Elton John - The Captain and the Kid

After a duet with the dead (Tupac Shakur) and a brief alliance with the brain-dead (Blue), Rocketman Elton makes a smooth landing back to his traditional ways in the autobiographical sequel to his and Bernie Taupin's 1975 global smash, 'Captain Fantastic and the Brown Dirt Cowboy'.

Opening track Postcards from Richard Nixon, accompanied by the artist's unmistakable piano riffing, fittingly recalls the beginning of the pair's gold paved (or yellow bricked) path to fame and fortune, the lyrics a nostalgic hark back to their arrival in the USA. Tinderbox meanwhile is a wonderfully profound reflection of the volatility of the world and how it has changed since the pair came to fame in the 70s; "two sparks can set the whole thing off / Rubbing up together around the clock / lately we've been getting more roll than rock."

The album is supposed to be somewhat significant, considering its background, but it is difficult to take the words seriously because the music is just too catchy. Inevitably you will find you have bobbed your head and tapped your foot through all ten aesthetically pleasurable songs without taking on board the name or meaning of a single one. Though in some cases, such as Just Like Noah's Ark, it is probably better this way.

The sinister decision to metaphorise a fairytale to illustrate the dangers of drug addiction in …And the House Fell Down is testament to the songwriting innovation we have come to expect from Elton, successfully retaining the lifelong reputation of a man who has seen more of the darker side of life than many would expect.

To that end, this album is all the more effective. Buy it for yourself, your dad or your grandmother; and each of you will find your own way in which to enjoy and appreciate the complexities of an album several layers thick. [Richard Orr]