Total Procol Harum

 1971: Procol Harum - Broken Barricades - https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLoIDt_C5y1LsnocUWFRzm_GflS9f8RiTy

My favourite album by Procol Harum. I just love it! 

Jawohl! Live in Munich, Germany, 1980 :- The complete "In Held Twas I" suite from the Shine on Brightly album, and yes, it really is a suite. 

Edited by Psychedelic Paul - April 10 2023 at 14:29

richardh wrote: ^ That's a nice summation. I think they struggled to get with the seventies to some extent. By that I mean ostentatious theatrics and massive keyboard stacks were definitely not their thing. I well remember them appearing on Top Of The Pops playing Pandora's Box in 1975 and then shortly they were 'gone'. I would happily listen to all their albums up to 1975 in one sitting. Very creative but perhaps hugely underrated because of the massive success of Whiter shade of pale which casual listeners probably think is is all they did.

Interesting points!

The first three albums were innovative. They were like a teaching machine to other bands throughout Europe and America.

Their ideas were unique as such having two keyboard players in 1967 and producing a Classical edge in Rock. That alone was shocking to young musicians on the national circuit. Also the addition of a poet was different for the times. Not totally different as an idea because we had Jim Morrison blending poetry in a unique way with Rock.

It was definitely the Classical edge to Whiter Shade Of Pale and actually throughout their albums that seemed to stun everybody. They were magical times and when I heard them in 67' it felt ethereal and dreamy not unlike the Moody Blues.

After Mathew Fisher left Procol Harum they released Home ...which I define as a dark album containing songs of gloom and doom. Some of the lyricism being disturbing and impressionable it felt as if the album differed from A Salty Dog and Shine On Brightly. Home felt like a collection of songs with dark tales.

Grand Hotel is my favorite. It seemed like a return to their early style . It featured choir on T.V. Caesar and Grand Hotel. The hauntingly beautiful vocals on Fires ( Which Burnt Brightly). A Rum Tale sounded off a return to their early days when they wrote short quirky songs with haunting melodies.

They always had that particular quality in their music ..for example...certain songs from Exotic Birds And Fruit...but when I heard Grand Hotel in the 70s it gave me the overall impression that they were reborn. A kind of Rebirth of the early style with the addition of choir and I was completely floored by it all.

 1970: Procol Harum - Home - https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLoIDt_C5y1LssBCJxebVPuRlZneh4-Dk0

Just finished listening to Shine on Brightly.  I gave it a 5 star review on PA, and it remains one of my favorite albums.  Also extremely fond of A Salty Dog, Home, and Broken Barricades.  Grand Hotel & Exotic Birds not too far behind that.  Oh, and the debut record of course.  So yeah, I'm a fan.

My Top 10 Procol Harum Songs (in alphabetical order)

Procol Harum's complete, unexpurgated Beat Club performance from 1971, including studio chatter between Gary Brooker and the band. 

Edited by Psychedelic Paul - March 03 2023 at 09:46

Matthew Fisher wins the court case for his share of copyright royalties due for his iconic organ solo on A Whiter Shade of Pale, which Gary Brooker mockingly describes as "A Darker Shade of Black" for justice, but was it really seventy years ago since the classic song was originally written and recorded!?? Channel 4 News seems to think so.  

Edited by Psychedelic Paul - March 01 2023 at 02:44