CAPTAIN FANTASTIC AND THE BROWN DIRT COWBOY - Elton John

YEAR: 1975

LABEL: Rocket

TRACK LISTING: Captain Fantastic and the Brown Dirt Cowboy, Tower of Babel, Bitter Fingers, Tell Me When the Whistle Blows, Someone Saved My Life Tonight, (Gotta Get A) Meal Ticket, Better Off Dead, Writing, We All Fall In Love Sometimes, Curtains

BONUS TRACKS: (Deluxe Edition) Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds, One Day at a Time, Philadelphia Freedom, (and Disc 2 which features the "Midsummer Music" concert at Wembley Stadium June 21, 1975) Captain Fantastic and the Brown Dirt Cowboy (Live), Tower of Babel (Live), Bitter Fingers (Live), Tell Me When the Whistle Blows (Live), Someone Saved My Life Tonight (Live), (Gotta Get A) Meal Ticket (Live), Better Off Dead (Live), Writing (Live), We All Fall In Love Sometimes (Live), Curtains (Live), Pinball Wizard (Live), Saturday Night's Alright For Fighting (Live)

IMPRESSIONS: While not my favourite Elton album (I only like about half of it -- only the first and last song on side 1 are worthwhile), the album does contain some of my all-time favourite Elton songs (all listed below). This is the first Elton John album I ever bought -- when it was brand new in 1975. However I didn't own it until the 1980s. How??? Because I actually bought it for my grade school teacher's Christmas present in a Pollyanna because she was hot and she liked Elton John. The title track, of course, is the theme song for my friend Cheeks and I; he's the Captain and I'm the Kid. Despite controversy, this is the way it is; Cheeks is the Captain (i.e. Elton) because he's very outgoing, friendly and sparkly while I am the Brown Dirt Cowboy (i.e. Bernie) because I'm shy, introverted and quiet.

MY FAVOURITE TRACKS: Captain Fantastic and the Brown Dirt Cowboy, Someone Saved My Life Tonight, Writing, We All Fall In Love Sometimes, Curtains

FACT SHEET: CAPTAIN FANTASTIC is Elton's 9th album. It was his first album to debut at number one on the charts and has been certified triple platinum. This was the first Elton John album which is autobiographical. Elton requested lyricist Bernie Taupin write a song cycle which told the story of both men: Captain Fantastic stands for Elton while the Brown Dirt Cowboy represents Bernie. Elton himself considers CAPTAIN FANTASTIC to be his finest album. He famously played the entire album live from start to finish at the Midsummer Music festival shortly after the album was released. "Someone Saved My Life Tonight" was the only single released from the album; it is usually described as depicting Elton's failed suicide attempt but that is incorrect. It's actually referring to his close friends (including Bernie) who advised him not to go through with his planned wedding -- thus "saving his life". The well-known album cover was painted by artist Alan Aldridge whose "Illustrated Beatles" book I do possess. The image was so famous that a Captain Fantastic pinball machine was produced. CAPTAIN FANTASTIC was the final album with Elton's "classic" band all playing together until TOO LOW FOR ZERO: Davey Johnstone (guitar), Dee Murray (bass), Nigel Olsson (drums) and Ray Cooper (percussion). In 2006, Elton released a "sequel" to the album called "THE CAPTAIN AND THE KID".