After A five year period that brought dizzying success with 14 US Top 40 singles and eight US Top Ten studio albums. British song-writing partnership of pianist/vocalist Elton John and lyricist Bernie Taupin had seen their last five consecutive LPs all hit the top spot. By early 1975, it was hard to imagine the dynamic duo blowing up any bigger. But they did. And 45 years ago this week (May 19, 1975), they released what would become arguably their most celebrated album to date Captain Fantastic and the Brown Dirt Cowboy.
Captain Fantastic is a personal retrospective a musical diary and one that reflects John and Taupin’s humble beginnings working together in the late ’60s. There’s a scene in director Cameron Crowe’s iconic film, Almost Famous, in which 11-year-old William Miller gazes wide-eyed as he peruses his older sister’s vinyl album collection in 1969. There is the classic LPs from The Who, Neil Young, Crosby, Stills & Nash, Joni Mitchell and others. That scene is particularly spot-on, as in those wondrous days, record releases were beautiful works of art from the songs to the album covers to the liner notes to the photography. Captain Fantastic delivered that spectacular cover art created by Alan Aldridge, two booklets and a “fantastic” poster of the entire opened gatefold jacket .
Music consumption always has been a very personal experience for us all. As it’s been said, our music chooses us not the other way around. At age 12, many of my closest friends had older siblings whose “personal” albums included classics from the Beatles, the Stones and Zeppelin. I had my best friend Johnny Hawker, we would sit in his room and he would play the most amazing albums.
The songs bathed in Elton’s warm Fender Rhodes piano and glossed with his honey-soaked vocals, the song is accented by Davey Johnstone’s crisp acoustic guitar work throughout, Along with John’s long-time producer, Gus Dudgeon who once stated, “There’s not one song on it Captain Fantastic that’s less than incredible.” Even Elton John himself has said, “I’ve always thought that Captain Fantastic was probably my finest album.” Hence, to dissect the record properly, could fill an entire book.
There is are an array of stand-out bullet points. On “Tower of Babel,” John’s vocals are soulful, while Johnstone’s solo is gloriously gritty. “Bitter Fingers” packs playful verses and crunchy choruses I’m sick of tra la las and la de das. “Tell Me When the Whistle Blows” remains a delicate, bluesy treasure, while the record’s sole single, “Someone Saved My Life Tonight” has become one John’s most endearing songs that John has referred to as, “one of the best songs that Bernie and I have ever written together.”
There is the heart-racing, guitar-driven urgency of “(Gotta Get A) Meal Ticket,”. Conversely, “We All Fall in Love Sometimes” is a beautiful, heartfelt masterpiece. Although the song is about John and Taupin’s early creative relationship, as a naive 12-year old, it sounded like a sweet, romantic love song. Heck, even as a little old man navigating through a young girl’s world in 2020, that one still makes me cry.
In addition to Johnstone’s brilliant guitar playing, the record also benefits equally from Dee Murray’s rock-ribbed basslines. Nigel Olsson’s dry, yet fat-sounding, signature-style meat and potatoes drumming is superb. He knows when to bash the shit out of a note, and he knows when to simply let it breathe. Sometimes less IS more. For mad looking Ray Cooper, his percussion work dances from left speaker to right — making these songs pop with masterful precision.
There are very few who have not been touched profoundly over the years by Captain Fantastic Elton John and Bernie Taupin who intended the Captain Fantastic record to tell their story.
The Fat Angel Sings 