I’m far from an Elton John completist. I own only a handful of his albums and I’m really familiar with just two of them — Honky Chateau and Madman Across the Water.
One album I’d like to know better is 1983’s Too Low For Zero. It comes highly recommended by my brother-in-law and features the excellent hit singles ‘I’m Still Standing’ and ‘I Guess That’s Why They Call It The Blues’ in addition to today’s SOTD and the title track.
John has put out so many albums that it’s hard to keep up and tempting to fall back to the hits. But gems like this are worth further exploration.
We still sit at separate tables
And we sleep at different times
And the warm wind in the palm trees
Hasn’t helped to change our minds
It was the lure of the tropics
That I thought might heal the scars
Of a love burned out by silence
In a marriage minus heart
And I call the kids on the telephone
Say there’s something wrong out here
It’s July but it’s cold as Christmas
In the middle of the year
[Chorus]
The temperature’s up to ninety five
But there’s a winter look in your mother’s eyes
And to melt the tears there’s a heat wave here
So how come it’s cold as Christmas in the middle of the year
[Verse 2]
I dreamed of love in a better climate
And for what it’s really worth
I put faith in the star we followed
To this Caribbean surf
But there’s an icy fringe on everything
And I cannot find the lines
Where’s the beauty in the beast we made
Why the frost in the summertime
[Chorus]
[Outro]
So how come it’s cold as Christmas in the middle of the year
Meet Me In Montauk 
I haven’t played this album in years, but it was a favorite back in the day. I wasn’t a big fan of “I’m Still Standing,” but like to love the rest of the album. The highlight for me was the last track, “One More Arrow.” That song, with the falsetto chorus and great Taupin lyrics, is a standout.
Here’s “One More Arrow” for those not familiar: https://youtu.be/JxO8CAKumYw
I am not familiar with this album, and am happy to learn about two of the album cuts which weren’t radio hits. Thank you Montauk and Dana.