Procol Harum

Track Listings

1. Whiter Shade of Pale

2. She Wandered Through the Garden Fence

3. Something Following Me

4. Mabel

5. Cerdes (Outside the Gates Of)

6. Christmas Camel

7. Conquistador

8. Kaleidoscope

9. Salad Days (Are Here Again)

10. Repent Walpurgis

Tracks:

A Whiter Shade Of Pale
Conquistador
She Wandered Through The Garden Fence
Something Following Me
Mabel
Cerdes (Outside The Gates Of)
A Christmas Camel
Kaleidoscope
Salad Days (Are Here Again)
Good Captain Clack
Repent Walpurgis
Lime Street Blues
Homburg
Monsieur Armand
Seem To Have The Blues All The Time

Album Description

German digipak reissue of 1967 album includes four bonus tracks, 'Lime Street Blues', 'Homburg', 'Monsieur Armand' & 'Seem To Have The Blues All The Time'. All tracks on this CD are in Mono as originally released in 1967. Repertoire.

Album Details

Tracks: A Whiter Shade of Pale/ Conquistador/ He Wandered Through the Garden Fence/ Something Follow Me/ Mabel/ Cerdes (Outside the Gates Of)/ a Christmas Camel/ Kaledoscope/ Salad Days (Are Here Again).

Customer Reviews:

Procol who?.......2007-04-27

The year of 1967 was an incredible year for music. You had Disraeli Gears, Sgt. Peppers, The Doors, and many other amazing albums. Oh and you also get "A Whiter Shade of Pale" released by Procol Harum. Procol Harum is one of those forgotten bands of the 60's, lost in the big names of the Beatles, Stones, and The Who. But they should not be forgotten and what better way to commemorate them by picking up "A Whiter Shade of Pale" which happens to be one of the finest albums, dare i say, ever made.

It starts off with the classic song "A Whiter Shade of Pale" which sounds like church with all the organs played beautifully by Matthew Fisher. And those lyrics, simply majestic, Keith Reid ( who wrote all of Procol's material ) is one of the finest lyricist of all time. His words are pure poetry.

After the majestic "A Whiter Shade of Pale" we dive into the rest of the album which is also incredibly good and not just filler as some people tend to think. "Conquistador" is probably the second best track behind the opener. I also love the bass on that song. "She Wandered Through the Garden Fence" is alot of fun to listen to with lyrics that are really catchy. "Something Following Me" is more serious in tone but the lyrics once again are incredible as is the arrangement. "Mabel" is definetly a nod to Bob Dylan, "Cerdes ( Outside the Gates ) is probably the darkest song on the album but still magnificent. "A Christmas Camel" has a tone very similiar to Bob Dylan's "Ballad of a Thin Man". If there were any throwaways on this album it would be the next three "Kaleidoscope", "Salad Days", and "Good Captain Clack" but none of these songs are terrible and still manage to be listenable. The album closes on the instrumental "Repent Walpurgis" which is eerie but magnificent.

But that's not all. You also get 4 bonus songs which include two okay ones ( Limestreet Blues and Monseigneur Armand ) and two fantastic ones ( Homburg and Seem To Have The Blues All The Time.) The latter of the two includes my favorite lyric of the album "Well I owed a lot of money/I was weak and easily led/I tried to rob a bank/ The cashier shot me dead".

You may have not heard of this album, this group, or even the title song but if you like classic rock or just good music in general. Give this band a try. They might suprise you.

One of the great rock albums!.......2007-03-01

Ketih Reid, Procol Harum's lyricist, labels this album the best the group produced, and who am I to disagree? Listening to the album tonight, almost four decades since I was enthralled by the album as a teenager, I am amazed at its durable quality. I listen to only a few rock albums of my youth, but none more than this one. The combination of stunningly vivid and eloquent lyrics, fabulous keyboard and lead guitar playing, and wonderful variations on great themes from classical music make this album one of my favorites of all time. Thirty-nine years on, this album thrills me very time I listen to it.

just as I remember it.......2007-02-07

The CD is just as I remember the album from waaaaay back in the late 60's. It's great! Plus, the 4 bonus tracks were a pleasant surprise.

Beautiful.......1999-01-07

John Lennon's favorite album to get high to features two truly great church-organ-rock-style songs, the title track and "Homburg." They just don't make 'em like this anymore, with such attempts at sophistication. Many of the other tracks are worthwhile too.

blast.......1999-01-04

This album is a blast back to the ever-changing soundtrack of my youth. Of course, I had this on 8-track, and that, coupled with the poor mono mix of the time, made a somewhat muddy listening experience, but the great music came shining brightly through. This is a great piece of work...

Procol Harum Live: In Concert with the Edmonton Symphony Orchestra

Average customer rating:

Procol Harum's finest hour perhaps
The Best Procol Harum Album Ever
best mix
It's been a long time
Truly A Glimpse Of Nirvana

Procol Harum Live: In Concert with the Edmonton Symphony Orchestra

Manufacturer: Repertoire
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Broken Barricades
Procol Harum - Greatest Hits [Metro]
A Whiter Shade of Pale
A Salty Dog
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ASIN: B00006ALRP
Release Date: 2003-09-12

Tracks:

Conquistador
Whaling Stories
Salty Dog
All This and More
In Held 'Twas in I: Glimpses of Nirvana/'Twas Teatime at the Circus/In
Luskus Delph [Live][*]

Album Description

German digipak reissue of 1972 album includes one bonus track, 'Luskus Delph' (live). Six tracks. Repertoire.

Customer Reviews:

Procol Harum's finest hour perhaps.......2007-07-20

Many of the songs on this live Procol Harum disc maintain their wonderful spiritual atmosphere from the studio versions, but are given a louder, more meaningful performance when delivered in a live setting. If you enjoy what you've heard from Procol Harum in the studio, you will no doubt find a lot to enjoy about this disc. A very melodic and almost hauntingly pleasant live album. I can see myself listening to this band when I'm 80 years old. I bet by that age, I'll still be enjoying these excellent tunes.

The Best Procol Harum Album Ever.......2007-01-26

It took me a long time to find this album on CD, previously only had the vinyl and took it all over the world with me. The CD is engineered very well, a clean recording. The only thing that could have been better is if this album had been released on DVD-Audio or SACD in a true 5.1 mix. This album was originally produced in quad-4 so a remix to 5.1 would be easy and fantastic.

best mix.......2007-01-10

Procul harum live bridges classic rock with classical music. In this album you'll hear a gutiar played as an instrument of the ochestra. Absoulutely a brilliant piece of music.

It's been a long time .......2006-11-28

I haven't heard this album, with the exception of the first track, in about 30 years. My roommate in college owned this album and I was always a PH fan so hearing them with an orchestra was fasinating. I never really saw the CD anywhere until I came across it here and said I must have it. It still sounds great. The songs and arrangements are truly classic in every sense.

Truly A Glimpse Of Nirvana.......2006-10-30

Procol Harum's work throughout the years has been uneven, but this collaboration with the Edmonton Symphony Orchestra is one of their shining moments. I have worn out more than one vinyl version of this recording over the years, and I also have the MFSL version of this CD. While it is true that the MFSL disc suffers in comparison to this one, keep in mind the state of technology in 1971. We do owe a debt to Wally Heider's mobile studio for the tapes that allowed Repertoire to do such a splendid job of remastering. This recording belongs in everyone's collection, whether they are a fan of Procol Harum or not. If you are not moved in some manner by the time you hear "Grand Finale", then you had better check your pulse.

Average customer rating:

Your Introduction to Procol Harum
Talented musicians and out of the ordinary lyrics, but is this the greatest hits?
needs more than a dash of Trower
The Best Of Procol Harum At A&M
A&M Great Work

Procol Harum - Greatest Hits
Procol Harum
Manufacturer: A&M
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Procol Harum - Greatest Hits [Metro]
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ASIN: B000002G5E
Release Date: 1996-05-07

Tracks:

Conquistador
A Whiter Shade Of Pale
Simple Sister
Whisky Train
A Salty Dog
Shine On Brightly
Whaling Stories
Power Failure
Boredom
Homburg
In The Wee Small Hours Of Sixpence
Repent Walpurgis

Customer Reviews:

Your Introduction to Procol Harum.......2007-06-04

"A Whiter Shade of Pale" is a song that refuses to die, no matter how many retro-themed movies it appears in and I am willing to bet that most people assume that Procol Harum (the song's originators) were a one-hit wonder of the 1960s. That isn't really true. Procol Harum started off with a delicious "Ray Charles meets JS Bach" vibe but matured into one of Great Britain's best art rock bands. They never over-indulged in meaningless virtuosity or psychedelic excess, preferring instead to create mostly tastefully arranged moody classics. That's probably why they never enjoyed the vast commercial success of later prog rock bands.

The songs here are drawn from their first few LPs and are sequenced so that the more accessible material comes first. Like most art rock bands, Procol Harum seems to have prided themselves on creating a diverse songbook, and the variety unfortunately gives this short anthology an unfocused feel. This was also a problem with Procol Harum's original studio releases. Personally, the variety suits me just fine but you might not like the idea of a Greatest Hits CD that you can't listen to straight through. The production values are especially stunning considering these songs are close to 40 years old.

Hopefully, this CD will encourage you to seek out more of what this fine band had to offer in their early years. I strongly encourage you to track down a copy of "A Salty Dog" as it's hands-down the best album the band recorded as well as one of the most beautiful rock LPs of the late 1960s.

Talented musicians and out of the ordinary lyrics, but is this the greatest hits?.......2006-06-22

To me Procol Harum was "Whiter Shade of Pale" or "Salty Dog." That was pretty much my familiarity with the band, but I started to realize that I rarely ignored those songs when they came on the radio. With this collection, I found an extremely talented band that seems to have found a very interesting niche for itself. Between Robin Trower's soaring guitar work and Gary Brooker's powerful vocals and arrangements, I found myself thoroughly intrigued by the quality of Procol Harum's talent and the interesting lyrical bent of Keith Reid. ("Simple sister, got whooping cough, got to burn her toys") Musically this band can stand with any of their contemporaries, with every instrument played well whether it is the blues rock of "Whiskey Train" or the classically influenced "Conquistador." This is definitely a band that I am going to spend a bit more time investigating their back catalogue. That being said, this seems to me to be only a sampler and probably not a good representation of the band's true best. Some of the tracks seem a bit truncated and while I'm no expert on Procol Harum I would assume that the band has few longer pieces that should be represented.

needs more than a dash of Trower.......2005-07-21

One purpose to releasing a 'Greatest Hits' collection is to generate the listeners interest in purchasing other productions by the artist. That was my goal in purchasing this collection by Procol Harum. Nevermind that the album would have been better titled 'The Best Of', since Procol Harum only scored three charting songs in the US ('A Whiter Shade of Pale', which reached number 5 in July of 1967, 'Homburg' at number 34 four months later, and 'Conquistador' at number 16 in 1972), and five in their UK homeland ('A Whiter Shade...' not once, but twice, in '67 [when it reached #1] and in a 1972 stereo version [#13], 'Homburg', 'Conquistador', and 'Pandora's Box', which ironically is not included in this 'Greatest Hits' compilation). Like most progressive rock bands, the magic of Procol Harum supposedly lies in their long-form pieces, not in pandering to Top 40 success.

It is instructive to note that the arrangement of the songs offered on 'Greatest Hits' is not chronological. In fact, the final three songs on the disc are some of the earliest tracks the band produced. I would speculate that the producer, Bob Garcia, arranged these tracks according to their perceived quality and popularity, since the opening six tracks are clearly where the meat of the album resides. 'Greatest Hits' is squarely focused on the first 5 years of the band's output, offering 4 tracks from 1967's 'Procol Harum', and two each from 1968's 'Shine On Brightly', 1969's 'A Salty Dog', 1970's 'Home', and 1971's 'Broken Barricades'. Pretty democratic for a bunch of English socialists!

I was inspired to track down an affordable copy of a compilation of Procol's best after seeing a Musikladen performance of 'Simple Sister' in which the band really cooked, especially lead guitarist Robin Trower. The studio version of that track is offered here, and while it's certainly enjoyable, the band never seems to catch fire on this track the way they did for German TV. The studio version is too formulaic. Nevertheless, the live 1972 version of 'Conquistador' does cook, as does 'Whiskey Train', with a great lead guitar foundation laid down by Trower. The title tracks from the band's 1968 and 1969 albums, 'Shine On Brightly' and 'A Salty Dog' follow, both airing the band's trademark 'classical, epic' mode. I'm much more fond of this band when they're laying down merciless rock and roll, and while the second track, 'A Whiter Shade of Pale', is an undeniable masterpiece, I can only take so much of that dirge-like tempo. The longest track, 'Whaling Stories' at 7:07 takes that tempo to the extreme. Unfortunately, none of the remaining tracks on the disc ever get back to the ragged edge of 'Simple Sister' and 'Whiskey Train'.

The liner notes for 'Greatest Hits' state that Patricia Sullivan remastered these tracks at A&M studios, and while most of the disc sounds fine, it is listed as an AAD recording, two of the tracks are in mono ('Homburg' and 'In the Wee Small Hours of Sixpence', which is so 'British' it may strain your sensibilities anyway), and 'A Whiter Shade Of Pale' is the 1972 "reprocessed stereo" version, which means fake stereo. So the remastering leaves something to be desired as well.

While this album hasn't completely darkened my interest in Procol Harum, I am convinced I need to find a collection more centered on Robin Trower's metallic contributions to their legacy. Any suggestions?

The Best Of Procol Harum At A&M.......2005-06-27

This compilation combines the best cuts from Procol Harum's A&M years. There are several standouts here, including, especially, the band's big hit, "A Whiter Shade Of Pale." Some people say that this song is about the Canterbury Tales, others claim its lyrics describe the consequences of excessive self-indulgence, but in my view, both interpretations are equally valid; in fact, the latter is why I look at photos of my favorite female celebrities to help me resist the temptation to do anything that could harm me in any way. Only lyricist Keith Reid knows for certain what "A Salty Dog" is about. Any fan of progressive rock should own this one.

A&M Great Work.......2003-07-20

I think that this cd is pretty cool i haven't heard it all but im sure it's great i bought this cd only because i heard the song A Whiter Shade Of Pale and it's a great tune i love it But i don't know why other people think that the label didnt do a good job but i don't know what other's think but i think the cd is olrite, I like it so far but just as long as it's not a jazz cd because then i would be dissapointed, But Procol Harum sounds like Steppenwolf and that's cool just as long as it sounds like any other artist i know, So that's olrite, But they also sound like David Bowie now David Bowie is great so i think that Procol Harum is cool.

Average customer rating:

A Phlat compilation of Greatest Hits
Great Music - But a Bit Dated
This is Getting Ridiculous...
slightly disappointing best of
BACK TO THE FUTURE

Procol Harum - Greatest Hits [Metro]
Procol Harum
Manufacturer: Metro Music
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Procol Harum Live: In Concert with the Edmonton Symphony Orchestra
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ASIN: B000050X2B
Release Date: 2000-12-19

Tracks:

Whiter Shade of Pale
She Wandered Through the Garden Fence
Something Following Me
Mabel
Cerdes (Outside the Gates Of)
Conquistador
Kaleidoscope
Salad Days (Are Here Again)
Repent Walpurgis
Homburg
Quite Rightly So
Shine on Brightly
Magdalene (My Regal Zonophone)
In the Wee Small Hours of Sixpence
Salty Dog
Devil Came from Kansas
Boredom
Whisky Train
Whaling Stories

Customer Reviews:

A Phlat compilation of Greatest Hits.......2007-01-20

This Greatest Hits Album of Procol Harum has not impressed me. All the songs are there, but are really two-dimensional. Its as if they had been cut from some demo tracts and are devoid of PH's lead ins, background sounds, and depth. I got this album almost principally for their great song Conquistidor and was really dispointed with it - no big horn, no orchestra sound. It may be the band didn't leave great cuts behind after disbanding, but that's pretty hard to believe. You will certainly hear all the greatest hits, but if you are after great sounding album look somewhere else.

Great Music - But a Bit Dated.......2006-01-23

I remember seeing Procol Harum at the Fillmore East when they were at their prime. It was during the height of psychadelia, and they blew the audience away. Their mixture of classical, jazz, and pop, along with lyrics that were beautiful but cryptic were perfect.

The music, at its best, is still great. Unfortunately, some of their later material just doesn't seem to stand the test of time. If I were to do it over, I would probably get their first album, with that wonderful cover, instead of this greatest hits collection. However, this is CD is worth the money and nice selection from a classic rock group.

This is Getting Ridiculous..........2004-04-18

Why can't anyone compile a decent "Best Of" CD for this great band? Well, probably because most of these incompetent "record execs" have been raised on crap music, and don't know enough about Procol Harum to handle the task. The fact that no one seems to be able to put this band's 10 or 12 classic songs onto one disc makes it clear as to why the record biz is in trouble, and it's not from downloading. It's overpricing and bad staffing, pure and simple. The songs that are here are just fine, but this disc is lacking.

slightly disappointing best of.......2002-12-22

there's too much from the first album and not enough from the second, if you're going to have a 19 track anthology, i guess you shouldn't have about half of it come from the first record, as strong a record as it was nonwithstanding. i'd have liked to have seen skip softly my moonbeams, lime street blues,simple sister, grand hotel, and a long gone geek. i guess they couldn't put post 1970 recordings and there is a weird version of one of the very greatest procul harum tracks- the moving, stately, and just plain brilliant QUITE RIGHTLY SO. a whiter shade of pale and a salty dog are wonderful numbers, but this one belongs in the procul harum hierarchy as well. thgis band was one of the very earliest , and best art rock or classical rock bands, though they also delved into r and b type stuff, psychedelia, and much more. this collection is good, but it is incomplete. you'd probably be better off with a different best of, or, if you are a big procul harum fan, you might want to shell out for the 3 cd westside collection, which features many unreleased cuts, b-sides and alternative takes, as well as their first four albums- procul harum, shine on brightly, a salty dog, and home. this was one of the bands from england that , although commercially successful, somehow wound up being quite underrated. gary brooker and matthew fisher were excellent piano and organ players, and brooker's vocals are very effective. the band's lyricist keith reid's dylan influenced lyrics would perhaps be called by some, but i find them interesting, quirky, and distinctive. bassist david knights makes solid contributions, particularly on my aforementioned favorite track quite righly so, and drummer b.j. wilson was also good, in fact, he was jimmy page's original choice for that post in led zeppelin. fisher and wilson also played on joe cocker's debut with other noteworthy english rock players. and robin trower was a talented and intriguing guitarist who later went on to solo success. procul harum's music from the late 60's/early 70's remains interesting , enlightening, and fresh today.

BACK TO THE FUTURE.......2002-12-17

... I thought that anything that was compared, in signifcance, to the Guttenberg Press ought to be worthy of further investigation.

I had been a casual fan of Procol Harum during my youth (the 60's) but I was not overly familiar with their music. Although, I had always felt that their tunes 'A Whiter Shade of Pale' and 'Shine on Brightly' to be, perhaps, two of the finest examples 60's explorative rock. I must admit to never having owned a single disc of theirs. As a matter of fact, I do not believe that until very recently I had ever listened to one of Procol Harum's albums in it's entirety.

... I picked up this disc only to realize just how great a band they were. For the most part, this disc is utterly brilliant from beginning to end musically and lyrically. The scale of the sound, the sheer surrealistic brilliance of the lyrics and the extraordinary depth of emotions therein left be stunned, elated and emotionally electrified. This is, simply, one of the great bands of all time. A stellar example of what popular music can be but seldom is.

'Shine On'

Tracks:

Simple Sister
Broken Barricades
Memorial Drive
Luskus Delph
Power Failure
Song for a Dreamer
Playmate of the Mouth
Poor Mohammed
Broken Barricades [Single Edit][*]
Power Failure [Single Edit][*]
Simple Sister [Mono Version][*]

Album Description

German limited & numbered digipak reissue of 1971 album (deleted domestically). Includes three bonus tracks, 'Broken Barricades' (Single Edit), 'Power Failure' (Single Edit) & 'Simple Sister' (Mono Version). 2002.

Customer Reviews:

One Short but Ohh Soo Good.......2006-08-09

This album provides some fine examples of why Procol Harum was high in the ranks of rock's elite in the late-Sixties spanning flawlessly into the early '70's. Opening with the the catchy hook's on "Simple Sister" followed by the album's lovely flowing three-quarter timed title song ample evidence of Brooker/Reid's writing abilities abound as well the on-occassion penchant for repetition. Trower's influence is apparent on the stright-up rocker "Memorial Drive" as it is his co-writing to a lesser end effect on "Song for a Dreamer", a tribute with strong Eastern stylings to his recently departed friend J. Hendrix and "Poor Mohammed" which could be a near comic yawner if not for the remarkable slide work. Returning to PH's conventional writing team,one can only remark of "Luskus Delph" that gad's this is beautiful from point of title,lyric and composition. From the simple but urgent drum opening of "Power Failure" and the guitar's answer to it's own siren call this song highlights a rare wonderful percussion center that is more than worthy of the over-dubbed audience applause upon conclusion. How does this group manage to get away with such on-occassion repetition? Because they can as few others are able. This being Trower's last effort with the group is it a true sign of the quality of his future solo efforts? Thankfully not. Is this 5th effort therefore the Last of the Great Procol Harem Albums? No, Grand Hotel was yet to come. Why are the Bonus Tracks a bonus? Because they are near repeats of a couple of the best cuts on the disc.

Great Procol and a killer recording.......2006-07-08

Having been in the music and recording business for
over 29 years this Procol album has not only killer
songs"Simple Sister "is a totally masterful recording that holds up and surpasses today's digital standards. You
have remember that this record was made with no computers or digital technology on a 24 track tape recorder!
I still listen to the layering on it and wonder how they did it
back in '71. Much of the credit should go their producer/ engineer Chris Thomas a true giant in the biz. Chris engineered or produced many great recordings most notably The Beatles, Pink Floyd's " Dark Side of the Moon",
all the Pretenders records and the list goes on and on.
Dave Adams

A pretty-much over looked album for it's time.......2006-06-20

Rolling Stone's review in '71 all but gave them up for dead..Hard to imagine that!! In any event, I recall the day the album was played in it's entirety (without commercial interruption)for the first time on the "underground" radio station in Houston where I grew up. I skipped school that day with an acquaintance who had a hot "date" at 10:00 AM or so at this girl's parent's house.The two of them were getting busy upstairs as the album played, while I had more fun listening than they could possibly have, had they only slowed down and joined me 'round the Hi-Fi. We had all dropped some acid, and I was peaking along the same time when the first riffs from Robin Trowers' Strat' came through the speakers.. I was indeed entranced, and I sat there for what seemed an extended period of time, yet merely 40 or so minutes in reality.I can't quite recall the rest of that day, but what a great, over-looked project! I still love it today for the sparkling production, the lyrics, and above all, the almost hypnotic musicality of the whole thing..Not a wasted day of hookey at all, and well-worth it in the long run. I challenge any contemporary of mine at that time to come up with a better first heard scenario for say, "Sticky Fingers", or "Aqualung". Two albums released shortly after "Broken Barricades". Albums that are classics, yet not as unique in some ways as Broken Barricades is for me.

A pretty-much over looked album for it's time.......2006-06-20

Rolling Stone's review in '71 all but gave them up for dead..Hard to imagine that!! In any event, I recall the day the album was played in it's entirety (without commercial interruption)for the first time on the "underground" radio station in Houston where I grew up. I skipped school that day with an acquaintance who had a hot "date" at 10:00 AM or so at her parent's house.They were getting busy upstairs as the album played, while I had more fun listening than they could possibly have, had they only slowed down and joined me 'round the Hi-Fi. We had all dropped some acid, and I was peaking along the same time when the first riffs from Robin Trowers' Strat' came through the speakers.. I was indeed entranced, and I sat there for what seemed an extended period of time, yet merely 40 or so minutes in reality. What a great, over-looked project! I still love it today for the sparkling production, the lyrics, and above all, the almost hypnotic musicality of the whole thing..Not a wasted day of hookey at all, and well-worth it in the long run. I challenge any contemporary of mine at that time to come up with a better first heard scenario for say, "Sticky Fingers", or "Aqualung". Two albums released shortly after "Broken Barricades". Albums that are classics, yet not as unique in some ways as Broken Barricades is for me.

Danged Good Procol!.......2006-05-12

This is possibly my second favorite Procol album. "Grand Hotel" is my first. Though it has some of the hostility that was rife on the previous album, "Home", which I avoid like the plague, it also has some of the most interesting and innovative Procol songwriting on it. Robin Trower makes two significant contributions to the album, with "Song For A Dreamer" and the quirky "Poor Mohammed" and they are great! "Dreamer" is a very spacey sort of a thing, the sort of song that Procol isn't exactly known for producing. Supposedly, this song is a tribute to Jimi Hendrix, a musician that Trower has often been compared to. The lyrics are totally dream-like and ethereal in nature, but "Poor Mohammed" is completely different! This song puts Trower in storytelling mode, with that rough as pebbles voice of his delineating a day in the life of some poor immigrant schmoe as he wanders about a house. The guitar work sets a weird mood for the song. Very rough and tumble!

The "Home"-style hostility comes in with the two major Gary Brooker-sung rockers, "Simple Sister" and "Power Failure". Who is Brooker singing to on "Sister"? The lyrics are so hostile, it's scary, and I am taken back to "Still There'll Be More" from the previous album, a song which wrote the BOOK on hostility! "Power Failure" is less vitriolic, but nonetheless cooks with the same furor that "Sister" does. Other Brooker tunes on the album are so lilting and gentle as to almost be apologies for those two. "Luskus Delph", one of the other tunes, has some of the naughtiest lyrics you'll ever hear issue from a classical rock group. This is one song you'll NEVER hear played on a Clear Channel radio station!

Since they are more focussed on this album, the "madmen" sobriquet doesn't really seem to fit, despite the presence of "Simple Sister" and "Song For A Dreamer". The old Hieronymus Bosch flavor is gone, replaced by what now seem to be only complaints and stories. They also could have peaked with their madness on "Home", (and considering the tone of that album, there's a very good chance somebody had Brooker and Reid committed for their own good!) Instead of Honore Balzac, we have Stanley Kubrick now...not a bad tradeoff!

A must for any new fan of this seminal art-rock band...the band that, in fact, practically INVENTED art rock!

Average customer rating:

Procol Harum's A Salty Dog
Their Masterpiece, a true work of Art
Harum's Greatest Disc
WORTH BUYING
NO REVIEWS FOR THIS CLASSIC? WHAT'S WRONG OUT THERE?

A Salty Dog
Procol Harum
Manufacturer: Repertoire
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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A Whiter Shade of Pale
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Procol Harum Live: In Concert with the Edmonton Symphony Orchestra

ASIN: B000006ZZ6
Release Date: 1997-07-21

Tracks:

Salty Dog
Milk of Human Kindness
Too Much Between Us
Devil Came from Kansas
Boredom
Juicy John Pink [Mono Version]
Wreck of the Hesperus
All This and More
Crucifiction Lane
Pilgrims Progress

Album Description

1997 digipak Reissue of 1968 album. 'Quite Rightly So' is the opening cut on Procol's 1968 offering which has the band exploring all the facets of its unique style and sound, so firmly established in the wake of its original chart hits. Here are the resounding themes, the soulful vocals and swelling organ chords backed by a firm and steady beat, all matched by Keith Reid's lyrical imagery. Includes the bonus track 'Long Gone Geek' (single B-side). Repertoire.

Album Details

Digi-Pak Reissue of their '69 Classic. featuring Matthew Fisher, Gary Brooker, - Including Bonus Track - Long Gone Geek. Tracklising: a Salty Dog, the Milk of Human Kinderness, Too Much Between Us.

Customer Reviews:

Procol Harum's A Salty Dog.......2007-07-05

In my humble opinion, this was Procol Harum's best album ever. I love it. Definitely has stood the test of time. When anyone new hears it, they always ask, "Who IS that?" Doesn't get much better than this!

Their Masterpiece, a true work of Art.......2005-11-21

This album paints a picture of the Sea that transports me to another place every time I listen. It does what art is supposed to do, move your senses, stir your feelings. I can't think of another themed-style rock recording that does this better than this one. It's true that you need "listen" to the music (not a party album, for sure) but this is a blend of immensely talented musicians peaking, guided by one of the greatest rock poets this side of Dylan, so please, PAY ATTENTION! Grab a pair of headphones, relax, and enjoy the artistry of one of the greatest albums in all rock history! If you needed to get one Procol Harum record, this is the one...

Harum's Greatest Disc.......2003-08-01

1969's "A Salty Dog" is Procol Harum's masterpiece. The music here is simply wonderful, with the band's trademark blend of rock, blues, & classical worked to majestic perfection. The title track is unquestionably one of the most hauntingly beautiful songs ever written, with passionate vocals from keyboardist Gary Brooker. "The Milk Of Human Kindness" is great piano-rock, "Too Much Between Us" is a lovely acoustic number, "The Devil Came From Kansas" is a memorable Harum song with a strong, marching feel, and "Boredom" is just plain fun, with fine vocals from organist Matthew Fisher. "Juicy John Pink" is excellent dirty blues, "Wreck Of The Hesperus" is a powerful dramatic number, and "All This And More" is sharp, melodic pop/rock. Guitarist Robin Trower steps up to the microphone with gusto on the great slow rocker, "Crucifixion Land," and Fisher returns to the mike on the winning, whimsical finale, "Pilgrim's Progress." The songwriting, with lyrics by Keith Reid, and the band's performances are all outstanding. Procol Harum have many brilliant albums to their credit, but "A Salty Dog" is the one that moves me the most. It's a gorgeous Harum classic.

WORTH BUYING.......2002-12-26

At the time, I knew Gary Brooker was never going to top this album and/or song (A Salty Dog). Sadly, I was correct. Album purchase is worth it JUST for title song, not to mention Wreck of the Hesperus and Pilgrim's Progress.

NO REVIEWS FOR THIS CLASSIC? WHAT'S WRONG OUT THERE?.......2002-12-09

Well, I can't believe there are no reviews on this disc yet! this is a bona fide early seventies classic. Procol Harum (along with the Band) really set the standard for intelligent songwriting and superlative singing and playing in the early seventies. If you liked "A Whiter Shade Of Pale", then there's plenty to recommend on this disc. Gary Brooker as usual is a wonder especially on "A Salty Dog" and "Too Much Between Us", and there are two gorgeous Matthew Fisher numbers, "Wreck of the Hesperus" and "Pilgrims Progress". Robin Trower is kept in relative check on most of this album, but "The Devil Came From Kansas" lets him make a wonderful racket. And the late, great B.J. Wilson was one of rock's truly great drummers.

Tracks:

Grand Hotel
Toujours l'Amour
Rum Tale
T.V. Caesar
Souvenir of London
Bringing Home the Bacon
For Liquorice John
Fires (Which Burnt Brightly)
Robert's Box
Grand Hotel/Over the Rainbow [Live][*]

Album Description

After a long run of significant radio and chart activity with classic songs like Whiter Shade of Pale and Conquistador, in 1973 Procol Harum delivered which many fans believe is their strongest effort of all time, Grand Hotel. Founders Gary Brooker and Keith Reid wrote this stunning masterpiece on the heels of their platinum effort Live with the Edmonton Symphony Orchestra. From the opening piano chords on the classic title track, "Grand Hotel", the listener knows they are truly in store for a fantastic excursion that only Procol Harum can offer.

This hit album continues in the fine tradition of their previous classic recordings with the wonderful "Toujours L'Amour." This tale of unrequited love was a concert staple for years and has become one of their most treasured songs from this fine album. Featuring the ever present Mick Grabham on lead guitar, this track along with other rockers like "Bringing Home The Bacon" and "Robert's Box" keep a guitar drenched approach throughout these exciting recordings.

With some help from the legendary classical vocalist The Swingle Singers' Christianne Legrand, "Fires (Which Burnt Brightly)" has gone on to become one of their most loved songs in their long recording history.

Complete with lush orchestrations and skillful instrumentation by members Brooker, Reid, Chris Copping, the late B.J. Wilson, Alan Cartwright and Mick Grabham, Procol Harum's Grand Hotel was truly a highly artistic achievement for this popular classic rock act.

As an added treat for the fans, Gary Brooker has given Friday Music a bonus track for this newly remastered CD, a very rare live version of "Grand Hotel" from a 1973 performance at The Rainbow Theatre in London.

Grand Hotel has gone on to stand the test of time over the years, however, it hasn't been available in North America for over two decades. Thanks to Procol Harum, they have teamed up with Friday Music to deliver this monumental effort along with a bunch of newly re-mastered versions of their all time classic recordings- The Procol Harum Remasters series.

Customer Reviews:

Perfection.......2007-05-08

Procol Harum is difficult to categorize in the annals of classic rock. Were they prog rock? Blues/R & B rock? It really doesn't matter, as they had a sound all of their own, that no other group of their age could duplicate. Their emphasis was on a "song format", as opposed to a "performance format", wherein the latter the song was just a vehicle for various soloists to do their instrumental break on. Keith Reid's lyrics add both elegance and humor to each composition on this outing. Grand Hotel captures the band at their best: the production is top rate, the strings and choir highlight but don't overshadow the band, the songs are magnificent; and the performances of the individual band members are enthralling, especially Brooker's dramatic vocals and elegant piano work and Mick Grabham's restrained but inspiring guitar work. Procol Harum had class, intelligence, and inspiration; qualities desperately lacking in many of their contemporaries and even more so with what is on the charts in the 21st century. There will never be anything like them again, and Grand Hotel presents them at the pinnacle of their creativity.

A "Grand" album!!.......2006-08-28

Procol Harum was not your run of the mill 60's band. One listen to "Whiter Shade of Pale" and you knew you were hearing something different. Grand Hotel, while not as well known as other hit albums in the early 70's, contained some very amazing songs done in an unusual style. The signature tune, Grand Hotel, makes one feel that they have been transported to Europe in song, while Bringing Home The Bacon and Roberts Box show a muscular side to this group that some listners might not have ever experi-
enced. Aside from the amazing American group, The Band, probably no other group so strongly and tastefully used both organ and piano in their band format. Take a trip on a most wonderous musical journey and vist Procol Harum's, Grand Hotel.

Top Classic Rock Album - 30 later years - still the best.......2005-12-18

One of the greatest adult classic rock albums of all times! The album is like a tour of a Grand Hotel where every room contains a demonstration of a human obsession - over-eating, drinking, love gone bad, mindless TV, drug addiction, suicide, sex and war. Classy, forbodding, sad, angry, funny and purposefully campy.

Fantasitc lyrics, music and musicianship. A wild and crazy use of orchestras, choirs, pianos, electric guitars, organs and drumming. Along with the lyrics (real poetry!)- its a roller coaster ride. The experience is greatest when the album is played loud!

The record sounds fantastic. There is almost no hiss and the base sounds great. Crystal clear sound! Brookers piano can be heard clearly and his voice is one of the best in any music anywhere.

Requires only a little patience, but numerous listenings. Analyzing the Keith Reid metaphors in the poetry is challenging but fun and his bidding you enter the hotel on the inside cover is classic. Grand Hotel is an absolute must for mature thinking people who want more then the usual dribble in their rock.

Friday Music's booklet has all the lyrics. The CD includes the wonderful addition of a live version of Grand Hotel with lots of Garry's piano and his diversion into Over The Rainbow!

Average customer rating:

Whiter Shade of Pale
Procol Harum's Special Sound
Haunted Whiter Shade of Pale !!!

Best of Procol Harum
Procol Harum
Manufacturer: Repertoire
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Broken Barricades
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Classic Tracks and Rarities: An Anthology
Blind Faith

ASIN: B0000084VU
Release Date: 1998-02-09

Tracks:

Whiter Shade of Pale
Homburg
Quite Rightly So
Salty Dog
Lime Street Blues
Good Captain Clack
In the Wee Small Hours of Sixpence
Rambling On
Long Gone Geek
Conquistador
She Wandered Through the Garden Fence
Salad Days (Are Here Again)
Shine on Brightly
Wish Me Well
Magdalene (My Regal Zonophone)
Devil Came from Kansas
Boredom
Wreck of the Hesperus
Juicy John Pink
Whisky Train
About to Die
Your Own Choice

Album Description

Reissued 1998 compilation. Selected highlights from an extraordinary range of albums and singles produced by the band that shot to fame in 1967. Their most famous hit 'A Whiter Shade Pale' is matched by such dramatic works as 'Conquistador' and the atmospheric 'A Salty Dog.'

Album Details

22 Classic Hits plus Booklet.

Customer Reviews:

Whiter Shade of Pale.......2006-05-07

This song is by far one of the best songs I have ever heard. I have listen to it in French, Spanish, Italian and of course English. My family thinks am obsessed with it. I played it so often that my sister and nephew now like it

Procol Harum's Special Sound.......2004-06-18

I first bought this CD specifically for my favourite song Whiter Shade Of Pale.However,as I no sooner discovered,this band had much more to offer.This group is terrific!I just can't get over their sound.There's something uniquely special about their music.So original!Whiter Shade Of Pale has been redone by many other musicians over the years.Annie Lennox is probably the most recent artist to do a version of it.I've even heard it sung in Italian.However,none of the band's other material seems nearly as recognized.What a shame!The hammond organ is beautifully played in Shine On Brightly.The sound effects in A Salty Dog gives you the feeling of actually being out on the seashore.It seems to me that Procol Harum didn't get the recognition it deserved.

Haunted Whiter Shade of Pale !!!.......2003-02-20

I bought this cd in 1991. It bears A&M label with a picture of Andromeda galaxy (which is the nearest one adjacent to our Milky Way galaxy) on the front cover. There are several Procol Harum collections sold in the market. All of them have more tracks than those of the disc I review. But the Best of Procol Harum [A&M] is the earliest collection (original released as vinyl in 1973 and as CD in 1990).

I strongly believe that "A Whiter Shade of Pale" should be one of the songs that epitomizes the Sixties Era. That track is also the anthem of the band. Listen carefully to the dialogue track of the Jimi Hendrix Live at the Winterland (circa 1968) and you will hear that this song was played (via LP) before introduction of Jimi and other members of the Experience on the stage began. Another thing that distinguishes this CD from other collection issues is the track "Conquistador" which is a live version taken from Procol Harum Live at Edmonton, Canada in 1972. Even though this CD has less tracks, but it covers all highlight tracks including "Homburg" and "Salty Dog". If you prefer the original "best of" and the live version Conquistador, you should consider this CD.

Shine on Brightly
Average customer rating:

In the beginning . . .

In Held Twas In I

So Brightly Insane

One of my favorite groups of the 60s....

A strong successor to Sgt. Pepper, though not so humorous

Shine on Brightly
Procol Harum
Manufacturer: Repertoire
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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A Salty Dog

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A Salty Dog

ASIN: B000006ZOV
Release Date: 1997-06-30

Tracks:

Quite Rightly So
Shine on Brightly
Skip Softly (My Moonbeams)
Wish Me Well
Rambling On
Magdalene (My Regal Zonophone)
In Held Twas in I: Glimpses of Nirvana/'Twas Teatime at the Circus
In the Wee Small Hours of Sixpence [*]
Tuo Diamante [*]
Homburg [Stereo Version][*]

Album Description

Reissued 1968 album. Digi Pack. 'Quite Rightly So' is the opening cut on Procol's 1968 offering which has the band exploring all the facets of its unique style and sound, so firmly established in the wake of its original chart hits. Here are the resounding themes, the soulful vocals and swelling organ chords backed by a firm and steady beat, all matched by Keith Reid's lyrical imagery.

Album Details

Tracks: Quite Rightly So/ Shine on Brightly/ Skip Softly (My Moonbeams)/ Wish Me Well/ Rambling On/ Magdalene (My Regal Zonophone).

Customer Reviews:

In the beginning . . ........2007-05-06

there was Procol Harum, the "inventors" of Crock Rock -- pretentiousness for the "classical" music aspirant without the necessary effort.

From this point, those who couldn't compete with such as The Beatles in the field of creativity opted instead for being consciously "different," thereby trumping the merely excessively self-indulgent rockers.

It wouldn't be long before rock 'n roll, the democratic alternative to white-only MOR, and classist "classical" music, renamed "rock" by its second generation, would splinter and devolve into numerous "alternative to rock" "rock" musics, each ahistorically claiming to be the True One.

There is nothing in the history of "rock" more retrogressive than crock rock mysteriously labelled instead "Progressive Rock" (or, if one is "hip," "Prog Rock"). Anyone for "Rage Rock"?

Kill the phony beast before it pollutes the minds of future generations.

In Held Twas In I.......2005-10-03

Procol Harum's second album found lyricist Keith Reid developing a song cycle around a specific theme, in this case insanity. Reid and Procol Harum would continue this pattern of themed albums through their next series of recorings.

Shine on Brightly begins quite well with the classic title track and "Quite Rightly So" before stumbling just a bit on the rest of the old side one. "Wish Me Well" sounds like they were attampting to ape the American west-coast sound of the time, but Moby Grape or the Dead they were not meant to be. "Rambling On" (NOT the Led Zep song!) features some excellent distorted guitar lines from Robin Trower that sound kind of like something Phil Manzanera would do years later.

Things pick up again on "Magdalene" before the band gets to the mammoth "In Held Twas In I" which is to my knowledge the first-ever sidelong symphonic prog epic. Things start out a bit rough with some sub-Moody Blues poetry but once it finally gets going during the "In The Autumn of My Madness" section, sung by Matthew Fisher, it turns into a real treat. Robin Trower's heavy guitar lines star on "Look to Your Soul" along with Gary Brookers soulful singing before the powerful "Grand Finale" wraps things up in style. It may take a while to get going, and little if any attempt was made to tie the segments together musically, but this piece provided the blueprint for every "Suppers Ready" and "Close to the Edge" that followed, while still being an entertaining piece of art in it's own right.

The four stars is completely subjective to the high quality of this band's work. Shine On Brightly is excellent and entertaining, and a five star CD by anyone else, but I have to reserve five stars for the next two albums, "A Salty Dog" and "Home" which found the band matching the song cycle themes with more cohesive music and produced a couple of classic masterpieces.

So Brightly Insane.......2004-11-15

Procol Harum's remarkable self-titled debut album clearly revealed a deep baroque influence, but it did so in more than just a musical sense. I think there are many P H listeners who are familiar with the word baroque as a term describing a certain style of European music, but do not know that the term also applies, among other things, to a style of European literature and that, in fact, out of all the forms of baroque art emerges a vision of reality that can itself be termed baroque. It is this larger sense of the term that really applies more meaningfully to P H.
This baroque vision can be described both in terms of form and content. In form, it is generally very precise and multi-layered and multi-currented so that it tends toward a certain expansiveness and these different layers and currents elaborately and dynamically relate to each other, but in a peculiar way that gives a paradoxical self-enclosing feeling in spite of its expansiveness. It is precise, but seems haunted. This latter quality is taken up and developed by its content. In content, that is, in terms of its ideas and images, it is intense and ambiguous. It is emotionally powerful and intellectually stimulating, but it is virtually impossible to pinpoint what it is all exactly about. All of this very well applies to that fabulous first P H album.
With SHINE ON BRIGHTLY it appears on the surface that P H decided to present a more definite "theme" of content than on the first album. But it is easy to be mislead by this appearance with a resulting lack of proper appreciation for this great album.
SOB presents the subject-idea of spiritual life and struggle in a modern setting through obvious and traditional Buddhist and Christian terms and the overall extended musical structure itself seems to imply along with this that there is a definite laid out program being presented here. In other words, we might suspect that we are being preached to by way of a somewhat pretentious "concept album". But a close look at the content, that is, the ideas and images and way in which the music supports these reveals an ambiguity no less intense than that of the first album. What SOB actually presents us with that the first album lacked, is a sort of great wall of definite traditional spiritual-religious content against which is very artistically and intensely projected a darkly flaming ambiguity that represents the pleasurable-painful, heavenly- nightmarish, reality-unreality of the actual human condition. To demonstrate what I mean, I will look at the title song which is the heart of this album, the dark-fire core from which all the rest radiates. It is no accident that it is the Title Song.
First of all, before looking at its content, I want to state my view that this song is musically a genuine step forward in P H's modern-baroque style. It is a direct extension of the style presented on the first album but with a new subtle depth and range. The music is structurally divided into three repeating sections: 1) the refrain with its two guitar notes shrilly echoed at the octave. 2) the beginning of the beautiful chord progression proper filled out by the piano's steady chords at every half beat. 3) then the stunning sudden dropping out of the steady piano and its change to a purely percussive parallelling of B J Wilson's wonderful dynamic accenting of this part of the song. And with this dropping out of the piano there is the focus on Matthew Fisher's glorious, eerie, finely slithering ascending and descending organ lines extending fully through and defining the now hollow chords in the most moving and suggestive way. This is modern-baroque discovering new mysterious, ominous, carnival places in itself.
Content: His Prussian blue electric clock's alarm bell will not stop ringing. It is an electric clock, a modern clock, it is a modern alarm that can not be turned off and he can see no end to this alarm. He turns and searches for an answer by an older, even ancient, way, through the old venerated spiritual traditions symbolized by candle light, but the search is in vain for "some long road that goes nowhere, some signpost that is not there."
Suddenly he is plunged in a nightmare vision where the chandelier wildly swings over a scene where he finds that he himself, this lost and searching soul, is, impossibly, the Christ Child and the Three Wise Kings are bringing him gifts. But these wise men are not wise at all, but rather full of desire and envy and carry darkly telling gifts such as "fat old Buddhas carved in gold." The Kings are not what they appear to be, but then how could he himself possibly be the Holy Child? And yet...
He is his ordinary self again watching the huge and eerie Ferris wheel (so awesomely described by Matthew's organ) in a place where confusion reigns supreme. His eunuch friend tells him that he must simply "soldier on." His tongue and words fail him. All Truth is right before him and yet nothing is before him but darkness. And his befuddled brain, quite insane, Shines On Brightly.
The moral? Create the best art you can and soldier on.
I'll see you at Home.

One of my favorite groups of the 60s...........2003-12-07

Procol Harum was (were?) nicknamed "The Madmen of Rock", and they lived up to the name completely! They were like the Honoré De Balzacs of the genre, (the lead singer, Gary Brooker, even LOOKED like Balzac!) putting out an odd mixture of bluesy, organ and piano-driven, classically informed rock with lyrics and wizard guitar licks that had few, if any, equals. Since Procol's inception, Genesis is about the only group that even came close to sounding like them. NOBODY threw off the same rich aesthetic vibe they did.

This album, "Shine on Brightly", is probably where the group established their "madmen" reputation, putting you in mind of William Blake and Hieronymus Bosch as if these painters were musicians, with songs like "Skip Softly (My Moonbeams)" and the title song. The masterpiece on this album, (VERY William Blake-ish!) is the nearly 18 minute long "In Held Twas In I", an epic composition with passages like: "In The Autumn of My Madness" and "Twas Teatime At The Circus", capturing the full-on "Ship Of Fools" feel that they'll probably take with them into rock & roll heaven! (Or hell, where they belong!) The piece ends with "Look To Your Soul", a passage that snatches hope from self-induced despair.

Other tunes include "Wish Me Well", a precursor to their "Juicy John Pink" on "Salty Dog" with its ultra-bluesy guitar riff and Screamin' Jay Hawkins singing style; "Magdalene, My Regal Zononphone", a typical Procol number with gentle, classically influenced music framing very introspective lyrics; "Ramblin' On", a song that sounds like it should have been on their first album along with "Christmas Camel" and "She Wandered Through The Garden Fence".

For some odd reason, I've always liked Procol Harum. They didn't sound like anyone else, (until their pale imitations, Genesis, came along,) and nobody had the intelligent lyrical mode they had, with its study of faux madness and voluptuary indulgence. It was if Orson Welles had decided to become a rock auteur!

For all intents and purposes, this album, indeed, was the true bridge between their first album and "Salty Dog", with elements of both being quite obvious in it. One could do a LOT worse than discovering this group of non-conformist individuals who laid a lot of groundwork for the branch of music known as "art rock".

A strong successor to Sgt. Pepper, though not so humorous.......2003-05-07

The early Association ("Along Comes Mary" and "Pandora's Golden Heebie Jeebies") and the Left Banke ("Walk Away Renee", "Pretty Ballerina) started the baroque-rock ball rolling. Procol Harum picked it up and ran hard with it for their first two albums. This, their second, followed close on the heels of the Beatles' 'Sgt. Pepper' and was both influenced by it, and carried parts of its ideation to greater heights/depths.

The first song, the up-tempo "Quite Rightly So" combines baroque compositional rigor with stellar organ solos to rival even "A Whiter Shade of Pale". Its lyrics eschewed the earlier song's surrealism in favor of a more soul-searching text, on a smaller, less mystical scale than George Harrison's "Within You Without You" from 'Pepper'.

The title cut, "Shine On Brightly", follows with a serious return to the surreal, the lyrics upping the intensity via meandering metaphors winding around the listener like the coils of a brazen serpent. There is pathetic humor and/or irony in the psychological allegory that unfolds here. Glorious organ solos continue, intensified by Robin Trower's searing guitar licks, which inject purgatorial eloquence and strident power.

With "Skip Softly My Moonbeams", music and lyrics become more hellish - carrying us over the brink into serious spiritual/psychological crisis. Sounds of a brutish and clownish nature enhance a sense of desperation not heard since "A Christmas Camel" on the first album. There only the lyrics told the complete story - the music was impassioned, but not so expressionistic like here - with 'percussively' sinister licks from Trower's guitar, Fisher's organ, and even the backup singer(s).

On "Wish Me Well", the bottom falls out - we enter the underworld. The music becomes a kind of psychedelicized blues-rock.

The mood lightens with "Rambling On", though its humor remains self-effacing. The singer ruminates on the state of being trapped between worlds - it's like being lost inside a bad tarot reading (or dreaming of it). The combination of a slow vaudevillian sound punctuated by the churchy organ solo is hardened by the rock underpinnings of drums and guitars. The clown's ready to be hung out to dry.

"Magdalene, My Regal Zonophone" - a glimmer of light, or hope, or warmth in the heart - which turns out to be calm before the storm. A gorgeously moving piano accompaniment [in waltz time with warm bass guitar tones and snare drum] plays underneath, recapitulating hopes expressed by the opening song; but added to this new openness is apprehension. As the song winds down and fades toward oblivion, in the distance someone comically/pathetically intones through a megaphone "Magdalene, my regal zonophone" a number of times, in rhythm with the band.

"In Held Twas I" Spoken soliloquy to ominous simulations of Tibetan chanting, rollicking circus music, huge choral textures, tender piano nocturnes, and powerfully endowed guitar solos all play their respective roles in this sublimely conceived conjuration. The whole builds its immense architecture in word and sound, mood and motive, sometimes in quiet serenity, other times as if thunderously through the eye of the hurricane - all these motifs work together to symbolize the possibility of spiritual rebirth and redemption obtained through eclectic rather than narrow, dogmatic means.

Don't miss this! It's one of the most amazing spiritual documents in any media from the late 60's.

Classic Rock - 1967
Average customer rating:
Classic Rock - 1967

Manufacturer: Time Life Music
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD
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1965 Classic Rock (22 Tracks)

1969 (Classic Rock)

1968 Classic Rock By Time Life

Sounds of the Seventies : 1972

The Rock N' Roll Era: 1962 [Time Life]

ASIN: B000HCNE90

Product Description

22-track collection. Somebody to Love (Jefferson Airplane), Letter (Box Tops), Happy Together (Turtles), Dedicated to the One I Love (Mamas & the Papas), Love Is Here and Now You're Gone (Supremes), Groovin' (Young Rascals), (Your Love Is Lifting Me) Higher & Higher (Jackie Wilson), I Think We're Alone Now (Tommy James & the Shondells), I Second That Emotion (Smokey Robinson & the Miracles), San Francisco (Be Sure to Wear Flowers in Your Hair) (Scott McKenzie), Whiter Shade of Pale (Procol Harum), Respect (Aretha Franklin), Kind of a Drag (Buckinghams), Good Thing (Paul Revere & the Raiders), I Heard It Through the Grapevine (Gladys Knight & the Pips), Funky Broadway (Wilson Pickett), Incense & Peppermints (Strawberry Alarm Clock), Sweet Soul Music (Arthur Conley), I Had Too Much to Dream Last Night (Electric Prunes), Little Bit o' Soul (Music Explosion), Bernadette (Four Tops), Daydream Believer (Monkees).

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1. Whiter Shade of Pale
2. She Wandered Through the Garden Fence
3. Something Following Me
4. Mabel
5. Cerdes (Outside the Gates Of)
6. Christmas Camel
7. Conquistador
8. Kaleidoscope
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