Procol Harum
Band members Related acts
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line up 1 (1966-67)
- Gary Brooker -- vocals, keyboards - Keith Reid -- words - Robin Trower -- lead guitar
line up 2 (1967-69)
- Gary Brooker -- vocals, keyboards - Robin Trower -- lead guitar - Keith Reid -- words NEW - B.J. Wilson (RIP) -- drums, percussion (replaced Bobby Harrison)
line up 3 (1969-71)
- Gary Brooker -- vocals, keyboards Matthew
Fisher and David Kinghts) - Robin Trower -- lead guitar - B.J. Wilson (RIP) -- drums, percussion
line up 4 (1971-72) NEW
- David
Ball (RIP) -- lead guitar (replaced Robin Trower) - Keith Reid --
words
line up 5 (1972-73) - David
Ball (RIP) -- guitar - Keith Reid -- words - B.J. Wilson (RIP) -- drums, percussion
line up 6 (1973-77)
- Gary Brooker -- vocals, keyboards (1969-77) - Keith Reid --
words
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- Bandit (Mick Grabham) - Bedlam (Dave Ball) - BLT
(Robin Trower) - Every Which Way (Alan Cartwright) - Freedom (Bobby Harrison) - Mick Grabham (solo effort) - Ace Kefford Strand (David Ball) - Matthew Fisher (solo efforts) - Liquorice John Death (Gary Brooker, Chris Cropping, Robin Trower, and B.J. Wilson) - Nigel Olsson's Drum Orchestra and Chorus (Mick Grabham)
- The Paramounts (Gary Brooker) - Keith Reid Project - Ruby - Snafu (Bobby
Harrison) - The Universals (Mick Grahham and Nigel Olsson) - Willie and the Poor Boys (Gary Brooker)
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Genre: rock Rating: *** (3 stars) Title: Procol Harum Company: A&M Catalog: SP-4373 Year: 1967 Country/State: UK Grade (cover/record): VG+/VG+ Comments: includes original poster Available: SOLD Catalog ID: SOLD 4373 Price: SOLD $50.00 Cost: $66.00
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Following the
collapse of the R&B oriented Paramounts (see separate entry), in late
1966 vocalist/keyboard player Gary Brooker hooked up with lyricist Keith
Reid. The two spent a year writing material before decided to record some of
their songs. Auditioning various musicians Brooker eventually settled on the
lineup of keyboard player Matthew Fisher, drummer Bob Harrison, bass player
Dave Knights and guitarist Ray Rowyer. Known as The Pinewoods, the band went
into the studios with producer Denny Cordell, recording several Brooker/Reid
pieces, including the ornate "A Whiter Shade of Pale." Impressed
with the track, Cordell began shopping the demo around, eventually
attracting the attention of Decca Records. 1.) A Whiter Shade
of Pale (Keith Reid - Gary Brooker) (side 2) 1.) A Christmas
Camel (Keith Reid - Gary Brooker)
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Genre: rock Rating: **** (4 stars) Title: Shine On Brightly Company: A&M Catalog: SP-4151 Year: 1968 Country/State: UK Grade (cover/record): VG+/VG+ Comments: minor ring, edge and corner wear; gatefold sleeve Available: 1 Catalog ID: 4374 Price: $20.00 Cost: $66.00
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With drummer B.J. Wilson having stepped in to replace Bobby Harrison, Procol Harum spent late-1967 and early 1968 touring the United States three times. Unfortunately, given their touring schedule and other outside pressures, the band never got around to releasing a follow up to their earlier 'A Whiter Shade of Pale' mega hit. As a result, by the time the 1968's "Shine on Brightly" was released much of their earlier momentum and name recognition had been lost. The delay proved even more unfortunate given that their sophomore release was considerably stronger than their debut. With lyricist Keith Reid and singer/keyboardist Gary Brooker again providing the majority of material, on the first side the title track, the Trower-fueled 'Quite Rightly So', and 'Skip Softly (My Moonbeams)' found the band opting for a tougher, rock oriented sound. In sharp contrast, the flip side was dominated by the 18 minute 'In Held Twas In I'. Notable as one of rock's first operas, the effort was apparently intended as a sermon addressing the costs of ego. Unfortunately, pretentious didn't even begin to describe the resulting stew of spoken lyrics, backward tapes, dumbsh*t imagery and pointless instrumental segments. Be sure to check-out Paul Williams hysterical liner notes. A strong commercial follow-up, the album hit # 24 on the US album charts.
For hardcore collectors, the original UK release sported different cover art.
Regal Zonphone catalog number SLRZ 1004
1.) Quite Rightly So (Gary Brooker - Matthew Fisher - Keith Reid) - 3:37 rating: *** stars 'Quite Rightly So' was inspired by singer Essra Mohawk (who opened for the band a couple of shows on the band's initial U S tour and subsequently became involved with lyricist Keith Reid). The song sported their patented meld of Brooker's dry, crusty voice, Fisher's church organ, and Trower's stunning guitar chords, though it lacks the majesty of some of their other performances. For anyone intersted, Mohawk devoted part of her website to the song's history: http://www.procolharum.com/99/kr_mohawk.htm . The song was tapped as a single throughout the world:
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1968's 'Quite Rightly So' b/w 'In the Wee Small Hours of Sixpence ' (Rega
Zonophone catalog number RZ 3007) YouTube has an
interesting black and white performance clip of the tune: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4xkNOeEdKnI If
for nothing else than Robin Trowers chiming guitar and Reid's typically
bizarre lyrics ("my
Prussian blue electric clock"),
'Shine On Brightly' served as another
Harum classic. I'm not sure where it was taken, but YouTube has
a live performance of the tune. I noted it featured the late Dave Ball
replacing Robin Trower on guitar: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c1XImxFEI-g
Bouncy,
but slightly ominous rocker hat sounds like something Oliver Twist's Fagen
might have recorded ... When Trower's guitar solo kicked
in around the 2:30 mark the tune jettisoned all progressive pretenses in
favor of a hard metal attack, before closing out sounding like a cross
between a circus and a Klezmer band. One of my favorite
tunes on the album. With the focus clearly on Trower, the blazing rocker 'Wish Me Well' was one of the most mainstream things they ever recorded. How in the world did he ever get that unique tone out of his guitar ? 5.) Rambling On (Gary Brooker - Keith Reid) - 4:28 rating: **** stars One of the band's prettier melodies, though Trower's guitar gave it a hard rock edge. Another album highlight.
The
band at their most pretentious ... at least it was a relatively short
tune. YouTube has a 1971 performance of the song for German
television: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ziegu_VL9uU
- Glimpses of Nirvana rating: ** stars Brooker's
spoken word introduction going on and on with some laughable narrative which
included such navel gazing insights as "In
the darkness of the night, only occasionally relieved by glimpses of Nirvana
as seen through other people's windows, wallowing in a morass of
self-despair made only more painful by the knowledge that all I am is of my
own making ... "
From there it
was into lounge act piano-powered instrumental territory with both Fisher
and Reid getting to spout nonsense. At least you got to hear
Trower on electric sitar.
English
musical hall ... Matthew
Fisher getting a shot at lead vocals. Surprising how good he
was. Sure he lacked the gravatas that Brooker brought to the
record, but in many ways Fisher had a far more commercial and mainstream
voice. This segment was actually pretty good; at least until it
hit the sound effects and backward tape conclusion. This
segment started out with Trower getting a moment in the limelight - complete
with lots of guitar sustain, it made for the album's heaviest
performance. When Brooker took center stage the song became more predictable.
Always liked the harpsichord accompaniment. Baroque influenced conclusion - even with Trower's chunky chords, the result was quite calming, though it would have been even better without the wordless chorus.
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Genre: rock Rating: *** (3 stars) Title: A Salty Dog Company: A&M Catalog: SP-4179 Year: 1969 Country/State: UK Grade (cover/record): VG+ / VG+ Comments: minor edge and corner wear Available: 2 Catalog ID: 4375 Price: $15.00 Cost: $66.00
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The group's second release for A&M, 1969's
"A Salty Dog"
reinforced their reputation as underground FM staples. Musically, selections
such as the title track, "The Milk of Human Kindness" and
"Wreck of Hesperus" underscored the band's penchant for dark and
depressing material. Interestingly, whereas Brooker and Reid were
responsible for all the material on earlier releases, the new album
spotlighted compositions from Trower ("Crucifiction Lane") and
Fisher ("Pilgrims Progress"). Backed by another string of well
publicized outdoor festival performances, the album sold well in the States
(peaking at #32). Unfortunately, increasingly frustrated by their limited
roles in the band and their interest in pursuing production and business
matters, Fisher and bassist Knight promptly quit.
"A Salty Dog" track listing: 1.) A Salty Dog
(Keith Reid - Gary Brooker) (side 2) 1.) Juicy John
Pink (Robin Trower - Keith Reid)
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Genre: rock Rating: *** (3 stars) Title: Home Company: A&M Catalog: SP-4261 Year: 1970 Country/State: UK Grade (cover/record): VG+/VG+ Comments: gatefold sleeve Available: 2 Catalog ID: 6048 Price: $10.00
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While instantly recognizable as a Procol Harum project, anyone expecting to hear another set of pseudo-progressive, or classically-tinged moves was in for a major surprise with the release of 1970's "Home". Produced by Chris Thomas, this probably stands as my favorite Procol Harum release, if only because it was the most rock-oriented. That was due in large measure to guitarist Robin Thrower's new found activism - he contributed two of the standout performances ('Whiskey Train' and 'About To Die') and was featured on several other tracks. Interesting; though it marked the band's first post-Matthew Fisher release, Fisher's keyboard flourishes were barely missed with newcomer Chris Copping ably picking up the slack on organ and bass (where he also served to replace David Knights). While you couldn't label this a concept piece, the nine tracks seemed to share a common theme built around the concept of death ... just check out some of the song titles 'The Dead Man's Dream' and 'About To Die'' ... Off course it could be that I've simply read to much into it. Beats me, but I'm sure some Procol scholar can clue me in on it the album's true meaning.
inner sleeve photo
"Home" track listing:
1.) Whiskey Train (Keith Reid - Robin Trower) - 4:28 One of two Robin Trower compositions (as always Keith Reid provided lyrics to all nine songs), 'Whiskey Train' was a full tilt blues-rocker powered by Trower's fat, fuzz drenched and instantly recognizable lead guitar. Elsewhere Gary Brooker's always ragged voice proved surprisingly adept at hard rock. Great track and made you wish the band did more in the hard rock vein. rating: **** stars 2.) The Dead Man's Dream (Keith Reid - Gary Brooker) - 4:48 Penned by Brooker and Reid, the dark ballad 'The Dead Man's Dream' was a much more typical Procol number - Brooker's spoken word rant about a dream centering on a cemetery and corpses full of maggots was certainly depressing, but was also so over the top as to be a hoot. Coming after the opening rocker it didn't do a great deal for my ears, but longtime fans probably had a different opinion. rating: ** stars 3.) Still There'll Be More (Keith Reid - Gary Brooker) - 4:50 Brooker's never been known for his rockers, but 'Still There'll Be More' aptly demonstrated he could write an out-and-out rocker and deliver a searing vocal to go with it. Kicked along by a great lyric focusing on the concept of revenge, the song also boasted the album's most commercial melody (though lyrics like 'I'll piss on your door' probably limited airplay possibilities), and another blazing Trower solo, this was one of the album highlights. rating: **** stars 4.) Nothing That I Didn't Know (Keith Reid - Gary Brooker) - 3:34 'Nothing That I Didn't Know' melded another pretty melody and one of Brooker's most polished vocals with one of Reid's most heartbreaking lyrics - to my ears the song seemed to describe the premature death of a young woman and her friends inability to stave of fate. A personal favorite ... rating: **** stars 5.) About To
Die (Keith Reid - Robin Trower) - 3:37
(side 2) 1.) Barnyard Story (Keith Reid - Gary Brooker) -5:45 With the spotlight firmly on Brooker and his piano, side two's plodding ballad ''Barnyard Story' just never kicked into gear and stood as the set's first disappointment. rating: ** stars 2.) Piggy Pig Pig (Keith Reid - Gary Brooker) - 4:49 The cryptic 'Piggy Pig Pig' was another track that took awhile to get rolling, but the combination of Brooker's pounding barrelhouse piano, Copping's stabbing Hammond B3, and Trower's power chords turned it into another personal favorite. Not sure what the pig sounds were about. rating: *** stars -3.) Whaling Stories (Keith Reid - Gary Brooker) - 7:05 The epic 'Whaling Stories' found Brooker and company falling back on known tricks of the trade, including one of Reid's most bombastic lyrics, a melody that kept on building to climax after climax (possible given the song stretched over seven minutes), and another great performance from Trower. Anyone looking for classic Procol needed look no farther than this one. rating: **** stars 4.) Your Own Choice (Keith Reid - Gary Brooker) - 3:09 Packaged in the album's bounciest melody and some lovely B.J. Wilson drumming, for anyone who doubted these guys had a sense of humor, 'Your Own Choice' was great evidence to the contrary. Yeah, Reid's dark side was clearly on display, but you still had to smile at a lyric like 'There's too many women and not enough wine ...' Shame this one didn't get tapped a single. rating: ***** stars
Ignore the butt ugly cover and buy a copy of this one since you can still find it on the cheap.
full gatefold sleeve
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Genre: rock Rating: *** (3 stars) Title: Broken Barricades Company: A&M Catalog: SP-4294 Year: 1971 Country/State: UK Grade (cover/record): VG+/VG+ Comments: die cut gatefold sleeve Available: 2 Catalog ID: 4376 Price: $20.00 Cost: $66.00
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I've owned "Broken Barricades" for years, yet after all this time it remains kind of a mystery to me. I've listened to the album dozens of times and my opinion of it bounces all over the spectrum. There are times I'd say it's one of their top three releases, while other times I find it virtually unlistenable. Like most things in life, the truth is probably somewhere in the middle. The fact the album even came about is kind of a miracle. Having just completed an extensive American tour in support of "Home", the band had one week off before returning to the studios to start on what was to become their fifth studio set. The results were even more impressive when you learn that most of the album was written and recorded during a five week period. Luckily Reid seemed to have had a theme at the ready - this time sex. (In an interview he was quoted as saving the album was "erotic in lyrical content, to do with sex but not dirty.") While Matthew Fisher's keyboards were still missed, Gary Brooker's instantly recognizable voice, Robin Trower's chunky guitar chords and Keith Reid's ever pompous lyrics ensured that you couldn't mistake this album for anyone but Procol Harum. Produced by Chris Thomas at London's AIR Studios, this time around Procol seemed intent on exploring even more of a hard rock sound. Tracks such as 'Simple Sister', 'Memorial Drive' and 'Playmate of the Mouth' exhibited a stripped down power that was quite impressive. Elsewhere, the title track was simply one of the band's prettiest melodies. Trower again proved his worth, kicking in three of the most impressive numbers, including the Hendrix-inspired 'Song for a Dreamer' (the thick sustaining chords standing as a precursor to his forthcoming solo career) and the stunning 'Poor Mohammad'. The latter was also one of the few vocal performances Trower ever recorded. His voice won't slay you, but it wasn't half bad making you wonder why he didn't take on more vocals.
1.) Simple Sister (Gary Brooker - Keith Reid) - 5:47 Opening up with some blistering Trower fuzz guitar, 'Simple Sister' was one of the toughest songs the band ever recorded. Now if someone could only explain what the hell it was about ... For anyone interested, YouTube has a 1971 European television performance of the track: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ef2AQxfu5cM&feature=related rating: **** stars 2.) Broken Barricades (Gary Brooker - Keith Reid) - 3:10 Built around what sounded like a neat keyboard flourish, the title track offered up one of Procol's prettiest melodies, coupled with another enigmatic Keith Ried lyric. For whatever reason 'Broken Barricades' is one of the Procol songs I find myself humming. Here's another link to a YouTube performance: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IAv5EMARlWY&feature=related rating: **** stars 3.) Memorial Drive (Robin Trower - Keith Reid) - 3:43 I've always thought that Brooker's rough hewn voice was well suited for conventional rock tunes and I'd point to 'Memorial Drive' as evidence of that statement. Powered by Trower's screeching strat and some Brooker barrelhouse piano this paen to California (at least that's what I think its about) was great. YouTube had a 2001 Copehagen performance of this one at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X0Q6lLYnq70 rating: **** stars 4.) Luskus Delph (Gary Brooker - Keith Reid) - 3:47 Seemingly at risk to alienating their longstanding fan base, 'Luskus Delph' offered up a track far more in keeping with their patented pseudo-traditional base. With Reid's typically cryptic lyrics, classical flourishes, and some tasty synthesizers, this one stood as a personal favorite. That said, B.J. Wilson's drums made the song. rating: **** stars
(side
2) I have no idea if it's true, but 'Power Failure' was supposedly inspired by a true life experience - playing a concert the venue they were in lost all power leaving drummer Wilson to entertain the crowd with an extended drum solo. And that's what this track's built around; an extended Wilson solo complete with audience applause. That said, the track rocks out with considerable energy. rating: *** stars 2.) Song for a Dreamer (Robin Trower - Keith Reid) - 5:25 One of two Trower vocals, 'Song for a Dreamer' was supposedly dedicated to the late Jimi Hendrix. The song certainly borrowed heavily from Hendrix's unique sound and served as a jumping off point for Trower's forthcoming solo career. Easy to imagine this one on "Bridge of Signs" or "Twice Removed from Yesterday". Trower's instantly recognizable guitar was in fine form, but the song sounded more like a studio experiment than a finished product. rating: *** stars 3.) Playmate of the Month (Gary Brooker - Keith Reid) - 5:03 Another track showcasing Trower's growling guitar (and some horns this time around), 'Playmate of the Month' was a snarling blues-rocker. The first couple of spins it struck me as an also-ran composition, but it's progressively grown on me. rating: *** stars 4.) Poor Mohammed (Robin Trower - Keith Reid) - 3:06 Another Trower composition and lead vocal, 'Poor Mohammed' was a killer rocker that was once again egnematic. Great electric slide guitar ... I've read some accusations that Reid's lyrics had an anti-Islamic orientation, but I have my doubts ... It certainly wasn't his most elaborate composition ... but again it sure rocked. rating: **** stars
A&M tapped the album for a pair of singles in the States:
Portuguese EP - Spamish picture sleeve - Japanese picture sleeve
- 1971's 'Broken Barricades' b/w 'Power Failure' 1971 A&M catalog number AM 1264) - 1971's 'Simple Sister' b/w 'Song for a Dreamer' (A&M catalog number AM 1287)
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Genre: rock Rating: *** (3 stars) Title: Grand Hotel Company: Chrysalis Catalog: CHR-1037 Year: 1972 Country/State: UK Grade (cover/record): VG+/VG+ Comments: gatefold sleeve with lyric booklet; minor ring wear Available: 2 Catalog ID: 4722 Price: $10.00 Cost: $66.00
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Released by Chrysalis, 1973's Chris Thomas
produced "Grand Hotel"
marked the end of the group's longstanding relationship with A&M
Records. It also reflected another in an ongoing series of personnel
change - former Plastic Penny/Cochise guitarist Mick Grabham replacing David
Ball (who went on to join Long John Baldry's band). Co-written by Gary
Brooker and Keith Reid, musically the album sounds like a throwback to their
original sound - Brooker's instantly recognizable voice coupled with a
return to a keyboard dominated sound along with their patented vague social
and political ('T.V. Ceasar' and 'A
Souvenir of London' - guess someone got a
case of the clap) commentaries and lush orchestration. While a lot of
Procol fans claim this is one of their favorite releases, it doesn't do all
that much for me. There are a couple of exceptions, but those are
almost entirely the set's more rock oriented efforts. Grabham isn't
Robin Trower (or even David Ball), but as exemplified by tracks such as 'Tojours
L'aamour' and 'Bringing
Home the Bacon' he sure could play.
In case anyone cares, Christianne Legrand and the Swingle Singers were
featured on 'Fires (Which
Burn Brightly)'.
"Grand Hotel" track listing:
1.) Grand Hotel (Gary Brooker - Keith Reid) - 2.) Tojours L'aamour (Gary Brooker - Keith Reid) - 3.) A Rum Tale (Gary Brooker - Keith Reid) - 4.) T.V. Ceasar (Gary Brooker - Keith Reid) -
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2) 2.) Bringing Home the Bacon (Gary Brooker - Keith Reid) - 3.) For Liquorice John (Gary Brooker - Keith Reid) - 4.) Fires (Which Burn Brightly) (Gary Brooker - Keith Reid) - 5.) Robert's Box (Gary Brooker - Keith Reid) -
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