Record Reviews

ARTHUR BROWN ~ LONG LONG ROAD MAGNETIC EYE 088 (Barcode: 884388732223) ~ UK ~ Classic Rock Recorded: 2021 Released: 2022 If there are unsung heroes in Rock, the British vocalist / songwriter / bandleader Arthur BrownFind albums by this artist is perhaps the most notable of them. At the remarkable age of eighty (he was born in 1942), he still makes music more exciting than all the musicians, half or quarter his age, seem to be able to come up with these days. Totally unjustly mostly considered as a “one hit wonder” as a result of the success of his magnificent song “Fire”, back in 1968, his frenzy activity since and his remarkable recorded output puts most of the competition in deep shame, with dozens of albums as a solo artist, leader of bands (see Kingdom ComeFind albums by this artist in the early 1970s) and collaborative recordings, all simply brilliant, regardless or perhaps as expected, simply too good to be commercially successful. Brown managed to ignore the passing of time more extraordinarily than most and his writing talent and vocal ability remain completely untouched, with sublime operatic vocal range and superb power of expression. I am sort of proud of myself for staying faithful to his charm over the years and following his releases closely, even if I was one of the very few music critics doing this. This album was created together with multi-instrumentalist Rik PattenFind albums by this artist, with whom Brown collaborated almost a decade earlier on the “The Magic HatFind albums with this title” album, who plays all the instruments on this album (a plethora of them), leaving the vocal duties to Brown. All the eight songs (one in two parts) were co-written by the two and they offer a superb mixture of the entire Rock idiom sub-genres, including Blues, Psychedelia, Rock Ballads and the usual Jazzy touch, which seems to be Brown’s alter ego and perhaps is one of the reasons I love his music so much. Overall, this is a superb Rock album, fresh and kicking, with a lot of added values rarely found anywhere else, a Jazzy feel and those magnificent screamy vocals, it just does not get any better as far as Rock is concerned. Great to see Brown alive and active and, as usual, waiting for his next album. I just can’t recommend that one enough I suppose…Do yourself a favor and grab a copy!

Updated: 07/01/2023Posted: 07/01/2023

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ARTHUR BROWN ~ TANTRIC LOVER LEMON 147 (Barcode: 5013929774728) ~ UK ~ Progressive Rock Recorded: 2000 Released: 2009 This criminally overlooked album by British maverick Arthur BrownFind albums by this artist marks his return to active musical life following the stroke he suffered, while on stage, in 1994. Older and more relaxed, Brown got together a superb acoustic band to accompany him on this album, which featured such distinguished players as drummer Malcolm MortimoreFind albums by this artist (Gentle GiantFind albums by this artist), guitarist Rik PattenFind albums by this artist, bassist / cellist Stan AdlerFind albums by this artist and several others. The set of twelve new songs written by Brown are all brilliant both musically and lyrically and his vocal delivery, especially against the acoustic background, is breathtaking. Brown´s voice seems to be completely untouched by time and his almost operatic range and intelligent dynamics is second to none. Since the original release of this album (on the VoiceprintFind albums on this label label) is now out of print, this is a great opportunity to get to know this marvelous album – don´t miss it as it is as good as his legendary debut recording, quite different of course, but equally brilliant. Wholeheartedly recommended!

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ARTHUR BROWN ~ THE VOICE OF LOVE COTE BASQUE 07002 (Barcode: 823566433125) ~ UK ~ Classic Rock Recorded: 2006 Released: 2007 This is a criminally overlooked album by the great British Rock singer / songwriter / bandleader Arthur BrownFind albums by this artist, the unsung hero of the British scene. The album was recorded with multi-instrumentalist Nick PynnFind albums by this artist, who also arranged most of the songs, guitarist Rik PattenFind albums by this artist and drummer Mark St. JohnFind albums by this artist, who arranged two of the songs. A couple of additional musicians also participate. The album presents eleven songs, eight of which are originals by Brown and three are arrangements of songs written by others, including a stunning version of the legendary “Kites”, which was a hit for Simon Dupree and the Big SoundFind albums by this artist (i.e. early Gentle GiantFind albums by this artist) in 1967. The music, which is almost completely acoustic and offers a somewhat Folkish sound, is mostly ballad oriented and quite atypical of Brown’s extrovert / extravagant image. It presents a unique opportunity to hear Brown as a lyrical vocalist, but obviously his idiosyncratic vocal characteristics are all firmly present, including the falsetto / vibrato parts, which show his operatic-like abilities. But all in all the album is a beautiful collection of “love songs”, with the Brownish twist of course. Overall, this is a brilliant and sadly obscure album by one of the most talented and multifaceted heroes of the British Rock scene, which exposes the gentler side of his musical personality. Loaded with great melodies and excellent instrumental work, this is a gem from start to finish, and since it can still be found (with some difficulty), I wholeheartedly advice to grab a copy while still available.

Updated: 29/01/2023Posted: 29/01/2023

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