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58 of 58 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Outstanding collector's package, September 14, 2005
I own every EJ recording I can find; so plunking down more cash on something I already own several copies of wasn't my idea of fun, but it seemed necessary. After doing it, I can only say... worth EVERY cent!
First off, there are two discs, one of the original recording with extra tracks, and the other the Wembley performance of the tneire record front to back. Both feature the Captain Fantastic logo lending more authenticity than the "45-rpm" replica CDs offered last time.
Disc 1 apparently has been digitally sweetened or remastered -- I'm not exactly sure (I haven't read the liner notes yet) but it sounds even better than the remastered edition. It's crisp, clear, powerful; you'd swear this was recorded yesterday, not in 1975. It just blows out of my my speaks with unrivaled clarity and brilliance. Wonderful recording.
The concert is a gem for the second disc, because of its rarity and uniqueness. What's fun here is that Elton talks between tracks and gives some info on the writing behind the songs, as well as his trademark humor and raport with his audiences. You get to be part of the 1975 concert experience, which for me having been born in 1974, is pretty damned cool.
The other awesome, awesome, AWESOME part of this collection is the packing and other items. This disc set is presented as a "double album" treatment where the discs are in a box that unfolds, but slips neatly into a plastic case. Inside, in addition to the two discs, you'll be dlighted to find original artwork, original liner notes... the original Captain Fantastic poster (!)... printed interviews with Elton and Bernie several years on looking back, and notes on the reissue.
This is a classic recording -- the first album to EVER *ENTER* the Billboard charts at #1 -- and it gets the classic treatment it deserves here.
For an Elton fan, this is a must have, as I think it will be the definitive recording. As we've seen reissue after reissue, I think they have finally nailed it by giving you as complete a package as possible. Buy this, and let what Elton intended come from the end of the world... to your town.
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25 of 25 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
An extraordinary package: yes, you'll need to buy this..., October 7, 2005
"Captain Fantastic and The Brown Dirt Cowboy" has aged "fantastically" well. It's one of those great albums, from days long gone by, that are an absolute pleasure to listen to, from beginning to end. All killer, no filler, as they used to say.
I'm biased, because way back in fifth grade, to me, this was the greatest album ever made since the invention of the phonograph. I loved Elton John, and loved this record.
Honestly, I don't think I've listened to this whole thing in decades, but a phenomenally scary thing happened. I sang right along in the car, without missing a syllable, to the opening title song. Every weird phrase I didn't understand, but I didn't care that I didn't understand, when I was young I still had locked somewhere in the vault of my skull. Words that I hadn't THOUGHT of in 20 years came flowing right out of my mouth. How on Earth did the phrase, "and the 68th summer festival wallflower is thinning..." stay intact in there this long? It was kinda weird. I still could "sing" the skip I uses to have on my old record. I remembered exactly where it was, and how I used to have to bump the record player to keep it going.
Anyways, the classic single, "Someone Saved My Life Tonight" is on here too, and pretty much every other song is filled with strong melodies, delightful arrangements...the album definitely has an overall flow to it.
The remastering is exquisite. Finely detailed and separated.
The folks at MCA have added four era-specific singles to the end of the album proper, like his classic take on "Lucy In The Sky With Diamonds", and the huge hit, "Philadelphia Freedom"
The second disc is given to an extraordinarily well-recorded concert back in 1975, where he played, mere weeks after the release of the album, the entirety of "Captain Fantastic" from first track to last. I was amazed at the sound quality.
His performance is superb; a young Elton John must have been a sight to see in those days. I hear he recently (September 2005) did this sort of thing, playing this whole album, in NYC. All I'm saying is that there BETTER be a DVD coming out...
The live album ends with a raucous "Pinball Wizard" and a wild, rollicking "Saturday Night's (Alright For Fighting)." The energy is positively nuclear in intensity, and the band borders on "punk" in their ferocity. Seriously, I could not have been more impressed.
Let's review: a remastered classic; additional essential singles; an entire concert recording including one of the best live performance you'll ever hear...all for one absurdly low price?
Oh yeah...you want this. Bad.
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13 of 14 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Wow! 30 years., September 28, 2005
I purchased the lp the day it was released in '75, saw EJ at Madison Square Garden later that year. One of 7 (SEVEN!)sold-out shows. The album and the concert are two of the greatest experiences I've had with music. This re-issue is phenomenal.
Just last Friday, my wife & I saw Elton again at Madison Square Garden. The first 45 minutes or so were dedicated to his most recent studio disc "Peachtree Road", which we all politely listened to. After, he went straight into "Captain Fantastic", (all but 2 songs)and the place went crazy. He continued to play more greats from back in the day, but one thing that struck me was how great "Captain" was/is, and not nearly as appreciated as it should be.
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by Elton John 
