Elton John’s Anniversary Reissue of ‘Captain Fantastic and the Brown Dirt Cowboy’ Is Out Now
Originally released in 1975, the album chronicled the tale of Elton John and collaborator Bernie Taupin’s early attempts to break into the music industry.
Elton John has shared a new, 50th-anniversary reissue of his 1975 album, Captain Fantastic and the Brown Dirt Cowboy.
Written with John’s longtime collaborator and lyricist Bernie Taupin while they were aboard the passenger liner The SS France, the record marked John’s ninth release in just six years. It chronicled his (Captain Fantastic) and Taupin’s (the Brown Dirt Cowboy) early careers in London as they worked together to break into the industry. On the back of hit singles like “Someone Saved My Life Tonight,” the album became the first in history to debut at #1 on the US Billboard 200, as well as the first to be RIAA-certified Gold solely off of pre-orders.
The new edition, out now, is available in 2LP, 2CD, and 1LP formats. It also features a recording of the album’s live debut at Midsummer Music at Wembley Stadium in 1975. An accompanying booklet also features new material, including never-before-seen entries drawn from John’s personal diary at the time.
The reissue also marks another key milestone in John’s career—the 50th anniversary of his landmark back-to-back performances at Los Angeles’ Dodger Stadium on October 25th and 26th, 1975. The two shows closed out John’s Rock Of The Westies tour, and featured appearances from Emmylou Harris, Joe Walsh and tennis star Billie Jean King. Played for a cumulative total of over 100,000 people and broadcast on British television, the shows remain some of the most famous in pop and rock history.
In a statement on the new reissue, John shared: “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. We rehearsed it as a band, then went in and cut it more or less live. The band were at their absolute peak and you can hear it on the record. I think it’s the best thing we ever did. The songs were strong, Bernie’s lyrics were brilliant, and the atmosphere at Caribou was perfect. Seeing it go to Number One 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.”
So far, 2025 has already been a busy year for the always-prolific John—he released his 10th UK #1 album, Who Believes In Angels? with Brandi Carlile, in April. He also released the live album Elton John – Live from the Rainbow Theatre with Ray Cooper in July.
Shop for Elton John’s Captain Fantastic and the Brown Dirt Cowboy on vinyl or CD now.
