SHINE ON BRIGHTLY

"Shine On Brightly" is the second full-length studio album by UK rock/progressive rock act Procol Harum. The album was released through Regal Zonophone/A&M Records in September 1968. It´s the successor to the eponymously titled debut album from September 1967. A debut album which spawned one of the most well known and best selling single tracks from the 60s in "A Whiter Shade of Pale".

The debut album introduced Procol Harum as a rock band with both a pianist and an organist in the lineup in addition to the regular rock music instrumentation of guitar, bass, and drums. That sound is continued on "Shine On Brightly" and featuring the strong vocals and memorable melody lines by lead vocalist/pianist Gary Brooker in front, Procol Harum is both a skilled and relatively unique sounding act from that time. One of the greatest assets of early Procol Harum is the longing melancholic atmosphere they were able to produce.

"Shine On Brightly" features seven tracks and a total playing time of 39:09 minutes. Six of the tracks are regular length songs (2-4 minutes long) while album closer "In Held 'Twas in I" is a 17:31 minutes almost sidelong progressive rock epic, and "Shine On Brightly" is therefore considered one of the earliest examples of a progressive rock album (although artists like The Nice and The Moody Blues also released contemporary albums which could be labelled progressive or at least proto-progressive in nature), although it´s actually only partially correct. Indeed tracks like the title track and especially "Skip Softly (My Moonbeams)" also feature traits which can be labelled as out of the ordinary or even progressive in nature, but just be aware that this sounds only partically like the progressive rock of the early 70s. Best examplified by the blues rocking "Wish Me Well", which is far removed from anything progressive.

What sounds like proto-70s progressive rock is "In Held 'Twas in I", which is good quality progressive rock track. A track which must have greatly influenced an artist like Genesis just a few years down the line. The track is subdivided into five tracks and it´s a dynamic track featuring subtle piano sections, louder epic climaxes, and spoken narration in addition to sung vocals. While it´s one long track, it´s obvious that it´s shorter tracks and sections which the band have combined to create a longer track. I´m not sure that everything on the song was originally composed to be part of this particular track. So "In Held 'Twas in I" does appear a little fragmented (or put together if you will), but it´s still a great song.

"Shine On Brightly" features a well sounding production job, and upon conclusion it´s a good quality release, and it shows a lot of development since the debut album and a will to experiment and try out new things. For those looking for proto-progressive rock releases this one is arguably essential listening. A 4 star (80%) rating is deserved.