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Sitting atop the charts in 1975, Elton John and Bernie Taupin recalled their rise to power in Captain Fantastic and the Brown Dirt Cowboy, their first explicitly conceptual effort since Tumbleweed Connection. It's no coincidence that it's their best album since then, showcasing each at the peak of his power, as John crafts supple, elastic, versatile pop and Taupin's inscrutable wordplay is evocative, even moving. What's best about the record is that it works best of a piece -- although it entered the charts at number one, this only had one huge hit in "Someone Saved My Life Tonight," which sounds even better here, since it tidily fits into the musical and lyrical themes. And although the musical skill on display here is dazzling, as it bounces between country and hard rock within the same song, this is certainly a grower. The album needs time to reveal its treasures, but once it does, it rivals Tumbleweed in terms of sheer consistency and eclipses it in scope, capturing John and Taupin at a pinnacle. They collapsed in hubris and excess not long afterward -- Rock of the Westies, which followed just months later is as scattered as this is focused -- but this remains a testament to the strengths of their creative partnership.
© Stephen Thomas Erlewine /TiVo
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Bernie Taupin, Author - Elton John, Composer, Piano, Vocals, MainArtist, AssociatedPerformer - Davey Johnstone, Guitar, Background Vocalist, AssociatedPerformer - Gus Dudgeon, Producer - Ray Cooper, Percussion, AssociatedPerformer - Nigel Olsson, Drums, Background Vocalist, AssociatedPerformer - Dee Murray, Bass Guitar, Background Vocalist, AssociatedPerformer
℗ 1975 This Record Company Ltd.
Bernie Taupin, Author - Elton John, Composer, Piano, Vocals, MainArtist, AssociatedPerformer - Davey Johnstone, Guitar, Background Vocalist, AssociatedPerformer - Gus Dudgeon, Producer - Ray Cooper, Percussion, AssociatedPerformer - Nigel Olsson, Drums, Background Vocalist, AssociatedPerformer - Dee Murray, Bass Guitar, Background Vocalist, AssociatedPerformer
℗ 1975 This Record Company Ltd.
Bernie Taupin, Author - Elton John, Composer, Piano, Vocals, MainArtist, AssociatedPerformer - Davey Johnstone, Guitar, Background Vocalist, AssociatedPerformer - Gus Dudgeon, Producer - Ray Cooper, Percussion, AssociatedPerformer - Nigel Olsson, Drums, Background Vocalist, AssociatedPerformer - Dee Murray, Bass Guitar, Background Vocalist, AssociatedPerformer
℗ 1975 This Record Company Ltd.
Gene Page, Recording Arranger, AssociatedPerformer - Bernie Taupin, ComposerLyricist - Elton John, Piano, Vocals, MainArtist, AssociatedPerformer, ComposerLyricist - Davey Johnstone, Guitar, Background Vocalist, AssociatedPerformer - Gus Dudgeon, Producer - Ray Cooper, Percussion, AssociatedPerformer - Nigel Olsson, Drums, Background Vocalist, AssociatedPerformer - Dee Murray, Bass Guitar, Background Vocalist, AssociatedPerformer
℗ 1975 This Record Company Ltd.
Bernie Taupin, ComposerLyricist - Elton John, Piano, Vocals, MainArtist, AssociatedPerformer, ComposerLyricist - Davey Johnstone, Guitar, Background Vocalist, AssociatedPerformer - Gus Dudgeon, Producer - Ray Cooper, Percussion, AssociatedPerformer - Nigel Olsson, Drums, Background Vocalist, AssociatedPerformer - Dee Murray, Bass Guitar, Background Vocalist, AssociatedPerformer
℗ 1975 This Record Company Ltd.
Bernie Taupin, ComposerLyricist - Elton John, Piano, Vocals, MainArtist, AssociatedPerformer, ComposerLyricist - Davey Johnstone, Guitar, Background Vocalist, AssociatedPerformer - Gus Dudgeon, Producer - Ray Cooper, Percussion, AssociatedPerformer - Nigel Olsson, Drums, Background Vocalist, AssociatedPerformer - Dee Murray, Bass Guitar, Background Vocalist, AssociatedPerformer
℗ 1975 This Record Company Ltd.
Bernie Taupin, Author - Elton John, Composer, Piano, Vocals, MainArtist, AssociatedPerformer - Davey Johnstone, Guitar, Background Vocalist, AssociatedPerformer - Gus Dudgeon, Producer - Ray Cooper, Percussion, AssociatedPerformer - Nigel Olsson, Drums, Background Vocalist, AssociatedPerformer - Dee Murray, Bass Guitar, Background Vocalist, AssociatedPerformer
℗ 1975 This Record Company Ltd.
Bernie Taupin, Author - Elton John, Composer, Vocals, MainArtist, AssociatedPerformer - Davey Johnstone, Guitar, Piano, Background Vocalist, AssociatedPerformer - Gus Dudgeon, Producer - Ray Cooper, Percussion, AssociatedPerformer - Nigel Olsson, Drums, Background Vocalist, AssociatedPerformer - Dee Murray, Bass Guitar, Background Vocalist, AssociatedPerformer
℗ 1975 This Record Company Ltd.
Bernie Taupin, ComposerLyricist - Elton John, Piano, Vocals, MainArtist, AssociatedPerformer, ComposerLyricist - Davey Johnstone, Guitar, Background Vocalist, AssociatedPerformer - Gus Dudgeon, Producer - David Hentschel, Synthesizer, AssociatedPerformer - Ray Cooper, Percussion, AssociatedPerformer - Nigel Olsson, Drums, Background Vocalist, AssociatedPerformer - Dee Murray, Bass Guitar, Background Vocalist, AssociatedPerformer
℗ 1975 This Record Company Ltd.
Bernie Taupin, Author - Elton John, Composer, Piano, Vocals, MainArtist, AssociatedPerformer - Davey Johnstone, Guitar, Background Vocalist, AssociatedPerformer - Gus Dudgeon, Producer - David Hentschel, Synthesizer, AssociatedPerformer - Ray Cooper, Percussion, AssociatedPerformer - Nigel Olsson, Drums, Background Vocalist, AssociatedPerformer - Dee Murray, Bass Guitar, Background Vocalist, AssociatedPerformer
℗ 1975 This Record Company Ltd.
John Lennon, Participant, ComposerLyricist - Paul Mccartney, ComposerLyricist - Elton John, Piano, Vocals, MainArtist, AssociatedPerformer - Davey Johnstone, Guitar, Background Vocalist, AssociatedPerformer - Gus Dudgeon, Producer - Ray Cooper, Percussion, AssociatedPerformer - Nigel Olsson, Drums, Background Vocalist, AssociatedPerformer - Dee Murray, Bass Guitar, Background Vocalist, AssociatedPerformer
℗ 1974 This Record Company Ltd.
John Lennon, Participant, ComposerLyricist - Elton John, Piano, Vocals, MainArtist, AssociatedPerformer - Davey Johnstone, Guitar, Background Vocalist, AssociatedPerformer - Gus Dudgeon, Producer - Ray Cooper, Percussion, AssociatedPerformer - Nigel Olsson, Drums, Background Vocalist, AssociatedPerformer - Dee Murray, Bass Guitar, Background Vocalist, AssociatedPerformer
℗ 1974 Mercury Records Limited
Bernie Taupin, ComposerLyricist - Elton John, Piano, Vocals, MainArtist, AssociatedPerformer, ComposerLyricist - Davey Johnstone, Guitar, Background Vocalist, AssociatedPerformer - Gus Dudgeon, Producer - Ray Cooper, Percussion, AssociatedPerformer - Nigel Olsson, Drums, Background Vocalist, AssociatedPerformer - Dee Murray, Bass Guitar, Background Vocalist, AssociatedPerformer
℗ 1975 This Record Company Ltd.
Album review
Sitting atop the charts in 1975, Elton John and Bernie Taupin recalled their rise to power in Captain Fantastic and the Brown Dirt Cowboy, their first explicitly conceptual effort since Tumbleweed Connection. It's no coincidence that it's their best album since then, showcasing each at the peak of his power, as John crafts supple, elastic, versatile pop and Taupin's inscrutable wordplay is evocative, even moving. What's best about the record is that it works best of a piece -- although it entered the charts at number one, this only had one huge hit in "Someone Saved My Life Tonight," which sounds even better here, since it tidily fits into the musical and lyrical themes. And although the musical skill on display here is dazzling, as it bounces between country and hard rock within the same song, this is certainly a grower. The album needs time to reveal its treasures, but once it does, it rivals Tumbleweed in terms of sheer consistency and eclipses it in scope, capturing John and Taupin at a pinnacle. They collapsed in hubris and excess not long afterward -- Rock of the Westies, which followed just months later is as scattered as this is focused -- but this remains a testament to the strengths of their creative partnership.
© Stephen Thomas Erlewine /TiVo
About the album
- 1 disc(s) - 13 track(s)
- Total length: 01:02:23
- Main artists: Elton John
- Composer: Various Composers
- Label: EMI
- Genre: Pop/Rock Pop
© 2013 Mercury Records Limited This Compilation ℗ 2013 This Record Company Ltd.
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