PROCOL HARUM

Something's Magic by Procol Harum marks a notable shift towards a more symphonic sound, with the band exploring new dimensions while staying true to their core identity. The album, as a whole, is a captivating journey through intricate compositions, showcasing their prowess in melding rock and orchestral elements. It's a testament to the band's evolution and adaptability. The standout, "The Worm & The Tree," is a mesmerizing finale. While it lacks traditional singing, the emotive spoken word narration delivers a compelling fairy tale-like narrative. Yet, what truly shines is the composition?rich, layered, and evocative. This is an album that will certainly be enjoyed by fans of the band, and fans of symphonic prog in general.

In 1967 a spiritual father PROG was born with just a title... but what a title!! 1.Conquistador an avant-garde sound I weigh my words, realize at the time, wonderful with this orchestration coming from the classic and a Hammond that of Matthew 2. She Wandered Through the Garden Fence flirts well with the Anglican melodies of the BEATLES, that's a fact; afterwards we are facing a proto title like GENESIS did with its first opus 3. Something Following Me on the same dynamic with a piano and a tune reminding me of what MANFRED MANN will do, with another organ; here to note the well done Robin solo 4. Mabel for the interlude which also smells of the bucolic and rural atmosphere of the BEATLES titles, WINGS, later QUEEN, saloon atmosphere, without prog 5. Cerdes (Outside the Gates Of) with the organ in the forefront and a bluesy tune with another beautiful lively solo on the guitar; 5 mins longest title 6. A Christmas Camel piano begins, the fashion of the 60s, the search for air above all; good used, vintage yes and fortunately but the instruments suggest that it would not take much to find a hit 7. Kaleidoscope more pop than anything else, a little organ break at the end but quickly done 8. Salad Days (Are Here Again) with another title driven by the piano and assisted by Matthew 9. Good Captain Clack for the second interlude with a dynamic ballad that could be found in a saloon; the fairground organ brings a little progressive sensuality 10. Repent Walpurgis for the last title and progressive reminiscences at the... PROCOL HARUM with this organ which is finally used in the place it should have had before; a warm, tormented slow with Robin who also lets loose and the most accomplished piece for the UK version; the variation with the famous 'Bach prelude' in the middle is worth noting; OK, I'm going to see what else there is on the US version. 11. A Whiter Shade Of Pale ... just a title instead of the 1st title... well I couldn't ignore it and not talk about it; one of the most beautiful slow songs of all time, quite simply; What else can I say except that this Hammond was surely one of the most beautiful inventions and revolutionized a new musical genre... progressive rock?

A single initially and it took a while to get it on the initial album; so here I confine myself to talking only about the title hit of course.

1.A Whiter Shade Of Pale first single from Procol Harum and a unique sound, a unique Hammond organ; the instrument of choice, the one that rocked my tender years, even when I was still in my mother's womb... yes we have all been there; in short a title that I put at the Pygmalion of the musical adventure, on the same level as when a man loves a woman, in short a languorous organ which fills the ambient air by sucking in all the other instruments to amplify its own; so yes some will say that it was also one of the best titles to be able to look for the boy to flirt with; yes this moment when we could stay close to each other without there being a 'me too' which would separate the two lovebirds, this moment when the future couple could imagine chatting next to each other other, touch yourself without having the fear of a complaint in the ass....! In short, let's come back to this title OMNI, to Gary and his stratospheric voice, to Barrie James who typed 'slower than him you can't', to David who took the step, the one with whom you had to dance (a word which has lost its meaning nowadays, when the woman could feel certain body parts of the man and vice versa!), to David who launches a solo but I'm not so sure, to Matthew who was one of the first to showing that prog rock could use an instrument other than the guitar to melt.

The true definition of Proto-Prog. It's all here folks. Yes Procol Harum always pops at the top of my head when I think Proto-Prog perhaps the most controversial category on Prog Archives. Most of these bands might have been influencial one way or another but I cringe at most of them being here. Procol Harum being listed as Crossover yet probably being the most important Proto-Prog band there ever was mostly due to this very album. If the debut album wasn't quite there yet despite the Bach and Classical influence this album is where things really take off and set new standards and highs that would define Prog albums for years to come.

While the first thing that occurs to me when I think about this album is the overly silly and catchy Skip Softly (My Moonbeams)" comes to mind. Also the keyboard into of Quite Rightly So also comes to mind. Overall this album is an early Prog powerhouse. Robin Trower a Blues guitarist playing in a very Classical based band is something that sticks out like a sore thumb and makes Procol Harum a memorable and interesting band.

Side B a number of tune building an epic track making this album a very important part of Prog history. The title track also being very memorable and having Classical elements that improve what was heard on the debut album. The year this album was released and what it was pulling off always made it impossible not to view as what I see as the most epic album by Procol Harum. I don't feel like they ever came even close to topping this in the studio at least. Procol Harum Live: In Concert with the Edmonton Symphony Orchestra is a fantastic live album that could be called essential along with this. 2 of recordings nobody should overlook in their lifetime.

I had never heard of Procol Harum before (with the exception of "Whiter Shade Of Pale"), and given the amount I've heard about the progressive importance of these guys, I decided to give them a go. All I could find was this compilation which is the way I go when sampling artists anyways. The expectations everyone had set for Procol Harum were at par with my thoughts on the music on this disc. Included is an eclectic mix of genres from these guys, but pieces like "Conquistador" and "Whaling Stories" illustrate the band's proto-progressive importance. I was equally pleased with the poppier/psychedelic numbers including "In The Wee Hours Of Sixpence" which I have replayed a number of times. In all, this compilation served its purpose and paints a picture of some of the band's greatest moments and illustrates their virtuosity in playing with different themes, styles, and structures.

This record has - arguably - the first prog epic ever. There have been long songs before, but none of them appears to qualify as a prog track. In Held 'Twas In I does.

In Held 'Twas In I is brilliant. It's every inch a prog classic. It's very obvious to me that acts like Genesis and Aphrodite's Child followed in their footsteps. On top of that, it is engaging, fun and brilliantly played. a solid 10 out of 10, certainly considering the time it was released. A time of experimentation indeed, but none had followed this path. 10/10

The rest of the album is more straightforward Procol Harum Is I have come to know them (through the classic tracks Whiter and Homburg).

Quite Rightly So is a great tune and should have been a hit 9/10

Shine on Brightly is another strong track. I especially like the squeaking guitar. 8/10

Skip Softly start rather uninteresting, but halfway through it totally changes and turns into an epic 8/10

Wish Me Well is a straight-up blues track. nothing wrong with it and confidently played and sang 7.5/10

Rambling On is very much what I know and love of Procol Harum. It has a resemblance with Homburg and Wither. 8/10

Magdalena starts the second side and introduces the epic. Another one that is close to their staple sound. 7.5/10

This album is a piece of the puzzle of prog. And on top of that, it is great. I thought about giving it five stars. The second side deserves it. But the first is merely very good. So 4 stars it is.

1968's 'Shine On Brightly' is truly a little art rock gift from the famous British band Procol Harum, best known for their 1967 hit single 'A Whiter Shade of Pale' (that has sold more than ten million copies by now). Being the band's second full-length studio album, it is obviously a continuation and somewhat of an expansion of the sound of their self-titled psychedelic/baroque-pop tinted rock debut LP. 'Shine On Brightly', however, dares to break some new ground, it dares to be more adventurous, and perhaps for the first time, more progressive. Whether universally accepted as one or not, this record has to be fabulous example of at least proto-prog (if not full-blown progressive rock), with the grandeur of the 17-minute multi-part album closer 'In Held 'Twas In I', properly titled from an acrostic and signifying nothing. It does not get more prog than that, at least in 1968.

'Shine On Brightly' features Gary Brooker on vocals and piano, Robin Trower on guitar and vocals, Matthew Fisher on piano, organ and vocals, Dave Knights on bass guitar, B. J. Wilson on drums, and finally, Keith Reid's lyrics. Side one is occupied by a couple of nice, more radio-friendly psych-pop tracks, definitely good material, as the band display fine songwriting skills as well as lovely instrumentation. Then side two opens with another 3-minute song in the same vein as the ones found on side one (maybe a tad bit more obscure, but still good), just to let the big winner of the album to unfold before the ears of the listeners - 'In Held 'Twas In I', or the first really big progressive rock epic. The band were quite ambitious for assembling this great composition, linking together all the different parts in a gorgeous manner, pretty much in the spirit of what would become a recognizable trait of many long songs representing the 70s art rock revolution in the face of bands like Yes, Jethro Tull, ELP, Genesis, Crimson, Floyd and many more. The song also features various influences, another testimony for its prog credentials, stepping firmly into symphonic rock, classical, baroque pop, and eventually a bit of psychedelia, alongside the narrative of the first part 'Glimpses of Nirvana'.

All in all, 'Shine On Brightly' is from one side the proof that Procol Harum was not just some one-hit wonder band, also acknowledging the fact that they went on to release good albums after this one, and from another, it is a great collection of early, more accessible art rock songs, full of energy, picturing an interesting episode in the development of one of rock music's most enigmatic and pompous subgenres.

This EP/Single from the late Gary Brooker, and his latest line up of Procol Harum bandmates, is a nice post card from the long time rocker and reunites him with long time Procol lyricist Keith Reid. The first song "Missing Persons" is a mid tempo ballad bemoaning the loss and disappearance of persons known over time. It has the Bach inspired organ flourishes that Procol was known for back in the day and is a decent song with a strong melody line. "War Is Not Healthy", with it's funky blues inspired shuffle and loud group choruses is much more exciting. Amazingly, Brooker can still stretch his voice over this quick moving lively tune. The anti war sentiments, or chants to be more precise, penned by Reid are quite simple but still effective, especially in the wake of the current Ukraine\Russian conflict. Written by both Brooker and Reid many months ago, it just goes to show that these sentiments will, unfortunately, never go out of fashion. 3 stars for songs that feel quite workman like, well performed and well polished, but never really fly high enough to grab your attention.

Released just 4 months before their debut and self-titled album (on which this, our A-side track, appeared on US pressings), "A Whiter Shade of Pale" is one of those tracks that has been christened by the press and critics specifically as eternal, a must-hear and one of the greatest songs of all time. Under most circumstances, why would and how could we ignore that? What's crazy about this historical and continued regard is that this is their first ever release! Hell, I'm certainly impressed. More-so considered to be Baroque Pop than Progressive Pop/Rock, this is a more straight-ahead number, much like the majority of music found on their debut. The instrumentation is excellent though, with perfectly loose (sloppy?) Ringo drag, open, soaring organ and warm bass. Brooker's voice is clear and classic and the lyrics are certainly beautiful.

This is my first time actually hearing its B-side, "Lime Street Blues", rootsy and, of course, bluesy. Once again, evidence in their early discography that this is a post-Dylan, post-The Band world, and they're just livin' in it. Very alright with it. It is an interesting juxtaposition to "Whiter Shade", but as a single of course it works great. Rootsy in its organ and bluesy in its piano and guitar lead. The drums are certainly something you could have found in many a Beat track of the '60s. Being merely a blues-driven R'n'B number does, though, bring this otherwise essential single down a peg. I'm sure you can guess with a mean average what I gave each side.

Another one from my own vaults--one I'm grateful to own as it's an album I have historically enjoyed--I am unfortunately reviewing in the wake of the passing of another great artist: this time, Gary Brooker (1945-2022). Brooker was the lead vocalist, pianist and a key songwriter for Procol Harum; along with The Moody Blues and The Nice, one of the earliest bands to bridge the gap between the psychedelic and... something else. In general, to compare them to their other peers, these bands were more artful, perhaps, and more classically inspired. This will be a review of the slightly different original UK-pressed version, self-titled and excluding the earlier, landmark radio hit "A Whiter Shade of Pale".

Our album starts with "Conquistador", a track that does not translate as simply Psychedelic Rock nor as simple, radio-ready Rock music (I suppose, too, this concept in general was still relatively new)--though it is relatively poppy--significant in 1967. Well known, Procol Harum was a key player in what we now know to be (early) Progressive Rock. Perhaps, in the popular Psychedelic vein, a contemporary could be found in The Doors, but unlike them they offer more Pop and have more Soul. To me, therefore, innately British (more on that sentiment below).

"She Wandered Through the Garden Fence" is a sure favorite of mine, I feel a must-hear from early Prog. Poppy, too, this has a memorable hook, bright organ (neo-classically poised, I must add) and straight- ahead rhythm, though I quite like the very-of-the-time drumming. Wonderfully placed next is "Something Following Me", a soulful number, but very straight, even in comparison to the former. With Beat, R'n'B and 'Northern Soul', as it were, the UK has had a longstanding love and appreciation for the genre (Soul, that is).

Very other, we have the sort of honky-tonk "Mabel". It's cute haha. Interestingly enough, though at first glance I'd say it doesn't have a lot to offer, it does have some notable textural choices. Gratefully, we move onto the very cool groove of "Cerdes (Outside the Gates Of)", a backwards name if there ever was one. This is organ-driven and features some nice, bluesy lead guitar throughout. Honestly, this latter element is one I often forget they have going for them. And they really do: great soloing.

Starting the second side with a memorable piano riff and simmering organ, "A Christmas Camel" (har-har) is another with sure Proto-Prog significance to my ears. This is followed by the upbeat "Kaleidoscope" (Boy, the Freaks really loved those things, didn't they?), with fuzzy guitar, Rock 'n' Roll piano and Ringo drag, much to my delight. Good track. Much more low and slow is "Salad Days (Are Here Again)"--God, I sure do know a lot of songs and albums entitled "Salad Days"--this track is very R'n'B and yet also reminds me of the Roots Rock of mid-60s Bob Dylan (likely, really). The organ is nice, but ultimately the song is a low-light.

Next is "Good Captain Clack", a sort of Music Hall quickie-but-a-goodie. Fun track with group vocals and what sounds like a Wurlitzer. The album then ends perhaps with the most progressive track of them all, "Repent Walpurgis", with cool, rolling drums, open organ and a strong build of guitar soloing to the middle section, a near-solo piano, which it itself builds with the rhythm section and a triumphant and yet wary classical-inspired theme.

True Rate: 3.5/5.0