The Crazy World of Arthur Brown - The Crazy World of Arthur Brown - 1968

Artist - The Crazy World of Arthur Brown

Title - The Crazy World of Arthur Brown

Date - 1968

Tracks:

Prelude - Nightmare; Fanfare - Fire Poem; Fire; Come and Buy; Time/Confusion; I Put a Spell on You; Spontaneous Apple Creation; Rest Cure; I've Got Money; Child of My Kingdom

Arthur Brown is another artist I've always intended to delve deeper into but, for one reason or another, never got around to.  Like most people, I'd heard 'Fire' on many occasions (and loved it - definitely one of my all time favourite songs) but the rest of his back catalogue remained a mystery.

Until now.

So what was I expecting from this album?  Well, the name of the album/band, coupled with the cover itself and the filmed performances of 'Fire' that I'd seen, let me to expect it to be off the wall and as far from the mainstream as you could get.  And I wasn't disappointed.

Psychedelia is the name of the game here.  The entire album is drenched in Hammond Organ which, to me, is always a good thing.  Even better was seeing that they came courtesy of Vince Crane, later of Atomic Rooster.  The sound is very much rooted in the 60s with Brown himself exerting a madcap persona over everything.

'Fire', of course, is the highlight of the album but a special mention has to go to a wonderfully demented run through 'I Put a Spell on You.' and the completely insane 'Spontaneous Apple Creation' which utilizes spoken word narration alongside sung lyrics and a discordant backing that does not venture into cacophany.

All in all, CWoAB is an eclectic mind trip which more than lives up to its title

10 CC - 10 CC - 1973

Artist - 10cc
Title - 10cc
Date - 1973

Tracks

Rubber Bullets; Johnny Don't Do It; Sand in My Face; Donna; The Dean and I; Headline Hustler; Speed Kills; The Hospital Song; Ships Don't Disappear in the Night (Do They?); Fresh Air for my Mama



10cc have always been one of those bands I've been aware of, and liked what I've heard, but have never got around to giving them a proper listen to.  So, to increase my knowledge of them, where better to start than with their 1973 eponymous debut?

A quick glance at the track list brings up two songs that most people will probably know - Rubber Bullets (a song that I've always loved) and Donna (one I don't particularly like).  In addition, you've got The Dean and I, a title that I knew but wasn't sure of the song.  However, it turns out to be one that I'd heard and liked but never knew the title of.

All in all, 10cc is exactly what I expected from a 10cc album.  An eclectic mix of styles performed with flair and a high degree of musical ability.  For an album that's 40 years old, the production sounds remarkably fresh and hasn't dated at all.

A New Blog

Just for a laugh, I thought I'd go through all the albums on my hard drive and post a few thoughts on each.

And what better day to start then New year's Day