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List Price: $29.98 | | Label: Island
Salesrank: 19226
Released: September 13, 2005 |
| Our Price: $16.04 |
| Used Price: $13.79 |
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| Media: Audio CD |
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Editorial Review:
Elton John has always liked having it both ways. He's flamboyant and vain, yet empathetic and sincere. He sits at his piano playing sentimental melodies, but the words come not from inside his soul but from friend Bernie Taupin. For Captain Fantastic, he and Taupin wrote a concept album which sketches their career together. "Someone Saved My Life Tonight" is easily the strongest song outside of the concept. The addition of several songs "Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds" featuring John Lennon, "Philadelphia Freedom," and "One Day at a Time" blow the concept but up the entertainment value considerably. --Rob O'Connor
Captain Fantastic and the Brown Dirt Cowboy Reviews:
Seriously Good Fun! 
2008-11-10 - An awesome remaster of a favorite Elton title! Plus the bonus CD is a hoot! That's what that is. A hoot!
An intriguing misfire 
2008-09-20 - Throughout the 1970's, Elton John had an incredible work ethic (or a bad record deal depending on your point of view) that routinely produced 2 albums of new material a year, plus worldwide tours. And if a new record wasn't quite ready, there were always non-LP singles (i.e. "Philadelphia Freedom", "Don't Go Breakin' My Heart" or "Pinball Wizard") to keep fans happy. Elton and lyricist Bernie Taupin had flirted with the idea of a concept album in the past ("Tumbleweed Connection"-1800's Americana, Goodbye Yellow Brick Road-Hollywood) but CF&TBDC was their first overtly conceptual album, as it explored their early years as struggling songwriters. It made history upon its release as the first album to debut at #1 on the Billboard album charts (This was in the days before Sound Scan). But it's also possible to point to this album as the moment when Elton's star began flickering. CF&TBDC isn't quite in the same league as "Yellow Brick Road" or "Don't Shoot Me", its only single release (Someone Saved My Life Tonight) didn't get out of the top 20. That's not to say it's a bad album by any means. The title cut, "Bitter Fingers" and "Meal Ticket" are prime Elton. But the other songs just seem to be missing something.
This is CF's third CD reissue. It was first released as part of MCA's unlamented "Sound Savers" series. Then in a much improved "Rocket Remasters" edition that included extra songs previously available only as singles. Now comes the "Deluxe Edition", which repackages the Rocket version along with every scrap of liner notes and photos from the old vinyl version (a word of advice, get some new eyeglasses or a magnifying glass with your purchase before trying to read them) and a superbly recorded second CD of a 1975 Elton show at Wembley Stadium.
This is where things get dicey.
Just weeks after CF's release, Elton replaced his long time band (except for guitarist Davey Johnstone and drummer Ray Cooper) with a mix of American and British players (as well as Jeff "Skunk" Baxter from the Doobie Brothers and Steely Dan on pedal steel just for the show here). And he chose to debut this line up at the "Midsummer Music Festival" at Wembley Stadium before a crowd of 100,000. He also boldly took a page from the Pink Floyd playbook by choosing to play only the CF album in its entirety. Probably before most fans had bought (or even heard) it. According to the liner notes, fans were exhausted by the time Elton hit the stage at the end of a long, hot day, and were actually leaving halfway into the show. Only in the raucous encore of "Pinball Wizard" and "Saturday Night's Alright for Fighting" did Elton acknowledge his past. With the new band, Elton sounds very polished but not quite as rocking as with the old band, and in a live setting, the new songs work. But an average song on an album can sound just as average live. Even if the sound quality is excellent as it is here.
So overall, CF can be seen as Elton's first misfire after 8 direct hits.
Elton: The once and future Captain Fantastic
2008-06-10 - I won't go on and on reiterating some of the fine points made in the other reviews. Suffice to say that this is arguably Elton's best work in his formidable 40 year career. The Deluxe Edition treatment is outstanding, and the bonus tracks (including "House of Cards," for the first time included with the album with which it was recorded; the song was the b-side of "Someone Saved My Life Tonight," the album's only single, and previously only available on "Rare Masters") all sound amazing and the packaging and liner notes are all top of the line.
Then there's the bonus disc, outstandingl mixed and mastered, featuring much of what would become the "new" Elton John "Rock of the Westies" band (sans Nigel & Dee) performing somewhat different takes on the Captain Fantastic tracks - a unique bit of history easily worthy of inclusion here.
If you're a fan of Elton or just great rock and roll that may have been from the 70s, but has aged well, put this gorgeously done slice of history in your collection and play it over and over again!
Elton's best work
2008-04-28 - There are some things that are alluded to in other reviews here so I don't want to beat a dead horse. The Deluxe Edition is well done (hats off to the folks at Universal). What more can be said about the album as myself and many others think it is Elton and Bernie's (and producer Gus Dudgeon's) best work and also a great ending note for the classic "Elton John Band" lineup of Dee Murray, Davey Johnstone , Nigel Olsson and percussionist Ray Cooper.
I saw an interview on DVD with Nigel and Davey and Nigel Olsson stated him and Dee Murray were "dismissed" after the Captain Fantastic recordings (a message was left on their machines apparently they weren't even notified in person). As many know Davey Johnstone has Elton's ear and has also been the Musical Director for many years. Elton wanted to re-tool the sound of the band and the replacement and additional musicians added lasted a mere two albums...Rock of the Westies and the cumbersome Blue Moves.
I was not overly impressed with the "new" band playing Captain Fantastic and Pinball Wizard and a very poor Saturday Night's Alright For Fighting (you can hardly hear the drums which is never a problem with Nigel). As many know Elton himself stated the personnel changes seemed like a good idea at the time but looking back he realized he made a mistake. Also gone were the harmonies of Davey, Dee and Nigel which graced all of the early Elton albums. In the early 80's Davey stated he wanted to get the band back together and Elton loved the idea. Too Low For Zero and Breaking Hearts are the classic Elton John Band line-up of Davey, Dee and Nigel. Sadly Dee passed away from cancer in the early 80's. Listen to Captain Fantastic & The Brown Dirt Cowboy in memory of Gus and Dee and thanks to Davey and Nigel and of course the Captain & The Kid for the memories.
The Captain and The Kid embellish a classic
2007-06-19 - Elton John and Bernie Taupin closed the chapter of their peak years by writing a song cycle about how they got there. "Captain Fantastic and The Brown Dirt Cowboy" put away the glitter and the costumes and painted an austere portrait of the artists in their hungry years. By reigning in the excess and making many of the songs modest and sincere, "Captain Fantastic" gave fans of Elton the best of both worlds. The simpler storytelling of the earlier part of Elton's career was matched to the increasing confidence of his and Bernie's songwriting. While there was no glammy-hit with catchy chorus to be found on this album, it is easily the most consistent work of their glory days. It even made history by becoming the very first album to enter the charts at number one.
It is also the most sentimental of Elton's albums. The humble beginnings are underscored by the title track, and the orchestrated original closer of "Curtains/We All Fall In Love Sometimes" is beautifully done. The late Producer Gus Dudgeon made this album glow rather than flash - he may be one of the most underrated participants in Elton's career. (He passed away in 2002.) This was such a departure for Elton stylistically that only one song became a hit single, the song of love lost without regrets "Someone Saved My Life Tonight," in which Long John Baldry and Bernie talked Elton out of going through with a marriage that would have seen him ending his musical career. It is a powerful ballad and fits in even better when positioned in the "Captain Fantastic" storyline.
Because the album is a concept album, it is best listened to as a piece. The angry "Meal Ticket" is a great rock song, as is "Bitter Fingers." But it is the way all the pieces fit that brings out the brilliance of this album. Even though two of the three bonus tracks are number one hits, they are actually a distraction here. Even the liner notes concede that point, claiming that Elton and Bernie were really trying to stay true to form, and had no issues with recording singles as items not album specific. Even so, how many albums can have bonus material as terrific as Elton's cover of "Lucy In The Sky With Diamonds" or concert classic "Philadelphia Freedom?" Anyway you look at it, bonus tracks or no, "Captain Fantastic and The Brown Dirt Cowboy" is a classic, the moment that captures all parties at the pinnacle of their powers at a time when they were also at their most commercially successful.
I received this album for a gift on my 15th birthday, and met Elton John in Philadelphia in 1989. When I told him how I got the album (and the poster), he laughed and said "you're making me feel f'n old." That poster - also signed by Bernie - is framed and hanging in a treasured spot on my office wall. So imagine my delight when this deluxe version contained not only a replication of that infamous Alan Aldridge cover art and the two booklets from the original 12-incher?
Then there is the matter of the extra-CD. Shortly after the album was released, Elton joined a concert that opened with The beach Boys, The Eagles, Joe Walsh, Rufus with Chaka Khan and ended the day by playing the Captain Fantastic album from start to finish. You can hear the wonder in the crowd, who are all getting to hear almost brand new material for the first time. (Elton recently debuted "The Captain and the Kid" to an NYC audience in the same fashion.) Elton is obviously hyper-enthused about this showcase and it comes through in the performance. The between song comments are telling, and worth hearing for his brief explanations about the creation of this classic.
The Deluxe edition of "Captain Fantastic and The Brown Dirt Cowboy" is one of the rarities in its expanded version; all the extra goodies justify the extra cost. It takes an already classic album and makes it even more desirable.
