Singer/songwriters Elton John and Leon Russell had a lot of history together in their early days, so it’s no surprise that, 40 years later, they sound as if they'd been playing together the whole time. “If It Wasn’t for Bad” is solid, no-nonsense road music, and the piano-driven “Eight Hundred Dollar Shoes” plays with their legacy as it looks at their past success in all its faded glory. There’s a whole lot of beauty throughout this record, but its gem just might be “When Love Is Dying,” which throws the two singers into sweet relief over Brian Wilson’s heavenly choral arrangement.