Captain Fantastic And The Brown Dirt Cowboy

[BiteUrLip]

Okay, this is the most loved album by fans. For me, it's so too.

Right into the track reviews: Love the opening song, the title track. It's got a mood that I love - it's relaxed and happy. Very "nice". "Tower Of Babel" is harder to describe, it's quite neutral, but great. "Bitter Fingers" is one of my favorites, cool piano intro, energetic chorus. "Tell Me When The Whistle Blows" is interesting, sad, wistful. "Someone Saved My Life Tonight" is a majestic end to side one, a slowly growing masterpiece. "(Gotta Get A) Meal Ticket" starts the second side, and it's got lots of energy. However, "Better Off Dead" is my least favorite here. I have never quite completely enjoyed the song, although it's not really a bad one. "Writing" is often seen as one of the worse tracks, but I really like it. And finally we've got "We All Fall In Love Sometimes" and "Curtains", that make a brilliant ending pair of the album. WAFILS is noted as Elton's favorite song, it's a very sad but poignant song. And "Curtains" is a like a very long outro to WAFILS, it's got brilliant vocals and powerful drums.

Bonus tracks - I do love "Lucy In The Sky With Diamonds", and Elton's version is the one I'm a fan of. I like the production more in that one, and the song structure is better too, as it's made much more energetic and longer. "One Day At A Time" is a track I long disliked, but I like it better now. "Philadelphia Freedom" on the other hand is a huge winner, always loved that song a lot! And still got "House Of Cards", which is good, but filler-like.

1. Captain Fantastic And The Brown Dirt Cowboy *****+

2. Tower Of Babel *****

3. Bitter Fingers *****+

4. Tell Me When The Whistle Blows *****

5. Someone Saved My Life Tonight *****++

6. (Gotta Get A) Meal Ticket *****+

7. Better Off Dead ****½

8. Writing *****

9. We All Fall In Love Sometimes *****+

10. Curtains *****+



Bonus tracks:



11. Lucy In The Sky With Diamonds *****+

12. One Day At A Time ****

13. Philadelphia Freedom *****++

14. House Of Cards ****

[kissybissy]

It's a good album, but overrated, imo. 4 stars.

[latitude]

This album is SO perfect. A solid 5 stars from me. I don't have to go song by song. For me they all get 5 stars. Wait---maybe 'Writing' and 'Meal Ticket' should only get 4.5. Still...wow!

[dougs]

CAPTAIN FANTASTIC AND THE BROWN DIRT COWBOY:

This is an Elton & Bernie classic. It may not have as many truly remarkable songs like GOODBYE YELLOW BRICK ROAD has but it has a mature theme and an amazing consistency throughout. This is the last Elton & Berne album to feature the team of Gus as producer, Nigel, Dee, Davey, and Ray. This album, like CARIBOU was recorded at the ranch in Colorado. It was also a bit of a departure from the previous 4 albums; it was more serious in theme and less commercial.

CAPTAIN FANTASTIC AND THE BROWN DIRT COWBOY became the 1st album in history to enter the Billboard album charts at #1 upon immediate release. It was also the #1 album of 1975 in Canada. Its success happened without the typical blitz of AM radio singles which accompanied his releases ever since 1972; Only the lengthy "Someone Saved My Life Tonight" was released as a single from the album and scored best in Canada at #2. Its almost 7-minute length reduced AM airplay which was calculated in the weekly ranking of singles. Some radio stations in the USA had the song shortened!

Interestingly, there were two other important songs which were recorded at the same time (summer 1974) as the album but were never included because they were not autobiographical like the rest of the CAPTAIN FANTASTIC AND THE BROWN DIRT COWBOY. The songs were "Lucy in the Sky With Diamonds" and "Philadelphia Freedom" which were both #1 hit singles in the USA and Canada. "Lucy in the Sky With Diamonds" featured John Lennon as Dr. Winston O'Boogie on backing vocals and guitar. "Philadelphia Freedom" was written for Elton's friend Billie Jean King and her tennis team.

CAPTAIN FANTASTIC AND THE BROWN DIRT COWBOY featured the extraordinary cover artwork by Alan Aldridge. The images connected in a creative way to the early days of EJ & BT. The album may have been the best-ever produced album courtesy of Gus Dudgeon. The band is playing extremely well as a unit. The title track features superb guitar work from Davey and remains a fan favourite. "Tell Me When the Whistle Blows" has a truly beautiful arrangement from Gene Page who also did the orchestration for "Philadelphia Freedom." The album has one of Elton's better rockers in "(Gotta Get A) Meal Ticket" which features great guitar work from Davey and some clavinet from Elton. Nigel's drums and Elton's piano power the strong "Better Off Dead." The album ends with what Elton continues to say is his favourite song; "We All fall in Love Sometimes" and the epic "Curtains" which starts gently and ends with every Nigel Olsson drum fill ever done!

Elton's vocals have a clarity and sincerity which few, if any, of his other albums have. After all, he was finally singing about his and Bernie's personal experiences of youth as they chased their dreams of becoming successful songwriters. Gus Dudgeon thought that EJ and the band were totally on top of their game with this album. Apparently Gus created 4 different mixes of each song and Elton chose the ones he preferred. Wonder whatever happened to those other mixes? I'd love to hear them. The recording and mixing of the album took much longer than any other Elton album.

No doubt a peak for EJ & BT. It is my personal favourite album but it, interestingly, took a year to grow on me. CAPTAIN FANTASTIC AND THE BROWN DIRT COWBOY would also be the end of a chapter in ways...

Doug

[rocketman]

1. Captain Fantastic And The Brown Dirt Cowboy 5

2. Tower Of Babel 5

3. Bitter Fingers 5

4. Tell Me When The Whistle Blows 4.5

5. Someone Saved My Life Tonight 5

6. (Gotta Get A) Meal Ticket 4.5

7. Better Off Dead 5

8. Writing 4.5

9. We All Fall In Love Sometimes 4.5

10. Curtains 4.25



Bonus tracks:



11. Lucy In The Sky With Diamonds 5

12. One Day At A Time 3.25

13. Philadelphia Freedom 5

After the hastily recorded Caribou album, Elton John decided to devote more studio time to the autobiographical follow up, and the effort shows. This is the most finely-crafted album in Elton's catalog, and the best lyrically, as Bernie Taupin perfectly captured the angst, joys, and uncertainty of the early stages of Elton's career.

The song ratings themselves bear out the overall strength of this record - not a single tune in the original 10-song lineup falls below a 4.25 rating. The album starts off with three songs at 5-stars each, including the title cut, a personal favorite and the quintessential Elton John song, containing country and rock melded together seamlessly.

Rather than out-front playing, Elton lays down a foundation of various keyboards, almost below the surface, an understated, woven tapestry. Nigel's drums are deliberate and unique in sound and delivery. Dee's bass lines smoke, as always, and Davey layers guitars in some of his finest work on record, while Ray Cooper weaves in his trademark percussion, with an array that includes the jawbone, bell tree, bells, congas...you name it.

Elton's vocals are outstanding, meeting the demands of songs like the hit Someone Saved...and the harmonies of Better Off Dead. Gus Dudgeon's production is the usual first-rate effort, slightly less open than on some albums, but that may have more to do than the various layers of instrumentation than anything else.

This album routinely stays in my Top Five and Side One in LP terms stands as one of the best on any album.

[dougs]

rocketman:

Great review!  CAPTAIN FANTASTIC AND THE BROWN DIRT COWBOY is certainly a superbly crafted album, isn't it?  Everything is there;  the song-writing, the playing, the vocals, and the production.  I, too, always have it on the turntable or in the car.  That 2017 180 gram vinyl release sounds stunning.  I never stop playing this one.  The band (Nigel, Dee, Davey, & Ray) are so on.

It seems that this album has been forgotten about by music fans.  As we know, Elton's studio albums no longer sell much with the exception of GOODBYE YELLOW BRICK ROAD.  He is a "hits" package seller these days and classic albums like CAPTAIN FANTASTIC AND THE BROWN DIRT COWBOY with all those great non-single tracks are lost.  What a wonderfully cohesive album!

Doug

[Commodore Orpington]

After Meal Ticket, it gets intolerably sweet and sentimental for me.

[Dr Johnny Fever]

I guess if you were going to give an album to a non-Elton fan, it wouldn't be this one (probably be GBYBR) and really I guess this was a bit of a gamble, even today, what pop star would put out a autobiography album? How did they sell this to the record company? And it's funny that it's become a fans number 1 or 2 favourite album, okay, maybe a top 5..and also don't you find it strange that his two most loved albums (CF & GBYBR) both have a cartoon covers..strange, so your now going to point out that El Dorado has one as well, but that was for a film and not really a studio album...gone off topic a bit..

[Commodore Orpington]

A friend of mine wasn't even aware CF was autobiographical. A lot of record buyers may not have cared about that. It went #1 before anyone had a chance to hear it.

[dougs]

Dr Johnny Fever - re: CAPTAIN FANTASTIC AND THE BROWN DIRT COWBOY:

The thing in 1974 & 1975 when Elton & Bernie wrote and released the album, they were the biggest musicians on the planet and the record company was probably happy as heck just to see a collection of quality songs which they could sell!  They even got behind the incredible packaging of the album; opens like a double album, has a booklet of lyrics, has a booklet of photos, and a poster of the cover. 

The lyrical content at one end could be called self-indulgent but it also has universal themes;  the story of trying to make it in this world facing obstacles and nay-sayers along the way combined with desperation and the formation of important relationships.  Lots of people can relate to some or all of these themes.  The anger of "Better Off Dead" and "Bitter Fingers" I am sure connected with people for many reasons.  "Someone Saved My Life Tonight" is almost an anthem for others who overcame sadness or depression or loss to emerge happier and healthier.  "Curtains" connects with me in a big way and the bonus of having all those Nigel drum fills is pure icing on the cake!  So, yeah, the album was somewhat self-indulgent but it also connected to lots of people in lots of ways too.

It is a substantial album - well written, played, and produced with some of Elton's better vocals.

Doug

[nix]

Album rating: ****

1. Captain Fantastic And The Brown Dirt Cowboy ****
2. Tower Of Babel ****½
3. Bitter Fingers ***½
4. Tell Me When The Whistle Blows **½
5. Someone Saved My Life Tonight ****½
6. (Gotta Get A) Meal Ticket ***
7. Better Off Dead *****
8. Writing ***
9. We All Fall In Love Sometimes *****
10. Curtains ***½

Bonus tracks:

11. Lucy In The Sky With Diamonds ****
12. One Day At A Time **
13. Philadelphia Freedom *****
14. House Of Cards ***