Search - Procol Harum, London Symphony :: Long Goodbye: Symphonic Music of Procol Harum

A Nostalgic Whiff of Yesterday's Glory

Kurt Harding | Boerne TX | 01/27/2002

(3 out of 5 stars)

"Procol Harum has been one of my favorite bands since I was twelve years old, so I eagerly and sometimes stupidly buy any recording with the band's name on it. Of all the musicians who have come and gone in the various formations of the band, Gary Brooker has been its Rock of Gibraltar and in many ways this is a Brooker record rather than a Procol Harum project.
Matching a symphony orchestra with what is essentially a rock band is always an iffy proposition, but it is Brooker's classical sensibility and training that make it work. Procol Harum's music has always had a rich spiritual dimension and that dimension is enhanced in the hands of the right musicians.
That's not always apparent here. Guest vocalist Tom Jones' Simple Sister is downright laughable as are Grand Hotel and Butterfly Boys.
However, the CD does contain some excellent tracks including the timeless Conquistador, the solemn Matthew Fisher composition Repent Walpurgis (the original is a personal favorite), the classic A Salty Dog, and a surprisingly inspired rendition of the title song.
Procol purists may not enjoy this CD, but the halcyon days of the 60s and 70s can't be resurrected. At least The Long Goodbye offers fans a nostalgic whiff of yesterday's glory. Listen with an open mind and you, too, will find much to enjoy here."

It's Brooker's record and that's alright with me

David Kinney | San Francisco, Ca. United States | 12/17/2001

(4 out of 5 stars)

"May I humbly suggest to the other esteemed reviewers of this CD that they would be better off ignoring the Procol Harum moniker and treat this record as what it really is ; a Gary Brooker solo album with guest artists. This would deter Procol fans who insist on 1970s era sounds from a band who havn't been a real band for 25 years. Any record without the great B.J. Wilson on drums is not a Procol Harum record,period. Now, having said that, I still get a lot of enjoyment from most of the stuff on here. Jerry Hadley's over the top operatic reading of "Grand Hotel" is hilarious and if Gary Brooker hasn't got his tongue firmly in cheek here, then boy, one of us is sure wrong. The same holds true for Tom Jones' version of Simple Sister which wouldn't scare a 3 year old, but does make a 47 year old smile, although personally I would have had him sing "The Dead Man's Dream", but I digress. I think Trower and Fisher just shred that orchestra on the remake of "Walpurgis" and I can hear them just fine, thank you, and I'm an old guy with some serious Lo-Fi stereo equipment.Any chance to hear Gary Brooker sing his magnificent music should not be passed up by the true Harum believer.This is a wonderful Gary Brooker record docked 1 star for including more than one song from the weak "reunion" album Prodigal Stranger. Hey fellow Procolites,the group always had a sense of humor and we should too."

NOT a good album

Mattias | Malmo, Sweden | 07/10/2000

(1 out of 5 stars)

"This album is very weak! The production and the arrangements are not nice at all. Check out "Live with the Edmonton Symphony Orchestra" instead. That's a nice one. Please, don't waste your money on this one."