The Captain And The Kid reached No.6 in the UK and No.18 in the US, and critics and fans alike were delighted with the album. Billboard wrote: “Thanks to organic, piano-driven production, stellar storytelling and Sir’s rededication to his vocal craft, this is a triumph.”

From the Music Capitals of the World-Toronto" (PDF). Billboard. 14 June 1975. p.47 . Retrieved 23 February 2023. But the question remains — is Elton John something more than a great entertainer? I’m not sure. For one thing, despite his ability to sound profound, he seldom projects a tangible personality. After so many albums and tours, few people have any sense of him at all. And for all his productivity and enthusiasm, he remains a largely passive figure, the creator of music that one can get comfortable with but which is never challenging or threatening.American album certifications – Elton John – Captain Fantastic and the Brown Dirt Cowboy". Recording Industry Association of America. RPM Top 100 Albums of 1975". RPM. Archived from the original on 24 July 2013 . Retrieved 3 October 2011.

Fifty-nine at the time of the album’s release, John co-produced it himself with the Atlanta-based Matt Still, who had engineered and mixed the previous set. He was one of only two other names to appear in the tight-knit team that made The Captain And The Kid, along with percussionist John Mahon (that’s if you don’t count Elton’s dog Arthur, who made a cameo appearance barking at the end of “Just Like Noah’s Ark”). Oricon Album Chart Book: Complete Edition 1970–2005. Roppongi, Tokyo: Oricon Entertainment. 2006. ISBN 4-87131-077-9. a b Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970–1992. St Ives, NSW: Australian Chart Book. ISBN 0-646-11917-6.Offiziellecharts.de – Elton John – Captain Fantastic and the Brown Dirt Cowboy" (in German). GfK Entertainment Charts. Retrieved 8 November 2021. In reality, Taupin has been dabbling in this sort of allegorical, pseudoreligious crap for a while — but it is definitely out of control here. I always wanted to be famous — the old ego bit . . . I never wanted to be a movie star, because in 50 years’ time if you mention an old film stars’ name they’ll just say ‘Who?’ But they’ll still be playing Gershwin. a b "500 Greatest Albums of All Time Rolling Stone's definitive list of the 500 greatest albums of all time". Rolling Stone. 2012 . Retrieved 18 September 2019.