The Crazy World of Arthur Brown is the debut studio album by the English rock band the Crazy World of Arthur Brown. Released in the United Kingdom in June 1968 by Track Records and in the United States in September 1968 through Atlantic, the album was an international success, propelled by the transatlantic hit single "Fire". It was the only album released during the Crazy World's original incarnation.
A psychedelic soul album, its style is defined by frontman Arthur Brown's wide-ranging theatrical vocals and mystical lyrics, with the first side of the original LP comprising a conceptual song cycle known as "the Fire Suite". The album's sound and Brown's stage act influenced subsequent musicians such as David Bowie, Peter Gabriel, Alice Cooper, Marilyn Manson and George Clinton.
Recording
The Crazy World of Arthur Brown had recorded a single called "Devil's Grip", which had failed to chart. but Polly Marshall's biography of Arthur Brown states that "[Wood] must have confused it with the BBC session [on 8 April 1968]." There is no bass guitar on "Fire", only bass pedals. Mike Knoop, writing for Classic Rock magazine, said that Brown's singing style recalls "Eric Burdon, Bob Calvert, Ian Gillan, Tim Curry, Brian Connolly, and a smidgen of King Diamond all coming out of one person."
Release and reception
The album was released in June 1968 on Track in the UK, and by Atlantic in the United States that September. The album peaked at No. 7 on Billboard's Pop Albums chart, No. 2 on the UK charts, and No. 6 in Canada. The album's first single, "Fire," was a global success, reaching No. 1 in the UK in August 1968, No. 2 on the Billboard Hot 100 in the US in October 1968, No. 1 in Canada also in October, and No. 19 in Australia again in October. "Fire" sold over one million copies, and was awarded a gold disc. It was sampled by the band Marilyn Manson, who were influenced by Arthur Brown, on their 1995 single "Lunchbox". Other artists influenced by the album's sound and Brown's stage performance included David Bowie, Peter Gabriel, Alice Cooper Due to the album's international success, the Crazy World of Arthur Brown received a £650,000 advance to record a follow-up album. However, the band subsequently broke up after the recording, and their second album, Strangelands, was not released until 1988, almost 20 years after it had been recorded.