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INSANE: Arthur brown - The Real Truth

"We recorded a river that flows nearby. Some of those sounds are played backwards." Six decades on from the hit that made him a legend, Arthur Brown's world continues to be crazy

On tour throughout 2026, The God Of Hellfire will be unveiling his upcoming album in full later in the year

Louder

“He listened to the first two tunes, picked up the album and smashed it against the wall. It was the only one we had!” This 1968 hit made a prog pioneer into a global star – but even he didn’t like it at first

With the help of The Who and Jimi Hendrix, and a helmet he found outside his hotel room, the bandleader acquired a nickname he’s now carried for nearly 60 years

Louder

"He wanted my shotgun – he'd just have these total freakouts. There were so many wonderful moments and terrible mayhem with him." Fuelled by bipolar disorder, the 70s' most outlandish concept album predicted a political meltdown

In the time before punk, there was only one place to go for anarchic, pile-driving hypno-rock

Louder

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“Kate Bush gave me a copy of Aerial at a party. I knew it was a gentle, emotional record. She said, ‘Don’t fall asleep while listening!’” Simon Drake’s career as a magician was inspired by prog

He helped create Bush’s one and only tour show, corrupted light entertainment TV into a counterculture variant, and refused to star in Cats – mainly because of Arthur Brown and Peter Gabriel

Louder

“My first boyfriend introduced me to The Wall. It was the only interesting thing about him”: Author and musician Joanne Harris on having the audacity to perform Pink Floyd, Rick Wakeman and Genesis music in her school band

She explains why prog makes her think of Barnsley, lists some of her favourite records and recalls taking her daughter to a Genesis tribute show only to hear her say: “Ah yes, Mastodon!”

Louder

“Going by any reasonable judgement system, I’d have to admit to being mad. I spot the unusual and head towards it. I never know if I’ll be enlightened or burnt – that’s part of the fun”: The crazy world of Arthur Brown is truly crazy

The relentless innovator explains why he can never stay in a creative space for long, claims credit for the Paris student riots of the 60s, and recalls giving up music entirely rather than going commercial

Louder

32 Rare Historical Photos That Show Why Flying On The Hindenburg Zeppelin Was So Expensive

In the beginning of the 20th century, if you wanted to cross the Atlantic, you bought a trip on a ship. But after British aviators John Alcock and Arthur Brown made the first non-stop transatlantic flight in June 1919, that began to change. And finally, on the 11th of October…

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“We took it badly – ‘No one wants us any more!’ We’d never been through the school of hard knocks. We didn’t know what it meant to work hard”: When ELP collapsed, Carl Palmer’s career-long lucky streak ended. But he didn’t give up

Born into a musical family and a pro by his teenage years with a real-life education in backstage realities, the passionate drummer has seen dreams come true with Arthur Brown, Atomic Rooster, Asia, Mike Oldfield and others

Louder

“The facts don’t matter. Whoever has the better story wins!” When Pink Floyd, Arthur Brown, Rush and others got in trouble with the law, the results were remarkably prog

Never mind the usual drink and drug offences… quirky, eccentric incidents seem to surround some of those who make music the same way

Louder

Gary Brooker brought back to life on unique version of A Whiter Shade of Pale on Think Loud 4 Parkinson’s charity record

New charity album ‘Think Loud 4 Parkinson’s’ contains a unique version of Procol Harum’s 1967 number one ‘A Whiter Shade of Pale’ along with Leo Sayer’s cover of The Beatles’ ‘Eleanor Rigby’ set to the music of Michael Jackson’s ‘Billie Jean’.

BANG Premier

“Anybody down there on acid seeing this figure flying down with flames coming out of his head must have thought God was coming”: The crazy life of Arthur Brown, the wildman who set rock’n’roll on fire

Arthur Brown is the flame-headed singer behind Fire – but that’s only one part of his insane life

Louder

“People would say, ‘He took a trip and now he’s weird.’ He wasn’t weird at all”: Mick Rock’s “surprisingly simple” friendship with Syd Barrett, and other psychedelic adventures

Often called ‘the man who shot the 70s,’ the photographer experienced unforgettable moments with Pink Floyd, Kevin Ayers, Arthur Brown, Genesis and more

Louder

“I had just taken my first acid trip, and I had an African spear and a Chinese Warlord outfit”: Arthur Brown’s wild tales of Jimi Hendrix, Frank Zappa, David Bowie and more

Jamming with Hendrix, partying with The Who, getting hit on by David Bowie’s wife – The God Of Hellfire has done it all and more

Louder

"My father had an extramarital affair with a woman from another planet": The gospel according to Arthur Brown

The future looks bleak. Money isn’t everything. Embrace getting older. Simple pleasures are the best. These things and more shape the real God Of Hellfire’s world view

Louder

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WEKU

How do you help patients who show up in the ER 100 times a year?

For decades, nonprofits, health insurers and hospitals have been trying to solve the problem of the people who need the emergency room again and again. Here are some of the lessons they've learned.

Louder

Listen to Todd Rundgren's version of King Crimson's 21st Century Schizoid Man

All-star reimaging of King Crimson's debut album, Reimagining The Court Of The Crimson King, to be released in April

Metal Hammer

"As long as you can talk, you have a voice": An epic Bruce Dickinson interview

Bruce Dickinson fronts the UK’s most successful heavy metal band, holds a commercial pilot’s licence, releases solo albums, write novels and screenplays, and more. A full life? Not half

MusicRadar

“He approached life with a gusto, intensity, a wicked sense of humour”: 12-string acoustic maestro and prolific guitar designer Paul Brett has died, aged 76

Brett was a 12-string virtuoso, collaborating with the likes of Roy Harper and Arthur Brown, and most recently with Vintage Guitars, developing an extensive range bearing his name

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Metal Hammer

"If you were after a girlfriend, by the time you’ve got ten minutes into A Plague Of Lighthouse Keepers she’s usually jumped out the window." Bruce Dickinson on his prog heroes

Iron Maiden singer Bruce Dickinson's 10-song solo album The Mandrake Project will be released on March 1

Louder

Wishbone Ash's Andy Powell: the soundtrack of my life

Wishbone Ash guitarist/singer Andy Powell picks his albums, artists and gigs of lasting significance, and names the guitarist who "led the way in music and fashion, everything, really"

Louder

"Sometimes they hurl bottles" - watch rare BBC footage of a wild-eyed Arthur Brown being interviewed after catching fire in 1967

Arthur Brown was on the bill at the 1967 National Jazz and Blues Festival, where the BBC interviewed the eccentric musician and his fans

Chicago Sun-Times

Divided City Council approves $1 million settlement in police shooting case

“The sin of the police officer was he turned the body camera off a little too soon. ... We should not be paying this family a million dollars,” said Ald. Nick Sposato. But Ald. Chris Taliaferro disagreed: “Either we trust our lawyers or we don’t.”

Chicago Sun-Times

Father’s Day memories of playing ball with dad

After 68 years, my dad and I still play together in all of the same games, but now only in my memory. I still cry remembering what it was like to be his son and to lose him before our games were over.

Chicago Sun-Times

In abrupt about-face, Finance Committee signs off on $1 million settlement tied to controversial police shooting

In January, opposition from police union allies on the City Council allies forced then-Finance Committee Chair Scott Waguespack to yank the $1 million settlement to the mother of Sharrell Brown off the agenda. But Wednesday, it passed with little or no debate.

Chicago Sun-Times

$7.25 million settlement from Chicago for man locked up nearly 30 years after wrongful conviction for deadly arson

The Cook County Board will be asked to sign off on an identical $7.25 million settlement to compensate Arthur Brown for alleged prosecutorial misconduct, according to his attorney.

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