Elton John, Wonderful Crazy Night (Mercury) ***

WONDERFUL Crazy Night is probably the cheeriest and most jaunty album in Sir Elton’s canon of 33 studio albums.

Clearly displaying its Americana influences, Elton proves too that he is both a l’il bit country and a l’il bit rock'n'roll, albeit mostly infused with a good measure of Southern bar room blues.

As well as a standard CD, a deluxe version with two bonus tracks (Free and Easy and England and America), and a super-deluxe CD (with these plus Children’s Song and No Monsters) are available too. To say nothing of the standard vinyl and deluxe box set of three vinyl albums, designed for die-hard fans with deep pockets, although many will opt for the boring download digital versions.

Reunited with his touring band of Nigel Olsson, Davey Johnstone, John Mahon, Matt Bissonette and Ray Cooper on a studio recording for the first time since 2006's The Captain And The Kid, Elton presents a set consisting almost entirely of the upbeat boogie-woogie tunes he loves to play in concert between the crowd pleasing hits.

Of these, Looking Up, Guilty Pleasure and the title track are the obvious stand-outs. However, these are perhaps too derivative of glories past. A couple of mid-paced ballads, Blue Wonderful and I’ve Got 2 Wings introduce a little light and shade, but they are still positive and uplifting lyrically.

On the evidence of Wonderful Crazy Night and recent public appearances, especially on last weekend’s Graham Norton Show, Sir Elton seems to be in very good fettle.

Overseen by legendary producer T Bone Burnett, and as ever co-written with lyricist Bernie Taupin, Elton and his team have delivered an accomplished collection, even if lacks that all-important killer hit, which we all expect and demand of one of the greatest talents of our age.