Threads of Brilliance: Liz Rosenthal Re-weaves the Story of Elton’s Most Explosive Era

Elizabeth J. Rosenthal is an American writer and historian. Her alma maters include Syracuse University (1982, journalism) and Rutgers University (1985, Juris Doctor). She spent 28 years as legal liaison for the New Jersey Civil Service Commission and is now a Trustee of the Historical Society of Moorestown in New Jersey. Rosenthal’s first book, His Song: The Musical Journey of Elton John (Billboard Books, 2001), remains one of the most comprehensive studies of Elton’s life and work. Her next biography, Birdwatcher: The Life of Roger Tory Peterson (Lyons Press, 2008), told the story of the groundbreaking 20^th-century naturalist, writer, and artist. Her newest book is The Master of Drums: Gene Krupa and the Music He Gave the World (Citadel Press, 2025), the definitive biography of the Swing Era drummer who became the most influential jazz drummer of his time and the chief inspiration for nearly every rock drummer from the 1950s onward. See https://www.elizabethjrosenthal.com for more information. Rosenthal has also written about the Swing Era for The Wall Street Journal and is the author of a piece about Roger Tory Peterson in the commemorative Art Students League volume, 150 Stories: Lives of the Artists at the League.

Today we celebrate one of the most pivotal moments in Elton John’s career: the extraordinary creative stretch of 1975, the year that gave us two albums as different as they are essential — Captain Fantastic and the Brown Dirt Cowboy and Rock of the Westies. To help us explore this fascinating moment in Elton’s musical journey, we are truly honored to welcome Liz Rosenthal.

Hello Liz, welcome to the 50th anniversary of these two majestic albums, let's start: Captain Fantastic is often seen as Elton and Bernie’s most autobiographical work. What do you think made it so cohesive and personal compared to their previous albums? 

It was cohesive and personal because Elton and Bernie set out to make an autobiographical album. They wanted their fans to know what it was like for them before they achieved fame and fortune. As Bernie wrote in “Curtains”: “Just like us, you must have had a once upon a time.”

What do you think motivated Elton and Bernie to tell their story with Captain Fantastic at that particular moment in their lives? 

The summer of 1974 saw EJ and BT seemingly at the top of the world. They didn’t realize that they had not actually reached the summit yet. Nevertheless, it was the perfect time to reflect on the period of their lives when they were stuck trying to get somewhere in a late 1960s industry that embraced the status quo.

How has the critical and public perception of this album evolved over the years (between 1975 and now)? Are there aspects that were once undervalued but are now seen as more relevant or influential? 

Reviews were mixed at the time the album was released. Even Robert Hilburn, Elton’s biggest booster, wasn’t quite sure what to make of it. Over the years, the album’s artistic reputation grew to the point where it’s now considered possibly the high point of the EJ/BT phenomenon. In the 1980s and 90s, critics were especially fond of praising its near-perfection while derogating whatever album Elton had just released. Elton’s 21^st century albums have been mostly celebrated by rock writers and it’s been suggested that some of them come close to, or match, the quality of Captain Fantastic.

Captain Fantastic marked the end of Elton’s classic band era, and just months later he completely changed his lineup for Rock of the Westies. What do you think motivated that shift, and how did it impact the sound and chemistry of his music during that transition? 

Elton has often said that he fired Nigel and Dee because he wanted a different-sounding band, one that he thought would rock more. I’m not sure he got the result he wanted (see more about that below). His new band, with Caleb Quaye dominating the guitar sound, was dramatically different, but whether it was better is another story.

True! How do you think the album artwork and visual imagery of Captain Fantastic complement the music and the overall message of the record? 

The booklets are a treasure trove for fans. “Scraps” must have been a special thrill in 1975, with bits of Elton’s diaries and so many never-before-seen pictures of EJ and BT from when they lived like ordinary blokes. Since then, fans have been deluged (for better or worse) with books, documentaries, musical compilations, and memorabilia that make Captain Fantastic’s evocation of EJ and BT’s early days a bit less exciting. The Captain Fantastic album cover is effective in depicting the dejected feelings of our favorite duo during their travails and the nightmarish situations in which they often found themselves. But the cover is maybe too in-your-face for me. My favorite EJ album cover remains the one for Goodbye Yellow Brick Road. It speaks to Elton’s spirit and musicality in a way no other album cover has.

How did Elton and Bernie’s collaboration evolve between Captain Fantastic and Rock of the Westies? 

Their collaborative efforts didn’t so much evolve from Captain to Westies as make a radical shift in the wrong direction. Thank goodness they didn’t stick with the Westies approach.

So the contrast between the two albums is striking — one introspective and refined, the other raw, funky, and full of energy. Focusing specifically on sound and overall musical energy, was this shift a deliberate artistic move or a natural reaction to success and pressure, distinct from the band lineup changes? 

The album is full of energy, but is mostly the polar opposite of Captain Fantastic. Captain Fantastic is full of gorgeous melodies evoking the most personal emotions, as well as some of Taupin’s greatest lyrics. By contrast, Rock of the Westies, with some exceptions, falls down badly on the melodic front and Bernie’s lyrics are often juvenile and/or incomprehensible.

How did the recording location at Caribou Ranch influence the energy, sound, or creative process compared to previous studios like Honky Château? 

I don’t think the Caribou Ranch affected the album’s sound one way or the other. Elton also recorded Caribou and Captain Fantastic there, and the LPs couldn’t be more different.

Rock of the Westies was commercially successful, entering the Billboard 200 at number one. How do you interpret this achievement in relation to its more experimental or raw sound? 

I don’t think that Rock of the Westies debuting at number one in the U.S. had anything to do with whether it was “experimental” or featured a “raw sound.” It debuted at number one because Elton was on a roll. He was the most popular rock musician in America; kids were falling all over themselves to obtain tickets to his concerts and buy anything else that had his face or name on it.

Critics at the time were divided — some dismissed it as “synthetic boogie”, while others praised Bernie Taupin’s lyrics and the band’s energy. How do you interpret this split today? 

During Elton’s commercial heyday, critics were always split on the quality of his albums. Sometimes the critics themselves were split between a desire to praise him and condemn him.

Certain tracks have been compared to the Rolling Stones’ style, but critics felt Elton’s performances lacked subtlety. How do you see the role of influence versus originality in Rock of the Westies? 

A Stones influence is audible on Westies, especially because of the guitar-dominant sound and Elton’s raw vocals. But I don’t think the album lacks originality; it just (mostly) lacks what his albums are known for – melodies, melodies, melodies!

Although critics noted the lyrics weren’t always strong, Elton’s piano and vocals provide a through-line across the album. How do you evaluate the balance between his musical performance, vocal interpretation, and songwriting, focusing on their role in shaping the album’s character rather than comparisons to other artists? 

If it’s one thing Westies has going for it is the musicianship. All of the band members brought their respective strengths to the record. Elton’s vocals continued to develop technically, and his piano playing was, as always, topnotch and sometimes spine-tingling. His vocal interpretations were as gripping as one would have expected from him despite the album’s melodic and lyrical deficiencies.

Are there particular tracks on Rock of the Westies that you think best capture the album’s spirit or Elton’s musical intent, and why? 

I’d rather refer to the better parts of the album than speculate about which songs best represent Elton and Bernie’s artistic intent. “I Feel Like a Bullet (in the Gun of Robert Ford)” is an obvious example of a typical Elton John ballad which would be at home on any good EJ album. “Feed Me,” in which Elton sings but doesn’t play, is a jazzy hint at what was to come on Blue Moves. “Island Girl,” which maybe hasn’t aged well given its racial overtones, is the catchiest tune on the whole album. No one should be surprised that the song went to Number One on Billboard’s Hot 100.

Thank you so much, Liz, for sharing your insight, depth, and passion with us. Your reflections bring new light to two albums that continue to captivate listeners fifty years later — one for its emotional truth, the other for its wild energy and fearless experimentation.