Be glad you can only read me.
Cuz if you knew me and it was 6 am you could well get a phone call or text or email saying something random and brow furrowing.
“Captain Fantastic and The Brown Dirt Cowboy”, song of the day…alrighty then. Good Morning!
Things pop into my head with no real provocation and I don’t mind. But to be a friend of mine you have to expect an occasional “WTF Hel?” moment.
They aren’t so rare.
My brethren here on this site can attest, some more than others but, with a dash of humour we forge on. Its all good fun
Captain Fantastic and the Brown Dirt Cowboy was the “concept’ album of genius from Elton John and Mr Pen-is Mightier than the sword Bernie Taupin as a chronological frolic through their creative adventures from 1967-1969, so they say.
Released in 1975 a 9 year old Hel sat in the back seat of the station wagon while 3 older siblings belted out the songs as mom drove to the lake. Vivid as hell.
Flash forward to now.
The album is brilliant.
The title song has such a farmhouse twang its believe able. The lyrics pure alphabet art. Words paint the most vivid pictures.
The innocence in Johns vocal, convincing and endearing. Breathtaking. I’m pretty hardened, yet this song with its tempo shifts and swell really move me. Alot. I can still see my oldest brothers mad air drumstick moves on the dashboard. Great times.
This lp gave up some hits too ‘Someone Save My Life Tonight’, “We All Fall In Love Sometime” “Lucy in The Sky With Diamonds” all got airtime.
I more clearly remember “Meal Ticket” (which I thought was about public assistance) and “Better Off Dead”, which we kids screamed lyrics too and my Mom shushed us on. ( I should get the Magpie the sheet music on that one). “Tower of Babel” (Cain meet Abel, have a ball y’all) was a win too come to think of it.
I hate that Elton ended up sucking. Im sad. I blame the hair transplant.
But 1975? That dude ruled.