Elton John's tip sheet

INGRID SISCHY: So, Elton, in one way people seem more interested in music right now than they have been in years. Yet, at the same time, there has been all this talk about the collapsing industry, which has been hurt by downloading and poor record sales. What's going on?

ELTON JOHN: It is true, in general, that the record companies are being hit hard by downloading. It's an even bigger problem in Europe: In France, Germany, and Spain, record sales are a disaster. But if we consider the hundreds of millions of song titles downloaded off the Internet worldwide, it certainly proves that people love music.

IS: It seems like the day the record companies switched formats, from vinyl to CD, something about the process of consuming music changed dramatically--a love for the album, for the object itself, was lost.

EJ: Well, I have always loved the object. I was at a wedding recently with Paul McCartney, and we were talking about when we were young and we'd run out to buy vinyl records--first 78s, then 45s, then EPs, then LPs. Nothing can ever truly replace the excitement of having that record in your hand, that big object with the sleeve, the liner notes, and the photographs--it was like a piece of art.

IS: Given the sheer volume of music that was released last year, what really stood out?

EJ: Well, this was the year that two young artists, Christina Aguilera and Justin Timberlake, solidified their careers. With Stripped [RCA] and Justified [Jive], Christina and Justin grew up and became major players. I was also blown away by Rufus Wainwright's latest album, Want One [DreamWorks]. It's a complex piece of music, the sort of album that you put on and it takes you on an incredible ride. That and the White Stripes' Elephant [V2] are two of the finest records that I have heard in a long time.

IS: What other albums were able to drown out all the noise?

EJ: OutKast's Speakerboxxx/The Love Below [Arista], which is actually comprised of a pair of solo albums by the group's two members, definitely deserves mention. It transcends hip-hop, covering a whole spectrum of music including funk and soul, and it ventures into other genres as well. Another album that was released, interestingly enough, as two EPs is Ryan Adams's Love Is Hell Part 1 and Love Is Hell Part 2 [Lost Highway]. They are very introspective, extraordinarily striking records. One album that has been sort of overlooked is Basement Jaxx's Kish Kash [Astralwerks], which incorporates all kinds of influences, both from dance and world music, in a genuinely inventive way. Then, of course, there's Travis and their album 12 Memories [Epic]. You just have to sit there and listen to it all the way through, and it will take you on a real journey. It's like an old album. It's like the Beatles' Revolver [1963]. Fran Healy's voice and lyrics are mesmerizing and beautiful. I also really like a remix album called Verve Remixed 2 [Verve], which features modern-day mixes of original tracks by people like Sarah Vaughan, Nina Simone, Dizzie Gillespie, and Ella Fitzgerald. It's hands down the compilation of the year. Finally, there's the Pet Shop Boys' Pop Art [Sanctuary], a 45-song, two-disc set spanning the band's entire career, including all their big singles. When you listen to it, you really appreciate all the great work they've done over the last two decades.

IS: Who do you predict will be the big winners on February 8, Grammy night?

EJ: There are some really fantastic songs nominated for Record of the Year, like Coldplay's "Clocks," Eminem's "Lose Yourself," "Hey Ya!" by OutKast, as well as Beyonce's "Crazy in Love." But I have to give my vote to "Where Is the Love?" by the Black Eyed Peas and Justin Timberlake. Lyrically, that song says everything that Marvin Gaye said in "What's Going On," and there's a mixture of melody and groove that's just incredibly potent. It will always remind me of 2003. In the Song of the Year category, the top contenders are Eminem's "Lose Yourself" and Christina Aguilera's "Beautiful." I couldn't tell you which one I like better--they're both great records--but Linda Perry, who co-wrote "Beautiful," is becoming a very important force in the music business as a songwriter and a producer; it's great to see a woman take that kind of hold. But if we're talking about songs, we must mention Johnny Cash's "Hurt," off what ended up being his final album, American IV. The Man Comes Around [2002]. It's actually a cover of a Nine Inch Nails song, and just the most emotionally brilliant record. The video which went along with it--which is nominated for a Grammy because it was only released last year--was also memorable: It's these images of Johnny alone, playing the song on a piano. He practically has tears in his eyes. It was shot about seven months before he passed away last September, and you could tell that he wasn't doing well. It's unforgettable. Dido's "White Flag" is another one, just the most incredible love song. Lyrically, it's totally free of schmaltz: When she sings, "I will go down with the ship .../There will be no white flag above my door/I'm in love and I always will be," it's just astonishing.