THE CRAZY WORLD OF ARTHUR BROWN

The Arthur Brown Band

Proto-Prog

4.06 | 228 ratings

From Progarchives.com, the ultimate progressive rock music website

"I am the god of hellfire, and I bring you fire!"

Arthur Brown will forever be immortalized for his single hit "Fire," but the rest of this masterpiece is left forgotten by the public. Brown's astounding concept album illustrates the journey to and experiences of hell. This album was one of the first symphonic prog albums and also one of the first organ-driven albums.

The Crazy World of Arthur Brown does not contain one glaring weak track, though many have said Fire Poem and Spontaneous Apple Creation are weak. Fire Poem sets up the entire concept of the album, and the strange narrative in Spontaneous Apple Creation always brings a smile to my face. Some of the strongest tracks include Child of My Kingdom and (you guessed it) Fire. However, all the other tracks are just as good. How can anyone forget the terrifying "God-brother, you lied' at the beginning of Come and Buy?

The musicianship is something to be reckoned. Vincent Crane creates a very full, symphonic sound with his Hammond organ. This is the same Vincent Crane who will later be in Atomic Rooster. Sean Nicholas is a good, but not great, bass player. Carl Palmer's (later of Atomic Rooster and ELP) drumming really shines. His jazziness complements Crane's articulate and symphonic yet jazzy organ playing.

The main attraction of the album is, of course, Arthur Brown. Arthur's menacing vocals highlight the entire album, especially in Fire, Come and Buy, and Prelude. When listening, one can tell who he has influenced. Arthur's amazingly high falsettos create a panicked atmosphere and further emphasize the terrors of hell. He also does very well in the blues covers (he originally was influenced by R'n'B).

Overall, The Crazy World of Arthur Brown is a masterpiece and an early milestone of progressive rock.

Arrrghus | 5/5 | 2006-8-25

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