The history of rock 'n' roll holds few case studies as weird as Arthur Brown. This maniacal artist lies somewhere between Screamin' Jay Hawkins (whose "I Put A Spell On You" he covers) and King Crimson (by way of Captain Beefheart). Amazingly, his Satanic anthem "Fire" was a huge hit upon release in 1968. Produced by Pete Townshend for the Who guitarist's own Track Records, The Crazy World Of Arthur Brown (which, technically, was also the name of Brown's act) has gone in- and out-of-print several times, but is generally easy-to-find. The incendiary single really doesn't prepare you for the off-kilter psychedelia of the album, so caveat emptor. Arthur Brown kept recording faithfully for many years (on occasion in my hometown of Austin, Texas), but for most listeners, "Fire" was his well-deserved 15 minutes of fame.