While the album produced the hits “Tiny Dancer” and “Levon,” my favorite cut is the title cut. As I listened to the album, I was reminded of a great cut that features the mandolin of Davey Johnstone: “Holiday Inn.”
“Madman across the Water” was Elton John’s first album to feature Davey Johnstone and he became a regular in John’s lineup ever since. Although he has worked with numerous other artists and released a solo album, “Smiling Face” and an instrumental duet LP with John Jorgenson named “Crop Circles”; he is best known as John’s guitarist (and on a few select tracks, his mandolinist).
In addition to playing the fine mandolin parts on “Holiday Inn,” Johnstone is also playing sitar; however, I am having a difficult time picking it out in the mix. Toward the end, Johnstone plays two mandolin parts – one in the left channel and one in the right. Absolutely beautiful.
I've loved the mandolin on this song when I first bought the album back when it first came out. That's almost 50 yrs. ago now and I love it just as much now as I did the first time I heard it. This whole album is just pure genius on all levels.
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