Captain Fantastic: Elton John's Stellar Trip Through the '70s

by Tom Doyle

Based on rare one-on-one interviews with the flamboyant rock 'n' roll icon, this is the first book to trace Elton John's meteoric rise from obscurity to worldwide celebrity in the wildest, weirdest decade of the twentieth century.

In August 1970, Elton John achieved overnight fame with a rousing performance at the Troubadour in Los Angeles. Over the next five years, the artist formerly known as Reginald Dwight went from unheard of to unstoppable, scoring seven consecutive #1 albums and sixteen Top Ten singles in America. By the middle of the decade, he was solely responsible for 2 percent of global record sales. One in fifty albums sold in the world bore his name. Elton John's live shows became raucous theatrical extravaganzas, attended by all the glitterati of the era.

But beneath the spangled bodysuits and oversized eyeglasses, Elton was a desperately shy man, conflicted about his success, his sexuality, and his narcotic indulgences. In 1975, at the height of his fame, he attempted suicide. After coming out as bisexual in a controversial Rolling Stone interview that nearly wrecked his career, and announcing his retirement from live performance in 1977 at the age of thirty, he gradually found his way back to the thing he cared about most: the music.

Captain Fantastic gives readers a behind-the-scenes look at the rise, fall, and return to glory of one of the world's most mercurial performers. Rock journalist Tom Doyle's insider account of the Rocket Man's turbulent ascent is based on a series of one-on-one interviews in which Elton laid bare many previously unrevealed details of his early career. Here is an intimate exploration of Elton's working relationship with songwriting partner Bernie Taupin, whose lyrics often chronicled the ups and downs of their life together in the spotlight. Through these pages pass a parade of legends whose paths crossed with Elton's during the decade--including John Lennon, Bob Dylan, Groucho Marx, Katharine Hepburn, Princess Margaret, Elvis Presley, and an acid-damaged Brian Wilson.

A fascinating portrait of the artist at the apex of his celebrity, Captain Fantastic takes us on a rollicking fame-and-drug-fueled ride aboard Elton John's rocket ship to superstardom.

Genres: Music, Biography, Nonfiction, Pop Culture, LGBT, Biography Memoir

336 pages, Hardcover

First published March 21, 2017

About the author

Librarian Note: There is more than one author by this name in the Goodreads data base.

Reviews

[Scott · Rating 4 out of 5]

"If you write great songs with meaning and emotion, they will last forever because songs are the key to everything. [They] will outlast the artist, and they will go on forever if they are good." -- Sir Elton John

Elton John belongs in that unofficial, rarified club - alongside other name acts like Elvis Presley, the Beatles and the Rolling Stones - as much of his musical output has had a very durable shelf life across the globe. I remember a magazine article from many years ago calling his first Greatest Hits album - which has sold 17 million copies since 1975 - a virtual "childhood soundtrack of the 70's" to the Generation X crowd. Between that and Greatest Hits, Vol. II (just three years later!), those two albums alone represent a solid collection of his instantly recognizable songs from 1970 to 1977.

Author Doyle's Captain Fantastic does a great job in covering that first decade of John's solo career, with the success initially arriving in 1970 via a self-titled album (which was actually his sophomore effort) and an early string of critically-acclaimed and commercially-popular small venue concerts in Los Angeles and Philadelphia. From there the 'Rocket Man' quickly blasted into the pop culture orbit, racking up a truly impressive number of hit singles and/or albums (after partnering with lyricist Bernie Taupin), and headlined concert tours all over the world, including a notable stop in Russia.

Of course - since this is a showbiz bio set in the turbulent 70's - there was a dark downside to the so-called good times. During the 'Me Decade' John fell into bouts of depression and attempted suicide, began abusing narcotics, and had to hide his sexual orientation to the public at large. Doyle's numerous interviews with John throughout those years help make this a very thorough book.

[TMcB · Rating 4 out of 5]

I admit it. I am an Elton John fan…..specifically, the Elton John from 1970 thru 1975. You know, the one that had 7 consecutive #1 albums (in less than 5 years), the one who produced 58 Top 40 singles (27 in the Top 10 and 9 #1’s), who had a Top 100 hit for 31 consecutive years. The sexually-confused piano prodigy who could play virtually any song or style of music as early as age three. The one who, at age 21, tried committing suicide over a doomed engagement to a domineering socialite by sticking his head in an unlit gas oven with the windows wide open. The one who coaxed John Lennon onto the stage at Madison Square Garden in the last live performance of that remarkable life. The one who, perhaps more than any single person alive, has brought great moral and financial support to the fight against AIDS. But, mostly the one who, before he was famous, electrified an August 1970 audience of California glitterati and rock ‘n roll royalty at the Troubadour Club in LA with a performance (with just piano, bass and drums) that had some critics labeling him the biggest thing since the Beatles. Listen to the album “11-17-70 “ (17-11-70 in the UK)…one of the best live albums ever recorded (live broadcast on WABC in NYC)…which captured that same energy. Better yet, listen to the entire WABC performance on YouTube with unreleased tracks as the band and Elton complain of sound issues while on the air. To be one of the 150 plus in the audience would have been memorable.

One of my older sisters brought home the “Madman Across the Water” LP when I was 11. I recall buying her the “Goodbye Yellow Brick Road” LP for Christmas in 1973. I bought the “Captain Fantastic and the Brown Dirt Cowboy” for myself in 1975. It made history as the first album ever to premier at the top of the charts.

So, I’m an Elton John fan…..I’ve seen him live five times between Atlanta-Chicago-Milwaukee. He mostly lost me after 1976 but not enough that I didn’t thoroughly devour this book. Great read for any fans of 70’s music…..for EJ fans it’s required. ☘️☘️☘️☘️

[*TUDOR^QUEEN* · Rating 4 out of 5]

This advance reader copy was graciously provided by NetGalley in return for my honest review.

One of the criteria I have for a well-written biography is for it to engage me, insofar as I am effortlessly turning the pages in keen interest. Joyously, that happened here. Elton John is one of my favorite musical artists from my heyday in the seventies, so I was delighted to delve into this biography. Additionally, I had read one of this author's other biographies about Paul McCartney's Wings group during the 70's: "Man on the Run." That was an excellent book, so I expected much here and wasn't disappointed.

The author writes for various musical magazines and culled much of this book from interviews he had done with Elton. He covers the span of Elton's life from childhood to the present day with a heavy concentration on his fruitful and wildly successful period of the 70's. Had I been able to fully indulge the intricate details of the book, I could have paused reading each time a performance or TV spot was referenced to locate the corresponding video online. He details the strong emotional bond Elton has with his lyricist, Bernie Taupin, as well as their decades long working relationship. He also talks about Elton's drug use, heartaches, loneliness, and search for love and happiness.

Throughout it all, Elton's core shines through with his love of performing, whether it be at a huge arena or in a small college chapel where the prom act cancelled.

This was a very informative and well-written book on a musical icon.

[Dave · Rating 4 out of 5]

Reginald Kenneth Dwight transforms into Elton Hercules John in this bio that traces his career as a band pianist to best selling headlining pianist and singer after meeting lyricist Bernie Taupin.
The book traces the albums, fame, drugs, drinking, turbulence and live performances into the early ‘80’s and a bit beyond.
Pretty decent coverage by Doyle.

[Andy Miller · Rating 3 out of 5]

Reading this book about Elton John during the seventies, when he went from being a nobody to the top in just a couple of years and where he stayed for the rest of the decade ,reminded me of listening to him at the time and how he absolutely dominated the music scene. I loved reading the back story of his hit songs, from Your Song to Good Bye Yellow Brick Road to the Bitch is Back. I also enjoyed reading the gossipy tidbits such as his awkward pass at his lyricist, Bernie Taupin, to his friendship with Rod Stewart, his rivalry with David Bowie and his meeting and corroboration with John Lennon. But at the end this was not a great book. It seemed to lack soul-or true insight about who Elton John really was. But if you're looking for a light read that will cause to reminisce about his hit songs and enjoy the gossipy background of that time, this is the book

[Carolyn · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book about Elton from the 70s. I read it to prepare me for the upcoming movie this summer. It is amazing to me that people this famous have issues with self esteem, shyness and depression. I learned a lot when reading and it made me go back and listen to several of the songs I haven't heard in a while. He is certainly a master at his craft., I didn't realize he doesn't write the lyrics - just the music. The one issue that left me with a question (potential spoiler here) is at the beginning, the book talks about how he was almost married to a woman who was pregnant. But it never says what happened to the baby (unless I missed it). Other than that, a solid decent book and worth the read. 3.75 stars from me.

[S.J. Tyson · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was a MAJOR Elton John fan in the seventies, and I still am to this day. Being as into Elton John as I was/am, I thought I pretty much knew everything there was to know about him. I was wrong. I expected to read a nice reflection of his wildly successful decade of the seventies, without many surprises. Wrong again. I knew there were stark difference between his true self and the Elton persona, but I did not realize the extent. His seemingly charmed life was also filled with darkness, loneliness, and heartache. This book is a nice companion to the "Rocketman" movie (which I also recommend), filling in some details and placing life events in a more chronological order than the movie. My only gripe about this book is the section regarding his relationship with Linda Woodrow, a woman whom he was living with and engaged to marry. (This relationship was the basis for the song "Someone Saved My Life Tonight" on the "Captain Fantastic & The Brown Dirt Cowboy" album.) The book states that he decided to marry Linda when she told him she was pregnant. However, there is no further mention of the pregnancy, even at the point where they break up, and years later when he briefly sees her again. Nothing. Not a word. That seemed like a glaring omission of information that really bugged me since it was a major life event and was never resolved in any way. I almost felt like I would rather not have been given that information at all if we weren't going to be privy to what happens after that. Regardless, I enjoyed this book and highly recommend it to anyone who is an Elton John fan, or wants to read a book that offers an interesting behind-the-scenes look at the life of a 1970s-era rock star.

[dyse · Rating 4 out of 5]

Tom Doyle really likes to contrast this idea of shy record-obsessed boy Reg with extraverted flamboyant Elton powered by cocaine. Inspired by interviewing Elton directly about the 70s and ending up with too much for a single article. There were a couple things that contradicted with Phillip Norman’s biography: Russ Reagan really wanted Elton, not that other band that went nowhere, Elton’s been leaping at the piano since his school days. It was overall very fun account of his stellar trip through the 70s. It also offered the most insight into his past drug habits, and how he felt left out when the band did it.

[Clem · Rating 5 out of 5]

Reading readers’ reviews on Amazon of this book, I discovered many stated that “this was a SURPRISINGLY good book….”. I couldn’t help wondering: why were so many people ‘surprised’? Was it because Elton is so popular that there are already a plethora of biographies about him and this was perceived as ‘yet another one’? Was it because Elton, now a septuagenarian, is on a giant farewell tour with a movie about to be released about him, and many thought this was exploitation? Was it because the cheesiness of the front cover? All of the above?

Regardless, I must agree. It’s a very good book, and I was pleasantly surprised. Now, I consider myself a HUGE fan of Elton John; not only do I own all his CDs, but also host my own ‘Elton’ website, so at the risk of sounding arrogant, I feel I’m a pretty good judge. This book pays careful attention not to just gloss over events, yet at the same time doesn’t try to immerse itself too deep in the weeds. I felt this book devoted just the right amount of time and focus on things that a true fan wants to read about when perusing through a biography.

As the title suggests, the book focuses on the 70s, and most would argue that Elton was undoubtedly THE most popular musician of the 1970s. So we read a lot of high profile celebrity-ism. That’s not to say that this was a pleasant time for Elton. Sadly, Elton has always suffered from horrible mood swings and, as popular as he was (and still is), the poor chap was simply miserable most of the time. When one looks deep into his character and personality, it sadly isn’t too shocking. As a young man, Elton was a rather shy introvert; chubby, near-sighted, pre-mature baldness, and he was also forced to keep his homosexuality buried pretty deep within his closet because of the times. In fact, the fact that he dressed so exorbitantly during the decade was his strange way of coping with his many insecurities.

The author does a great job of telling a chronological account. He doesn’t spend too much time on Elton pre Elton (his Christian name is Reginald Dwight) probably because he knows his readers really don’t care much. As soon as the 1970s arrive, we read about his incredible climb to the top in a manner of about 5 years and about 10 albums. We read a bit about each of the albums, and although the public quickly gobbled them up at queues in record stores, the author gives a fair assessment of each of these releases and gives the honest perspective that all of them (such as ‘Don’t Shoot Me I’m Only the Piano Player’ and ‘Caribou’) weren’t really THAT good, yet economics dictated a rushed product and keep the profits coming.

My only gripe about the book is it ended too early. Although the decade of the 1970s is highlighted in the title, we actually read through about 1981. Once we arrive at 1981-82, the author then briefly hits on the highlights of the last 35 years. I wish he would have kept his same place instead of giving us a brief summary of the latter years. Of course, this would have accounted for a much lengthier book. Even though Elton was the most popular during the 1970s, there really was so much more story left to tell.

The good news about Elton John is that during some part of his life (most would argue when he became clean and sober – about 1992), Elton seemed to finally find peace with himself and, whereas the mood swings are still there to a point, he seems much more happy and content in his later life. After reading about all of the turmoil that the man went through during the 1970s, it’s actually quite a miracle that he even survived.

I also want to point out, that as rapid as a fan I am, I also learned a few things that I never knew about Elton. For example, when he formed his new band in 1975, I didn’t know that there was a third guitarist, Jeff ‘Skunk’ Baxter, who was briefly added to the lineup. I remember seeing a picture of the ‘new’ Elton John Band more than 40 years ago, and I always wondered who the ‘hairy’ guy in the picture was. Now I know.

I did, however, also find a few errors throughout the book as well, so I guess the reader needs to be somewhat cautious. Example: The ‘Here and There’ album consists of two live performances from 1974, yet the author states that one of the concerts was from 1972. A minor gripe.

I would love it if this author would one day release a ‘part two’ and pick up where he left off, but since the meat of Elton’s story, at least sales wise, takes place in the 1970s, I doubt we’ll ever see such an undertaking.

[Allan Heron · Rating 4 out of 5]

Rather like his McCartney book, Doyle focuses on Elton John's 1970's where the first half of the decade saw him reach the heights with a series of consistently great albums, with the second seeing him struggling to cope.

Doyle has had a lot of good sources for his story, including Elton himself. It beggars belief the almost chaotic circumstances in which these classics were created, but it was only once cocaine entered the scene that the quality control began to suffer.

You do wonder though if the excellent access has been at a price. Elton's post-80's career is summarised in an Epilogue, but no mention is made of his court case against Dick James. This was not an insignificant incident.

Elton and Bernie respectively think Leather Jackets and The Big Picture are the worst albums. I agree with them.

Well worth a read for any fans of Elton's music.

[Horror Bookworm Reviews · Rating 5 out of 5]

Tom Doyle, author of Paul McCartney Man on the Run returns with another captivating book, Captain Fantastic, the glitter and glam story of legendary songwriter Elton John during the colorful 1970's. Doyle takes the reader on a magical parallel persona alteration as ordinary Reginald Kenneth Dwight transforms himself to penny round spectacle wearing Elton Hercules John. Surreal stories of John Lennon, Yoko Ono and of course the genius collaboration with Bernie Taupin typifies this amazing page turner. Doyle churns out another enthusiastic musically obsessed biography of an icon that gave society many gifts to cherish in the form of melodic expression.

[Flávio Maurício · Rating 5 out of 5]

Após conferir “Rocket Man” nos cinemas, parti pra minha biografia do Elton John. Mesmo ciente da proposta alegórica do filme, foi impossível não comparar a leitura com as informações do filme. Como previa, muitas alterações na história real. Mas falarei sobre isso no final.

“Captain Fantastic – a espetacular trajetória de Elton John nos anos 1970”, publicada no Brasil pela Benvirá, é uma das diversas biografia feitas sobre cantor. Mas, neste caso, o jornalista Tom Doyle (que escreve pra revista “Mojo”) propõe uma imersão nos anos 70, a mesma proposta seguida em outro livro do autor, “Man on the run”, no qual descreve a trajetória de Paul McCartney nos anos 70.

Livros e, principalmente, filmes que recortam um período específico da carreira do biografado tendem a ter um resultado mais satisfatório do que aqueles que tentam abarcar toda a vida ou carreira (uma rara exceção é a biografia de Philip Norman sobre John Lennon, mas ali são mais de 800 páginas e apenas 40 anos de vida). No caso de “Capitain Fantastic”, o livro começa um pouco antes da década anunciada, em 1968, e faz algumas breves visitas à infância e adolescência do cantor, e, nas últimas páginas faz um breve resumo da vida do artista até a atualidade. Não me surpreenderia se este livro tiver servido como base para o filme.

O foco do livro é a carreira, sendo aspectos pessoais expostos em segundo plano. Não se trata propriamente de uma biografia autorizada, mas a base do livro foram diversas entrevistas feitas com o autor para uma publicação da “Mojo”. Como o material cortado era extenso e extremamente interessante, Doyle resolveu escrever a biografia, lançando mão de entrevistas complementares com outras pessoas da vida de Elton e, como não podia deixar de ser, pesquisa em entrevistas já publicadas e biografia anteriores de Elton e de outros artistas, como Led Zeppelin, Groucho Marx, John Lennon e Rod Stewart. Aliás, a amizade entre Elton e Rod é um capítulo à parte.

Gosto do estilo jornalístico de Doyle, leve, simples, objetivo, sem sensacionalismo, e ainda assim capaz de dar a cada momento o devido peso de sua grandiosidade histórica ou emotiva. Talvez pelo acesso generoso que teve com o biografado, Doyle usou de breves eufemismos para falar dos “ataques de pelanca” da celebridade Elton John. Mas não deixou de mencioná-las, acredito eu que retratando a própria visão autocrítica do cantor sobre seus atos passados.

De “Empty Sky” (1969) até “21 at 33” (1980), o livro conta a história das gravações turnês e contexto de disco a disco. Aos fãs de futebol, há relatos generosos do envolvimento de Elton com Watford, clube inglês que acaba de contratar João Pedro, a mais nova grande revelação do Fluminense. Outra narrativa paralela de interesse é a relação dele com a realeza britânica a partir da amizade com a princesa Margaret. E o livro narra com detalhes três encontros especiais de Elton John: com Groucho Marx, com Elvis Presley e a última apresentação pública de John Lennon, em um show de Elton no Madison Square Garden.

Feita a devida resenha do livro, vamos às diferenças e semelhanças com o filme.

Quanto ao pai, o filme pegou mais pesado, mas não tão distante da realidade. Doyle não faz menção ao segundo casamento e os meio-irmãos. Quando o menino Reg estava dando muito trabalho, o pai o colocava sentado ao piano, e ele se acalmava. Foi graças ao pai que Elton desenvolveu sua paixão pelo futebol e ao Watford.

A mãe de Elton, decididamente, ficou prejudicada no filme. A imagem que passa no livro é de uma mãe que sempre apoiou o filho, inclusive quando ele se declarou gay. Sheila ajudou na mudança quando ele saiu de casa para morar com John Reid e foi ela quem sugeriu a ele que Reid fosse o seu agente. A única coisa que deixou ela puta foi quando Reginald Kennet Dwight trocou oficialmente seu nome para Elton Hercules John.

Ao contrário do que faz parecer no filme, os pais se separaram quando Reg tinha uns 13 anos. O pai o achava um rebelde por causa do gosto musical, puxado pro rock, que lhe foi apresentado pela mãe. A razão da separação foi o envolvimento de Sheila com Fred, que tornou-se o padrasto de Reg. Fred sempre foi um entusiasta da carreira do enteado.

Sobre a namorada que aparece no filme, na vida real era uma namorada que Elton arrumou quando ele ainda morava com a mãe (e com Bernie). Pra ter mais privacidade, ele acabou indo morar com ela, e Bernie foi junto. Ela engravidou e Elton fez o mesmo que Lennon: pediu-a em casamento. Mas, ao contrário de Lennon, desistiu e foi posto pra fora de casa. A cena da desistência foi parecida com a do filme, mas em nenhum momento foi dito a Elton que ele era gay. A frase foi: “Reg, você está mais apaixonado pelo Bernie do que por essa mulher”. E ela sequer ligava pras músicas dele. O casamento com a engenheira de som alemã, que no filme ficou meio solto no tempo, durou de 1984 a 1988. Na época, ele já tinha se assumido bissexual.

O filho de Dick James (o dono da gravadora), Ray Williams e Steve Brown foram fundidos no personagem Ray Williams. A forma como Elton conheceu Bernie Taupin está bem fidedigna, mas Dick James não era o chato insensível mostrado no filme. Ele gostou das músicas apresentadas pela dupla e, quando “Empty Sky” fracassou, ele decidiu dobrar a aposta e fazer uma produção de primeira no segundo disco. Este, ao contrário do que parece, também fracassou na Inglaterra. Mas numa desses lances de sorte, o cara que foi contactado para distribuir os discos nos EUA, Russ Reagan, ficou chapado ao ouvir “Elton John”, e não teve dúvidas de que estava diante de um gênio. Foi dele a ideia e iniciativa de trazer Elton para o Troubador. Ele só não iria pagar a viagem. Dick James aceitou fazer mais esse investimento, dizendo pro filho, Stephen James, que seria a última chance do rapaz.

John Reid também foi demonizado no filme. Fora o fato de já terem se conhecido em Londres, tudo aconteceu como retratado no filme, numa festa em Los Angeles. Elton e Reid viveram juntos por cinco anos, sem se revelarem um casal. Reid era dois anos mais novo e, aos 21, aceitou com muita relutância ser empresário de Elton. Ao fazê-lo, o fez como empregado de Dick James, que gostou do acerto. Na época da renovação do contrato, a parta da produção ficou com a empresa américa que promovia o cantor nos EUA, e Dick James ficou com os direitos autorais, o que ele considerou um prêmio e reconhecimento pelos serviços prestados.

Reid era de fato briguento, partia pra cima de jornalistas e engenheiros de som, super protetor e galinha. Mas, apesar da separação sofrida, ele continuou empresariando o artista, como mostra no filme, e sendo seu amigo.

Após a internação, quando se encheu de remédios e pulou na piscina, ele não foi para um spa se tratar, ele deu uma puta show, com autorização dos médicos. Dois anos depois ele deu uma parada com os shows e resolveu investir no Watford. O tratamento contra o alcoolismo e as drogas ocorreu quase 15 anos depois, por influência de um namorado.

O livro fala muito da amizade e da relação artística entre Bernie Taupin e Elton John. De fato, eles nunca brigaram, mesmo quando se afastaram, época em que Bernie passou a fazer dupla com Alice Cooper.

Por fim, um dado curioso: a mãe, John Reid, os músicos, a crítica, todos se incomodavam com os excessos do vestuário de Elton John. Na verdade, se incomodavam com tudo o que, nas performances, tiravam o foco da música. Para Elton, possivelmente era uma forma de vencer a timidez ou se estimular e se manter focado... na música.

[patrick Lorelli · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a good book into the rise of Elton John from his childhood to his chart success from “your song” and throughout the 70’s. The author takes you through the different bands he joined and how he began writing music until he met Bernie Taupin. Together they would have some of the biggest hits not only of the 70’s but of all time. “Candle in the Wind” for instance is originally off 1973 Goodbye Yellow Brick Road album and Elton John asked Bernie to rework some of the lyrics for Diana which he did. Things like that unless you are a true fan you may not know. I spent the 70’s buying albums, records, and Elton Johns were some of the ones I always bought. I liked his music so finding out about the different tours and all of the people that would go to see him was an added plus to the book, also finding out that he made it here in the U.S first before England was also a plus. Like I said this book only takes you through the 70’s ends with album 21 at 33 which I thought was still a good record at the beginning of 1980. The author goes into different people’s reviews of his albums but even for me back then I never paid too much attention to those because a lot of them did not like certain groups when they first came out but after a few records they would change their tune. I will say the one time I saw him in concert was on his “One” tour, which was right after he got out of rehab and the music was great. Back to playing the piano like he used to but he was not flamboyant with his dress, but he did play over 2 hours’ worth of music. Over all a good book and for most people I think they will find out things that they don’t know. I got this book from Netgalley.com I gave it 4 stars. Follow us at www.1rad-readerreviews.com

[Paul Brewer · Rating 3 out of 5]

Elton John provides interesting transatlantic companion to Jimmy Hendrix. Both were perceived as immensely talented musicians, but held back by flaws. In Hendrix' case, it was a kind of waywardness that sat uncomfortably with the discipline required of a performing artist. Elton John was universally regarded is too short and plain to be a pop star. Both also found success outside their homelands, John in the US and Hendrix in Britain, but were initially at least underachievers in their own countries. Jimmy Hendrix, however, never enjoyed the fame and wealth that John did while he was alive. John became immensely wealthy, even for a pop-star, at the time. For Doyle, John was one of the artists who blazed the trail that made these sorts rich as Croesus.

Doyle's book is a solid contribution to understanding how the transatlantic pop culture of the 1960s-80s worked. The author never loses sight of the career, and I can imagine some readers will be put-out by there being too much about the career and not enough about the personal life. He perhaps skates over the wider implications of John's to-ing and fro-ing between the United States and Britain too superficially for the reader to understand why John really broke through in the 'foreign' country before he did at home. It's quite a lively read, too.

Recommended for those interested in Elton John and 1970s pop culture generally.

[Marian · Rating 3 out of 5]

I (finally) saw Elton John in concert last month, and it was the BEST TIME EVER, but it also left me with a lot of questions. I realized there was so much of his formative music and career milestones I had NO idea about. I didn't even know about Bernie Taupin, which seems rather terrible now that I know the full history of the John-Taupin partnership. I always assumed Elton John's music inclued the words, even the Lion King! Which was Tim Rice (and I'm SURE I knew that on some level).

So, this book is most fascinating to me in the first third or so. We meet a shy, awkward young man who is brilliantly talented at performing music from the age of 2 or 3; and he loves music on every level. The path to stardom is pretty fascinating, how quickly his life changes (and Bernie's), and how quickly his star rises.

I got kind of bored about halfway through. It starts to read like a string of magazine articles (which was the genesis of the book, so it makes sense). There are definitely highlights, the journey through addiction, the struggle with fame, the struggle of public identity and publicly defining sexuality. The best parts are where you get the direct quotes from Elton/band members/Bernie.

I kind of came away from this book feeling sad. I adore Elton John, and I'm glad he has found happiness in his life and has had such a successful career. But it's hard to put this book down without wondering if he would have been happier without fame.

[Kate · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book probably doesn't truly deserve such a low rating, but I really struggled through it.

I picked this up as a way of participating in the "Reading Without Walls" initiative. The concept is to read something outside of your reading norms. I don't generally read nonfictions, so that was an obvious choice. And while I like music, I don't have much in common with a gay male rock star, so I thought this would be a good jump out of my comfort zone.

It may be the fact that I dislike nonfiction, or it may truly have been a slow form of torture to read the first half of this book. It was a month by month account of Elton John's early career. While I can appreciate needing a backstory, and building the story from the ground up, I really felt like this was beating a dead horse. There were so many opportunities for Doyle to expand on a funny anecdote, or delve into a great show or story, but they were just skimmed over in order to cover the large amount of activity the Elton John experienced in the peak of his popularity.

While I understand the approach, I did not enjoy it. I took the step out of my reading bounds, and did not enjoy it. Better luck next time I guess.

[atom_box Evan G · Rating 3 out of 5]

I grew up staring at the album art on Yellow Brick Road, et al. As a 4th grader in 1974 we didn't have Internet so this book answers a lot of questions about how Bernie and Elton wrote. Bernie was only 17! The stories about going to record Honky Chateau and Don't Shoot Me, in France and Jamaica, respectively, are interesting.

But the writing style is not great. It feels like a first or second draft of a magazine article, rushed for a submission deadline. And the amount of material here, while a little more than would fit in a long magazine article, really feels like it was stretched to fill the 280 pages, with nothing sacrificed to the cutting room floor. Dialogue includes "um..." and allows the quoted subjects to repeat themselves and meander around a point to, I guess, pad out the book length.

If you were ever an Elton/Bernie fan you will enjoy this like you'd enjoy a good long magazine article. This was a very fun skim and I enjoyed it and shared a lot of the things from it with whoever was around.

[Fred · Rating 4 out of 5]

For the Elton-loving fan or anyone interested in Rock history in the 1970s, this book is a delight. It is even-handed, well written, quick moving and honest without being salacious. The 1970s were a crazy time and you can make the argument that Elton John was the best example of that craziness. It was an era of big recording contracts, massive concerts, extravagant outfits and rampant drug use. But amazingly, in the midst of all the craziness, this is the story of a small, chubby, self-conscious dreamer who became a worldwide star. Doyle reminds us over and over that Elton is not Jagger or Bowie whose elegance seemed effortless and Elton John felt that. But he was a genius at making melodies. The songs that Elton John and Bernie Taupin produced stand the test of time and remain some of the greatest rock anthem ever made. If there is one negative it is that there is not time in a narrative this short for Doyle to really dig into the lyrics and the "stories behind the music" for specific songs. But it is a minor disappointment. This is a great book.

[Murray · Rating 5 out of 5]

Once upon a time, after the Beatles split, the hottest, most successful recording artist in the world was Elton Hercules John.

Tom Doyle's new book, "Captain Fantastic", is a quick read that does a good job capturing both the madness and creativity that was and is Elton John. While I'm not really old enough to remember when EJ first burst onto the scene with "Your Song", I was on board pretty soon afterwards (I remember buying the "Rocket Man" 45 when it came out). I've long maintained that "Goodbye Yellow Brick Road" is one of the greatest albums ever recorded. Doyle provides some insight to the creative process that yielded that masterpiece; I would have given this book 5 stars if there was even more of that. Nonetheless, the book is very nostalgic for Elton-mania, much of which I still remember very clearly. By the end, when Elton's career was disintegrating, I wished for a sequel to address his brilliant comeback in the 90s. Maybe that will be another book.

[Nate · Rating 5 out of 5]

All about the music. Mostly. And successfully.

I've read a few reviews that state that this reads like a series of magazine articles. No, it doesn't. But even if it did, so what? Doyle essays just enough information, with writing that is crisp and concise. It got me exactly to where I wanted to go, specifically the 1970s albums' backgrounds.

I read EJ's Me before this; and what was disappointing about the autobio was the lack of insight into the making of the music. It was mostly about the making of (and usually justification of) EJ himself. With Doyle's book, you get a lot of Bernie Taupin and the thinking behind the lyrics.

I've come away from these two books realizing that I wish I had read only Doyle's. EJ's autobio is a coke diary whereas Doyle's is focused on what really matters: those brilliant 70s songs.

[Deb · Rating 2 out of 5]

Excruciating to finish

I was hoping to like this book as much as I enjoy Elton John and his music. The very beginning was a bit promising, with insights into "Reg's" love for music. But after that it just felt like long, boring lists of names in the music business, and long, boring lists of songs written and or performed. I did enjoy reading into the true meanings or inspirations behind some of the more well known songs. And there were a few interesting little tidbits scattered here and there, but not nearly enough. I kept hoping for more, but I had to make myself finish the book, and now I really don't think it was worth it. The writer did not seem to capture the personalities of anyone mentioned in the book. Maybe that's the problem. The whole book just lacked personality.

[Jeff Howells · Rating 4 out of 5]

A detailed journey through Elton’s early years, focusing on his imperial phase during the mid 70s when he was the biggest music act in the world (who in one year was responsible for 1 in every 50 albums sold). Arguably his fame has only been replicated by a handful of people since. Michael Jackson perhaps, certainly Taylor Swift.
Of course, that level of fame took its toll. By the end of that decade the drink and drugs had affected the quality control of the songs, but - my god - what a back catalogue he has.
The book benefits from having interviews with John himself, his band and - most importantly Bernie Taupin (without whom etc). The most important person in his life, and someone he’s never argued with (amazing given his propensity for tantrums).
A good book to get an overview of Elton’s careeer.

[Neil · Rating 4 out of 5]

A pretty decent recap of a career I was completely immersed in at the time. I owned the debut and Tumbleweed Connection on 8-track, the next couple on cassette, and anxiously awaited vinyl releases up to Blue Moves. The story is fairly well-known and unsurprising: sudden and massive fame screws up a shy introvert, but the great joy of the book was going back to revisit the catalog while I was reading. Hearing the albums now, in higher quality stereo than I had access to back then, I'm convinced Gus Dudgeon was the George Martin of his time. Those insanely catchy pop records sounded bloody marvelous, and the genius of creating so many indelible hooks was as much the producer as the man on the marquee.

[Roger Horner · Rating 3 out of 5]

I’m a bit conflicted here. I “read” the audio version of this book. I was an avid fan of Elton during this period. More recently, I saw him in concert on his “farewell” tour and can attest that he’s still an amazing performer to this day. This book is satisfying for people like me. If you’re more interested in juicy personal details than a compendium of each of his songs and how they came about, you probably wouldn’t be that entertained by it. (The book does tell his personal story and how he achieved his phenomenal fame, but there’s LOTS of detail about all of the songs. There are diehard fans who will love that, but it’s not everyone’s cup.) On the audio version, the narration is a bit dry.

[Grindy Stone · Rating 2 out of 5]

One takeaway from this book and the recent film about Sir Elton is that he was a talented but flamboyant pianist who hit it big singing somebody else's (i.e. Bernie Taupin's) lyrics. Another takeaway from this book and film is that it's easier to hold Elton John in high esteem so long as one doesn't look too closely at the entire catalog, including the insipid "That's What Friends Are For," the idiotic "Candle in the Wind" and "Don't Go Breaking My Heart" remakes, and when he finally broke loose from Bernie Taupin by singing another famous lyricist's words for "The Lion King" soundtrack. Most annoying about this book is the author's fanboy voice. One day we will get a good Elton John biography, as this one isn't it.

[Lissa00 · Rating 4 out of 5]

My love of Elton John's music was handed down by my mother, who listened to his songs often when I was a child. Now that he has written a memoir, I probably should have picked that up but since this was already on my Kindle, I went with that instead. I'm glad that I did. This is based on a number of interviews that the author did with Elton John for a magazine. It covers just the one decade but most of his well known songs were released during these years. I think that the singer comes off as funny, charming and self-effacing even during his most dramatic tantrums and I enjoyed this peak into his ascent into fame. I received a digital ARC of this book (a long time ago) through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

[Timothy Neesam · Rating 3 out of 5]

Fairly straightforward recounting of Elton John's career, focusing on the 1970s. John made a series of incredibly popular albums over a very short period of time (roughly 1970-75) and the book does a good job of his rise, relating the stresses that came with such an intense period of creativity, the tours that got bigger and bigger and John's rapid descent, due in no small part to heavy substance abuse. Recommended for fans of creative process, but I think Doyle's other book, Paul McCartney: Man on The Run is a much better read (same time period, too).

[Georgia Doll · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a phenomenally stellar read. As my all time favourite artist, I’ve grown up engulfed in the magical musical makings of Sir Elton John and loved following his life behind the microphone whenever possible. Tom Doyle truly opens the window into 1970’s Elton, allowing readers to get a solid glimpse of what it was like being a super star in such a drug-fuelled era. He still remains to be my favourite artist and this beautiful book has provided even more depth behind the enjoyment of Elton and Bernie’s outstanding melodies.

[Natalie · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a gift from my mom while I recovered from surgery. I was worried it might be more than I could handle at first so I waited a few days before I dove in so the pain wasn't muddling my brain.

This was an easy to read book that kept me entertained. I don't know all of the songs mentioned so I will be listening to more Elton John in the coming days to add some more perspective to it. Most of the book takes place before I was born and I primarily know the greatest hits 🙂

Thanks, Mom!

[Lisa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Just the right amount of detail, spanning the most significant years and events in Elton's amazing life. The writer is a rock journalist, giving appropriate framing to the story and weight to individual events. Elton is no innocent and descriptions of his drug use and tantrums are neither glossed over or dragged out ad nauseum. A fun adventure that has me exploring his back catalog AND the newest tunes from Rocketman, the movie.