Year:1975
My relationship with Elton John's music started with his greatest hits albums; there are 3 of them (maybe more by now), and all are packed with great songs that have and will live through the ages. At some point, as I've done with many musicians, I got familiar with the most known material and then started to dig deeper until I had gone through their entire repertoire; it took a while until I arrived at Captain Fantastic and the Brown Dirt Cowboy, my favorite album.
I was going through an Elton John period when my dad bought a Rottweiler dog. To please me (I think) he decided to name him "Elton." In retrospect, it was genius, but at the time I felt a bit embarrassed, I suggested naming him "Angus" or "Diablo," but by the time I came up with these alternatives, it was too late. The damn dog was a beast, and he wouldn't let me in the house a couple of times; when I came drunk in the middle of the night, I had to call my dad so he would move him out of the entrance. Elton had to be put down because he threatened to bite my 6-year-old nephew Javier.
Elton's discography, up to this point, is full of songs that are classics today. You can't go wrong with any of his first 10 albums, but Captain Fantastic is, in my opinion, the creative climax of his and Bernie Taupin's career and the least commercial album of their career to that point. The album is conceptual and biographical, representing the relationship between Elton John and Bernie Taupin, his long-time writing partner. There would not be an Elton without Bernie, as there would be no Beatles without Lennon and McCartney, no Stones without Jagger and Richards, or no Ana, Diego or Mateo without Marilu and Moisés.
While this recording contains hits like " Someone Saved My Life Tonight" and "Philadephia Freedom," the album surpasses its individual songs. Musically is different from his previous ones. There are several wonderful piano melodies, but there is less emphasis on this instrument. At the same time, the drums and guitar play an important role, notably in "Better of Dead," in which the drums are paramount. "Writing" may be my favorite song, the lyrics are very touching, and the melody is flawless. While, of course, I still prefer the original, his cover of "Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds" is great, and bought Elton the ticket to play in the last John Lenon concert.
Elton John's legacy will live through the ages as Mozart's, and Captain Fantastic is his "Magic Flute."
Comentários