Captain Fantastic

Wasn't extremely familiar with this album. I was late at discovering the genius of Elton past what I heard on radio. Once I discovered he truly was an album artist above being a singles artist I started to get it. Starting with his first album I moved forward through his catalog and heard him grow as a musician and songwriter with each release. Then I stopped at Goobye Yellow Brick Road because I'm sure like many others I didn't see him topping that album. If he had peaked there what a peak it would be and he'd probably still go down in history as the genius he is. But after coming across a vinyl copy of this one at a yard sale I threw it on and was blown away. Maybe not as "epic" as Yellow Brick Road it still has that same feeling of something greater than the sum of its parts. Track after track it just doesn't let up with the superb parts and musicianship. And being a concept album with a story I was hooked in instantly. I'll spare the track by track as I usually do cause some of the other reviews did it better than I could. The second disc with the entire album live plus some covers and Saturday Nights Alright sounds amazing. The B-sides and non album singles on the first disc are equally as impressive. If you're a fan of Elton or already own the original you can't go wrong with the deluxe version. *****

One of Elton John’s best and the last album from his original, classic period. Perhaps the better follow up to Goodbye Yellow Brick Road.Just about everything on Captain Fantastic is just that, fantastic. This album marks the last of a series of albums Elton John recorded when he was at his apex.Though Captain Fantastic never gained the popularity of Elton John’s earlier records, it is just as good as Goodbye Yellow Brick Road, Don’t Shoot Me, Honky Château, Madman Across the Water, and better than Caribou. You won’t be disappointed.

Dedicated Elton John fans or casual...THIS is the album to get. A masterpiece from start to finish! Now that's just the original album up to "Curtains". Then, with this spectacular sounding Deluxe Edition on Disc 1, they squeeze in 4 "must have" Bonus tracks:1. Lucy In The Sky With Diamonds (Non-album track Remastered!)2. One Day At A Time ( The B-side to "Lucy.." a great version of a Lennon song)3. Philadelphia Freedom (The classic #1 hit, also Non-album track)4. House Of Cards (Non- album track B-side to "Someone Saved My Life Tonight")Disc 2A VERY rare performance at Wembley of the entire "Captain Fantastic..." album but with a new band line-up (with the exception of Davey Johnstone & Ray Cooper) that became the new Elton John Band for "Rock Of The Westies" album, which makes for a totally different feel of the album! Plus the concert doesn't end with "Curtains".They also include the songs:1. Pinball Wizard (live)2. Saturday Night's Alright For Fighting (live)The mix for both discs are superb! Plus if you had the original LP. It had a gatefold with pictures, a Scrapbook and a Lyric book. All included in this deluxe set! The books are about 1/4th the size but very readable and the scrapbook has some great rare photos! Like many EJ fans, for me, this album stands alone as Elton, Bernie & the band's best album! A true gem and worth every penny! Captain Fantastic and the Brown Dirt Cowboy...from the end of the world to your town!

Released in 1975, Elton John’s Captain Fantastic was in essence, John’s greatest musical achievement. Throughout the early 1970s, Elton John had released a string of albums each containing multiple top ten singles. In today’s world it seems unimaginable that an artist would release an album every six months filled with hit singles and commercial success. However, regardless of their commercial success, Elton John, Bernie Taupin and producer Gus Dudgeon collaborated on an album of brilliant songwriting and production that stands in this writer’s view as Elton John’s crowning moment. Captain Fantastic was not an album filled with multiple hit singles, but rather a record filled with personal poetic lyricism, ingenious melodies and production that defined the work of a master artistic team comprising of Elton John, Bernie Taupin, Gus Dudgeon, Davey Johnston, Nigel Olsen and the late Dee Murray.The title track, “Captain Fantastic and the Brown Dirt Cowboy opens the album with a country themed guitar lick that develops into a beautiful country/pop hybrid that stands as one of the earliest experiments in the blending of county, rock and pop music. Gus Dudgeon’s production of the track delivered such an outstanding guitar sound that it seemingly brought Davey Johnston into the listeners virtual environment. However, beyond the production is an original melody and brilliant lyric that defines the personal and artistic history of Elton John and Bernie Taupin’s musical journey to that point in time.The title track segues into Elton John’s mesmerizing “Tower of Babel.” As the song unfolds, it becomes very apparent that the listener is hearing a melody and song structure so original that the melody is quickly forgotten after the first listen. It could be argued that great songwriting delivers a melody that is easily remembered, and that may be true. However, songwriters that compose melodies of substance and originality are a rare breed, and because listeners are so used to hearing rehashed songs, it becomes difficult for a listener to remember something they had never heard before. Furthermore, the delivery of originality in music offers the listener the opportunity to experience the music as new in repeated listening’s. Elton John and Bernie Taupin defined the concept of originality in popular music in the 1970s.Elton John’s Someone Saved My Life Tonight would become the album’s only top 10 single. No one was more surprised than Elton John himself that a six minute song would become so successful on 1970s hit oriented radio in which the three minute pop song reigned supreme. Nonetheless, the song would become one of Elton’s favorite songs and stands as a work of art in popular music history. Songs like Writing, Better off Dead, and Bitter Fingers were all examples of dazzling original songwriting that elevated Elton John and Bernie Taupin’s status as one of the greatest songwriting teams of the twentieth century.The importance of Elton John’s band was clearly understood by the talented producer Gus Dudgeon. Great production always starts with a great drum sound, and of course a great drummer. Nigel Olson’s snare drum would cut through the limited frequencies of a cheap 1970s am transistor radio like a sonic boom on a quiet summer day. The backing vocals of Davey Johnston, Dee Murray and Nigel Olsen also became a hallmark of the Elton John sound.In a 2006 interview with famed director Cameron Crowe, Elton is quoted as saying that he believed Captain Fantastic was his finest work. Elton John’s longtime producer Gus Dudgeon has also gone on record as stating that believed Captain Fantastic was Elton John’s greatest record. Sadly, Captain Fantastic would be the last album in which the core Elton John Band would perform on as Elton changed band members after the release of Captain Fantastic. Elton’s sound changed dramatically on his next album Rock of the Westies which began the end of the Golden Era of Elton John music. However Elton John would continue to release music over the course of the next thirty nine years leaving his fans with an incredible body of work, and cementing his status as one of the greatest popular music artists of all time.Brian Kachejianhttp://classicrockhistory.com/ 1. http://www.eltonjohnitaly.com/crowe-interview2006.html 2. Ibid. 3. Rosenthal, Elizabeth J. His Song: The Musical Journey of Elton John. New York: Billboard Books, 2001. 431.

Yes I was there in 75. I had heard the album. Stackridge opened to a unreceptive audience most of whom would not of heard of them. Rufus and chaka Khan, Joe walsh, then the eagles (who introduced walsh into their line up mid set) and the beach boys who were fantastic leaving Elton John with a tough follow at the end of a long day. Sure the album in entirety wasn't expected but I thoroughly enjoyed the night marvelling at the percussion and Davy Johnstone. The finish of Saturday nights alright brought the stadium alive and drive home was simply one of bliss. This brings the memories back, and the recording of a live show is very very good for the acoustics inside Wembley. stadium. The original disc definitely benefits from remastering. Elton at his best.

This is a classic album by Elton coupled with a live version from Wembley 1975 , a concert I attended but didn't fully appreciate his set at the time with it being new material . He was also following The Beach Boys who were brilliant that day with their summer hits setting the mood on a lovely sunny afternoon , so Elton struggled with his choice of material to follow them and it is only all these years later one can really appreciate how great it sounds now . Also includes live extra tracks Pinball Wizard , Saturday Nights Alright and Bitch is Back , Lucy In The Sky ....good value .

Great quality album that I bought originally in the 70's. Surely Elton's best and one of the best albums I've ever heard. Still sounds good 40+ years later. Well worth the investment.

cd very pleased thanks

FANTASTIC, his BEST work !! head and shoulders above anything else he has done.elton has got some good songs but no other record comes close to this.i am not a elton John fan as such but this record is among my top 5 records ever.there is not one bad song on it, the sound, arrangements and execution is spot on.elton himself agrees. and if you are musically conscious you will toojust sorry to see that the People who Write/wrote the album review didn`t quite get it AGAIN.