Well, it’s about time.
We are finally at the 50th anniversary of Elton John’s “Captain Fantastic and the Brown Dirt Cowboy.”
This was the first album ever to debut at number 1 on Billboard and Cashbox, long before the trend that exists now.
And why not? At the time, Elton was having hit after hit. He’d just had “Goodbye Yellow Brick Road,” which was preceded by “Tumbleweed Connection,” “Madman Across the Water,” and “Honky Chateau.”
“Captain Fantastic” had a massive hit off the album with “Someone Saved My Life Tonight.” At the same time, he had two hits that weren’t on the album, and now they will be: “Philadelphia Freedom” and “Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds” (one of the best covers ever not just of a Beatles song).
Elton says: “Captain Fantastic and the Brown Dirt Cowboy was the first album I’d ever made that was autobiographical, and it was the first time we’d gone into the studio with all the songs already written. Seeing it go to No. 1 faster than anything I’d ever released felt like vindication, like the culmination of everything Bernie and I had fought for back in those bedsits in London.”
Coming October 24th, with an accompanying 28-page booklet features never-before-seen entries from Elton’s personal diary.
By the way, 50 years later Elton and Brandi Carlile have what should be a Grammy nominated album with “Who Believes in Angels?” A total hit, and just as good as Elton’s classics!
Here’s the track list for the 2CD’s:
Disc 1:
“Captain Fantastic and the Brown Dirt Cowboy
“Tower of Babel”
“Bitter Fingers”
“Tell Me When the Whistle Blows”
“Someone Saved My Life Tonight”
“(Gotta Get a) Meal Ticket”
“Better Off Dead”
“Writing”
“We All Fall In Love Sometimes”
“Curtains”
“Lucy in the Sky With Diamonds”
“One Day at a Time”
“Philadelphia Freedom”
“House of Cards”
Disc 2:
“Tell Me When the Whistle Blows” (Session Demo)
“Captain Fantastic Take 1” (Session Demo)
“Writing” (Session Demo)
“We All Fall In Love Sometimes” (Session Demo)
“Captain Fantastic Take 2” (Session Demo)
“Bitter Fingers” (Session Demo)
“Captain Fantastic and the Brown Dirt Cowboy” (Captain Fantastic Live 2005)
“Bitter Fingers” (Captain Fantastic Live / 2005)
“Tell Me When The Whistle Blows” (Captain Fantastic Live 2005)
“Someone Saved My Life Tonight (Captain Fantastic Live 2005)
“(Gotta Get a) Meal Ticket” (Captain Fantastic Live 2005)
“Better Off Dead” (Captain Fantastic Live 2005)
“We All Fall In Love Sometimes / Curtains” (Captain Fantastic Live 2005)
