Record Reviews

ARTHUR BROWN ~ DANCE (EXPANDED EDITION) ESOTERIC 2847 (Barcode: 5013929484795) ~ UK ~ Classic Rock Recorded: 1975 Released: 2023 This is a reissue / remaster of an album by British vocalist / songwriter Arthur BrownFind albums by this artist, recorded with an excellent team including guitarists Andy DolbyFind albums by this artist and Barry ClarkFind albums by this artist, keyboardist Chris NicholsFind albums by this artist, bassist Steve YorkFind albums by this artist, drummer Charlie CharlesFind albums by this artist, percussionist Eddie EdwardsFind albums by this artist and saxophonist George KhanFind albums by this artist. The original album presents eleven tracks, six of which are original songs by Brown, two are by Dolby, and the rest are interpretations of songs by others. The expanded edition adds six bonus tracks recorded live by the BBC, all of which appear on the original album. Brown is one of my all-time favorite British artists, whom I have been following since the late 1960s. His idiosyncratic vocal abilities and incredible musicality is completely unique and his cross-genre explorations, which include everything between Rock, Progressive Rock, Avant-Garde Rock, etc., always spiced with Jazzy underline accents and textures, as well as complete disregard of conventions and Artistic compromises, have always been a source of pure delight. This album is disguised under the “Dance” moniker, but in fact is a wonderful collection of brilliant songs and clever, often satirical lyrics, which are completely timeless. The excellent remaster brings the music up to date and the saxophone solos by Khan are alone worth the price of the album. Overall, it is great to see this, mostly forgotten, album back to circulation, and it is a true joy to listen to it again. Still alive and kicking, but sadly mostly in the shadows, Brown deserves to be listened to and learned from, as he remains a true icon of British / European Rock.

Updated: 05/01/2024Posted: 05/01/2024

CD 1 Digipak Oversampling Remastered Bonus Tracks Recommend To A Friend