File this one under covers we never expected.
Sir Elton John is set to rerelease the deluxe edition of his seminal work Goodbye Yellow Brick Road. While fans will get the full 1973 album, they'll also be greeted with a bonus disc of covers from the likes of Fall Out Boy, Emeli Sandé and Eddie Sheeran. You'll also get a chance to hear tiny dancer Miguel take on one of John's best-known songs, "Bennie and the Jets." While Miguel wouldn't be my personal first choice to take on the song, I must say I'm impressed by what he's brought here. While keeping the familiar and oft-sampled piano riff, he adds a bit of distorted synth and electric guitar to the soundbed on his update, making this take just a bit more rock 'n' roll than its predecessor, but to great effect.
In fact, the only thing that doesn't work here is Wale's clunky verse. Just when the groove is getting good, the rapper comes in and disrupts the party with throwaway lines that, while keeping somewhat in line with the song's satire of the music industry, ultimately don't fit in with the rest of the groove (and would've been better suited by someone just recreating Elton's piano solo).
Get an earful of Miguel's rendition of "Bennie and the Jets" right here. The reissue of Goodbye Yellow Brick Road is set to hit stores on March 24th.
