POP MUSIC WEEKEND : Turning the Clock Back on British Invasion : A New, Subdued Elton John Tries On Traditional Styles

Elton John.

It’s not a name even remotely tied to pop’s radical or avant-garde wing, yet the Englishman has been one of pop music’s most independent and original figures for almost two decades.

John--who opened a sold-out, three-night stand Friday at the Hollywood Bowl with an intimate, well-tailored performance--loves the celebration aspect of pop music, so he had the courage to be playful on stage at a time in the early ‘70s, when critics were hailing him as a serious new artist.

Then, at a time when many of his fans asked nothing more of him than to dress up in outrageous costumes and crank out more good-time sing-alongs such as “Crocodile Rock,” John reserved the right to be challenging with his music.

The singer-pianist put instrumental tracks on his albums and released an ambitious concept album (“Captain Fantastic . . .”) that made no concessions to the normal “singles-conscious” pop considerations.

In his first U.S. concert tour since a throat operation early last year, a markedly subdued John, 41, indicated that he is still capable of surprises.

John could have thrilled the Bowl audience Friday by simply replaying his greatest hits and parading a few more flamboyant outfits. A Roger Rabbit suit would have been a timely choice.

But his dress was subdued. The designer hat, with its feather-like extension, wasn’t exactly something you see every day in the supermarket checkout line, but his blue suit was quite conservative, as were his conventional dark glasses.

John’s manner, too, was more like that of a man giving a recital than a flamboyant pop star as he sidestepped the expected hits early in the show in favor of some lesser-known numbers--from the delicate “Sixty Years On” to the more raucous “Have Mercy on the Criminal.”

Backed by a five-piece band led by guitarist Davey Johnstone plus three female singers, John also remained fairly stationary behind the electric piano during the show’s early moments.

For a while, this recital hall manner and absence of hits seemed to dampen the crowd’s enthusiasm. But the same factor that has always worked for John again worked for him Friday night: the quality of his music.

With lyricist Bernie Taupin, John has created one of the most distinguished bodies of work of anyone in the modern pop era--songs that mixed individual character and commercial sensibilities with a consistency and range perhaps unmatched by any team since Lennon and McCartney.

When John--his voice sounding slightly huskier than before--finally got around to some of the hits, the audience was eager to get more actively involved--and he made it easy with such dance or sing-along oriented numbers as “I Guess That’s Why They Call It the Blues” and “The Bitch Is Back.”

Before this tour (which also includes the Scottish band Wet Wet Wet), John said he wanted to make some changes as he approaches his third decade in pop--be a bit more dignified on stage. Shedding the outlandish clothes, however, doesn’t mean John has sacrificed his art.

Eighteen years after his U.S. debut at the Troubadour in West Hollywood, John is still one of pop’s most endearing and talented figures. Fittingly, a man, who has battled back from numerous personnel and career problems, closed the show with a song titled, “I’m Still Standing.”