Why is Elton John’s album called ‘Honky Château’?
Elton John has had many iconic album titles in his time, many of which serve as an extension of his artistic vision.
When you think about it, album titles are more important than people give them credit for. Often, it’s the first glimpse into the material, the first teaser that gives an idea of the feel of the rest of the record. Whenever an artist announces a new record, the title is essentially the first impression, setting the tone and atmosphere before you’ve even heard a snippet of the music.
Through history, Elton John has proven time and time again that titles are an important part of the creative process, and while not every artist agrees, in fact, many of them opt for the self-titled option instead of coming up with something more creative, but sometimes, this works out, with self-titled albums telling you everything you need to know about why the music is worth listening to.
And sometimes, as was the case with bands like Led Zeppelin, dismissing alternative titles comes from the desire to make a broader statement about expectation and behaviours, because in reality, this was likely more liberating than anything else, as everybody knows how gruelling it can be to put a name to a bigger project and the struggle of trying to condense it to one simple word or phrase.
Elton John, on the other hand, seemed to experience no issues when it came to coming up with something memorable and hard-hitting, because ater all, one of his best-ever albums also has one of the best titles in music history – Goodbye Yellow Brick Road, perfectly capturing the bittersweetness of leaving something behind and letting go, where excess and simplicity come together to create something that’s both cathartic and energetic.
Other titles had a similar effect, blending more than one sentiment in a way that makes you connect a little more with the material, like Captain Fantastic and the Brown Dirt Cowboy, which, at a glance, seems a bit like gibberish, but a closer look reveals how much it communicates about the partnership between John and Bernie Taupin, and how, when it comes down to it, their partnership is the real magic at the heart of their best music.
However, one that makes the mind boggle the most is no doubt John’s fifth studio album, Honky Château. The unsuspecting listener might think it was just another quirky title capturing another chapter of John’s life, and while that was sort of the case, it’s also more relevant than you might think. John recorded the record at Château d’Hérouville in France, and decided to name it after the studio.
He also titled his first track ‘Honky Cat’, the song that captured the spirit of the location with John’s honky-tonk style piano, giving it its distinctively American flavour. From there, the rest blossomed, and the record contained some of John’s best-known work to date, including its first single, ‘Rocket Man’, which took on a life of its own and even earned a place among John’s more well-established monikers. The name itself, therefore, Honky Château, could be seen as a double entendre.
The first of which is the elegance inspired by the location, which pervades every corner of the record itself while capturing a fusion of different sounds and styles. The second, the ‘Honky’ part, can be seen as more upbeat and playful, anchoring John’s signature upbeat charm when it comes to creating timeless classics. All in all, there’s a natural groove to the title that also exudes grace – a typical mood when it comes to John’s best material.
