Journey [CD]

This was Arthur Brown's third and final Kingdom Come album, and is entirely different in many ways from its two predecessors. It is a lot easier to digest for a start, there are more regular tempos and extended codas here. For the first time is an album based around the drum machine (operated by Brown) instead of a human counterpart. The reasons for this are unclear but it would certainly mean there was more room in the tour van and it didn't drink all beer like the real thing. Obviously these days it does sound a little quaint, but it's nowhere near as basic as it could have been, being the Bentley Rhythm Ace, a drum machine so great that a 90's band named themselves after it. Luckily the material built around it is superb, coherent and well executed and represents Brown's finest hour certainly since the debut Crazy World album.

As well as the drum machine, there are major developments on the keyboard front with those twin staples of all things cosmic the Mellotron and the VCS3 synthesizer at the forefront and there is an inevitable gravitational pull towards Hawkwind territory because of this. There is no doubt that this is out and out space rock, Arthur Brown style, and the opening suite works particularly well. `Time Captives' is a powerful and definitive opener, utilising the speed button on the Bentley drum machine to cover a range of tempos before settling down into the groove and the journey begins . The three pieces here have a fine cohesion, flowing into each other, with Mellotron and swooping synthesisers from new recruit Victor Periano, and Andy Dalby's ever present guitar providing the colours behind Brown's vocals and tempo changes. This cohesion continues into the extended `Roadblocks' and closer `Come Alive'. However the album as a whole becomes a little disjointed with the presence of the out of context `Spirit Of Joy' an ill advised attempt to write a `proper' song. Cosmic travellers do not need proper songs. On the whole this is a unique album even within the annals of the progressive genre. It would be years later before people would attempt to record using programmed drums again.

This reissue from Esoteric re-masters the audio to the highest standards and includes a bonus disc of out-takes and single sides, and includes a Peel session too, although from an off air source. Even this will have many wiping a deeply nostalgic tear, given that they have left Peel's comments intact on the recording.

After this, Brown went off to India to find himself, which he presumably did, as he's mercifully still with us.

Musicologists can argue whether this was the first rock album recorded with a drum machine instead of skins, but it stands out as an artistic, not just a technical achievement (mind you, skins of another kind were almost certainly deployed in the recording).
Journey is a unique piece of progressive, psychedelic and spiritual music, which has Arthur Brown going where no one else dared to go, or could. This is worlds away from 'Fire'. The combination of synthesiser, drum machine and guitar create a sound texture unheard-of before (remember, this was 1972).
One reason it sounds so different is that this is early 1970s progressive music recorded using technology that didn't become fashionable till ten years later - long after punk. So we have synthesiser and drum machine working alongside a bluesy guitarist and an almost spiritualist singer. Did I say `unique'? Bassist Phil Shutt does a terrific job holding it all together, and even gets to make a few flourishes of his own.
High spots are the sonic boogie of `Time Captives', which will sound familiar to Hawkwind fans, and the synthesised heavy rock groove of `Gypsy'. `Come Alive' alternates between brash electric noise and soothing, philosophical melody, all over an unyielding electronic beat. Only `Superficial Roadblocks' is uncomfortable, with its overwrought heavenly choir.
It's definitely one for the psychedelic fans, but it will appeal to many more with daring minds. Oh, and it's a good listen as well.

This The Third Kingdom Come Lp is perhaps their finest, even if it was their first with new 'Drummer' Ace Bentley (an early drum machine, 'The Bentley Rhythm Ace’).

Arthur Brown is one of the most overlooked vocalist's in rock people tending to concent on his outrageous stage persona than on his great expressive voice.

'Journey' has all the elements of a great rock album, starting off with the tripped out Space Rock of the opening track ‘Time Captives’ that out Hawkwind’s Hawkwind at their own game.

The experimental, instrumental second track ‘Triangles’ uses only triangular guitar patterns that fascinated original producer Dennis Taylor before his own musical geometry had him jump ship to produce Dave Edmunds.

Both the epic ‘Gypsy’ and churchy sounding ‘Superficial Roadblocks’ contain fascinating vocal performances from Brown, further proof of just how good he is, while the electro ethnic drumbeat of the tribal ‘Conception’ is light years ahead of its time.

The ethnic spirit meets the galaxy on the melodic ‘Spirit Of Joy’, surly a missed chance of a hit single.

The shuffling chug of the original album’s closer again contains a priceless vocal from Brown and a masterful guitar solo from Andy Dalby.

Kingdom Come split not long after this recording the nucleus of the band going on to play with Kiki Dee ?

This is a great recording now enhanced with alternate takes and a couple of BBC sessions. Buy it and see what you’ve been missing all these years.