Guest appearances by Kiki Dee ("Don't Go Breaking My Heart"), Ronan Keating ("Your Song"), Bryan Adams ("Sad Songs (Say So Much)"), Mary J. Blige ("I Guess That's Why They Call It The Blues"), and Anastacia ("Saturday Night's Alright (For Fighting)") are the few drawbacks to the album. Sure, the guest appearances are nice, and often add to the music, but Elton John has such a classic piano-rock voice that you can't help but want to hear him. Is that so wrong?

Other than that, this album is amazing, delving out the classics with class and spirit, bringing them to life time and time again as you sit there and remember why you fell in love with them in the first place. A knockout album, to say the least. I'll give it an A.

Elton John: Captain Fantastic

Elton John: Songs From The West Coast

[Issue Thirty-Eight // June 2001]