The Union doesn’t serve to bring Elton John back into the limelight as much as it does to make damn sure that people are aware of one of his heroes, Mr Leon Russell. The two pianists trade vocals and songs on this duet record, and though not intended as a slight against Russell, many of the tracks on The Union have the distinct feel of some of John’s early work. An outstanding effort with multiple highlights including Hey Ahab, If It Wasn’t For Bad and Hearts Have Turned To Stone to name but a few.