Majestic Arrows - The Magic Of The Majestic Arrows

Originally released in 1974, this impossibly rare Chicago soul LP returns for the first time in 50 years. Conceived by cult figure Arrow Brown-an elusive character who ran Bandit Records from a Bronzeville basement-it's a self-contained world of lush arrangements, DIY mythology and outsider ambition. Backed by local talents like the Chosen Few and the Scott Brothers, and with arrangements from Benjamin Wright, the songs here float somewhere between 50s doo-wop and the satin-funk leanings of early 70s Chicago. Brown's daughter Tridia and Larry Brown of the Moroccos deliver bittersweet vocals over gently psychedelic strings, never overselling it but carrying a real emotional weight. 'Going To Make A Time Machine' and 'Make Yourself Over' are standouts, laced with drama and romance, but the whole record plays like a soft-focus daydream. From the sleeve art by Eugene Phillips to the fully formed sonic palette, it's a portal into one man's ornate, utopian vision.