Elton John Releases Second Captain Fantastic

Sir Elton John took some time away from his busy schedule and finished recording for the latest album, 'The Captain and the Kid', which will become available in stores on September 19. This material will come as an almost natural sequel to the 'Captain Fantastic and the Brown Dirt Cowboy' album, released in collaboration with Bernie Taupin in 1975.

But, while the first material included tracks that told the story of Elton and Bernie's long and hard road to success; the sequel talks almost exclusively about the last 30 years of the singer's life. John said that he started working on the tracks included on the album later last year, after having realized that he came to identify himself with Captain Fantastic.

'I'm this guy who plays concert after concert, buying art, buying photographs, living a very lavish lifestyle. I've become Captain Fantastic', the 59-year-old artist told Reuters. But the key to being able to combine so many things (songwriting, promoting other bands and filling in for Celine Dion in Vegas) and to the ability to do them all well comes only from a clean and equilibrated life.

'You know, I'm 15 years sober today [Sept. 2, 2005]. That's changed my life. The energy that I used to spend doing drugs and everything, I spend doing great things, like getting up in the morning, going to Tower Records, trying to find new acts, trying to promote them. I have the most fantastic life. I really love it so much', the veteran singer once said in an interview.

The first single from 'The Captain and the Kid', called 'The Bridge', will be released on August 22, on Apple's iTunes Music Store. A North American tour in support of the new album will kick on September 15 in Sacramento.