Heartland

Arthur Brown's Kingdom Come: Journey (1973) review by Ben Miller, subbed by me.

If you've been brought up on 1960s psychedelic rock, you've probably heard "Fire", the 1968 classic from The Crazy World of Arthur Brown. By 1969, the Crazy World of Arthur Brown was no more.

While the Hammond organ dominated the Crazy World of Arthur Brown, the dominant instruments on Journey were the Mellotron, ARP 2600 and VCS-3 synthesizers, with some great guitar work, and no real drums. Arthur Brown uses the Bentley Rhythm Ace drum machine on this album, which sounds like a cheap piece of a crap toy (no wonder it took until the 1980s before drum machines were used regularly in recordings), but the totally amazing music makes up for the drum machine being used.

The album opens with "Time Captives" which starts off with the sound of Brown's drum machine, before eventually all the strange electronic effects come in. The most remarkable cut on the album is "Gypsy" totally makes up for the rest of the album.

I used to own this album, I gave it away to a mate. Heard 'Gypsy on The Freakzone tonight. I made a big mistake.

Anyone know of an earlier album with drum machine on?

The White Noise - who released an album in 1970 may have used a "drum machine" on certain tracks. Its been years since I have played that album.

I do remember a track called "The Visitation" - 9.00 mins long about a car crash and another, more disturbing track called "Electric Storms On Hell" - lots of screams and drills and other "hellish" noises.

There is a also a track called "Here come the fleas" - very very odd!

As I understand it they were one of the first groups to use synthesizers and possibly a drum machine.

I really get this abbum on cd as I only have a copy on tape!

didnt kraftwerk use a drum machine (and a load of other stuff) on 'ralf and florian(1973)' or were they still mucking around with acoustic drums?

AndyTheGoth wrote:White Noise

Yep remember that one too Andy, a most odd album up there with Spooky Tooth & Pierre Henri's Ceremony. Island Records used to release some bizarre stuff.

Cabaret Voltaire anyone??? early 70's again.....

Slugging for Jesus....mmmmm

Here's a spooky 'Goff' connection:
Arthur Brown was born in Whitby!
Spooky, eh?

Arthur Also made a record with Die Krupps!!!

Arthurs also one of my best mates


www.arthurbrownmusic.com

Matt

Seem to think Sly and the Family Stone's There's A Riot Goin' On from 1971 has one on some tracks too...sounds more like one of those things you get on a working men's club organ though, if I remember right...

The Bently drum machine was exactly that, a boom tish tish drum machine, though with some treatement had a lot more guts, in many ways sounded like the drums of the demo version of valentine.

Matt