Procol Harum - Procol Harum Plus (20 tracks) +Album Reviews

The first album and one of the finest

cerdes | Topeka, KS USA | 05/23/2000

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Recording a full album after the wonderously intoxicating hit, "A Whiter Shade of Pale," must have seemed an extremely difficult task, but it is one that Procol Harum pull off with an enormous amount of musical and lyrical success. Songs such as "Cerdes (Outside the Gates Of)", with its guitar drenched British R&B sound and mythologically inspired lyrics, as well as the jangly "She Wandered Through the Garden Fence" are obvious Procol masterpieces. The album's instrumental closer, "Repent Walpurgis," is one of the most powerful passages in rock history. The only song that really misses on the album is the slightly humorous "Mabel," but the song clocks in at under two minutes and does little to ruin the beauty of the remaining tracks. Westside's reissue includes "A Whiter Shade of Pale" as well as the bluesy and appropriately titled "Lime Street Blues" and the majestic and mournful "Homburg." The remaining tracks are all alternate versions of Procol classics and are probably only of interest to the die-hard fans such as myself. Overall, this album is an essential part of the Procol Harum canon, and is a nice starting point for those new to the band's unique style and sound."

Nearly flawless debut

Wayne Klein | My Little Blue Window, USA | 11/30/2002

(5 out of 5 stars)

"The Doors, Hmmmm? Well, Procol Harum really doesn't have anything in common with The Doors except the prominence of Matthew Fisher's organ. Lyrically and musically The Doors veered from bluesy to pretentious claptrap. I always felt The Doors were over rated but on to the album.

Procol Harum (the name is an alliteration of a latin term)appeared out of nowhere in 1967 with A Whiter Shade of Pale. The original UK album didn't have the hit single on it (it was added for the US and other countries). Lyrically obtuse at times but musically adept, Procol Harum offered a rarity in music--a wedding of R&B grit to post-psychedlic/classically inspired music. Singer Gary Brooker (he became the singer by default--the original lead singer quit) has a delivery that recalls the best R&B singers from the 60's. I hear traces of Ray Charles and Percy Sledge in his delivery. Although Keith Reid's lyrics can occasionally be a bit obtuse, most of his words lack the pretense of many other lyricists of the time. Brooker's delivery of Reid's lyrics are heartfelt even if it's not clear what he's singing about.

Matthew Fisher's organ was a prominent feature on the three albums (he was gone by album four entitled Home). The melody for the hit single Pale (included here as a bonus track and on the terrific recent reissue from BGO Records)borrows the melody and chords from a piece by Bach and manages to spin it into rock gold.

Robin Trower appears on a number of tracks but since Procol Harum wasn't really a band until after the single and his guitar isn't quite as omnipresent as on later releases. Aside from Fisher, the most striking instrument (despite being buried in the mono mix) is Bill Eyden's drumming. His fluid, precise jazzy style was clearly an influence on Bill Brufford and other progressive rock drummers.

Just about every song on Procol Harum is a gem. Sadly there isn't a true stereo mix of this fine album so much of the detail is lost in the mono mix (there is a 1997 remix of Pale on Classic Tracks and Rarities that sounds beautiful). The mono sound is very good considering the age of the tapes. The bonus tracks are nice but many are not essential (the best of them are on the Classic Tracks and Rarities CD issued in 2002).

BGO's release of this album is a twofer with both the debut and weaker second album included (along with singles and b-sides). I'd recommend picking that up only because it's a better deal price wise."

How does one measure the quality of an album?

Moldyoldie | Motown, USA | 10/31/2001

(5 out of 5 stars)

"One way to measure the quality of an album is it's singability. By no means am I a singer, but when I'm alone in the car with this album playing, I can't help but singalong with Gary Brooker at the top of my lungs on every track. (Those high notes during the chorus of "A Whiter Shade of Pale" are a definite challenge, however!)
The instrumental "Repent Walpurgis" even has me singing the notes.
For Procoholics everywhere, the bonus tracks are an interesting sidelight. For everyone else, this is the perfect introduction to a band I'm glad to say is my very favorite. (I'm 46, by the way, and have listened to a lot of music.)
I'd recommend the new listener buy the group's albums in chronological order and experience a marvelous musical and lyrical evolution...not to mention a real treat. The lyrics are like any good poetry, not necessarily representative of anything but magically evocative. The music will stay with you forever."

PROCOL SHINES ON BRIGHTLY WITH THEIR FIRST ALBUM

Patrick Earley | Edmond, Oklahoma USA | 08/24/2001

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Outside of their masterpiece "A Salty Dog", I've probably listened to this first Procol Harum album more times over the last 30+ years than any other record. This one of course, is known for it's classic hit "A Whiter Shade Of Pale". That ultra-rare kind of rock song that was so good that even my Cole Porter lovin' parents liked it. I remember the thing that appealed to me the most when I first heard this band, was their dual-keyboards. It was a big change from all the guitar-driven bands that started to emerge in the late 60's. Despite their big hit, the band remained relatively anonymous to the American public. And that's the way my small circle of friends who owned this record liked it. We knew we had something very different and special in our possession. Instead of the eardrum shattering complaint inducing vocals that came with just about all of those other inferior rock records during this period, you got the smooth blue-eyed soul vocals of Gary Brooker. Mix that with a fertile ground of great songwriting and some brilliant and imanginative production, and it's no wonder my mom let me play this at a little higher decible than normal around the house. Aside from "A Whiter Shade Of Pale", the band did have another hit with "Conquistador". This is much tamer than the bouncy live version of this song they did a few years later. But it's still a great song that was deserving of it's hit status. They also had a top 10 hit with the beautiful "Homburg". A song that was not on my original vinyl record, but appears on here as a bonus track. A song I liked even more than these 2 hits was "She Wandered Through The Garden Fence", a catchy tune that fits the classical rock mold. It's the sound of that Hammond organ that makes this song downright contagious. Another favorite of mine is "Kaleidoscope", an all around feel good psychedelic song that again has that rolling Hammond organ that I loved so much. Same goes for "Salad Days", another song that should have been a big hit. It never ever gets old. The last song on the original lp "Repent Walpurgis", is a fabulous instumental, also cut from the classical mold. But here we're introduced for the first time to a young Robin Trower doing some searing guitar work. A warmup for things to come. What I like the most about this beautifully restored classic is the 10 bonus tracks it gives us. And what a wonderful set of freebies. Besides "Homburg", it also gives us "Lime Street Blues", which was the b-side of "Whiter Shade Of Pale". I loved this foray into rockabilly. It was far different than anything they did at the time. It's pretty entertaining hearing Brooker sing rock and roll. They offer us another, more spontanious version of "Salad Days". This one is fantastic. I liked it even better than the original. It also gives us the two best cuts off their next album "Shine On Brightly". "Quite Rightly So", which was to become Procol Harum's third single. This version is 30 seconds longer than the original. And they do a raw version of one of Procol Harum's most mysterious sounding songs, the title cut "Shine On Brightly". This one has always been one of my most cherished Procol tunes. I have all of Procol's other bonus track albums, and I can say with this one you definitly get more bang for the buck than any of their other re-issues. I can't think of a band out there who delivered this good of a first album. This, along with "A Salty Dog", would have to be considered one of their greatest achievements. It should be required listening for the fan with taste and daring. Highly recommended!"

Say Hello To Procol Harum

Alan Caylow | USA | 03/22/2003

(5 out of 5 stars)

"This is the 1967 self-titled debut for Procol Harum (also released as "A Whiter Shade Of Pale"), and it's one of their all-time greatest works. Along with The Moody Blues' "Nights In White Satin," Procol Harum helped introduce classical rock to the world with their smash hit, "A Whiter Shade Of Pale." Their hybrid of organ/piano rock mixed with touches of classical elements, along with the commanding voice of singer/pianist Gary Brooker, is a winning combination that still sets this marvelous band apart from all the rest. Their 1967 debut is a brilliant album, featuring not only the all-time classic "Whiter Shade..." but also other marvelous songs like "Conquistador" (later a hit in a live version), "She Wandered Through The Garden Fence," the outrageous fun of "Mabel," the rocking "Cerdes (Outside The Gates Of)", "A Christmas Camel," "Kaleidoscope," and organist Matthew Fisher's signature instrumental, "Repent Walpurgis." All of the band members are outstanding musicians, not only Brooker & Fisher but also guitarist Robin Trower, drummer B.J. Wilson and bassist David Knights, while Keith Reid's lyrics are true poetry. Still going strong 36 years later, Procol Harum are a rock institution, and still one of the world's finest bands. They couldn't have had a better album to launch into the musical world with: "Procol Harum" is a definite rock classic."

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