Elton John's breathtaking piano pop conjured up powerful images thanks to the lyrics of Bernie Taupin - but the duo were often writing about things before they experienced them. The Americana of 1970's Tumbleweed Connection, for instance, was indeed a fantasy; only within the year would Elton get his first taste of America - and the results powered his next studio album, 1971's appropriately-titled Madman Across the Water.

That album will be the subject of a new 50th anniversary reissue on June 10. Available in three different formats, its most expansive is a 3CD/Blu-ray collection that'll offer the original album (remastered by Bob Ludwig in 2016), five rare bonus tracks, a dozen solo piano demos, an unreleased full version of outtake "Rock Me When He's Gone," Elton's live set from BBC's Sounds of Saturday performing nearly the entire album, surround mixes and more. The packaging features a 104-page book featuring rare photos, memorabilia, liner notes and essays, plus a reproduced concert poster from 1971. (The audio on the three CDs will also be available on four LPs, and a 2CD edition - without the Blu-ray or Sounds of Saturday audio - will also be available. A limited edition blue/white swirl vinyl pressing of the original album is a web exclusive.)

Produced by Gus Dudgeon (Elton's producer since the '70s), Madman was, on a technicality, the first album to feature the expanded, arguably definitive line-up of Elton's touring band, with guitarist Davey Johnstone augmenting longer-tenured backers Dee Murray on bass and Nigel Olsson on drums. However, Dudgeon only granted Murray and Olsson the chance to play on one track, penultimate cute "All the Nasties," which didn't feature Johnstone's guitar. (Their distinctive backing vocals together would grace three tracks on the album.)

Madman charted remarkably poorly in Elton's native England, perhaps owing to a glut of releases that year (including soundtrack album Friends and the live 17-11-70). But American audiences were still in his thrall: it became his third consecutive Top 10 album and spun off the radio staples "Levon" and "Tiny Dancer." (The latter would, of course, earn popularity with a new generation three decades later, when it featured in a memorable scene in Cameron Crowe's semi-autobiographical Almost Famous.)

The track list for the Madman box and order links for each product are below.

Madman Across the Water (50th Anniversary Edition) (Rocket/UMe, 2022)

3CD/BD: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada
2CD: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada
4LP: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada

CD 1: Original album (2016 Bob Ludwig remaster) and bonus tracks

1. Tiny Dancer
2. Levon
3. Razor Face
4. Madman Across the Water
5. Indian Sunset
6. Holiday Inn
7. Rotten Peaches
8. All the Nasties
9. Goodbye
10. Indian Sunset (Live Radio Broadcast)
11. Madman Across the Water (Original Version feat. Mick Ronson)
12. Rock Me When He's Gone
13. Levon (Mono Single Version)
14. Razor Face (Extended Version)

Tracks 1-9 released as DJM Records (U.K.) DJLPH.420/UNI Records (U.S.) 93120, 1971
Tracks 11-12 released on Rare Masters - DJM/Chronicles (U.K.) 514 305-2/Polydor/Chronicles (U.S.) 314 514 138-2, 1992
Track 13 released on UNI U.S. single 55314, 1971
Track 14 released (in surround) on Madman Across the Water SACD - Island/Rocket B0003610-36, 2004

CD 2: Demos (previously unreleased except *)

1. Madman Across the Water (1970 Piano Demo)
2. Tiny Dancer (Piano Demo)
3. Levon (Piano Demo)
4. Razor Face (Piano Demo) *
5. Madman Across the Water (1971 Piano Demo) *
6. Indian Sunset (Piano Demo)
7. Holiday Inn (Piano Demo) *
8. Rotten Peaches (Piano Demo)
9. All the Nasties (Piano Demo) *
10. Goodbye (Piano Demo)
11. Rock Me When He's Gone (Piano Demo)
12. Rock Me When He's Gone (Full Version)

Tracks 4-5, 7 and 9 released on Jewel Box - Rocket/EMI/UMC (U.K.) 071 590-8, 2020

CD 3: BBC's Sounds for Saturday - rec. 11/11/1971, transmitted 4/29/1972 (previously unreleased)

1. Tiny Dancer
2. Rotten Peaches
3. Razor Face
4. Holiday Inn
5. Indian Sunset
6. Levon
7. Madman Across the Water
8. Goodbye

Blu-ray

• Greg Penny 5.1 surround mix of original album and "Madman Across the Water" (Original Version feat. Mick Ronson)
• Sounds for Saturday video footage
• Tiny Dancer/All the Nasties (The Old Grey Whistle Test - 11/17/1971