They remember when rock was young. Or at least when they were. Continuing the artistic rebirth of 2001's Songs From the Left Coast and 2004's Peachtree Road, Elton John and longtime lyrical partner Bernie Taupin look back on the good old days on the The Captain and the Kid. And in the process, they produce their most focused and rewarding collaboration in ages.

You've probably heard this described as a sequel to 1975's Captain Fantastic and the Brown Dirt Cowboy, but that's overstating it. These tracks seems less an attempt to return to that era than a loving ode to the era, from their arrival in America and first brush with success to the dizzying heights of fame and the pitfalls along the way.

Taupin, naturally, supplies most of those sentiments with his superb, playful lyrics to Postcards From Richard Nixon, Just Like Noah's Ark, Old '67 and the title cut.

But John holds up his end of the deal admirably too, contributing some of his strongest songs in years -- warm, rich pop-rockers and piano ballads that reinforce his claims to be more concerned with songcraft than singles these days.

As he puts it on the title cut: "You can't go back and if you try it fail."

Sure, Elton and Bernie are looking behind them on The Captain and the Kid. But they're doing it through the eyes of older and wiser men.

Track Listing:

1. Postcards From Richard Nixon
2. Just Like Noah's Ark
3. Wouldn't Have You Any Other Way (NYC)
4. Tinderbox
5. And The House Fell Down
6. Blues Never Fade Away
7. The Bridge
8. I Must Have Lost It On The Wind
9. Old '67
10. The Captain And The Kid