O.C. POP MUSIC REVIEW : John Takes Less-Traveled Road at Pond

The surest bet in town Saturday night was that Elton John would open his concert at The Pond with “Your Song,” the wonderfully engaging pop valentine that was his first American hit almost a quarter-century ago.

And the odds were overwhelming that the singer-pianist would close with 1973’s “Candle in the Wind,” the bittersweet, Marilyn Monroe-inspired tale of loneliness at the top that has become the signature ballad of John and his songwriting partner Bernie Taupin.

Pity, however, the poor gambler who tried to predict much else in the 2 1/2-hour affair--a warm, revealing trip down some of the less-traveled stops on John’s musical yellow brick road.

Going in Saturday, we knew that John was not bringing along his band on this acoustic tour, which continues tonight with the first of four sold-out benefit concerts at the Greek Theatre for the Elton John AIDS Foundation. Instead, he is being accompanied only by percussionist and showman extraordinaire Ray Cooper in a reprise of a triumphant 1979 pairing.

What we quickly learned after the opening “Your Song” was that John was going to concentrate on early album tracks--songs that he has rarely performed live in years.

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Some fans were undoubtedly restless as they kept waiting for personal favorites in John’s list of more than 50 Top 40 songs. Even they, however, must wonder if it is really necessary to hear “Crocodile Rock” every time the Englishman steps on stage.

Seated at the piano in a white blazer over a red T-shirt, John served, in effect, as his own opening act. Playing with the energy and passion of someone brand-new on the pop scene, he went through more than a dozen songs during the concert’s first hour, including such rarities as “The Greatest Discovery” and “Talkin’ Old Soldiers.”

Even after Cooper joined him for the final 90 minutes, John initially continued to steer away from the expected hits. After a dramatic rendition of “Tonight,” one of John’s darkest yet most hauntingly beautiful compositions, the two musicians turned to such lesser-known numbers as “Idol” and the lilting “I Think I’m Going to Kill Myself.”

Through it all, John showed little of the flamboyance of his early days, when his colorful wardrobe and stage manner were at times as liberating as his music.

Indeed, it was Cooper who added the visual flair Saturday. From congas and cymbals to vibraphone, Cooper played with such dramatic facial expressions and gestures that even Madonna would have been upstaged.

Watching John go through this unexpected playlist in this relatively naked musical setting, you felt a sense of renewal on the part of both the artist and the audience.

There is a valuable sense of celebration in hearing the hits again and again, but John gave us something more--a chance to be touched anew by music that may have been missed or forgotten the first time around.

In the process, you were reminded that John is more than simply a commercial hit-maker--he’s a singer, pianist and composer of exceptional range and talent. Over the years, both his music and Taupin’s themes have evolved from the youthful innocence and simplicity of “Your Song” to the social consciousness of the AIDS-related “The Last Song.”

And not everything was old Saturday: There were “Can You Feel the Love Tonight,” his current hit, and a new ballad.

By the time of the encore, John caught us off guard once again by performing “Crocodile Rock” after all, but with a new, slower arrangement. The song was a sweet acknowledgment of the value of celebration in pop music--how even the slightest of tunes can stir all the good feelings associated with it over the years.

It was a fitting summary to a performance that was as dignified as it was daring.

* Elton John plays tonight through Thursday at the Greek Theatre, 2700 N. Vermont Ave., Sold out . 7:30 PM (213) 480-3232