|
Elton John's Captain Fantastic and the Brown Dirt Cowboy
had the distinct honor of being the first album to debut at Number
One on the Billboard charts in 1975. Ironically, it was an album
that didn't have the usual number of John and lyricist Bernie
Taupin's hits-only "Someone Saved My Life" was sole
hit single and that was at #4. Perhaps the emphasis here on the
album is concept and craft-it was intended to be an autobiography
of sorts about John and Taupin's working relationship before
Elton-mania (i.e. "Writing). Captain Fantastic has
its fair share of uptempo, boogie rock (the title track, "Gotta
Get a Meal Ticket") and regal power ballads ("We All
Fall in Love Sometimes," "Curtains"). The album's
memorable track is the aforementioned "Someone Saved My
Life Tonight," one of John's best-a tale of being on the
brink of suicide and then finding the will to live again. Captain
Fantastic would be one of John's last great '70s album from his
artistic period (the sense of craft wouldn't return until 2001's
Songs from the West Coast). This special deluxe
edition also tacks on tracks from the period (the Number one
singles "Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds" and "Philadelphia
Freedom"), and a live 1975 performance of the entire album
at Wembley Stadium.
|
