Fridae

On the night of October 6, 1998 in Wyoming, Matthew Shepard, 21, was bludgeoned with the butt of a gun, burned, and tied to a wooden deer fence by Russell Henderson and Aaron McKinney. His unconscious body was found the next day by a passer-by that mistook his lifeless cadaver for a scarecrow. He died five days later. The motive of the murder was simple: Matthew Shepard was gay.

It's been three years, but Elton John vividly brings back the memory of Shepard's tragic death with American Triangle in his latest release, Songs From The West Coast. "God hates fags from where we come from", he sings with conviction. "I've seen a scarecrow wrapped in wire / Left to die on a high ridge fence�It's a cold wind blowing, Wyoming".

It's utterly agonising listening to those lyrics, but at the same time it relights the fire of disgust that we have for the people (and society) responsible for the daily crimes committed against the gay and lesbian community around the world.

Ballad Of The Boy In The Red Shoes emphasizes an equally important issue in the gay community: AIDS. It tells of a man dying of AIDS and requesting his "red shoes" for a last dance: "Gonna miss the sunlight / When I lose my eyesight / Give me my red shoes / I want to dance".

Songs is a departure from his "animated feature soundtrack" persona that we've gotten so familiar to. Elton returns to his roots with the help of Bernie Taupin to a more raw and soulful sound that the younger generations of his fans have forgotten about.

Interestingly, the video for the first single I Want Love features a weary Robert Downey Jr. trying his best but failing miserably in either acting straight or sober.

Elton's wheel has come full circle indeed, and where he began, there shall he end (but hopefully not very soon).