Arthur Brown

Picked up Zoo Dossier and Faster than the speed of light. Love them. His voice is brilliant in Faster than the speed of light with the great Vincent Crane. Ordered the other 2 Kingdom albums. What you think of him?

Man, you're the only other person in the world I know that has Speed Of Light . Clifford Venner on the drums really works !! What a really, really, great album. Nothing We Can Do is just top-notch.
Don't have Dossier, wish I did....
I have Kingdom Come s/t and Journey - both just fantastic, eccentric albums.
Crazy World is just another late-60's classic, full of creativity and colour.
You can't go wrong (oh, maybe some of his albums.....Dance, for one).

^ Oh yes, but that would be another Crazy World
Arthur B got around a bit - he also 'sang' with Klaus Schulze, HAWKWIND, and even guested on an Alan Parson's Project album.
Man, you got Speed Of Light.......... ............quirky, dynamic and fully Prog !!

I like Arthur Brown a lot.  I was never nuts over the Crazy World album (meaning, I like it, but it was never a favorite of mine), and I really only started to get interested in him after picking up a Kingdom Come album (the second, self-titled one) which really impressed me.  Turns out it was the weakest of the three albums they did, too, so the remaining two Kingdom Come albums really knocked me out.

From there, I took an odd trajectory into the early 1980s, with a twofer CD containing two synth-based albums, Speak No Tech and Requiem.  They're very early, probably antiquated by now, attempts to create rock/pop music entirely with early 80s synthesizers, and I find them kind of charming in their dated yet sincere (though not too serious) delivery.  "Requiem" is easily the better of the two - it's a post-apocalyptic concept album with good and memorable songs on it, not just noodling about with machines.  Whether or not you like the sound of those machines will heavily determine your tolerance for this stuff.  It's not really "synth pop", it definitely aims more in the "synthesized art rock" direction.

Faster Than the Speed of Light and Dance are two fairly recent acquisitions which I haven't had time to fully digest yet.  I will say that "Dance", despite its title and its release date of 1975, has nothing to do with disco, so rest assured there.

One that hasn't been mentioned yet is Strangelands, a shelved/rejected Crazy World album from 1968-9 that's pretty bizarre.  So much so, in fact, that it's sorely lacking in cohesion.   It was finally released in the 1990s, I believe, and you can find it on CD now.  It's definitely worth getting if you're a fan, but don't expect a masterpiece.  It's certainly very interesting, it just doesn't make a lot of sense to me yet.


Edited by HolyMoly - March 12 2015 at 09:11

ExittheLemming wrote: HolyMoly wrote: I like Arthur Brown a lot.  I was never nuts over the Crazy World album (meaning, I like it, but it was never a favorite of mine), and I really only started to get interested in him after picking up a Kingdom Come album (the second, self-titled one) which really impressed me.  Turns out it was the weakest of the three albums they did, too, so the remaining two Kingdom Come albums really knocked me out. From there, I took an odd trajectory into the early 1980s, with a twofer CD containing two synth-based albums, Speak No Tech and Requiem.  They're very early, probably antiquated by now, attempts to create rock/pop music entirely with early 80s synthesizers, and I find them kind of charming in their dated yet sincere (though not too serious) delivery.  "Requiem" is easily the better of the two - it's a post-apocalyptic concept album with good and memorable songs on it, not just noodling about with machines.  Whether or not you like the sound of those machines will heavily determine your tolerance for this stuff.  It's not really "synth pop", it definitely aims more in the "synthesized art rock" direction. Faster Than the Speed of Light and Dance are two fairly recent acquisitions which I haven't had time to fully digest yet.  I will say that "Dance", despite its title and its release date of 1975, has nothing to do with disco, so rest assured there. One that hasn't been mentioned yet is Strangelands, a shelved/rejected Crazy World album from 1968-9 that's pretty bizarre.  So much so, in fact, that it's sorely lacking in cohesion.   It was finally released in the 1990s, I believe, and you can find it on CD now.  It's definitely worth getting if you're a fan, but don't expect a masterpiece.  It's certainly very interesting, it just doesn't make a lot of sense to me yet. It's definitely worth jettisoning if you're a fan. Strangelands was purportedly the unreleased (until the 90's) 2nd Crazy World of Arthur Brown album. How gutted would you be to learn that most discerning Arthur Brown aficionados consider it a pile of cosmiche w.a.n.k non pareil? (I can hear some incorrigible hippy shredder c.u.n.t.s. salivating already) For those of you who equate unboiling an egg with profundity and artistic integrity, step right up.

You have such a way with words.
Maybe it'll be a long, long time (if ever) before I truly enjoy it.  But either way, I'm glad to have it.  Some things are just interesting without being all that great.  Maybe if I become one of a select few who don't think it's crap, I'll attain some extra hipster credibility, who knows.
Wait, am I a hippy shredder c.u.n.t.?

I remember picking up The Crazy World Of Arthur Brown around the time of its 40th anniversary. At the time, it was on back order in both of my local music stores and decided to just go with a bootleg BBC sessions CD. Then I popped it in and it turned out it was not bootlegged sessions, but the 1997 edition of the album, which had the original album, the mono Side A and the singles "Devil's Grip", "Give Him A Flower" and "What's Happening?". 

Crazy World (and Roooooooster's debut album) were 'our group's' religious listening back in the day (the late-80's ........early 90's) for us, at the time, stoner mugs. The guy is BRILLIANT. His contribution to music and art is priceless. Lap it all up, I say.

Imagine brown and crane working together through the 70s. Would have made some gems

I love Arthur's fantastic voice and creativity!

My favorite albums are:
The Crazy World of Arthur Brown
Galactic Zoo Dossier
Kingdom Come
Journey
Tantric Lover (2nd edition)
Chisholm in my Bosom

Also love the 45s with:
Devil's Grip
Give Him A Flower
What's Happening (Music Man)

He appeared at Festival Hall narrating the short story from S.F.Sorrow when the Pretty Things supposedly played the entire album live for the first time (they actually performed it a few weeks earlier at Ronnie Scotts where he also performed and narrated). David Gilmour was also at Festival Hall.

Performed Fire wearing the flaming head dress. Jumped into the audience and ran over back of seats. Unfortunately he lost his footing and a few people had to scatter from the flames as his head dress fell off!

Received a long round of applause from those of us who weren't affected.

The original Atomic Rooster performed at my school dance and Vincent Crane became a long time favourite. Love Death Walks Behind You and, also the Hard Stuff albums.