Behind the Album: ‘Too Low for Zero,’ Elton John’s Stirring 1980s Comeback LP

While the occasional hit single still loomed as a possibility, top-to-bottom classic albums no longer seemed to be in the cards for Elton John as the 1970s became the ‘80s. But thanks to a new songwriting approach and some returning old friends, his 1983 LP Too Low for Zero stood out as a triumphant return to top form.

The album churned out some big hits, but also signaled that John’s ability to fill both sides of an LP with sharp, affecting material hadn’t abandoned him. Here is a look back at the making of Too Low for Zero and its lasting legacy.

Reunion and Rejuvenation

The best artists tend to be restless. They’re often willing to blow up a winning formula and risk failure to escape from falling into a rut. Elton John’s string of success in the first half of the ‘70s was unmatched. In the second half of the decade, he chose to work with a new band and new lyricists, and the results were erratic at best.

In the early ‘80s, John semi-reunited with Bernie Taupin, the man who had written words for all the songs in that initial classic stretch. Taupin wasn’t the only lyricist John used in the first couple years of the decade, and the albums from that period were still hit-and-miss. But flashes of the old brilliance returned, most notably on the John Lennon tribute “Empty Garden (Hey Hey Johnny)” from 1982.

John then decided his next album would be a complete John/Taupin affair. He also brought back his entire band from the ‘70s, including guitarist Davey Johnstone, bassist Dee Murray, and drummer Nigel Olsson. Top producer Chris Thomas was hired to get the best out of this assemblage. Everything was in place for this album to come together.

Except for John. With the rest of the principals waiting in Montserrat waiting for their fearless leader, Elton was a no-show for a week, choosing instead to attend some soccer matches. But he also might have had an ulterior motive. He knew that, in the past, he had done his best work writing to a deadline. By showing up late, he put that kind of pressure on himself to rise to the occasion.

One final piece to the puzzle for the album that would be dubbed Too Low for Zero upon its release in 1983 was John’s decision to play synthesizer on the album instead of using a session player. John also wrote much of the album’s music on synths, which helped him imbue those songs with a simplicity and rocking texture that might not have been achieved if he had gone with his usual piano.

Zero Hour

Like all the wonderful John albums of the ‘70s, Too Low for Zero delivers the goods with the songs chosen for singles. While the lyrics for “I’m Still Standing” weren’t meant by Taupin as some kind of commentary on John’s career, Elton sure sang them that way. It was impossible to hear the defiance in John’s voice and not believe it was a personal statement of purpose.

Meanwhile, “I Guess That’s Why They Call It the Blues” proved John’s ability to bring home a forlorn ballad hadn’t diminished in the least. His voice had deepened from the early days, but that actually works for this track, making the love and loss evident in the lyrics seem like more of a lifelong concern than a whim.

Where Too Loo for Zero truly starts to separate from all the albums that immediately preceded it in John’s catalog is the strength of the songs beyond the hits. There’s a punchiness and energy to rockers like “Kiss the Bride” and “Religion” that had been lacking in his recent efforts. The one-two closing punch of “Saint” and “One More Arrow” bring the album home on a stirring note.

The title Too Low for Zero might well have described what John thought about some of the albums in between the early heyday and this winning comeback. Then again, John set those initial standards very high. That he was able to rise to meet them once again out of such a rough patch proved that he wasn’t only still standing. He was thriving.

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