MINT Shrink ARTHUR BROWN CRAZY WORLD FIRE Prog Psych

$

28

TOP COPY ! 1968 ""CRAZED"" PROGRESSIVE ~ PSYCHEDELIC TRIPS!                                     

In Original Shrink Wrapper!                                                                                                                 

               THE CRAZY WORLD

                  OF

           ARTHUR BROWN

\                                        USA - TRACK RECORDS - SD 8198
 

ORIGINAL 1968 first pressing STILL IN ORIGINAL FACTORY SHRINK WRAPPER containing, on the outside of the cellophane wrapper, the VERY rare "FIRE" sticker...which was only on some of the first pressings, and when folks who purchased the LP tore off the outer cellophane wrapper, the (now rare) FIRE sticker was forever lost...here, a clean vibant sticker on a MINT original album, the jams within turned out to be a pioneering progressive psych sound, highly respected by collectors all over the universe...

This is absolutely irresistible stuff from an incredibly influential band that has been sometimes forgotten. The Crazy World Of Arthur Brown was built on the talents of manic showman Arthur Brown and his even more talented cohort organist Vincent Crane, two of the greatest (and ultimately unfulfilled) talents in the world of progressive rock.

This album was released in 1968 and must have sounded like nothing else around at the time (come to think of it, it still sounds pretty damn unique!). Despite significant chart action (the single Fire was a #1), the group imploded after this one near-perfect album and while both Crane's Atomic Rooster and Brown's Kingdom Come went on to make great music, you can't help but feel that they were most complete with each other.

Brown's songwriting is steeped in Gothic horror, with mystical fire-based themes usually playing a strong part in his lyrics. As a singer he was part R&B raver, part crooner, occasional narrator and sometime blues shaman who specialised in metallic screams. A theaterical live-wire on stage he wore helmets and robes and wasn't afraid to set himself on fire for the sake of his art.

Vincent Crane was one of the first great organists in rock music and his musical contributions to The Crazy World Of Arthur Brown cannot be underestimated. Aside from co-writing most of the songs with Brown, he also did all the crucial arrangements on this album (that help give it a progressive flavour). Musically he was the main man in what was essentially a keyboard-based trio that was more than a match for the likes of The Nice. It has to be said that while bass player Sean Nicholas and drummer Drachen Theaker do provide Brown and Crane with sufficient support, neither one makes much of an impression...Incidentally, legendary prog drummer Carl Palmer joined The Crazy World Of Arthur Brown only after this album was recorded, playing on a live tour before departing with Crane to form Atomic Rooster.

The album itself begins with Brown's mock-horror anthem Prelude-Nightmare which features an atmospheric classical introduction which is "intruded upon" by some great heavy organ work from Crane. It is followed by the Gothic poem/song Fanfire - Fire Poem that echoed the kind of work Jim Morrison and Ray Manzarek were doing accross the Atlantic with The Doors. Brown then sends the album into the stratosphere with Fire, a great pop single with some very nice classical runs from Crane.

The atmosphere of the album should already be well-established by the time you hit the classic fourth track Come And Buy, and if Brown's "God-brother, you lied" line that kicks it off doesn't send chills down your spine, you might well have missed the point. A mixture of mesmerizing melodies (highlighted by the chorus and the imploring "Why is it so cold in here?" line that recurs throughout the album), soulful crooning and an excellent progressive rock interludes (which Crane would re-use on Winter, a brilliant track from Atomic Rooster's first album) make this one of the album's best progressive moments. The brooding, glockenspiel-heavy (!!!) Time/Confusion takes the album to an even darker, heavier place that fans of Vanilla Fudge will certainly be familiar with.

A fierce cover of the blues classic I Put A Spell On You is so fitting that the track could almost have been written by Brown and Crane. It helps that Theaker's drumming is rather tasty here, too. Spontaneous Apple Creation sounds like an experimental psychedeia...very creative. It's followed by the catchy Rest Cure which has some nice moments on organ. Thankfully the extravagant drum-roll that heralds I've Got Money proves to be a sign that the high-octane manic Brown is alive and well.

1. Prelude -  (3:49)
2. Fanfare - Fire Poem (2:01)
3. Fire  (3:01)
4. Come and Buy (5:05)
5. Time/Confusion  (5:01)
6. Prelude - Nightmare (3:28)
7. Fanfare - Fire Poem (1:51)
8. Fire (2:56)
9. Come and Buy (5:42)
10. Time/Confusion (5:14)
11. I Put a Spell on You (3:45)
12. Spontaneous Apple Creation (2:58)
13. Rest Cure (2:48)
14. I've Got Money (3:12)
15. Child of My Kingdom (7:02)

CONDITION: The cover is MINT, still in original factory shrink wrap (a little square of the outer cellophane is missing at top front - minor it is) contains the rare "FIRE" sticker ...it's a near perfect cover with a little small hard to notice delete bb at top left -- having 4 sharp corners, no seam splits, no bends, no writing ...TOPS!

The vinyl is  all clean and glossy smooth M-

      A cool addition to anyone's music library!

SEE: SELLERS OTher items for similar cool sounds for "head" people...

EFFICIENT/CAREFUL GRADING

All imperfections are noted both cover & record