Captain Fantastic & The Brown Dirt Cowboy - John, Elton (CD 1996)

Elton John showed surprising vitality on last week s Grammy Awards. Rumored to be a no-show for the ceremony, the Honky Cat surprised many viewers, performing back-up vocals to the controversial Eminem, who performed a rousing rendition of his song Stan. I was not the only one impressed by this unusual collaboration. Indeed, even my old friend Ted Nugent, rock s Motor City Madman, praised the performance on his website s message board.

For nearly two decades, Elton has seemingly been content to rest on his laurels, turning out an occasional release to little fanfare. And yet, with plenty of old acts still in circulation Paul Simon and Aerosmith, to name a couple the time seems ripe for an Elton John comeback. Grapevine talk currently places him in the studio with bandmates from his 70s heyday, including stalwart guitarist Davey Johnstone and drummer Nigel Olsen. One can only hope that lyricist Bernie Taupin is also on hand, to brew the proper magic once again.

For it was the teamwork of Elton John and Bernie Taupin that created the stunning array of best selling hits most often associated with John. For a number of years, they were heirs to Lennon and McCartney s winning legacy. It was a magical time for quality songwriting.

Perhaps the pinnacle of the John/Taupin success formula was 1975 s autobiographical album, Captain Fantastic and The Brown Dirt Cowboy (MCA Records). While not as radio friendly as previous Elton John releases, I strongly recommend this heartfelt masterpiece. And I would strongly recommend looking for it in LP record form at your favorite flea market, as the special packaging bonuses have been lost in the era of Compact Discs. Captain Fantastic boasted wild cover art, in addition to a poster, lyric booklet and scrapbook. My old copy is slightly musty, but intact, and I m sorry to say, they just don t make em like that anymore.

In the 1970s, Elton John s dazzling charisma often overshadowed his musical abilities. Although not a flashy player, he is an accomplished pianist, and a strong vocalist. Vocally, he falls somewhere in between Paul McCartney s fluid expressions and Rod Stewart s throatier bark. Backed by Johnstone, Olsen, bassist Dee Murray and percussionist Ray Cooper, Captain Fantastic is clearly a band effort with strong contributions from all the players

The title cut is undoubtedly one of my favorite Elton John songs, with the acoustic opening and bittersweet musings on the songwriters early days, punctuated by a harder-edged chorus. Oddly, this is not a staple of Elton John s live shows, although it certainly ranks among his most memorable pieces.

Tower of Babel blasts the trappings of rock stardom and self-destructive parties (a precursor to The Eagles 1976 hit Life In The Fast Lane ). Essentially a pop song with a dark subject matter, Elton hits some high notes, while Olsen has a great drum sound, which reminds me of later work by session man Kenny Aronoff ( John Mellencamp and others ).

The big hit on Captain Fantastic, found on radios everywhere that hazy summer of 75, was Someone Saved My Life Tonight. Opening with somber piano notes, Someone Saved finds the singer nearly yielding to a bad relationship with a domineering woman.

When I think of those East End lights, muggy nights
The curtains drawn in the little room downstairs
Prima Donna lord you really should have been there
Sitting like a princess perched in her electric chair
And it's one more beer and I don't hear you anymore
We've all gone crazy lately
My friends out there rolling round the basement floor

I suppose what I like best about Elton John s best songs are the hooks (which I m always a sucker for). They snag the listener, either with the music itself ( Captain Fantastic s power chords) or some catchy vocals ( Gotta Get A Meal Ticket ).

I can hound you if I need to
Sip your brandy from a crystal shoe
In the corner, in the corner
While the others climb reaching dizzy heights
The world's in front of me in black and white
I'm on the bottom line, I'm on the bottom line

The album has its share of filler, a fairly common complaint about Elton and countless others. Better Off Dead doesn t really go anywhere, except to achieve a heavy drum sound, which Trent Reznor might envy. We All Fall In Love Sometimes is a ballad, hinting at John and Taupin s early struggles. In light of the many stories publicized regarding Elton John s lifestyle, it s a little hard to analyze some of these lyrics with an open mind. But that is up to each individual listener.

Closing out the set is Curtains, a slow burner, somewhat reminiscent of the earlier Don t Let The Sun Go Down On Me. It is a strong melancholic piece, nicely laced with harpsichord and synthesizer, and as the liner notes say, Lum-De-Lums, by Elton.

Sadly, it was only a short period later, when Captain Fantastic and The Brown Dirt Cowboy saddled us with the bleak double album Blue Moves. Elton did not really regain his footing until 1983 s Too Low For Zero.

My copy of Captain Fantastic is a cheap-o streamlined rush job put out in the late 80s. I understand there has since been a remastered release, with some additional tracks and perhaps some of the original artwork (?).