baptist Church Choir on "Fascist Faces"
Marty Paich – conducting, string arrangement