Thanks in part to 200 million albums sold, Sir [Elton John] is one of pop's most legendary divas. There aren't many -- or any -- like him. He's all at once an immense talent and a prickly eccentric, a saviour and a survivor. Sometimes he seems like he's from another planet.

Did we ever -- almost three solid hours of it -- and most of it was classic Elton. At press time, John hadn't played any tune from his most recent album, 2006's The Captain and the Kid, or the one before that, 2004's Peachtree Road. And he wasn't expected to either.

At 61, Sir Elton's voice is deeper and rougher than it was in his '60s and '70s heyday. So he's made some adjustments. On Tiny Dancer, his backing band offered up the falsetto "hold me closers" while John's earthy baritone anchored the harmonies.