GALACTIC ZOO DOSSIER

One cannot blame Arthur Brown of being a coward. Between 1967-1973 he made a musical journey few would dare to make. The lovely little song 'Give him a flower' led to the album 'The crazy world of Arthur Brown' which showcased a strong bluesy, proto-prog direction and spawned the hit single 'Fire'. Now, most people would have continued down that path, enjoyed the money and fame but not Arthur Brown. He instead ventured into the studio and recorded 'Strangelands' in 1969. That album wasn't released for many a year later but that was truly a bold step, making an albums worth of free form progressive rock that defies description. For his next album he settled down somewhere in between 'The crazy world of Arthur Brown' and 'Strangelands'. The result was the magnificent 'Galactic zoo dossier'. Arthur Brown and his Kingdom Come always maintained a sound of their very own, not only by way of Brown's amazing vocal capabilities but also in the way they sound together. The three albums Kingdom Come made in the early years of the 70's differ from each other but holds the unique flame burning. The mix of folk, hard rock and utter madness makes for a very intriguing and fascinating experience. This is music made in a mental institution where Arthur Browns holds court and spews his gloriuos dementia around him, whilst occasionally surfacing to sanity. It is bloody marvellous, I tell you.

The album is based around some sort of concept where the human race is trapped inside a galactic zoo. Or something. Regardless of the concept and whether you grasp it or not, you truly feel that the musical content is conceptually based. It's like watching a fantasy movie where strange beings and humanoid entities swarm around as if it is all business as usual. Brilliant. The opening rambling about the Lord that leads into 'Internal messenger' is a typical example of the sense of humour that leads a vibrant existence on this album and certainly the next one, which is equally good. While 'Internal messenger'. 'Sunrise' and 'Simple man' are songs of normal, early progressive structure, songs like 'Night of the pigs' and 'Creep' ventures into the wastelands of the previous, shelved album 'Strangelands'.

I don't mind the occasional freakout, as on 'Creep', but I want it to be just that, occasional. 'Strangelands' is really too much freak for me but when mixed in with 'normal', if that at all is an apt description of Brown's musical legacy, it makes perfect sense and makes it all very enjoyable. This album, as with the following, is just that, the perfect mix of crazy freakouts in the canteen at the asylum and scary normality of someone who acknowledges no bounds or barriers. Brown and his cronies created a truly wilfully wayward collection of songs that at first might appear as a great conundrum but if one listens and puts in an effort it is simply adorable and truly rewarding. I wouldn't say that it is impenetrable but 'Galactic zoo dossier', though it might seem that way, really is not. It is simply a wonderful album and holds everything I adore in early incarnations of progressive rock. There is a sense of humour, the warm and destructive organ and that wonderfully crude soundscape that is so endearing. A truly brilliant piece of music that really have stood the test of time. It is one of my favorite albums and I suppose I would take it with me if I was sent on an everlasting journey into space, never ever returning to Earth. It would surely make my life a lot easier, when heading straight for Uranus. Or whatever.