Arthur Brown’s Kingdom Come - Eternal Messenger | An Anthology 1970-1973 (Esoteric Recordings)

There is no denying, one of the greatest debut albums of the sixties was The Crazy World Of Arthur Brown. That album, along with the mega-hit “Fire”, opened the world up to the theatrical talent of Arthur Brown. Not only can the man write a great song, but his stage methods influenced genres of music, and artists. No exaggeration, Arthur Brown’s style and influence still resonates today. Other legends, such as Alice Cooper, Peter Gabriel, and Iron Maiden’s Bruce Dickinson all owe this man a huge debt for the trail he literally blazed, and thankfully continues to. All of this brings us on to this release, both its importance, and why it is long overdue. 

As the seventies dawned, so did Arthur with a new outfit, but retaining the same steely determination to push forward. From the ashes of The Crazy World Of Arthur Brown came Kingdom Come, an outfit that combined elements of progressive rock, psychedelic ambiance, and an authentic edge of experimentation. In the lifespan of Arthur Brown’s Kingdom Come, the outfit from 1970 to ’73 released three formidable albums. Wrapped in a thread of the promise Arthur had already laid out in his ’68 debut The Crazy World Of Arthur Brown. Each release soaked in the same theatrical subterfuge that separated Arthur from his contemporaries. 

This set Eternal Messenger – An Anthology 1970-1973, collects everything released, recorded and rare, not forgetting the sweet remaster that makes the sound erupt with a clean nuance. The first disc of the set focuses on the first breath from the beast, Galactic Zoo Dossier. Here we get the grass roots of the outfit, their first steps into showcasing their talent in a studio setting. Although, still finding their feet, the album is still very alive and extremely realised as the songs segue effortlessly. Constructed into a conceptual work that examines the human condition and themes of loneliness and alienation, Galactic Zoo Dossier is an underrated classic in the canon of seventies prog-rock. Expanded as the majority of the set is, audiences get unreleased and alternate versions of material. 

The second Disc is that self-titled ’72 release. Here, the band (lineup changes aside) are becoming more comfortable within their new skin, and Arthur’s vocals soar throughout. Worth noting, you can already hear the influence picked up by so many artists in the wake of this release. With standouts such as “Love Is A Spirit That Will Never Die”, and the uplifting “The Hymn” there is a lot here to love. The difficult second album notion, instead becomes an engaging piece of art. We get three added tracks to give an added insight, but this self-titled work was the stepping stone to the Kingdom Come masterpiece which was on the horizon. 

Released in 1973, Journey is the pinnacle of Arthur’s Brown vision for Kingdom Come. This is an album that tore through boundaries of ‘what could be’, leaving other acts of the time standing still. The beating heart of this record is the sound of a Bentley Rhythm Ace drum machine, Journey was the first album to use such a device for the percussion throughout. It is laden with mellotrons and synthesizers that weave a dark atmosphere for Arthur Brown to sculpt something wonderful. And wonderful it is. Recorded at the same time as Floyd’s seminal Dark Side Of The Moon, they are out played here, and this makes the advancements on Journey ten years ahead of its time. Compiled here with added bonus tracks, it is a transcendent experience that deserves attention. 

A further cherry on this delightful cake is Discs four and five. They collect radio sessions, Live At The BBC John Peel and Alan Black sessions. The majority of these, which take up Disc five are first time releases, unearthed thankfully and they give an insight into the dynamic of the outfit between 1971-‘72. On the fourth Disc we are given the infancy of Arthur Brown’s Kingdom Come and the first sessions from 1970, and they are all carefully remastered but retaining a raw edge. Furthermore this set is of course boxed, and comes with an illustrated booklet with a new essay and new interview material. For fans, this is a now brainer, for the less experienced with Arthur Brown and Kingdom Come, this is a treasure trove of divine brilliance waiting to be discovered. 

Released June 25th
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Tracklist:
DISC ONE:
GALACTIC ZOO DOSSIER
RE-MASTERED EDITION
– OCTOBER 1971
1. INTERNAL MESSENGER
2. SPACE PLUCKS
3. GALACTIC ZOO
4. METAL MONSTER
5. SIMPLE MAN
6. NIGHT OF THE PIGS
7. SUNRISE
8. TROUBLE
9. BRAINS
10. MEDLEY:
GALACTIC ZOO (PART TWO) /
SPACE PLUCKS (PART TWO) /
GALACTIC ZOO (PART THREE)
11. CREEP
12. CREATION
13. GYPSY ESCAPE
14. NO TIME
BONUS TRACKS
15. ETERNAL MESSENGER (PREVIOUSLY UNRELEASED ON CD)
16. I.D. SIDE TO BE B SIDE THE C SIDE (PREVIOUSLY UNRELEASED ON CD)
A & B-SIDES OF SINGLE
17. SUNRISE (ALTERNATE VERSION)
18. METAL MONSTER (ALTERNATE VERSION)
19. SPACE PLUCKS DEM BONES

DISC TWO:
KINGDOM COME
RE-MASTERED EDITION
– OCTOBER 1972
1. WATER
2. LOVE IS A SPIRIT THAT WILL NEVER DIE
3. CITY MELODY
4. TRAFFIC LIGHT SONG
5. THE TEACHER
6. THE EXPERIMENT (FEATURING “LOWER COLONIC IRRIGATION”)
7. THE WHIRLPOOL
8. THE HYMN
BONUS TRACKS
9. TRAFFIC LIGHT SONG (ALTERNATE VERSION)
10. THE HYMN (ALTERNATE VERSION)
11. THE EXPERIMENT (FEATURING “LOWER COLONIC IRRIGATION”) (ALTERNATE VERSION)

DISC THREE:
JOURNEY
RE-MASTERED EDITION
– APRIL 1973
1. TIME CAPTIVES
2. TRIANGLES
3. GYPSY
4. SUPERFICIAL ROADBLOCKS
i. LOST TIME
ii. SUPERFICIAL ROADBLOCKS
iii. CORPORA SUPERCELESTIA
5. CONCEPTION
6. SPIRIT OF JOY
7. COME ALIVE
BONUS TRACKS
8. TIME CAPTIVES (ALTERNATE VERSION)
9. CONCEPTION (ALTERNATE VERSION)
10. COME ALIVE (ALTERNATE VERSION)
11. SPIRIT OF JOY (SINGLE VERSION)
12. SLOW ROCK (B-SIDE OF SINGLE)

DISC FOUR:
JAM – THE FIRST SESSIONS 1970
RE-MASTERED EDITION
1. JUNGLE DREAMS
2. INCONSTANT WISDOM
3. WATER
4. THE FINGER
5. EARLY MORNING
6. WATERFALL
7. BEHOLDIN
8. WATER IS MY FRIEND
9. ELEMENTALLY

DISC FIVE:
AT THE BBC 1971 – 1972
RE-MASTERED
1. NO TIME (23rd MARCH 1971) (PREVIOUSLY UNRELEASED)
2. SUNRISE (23rd MARCH 1971) (PREVIOUSLY UNRELEASED)
BBC RADIO ONE “TOP GEAR” SESSION 23rd MARCH 1971
3. ETERNAL MESSENGER (15th JUNE 1971) (PREVIOUSLY UNRELEASED)
4. GALACTIC ZOO (15th JUNE 1971) (PREVIOUSLY UNRELEASED)
5. CREEP (15th JUNE 1971) (PREVIOUSLY UNRELEASED)
BBC RADIO ONE MIKE HARDING SHOW SESSION 15th JUNE 1971
6. NO TIME (3rd SEPTEMBER 1971) (PREVIOUSLY UNRELEASED)
7. SPACE PLUCKS / CREATION (3rd SEPTEMBER 1971) (PREVIOUSLY UNRELEASED)
8. SIMPLE MAN (3rd SEPTEMBER 1971) (PREVIOUSLY UNRELEASED)
9. METAL MONSTER / TROUBLE (3rd SEPTEMBER 1971) (PREVIOUSLY UNRELEASED)
BBC RADIO ONE ALAN BLACK SHOW SESSION 3rd SEPTEMBER 1971
10. SLOW ROCK
11. SPIRIT OF JOY
12. TRIANGLES
BBC RADIO ONE JOHN PEEL SHOW SESSION – 19th SEPTEMBER 1972