The American public has always been close to British superstar Sir Elton John's heart. Apart from the overwhelming commercial support (they flock to buy his albums), it was in the States that Elton John cut his teeth, touring the country as a member of Bluesology before going solo and becoming a big name. Elton has always expressed gratitude for all this and "Songs From The West Coast" is a fitting tribute to his love affair with the land of McDonald's, Coca-Cola and Levi Strauss denims.

With his latest release, Elton has turned a statement by French philosopher Jean-Paul Sartre on its head. Satre said: “Each man for himself, the devil take the hindmost. We're not in this world for fun”. The gospel according to Elton John is: “Everybody get together, there's no one to be left behind alone. We are in this world for fun”.

It's as if Elton has raised his baton to signal celebration and boogie-woo woo time and everyone is obeying — in the UK the album reached No. 4 soon after its release and in the US it fared less well and was missing in the top 20 in the Billboard charts, a standing that is certain to improve as an upcoming tour of the US is scheduled to begin on November 27.

The theme of celebration comes across strongest on "Love Her Like Me", a gem so expertly driven by the bass guitar of Paul Bushnell and which will tempt you to invite everyone to this rock 'n roll party — including the neighbourhood dogs.

The history of the musical career of Elton John is the story of his song-writing partnership with Bernie Taupin. Things seem to get better every time for the duo and every album released is better than the one before. It is the same partnership that catapulted Elton into the pop echelons. He acknowledges this and says: “To Bernie — things just get better — thank you”, on the album jacket.

“Songs from the West Coast” features the same lengthy songs as on previous albums the two have worked together on, and as usual, there are solos to lighten the mood up. There are stupendous ballads — "Love Her Like Me" and "Mansfield" — and songs permeated by Elton's troubled soul — "American Triangle" and "I Want Love", capable of making one cry, thanks to their bleakness.

'Had garlands in the wings back then'

Particular instruments are employed for maximum effect on certain songs: a melotron on "Love Her Like Me" while a piano and mandolin grace the opening of "Ballad Of The Boy In The Red Shoes", giving it a great take off.

The splendid background vocals of Nigel Olsson, Davey Johnstone and Bushnell on the song, which is about a ballet dancer (could it be Rudolph Nureyev?) whose fitness is collapsing because of Aids, are something to write home about. A string section brings home the inferred agony, pulling the song along to an epic ending.

The long gone glitter days, are perfectly summed up in Elton's gifted voice: "Had garlands in the wings back then/All the pretty little things back then/Calling out my name/Oh what fame brings".

Elton John is rock'n roll royalty, then and now. He is still worshipped, just as he was decades ago. This brings to mind an element of irony as Elton is far from a spent force.

Elton sings that back then "I was Sigmund", and "I was handsome". But he need not worry really: Elton still is possessed with a genius comparable to that of Freud and at 54, looks more handsome than a good number of his contemporaries.

Elton John revisits the past in a number of ways. A Beatle-esque song, “I Want Love", has Elton professing: "A man like me is dead in places/Other men feel liberated". On "American Triangle", the instrumental pause letting in the words "Somewhere that road forks up ahead/To ignorance and innocence" is a structure — and tone — lifted in its entirety from the title track on "The One" where Elton sings: "There were caravans we followed/Drunken nights and dark hotels".

We are also driven to picture his mother in the USA in the 1960s, heartbroken on finding her son, blue in the fingers from using cocaine and hitting the piano hard on "Look Ma, No Hands".

The lyrical richness of "Love Her Like Me" carries the same "dream" element of "Elderberry Wine"; a wish for what could have been or a longing for times past. Paul Bushnell again turns up for duty firing on all cylinders and the piece is sure to lift audiences off their feet.

Bushnell also makes another stunning appearance on "The Wasteland", where, with star quality, Elton shouts: "Come on Robert Johnson/Though we're worlds apart/You and I know what it's like/With the devil in our heart", all the while Bushnell's bass giving credence to those words.

Another superb song is "Birds", a country-tinged number on which Elton asks: "How come birds don't fall from the sky when they die?" and then tells of his wish to live like birds: "Like birds I need a quiet place to hide".

There are very few artists like Sir Elton John. He takes us down memory lane, makes us understand how he feels while showing us he also feels the way we do. "Songs From The West Coast" is a testament to Elton's obsession with musical detail, his attendant star quality and his fortitude.