PRODIGAL STRANGER

After fourteen years, Procol Harum made their next record after "Something Magic", the record "Prodigal Stranger" which wasn't something magic perhaps but quite a good rock record. The cover is sure a CD cover, boring and uninspired with kind of computer designed text. Gary Brooker sang and Matthew Fisher played Hammond organ, Keith Reid wrote and Robin Trower played guitar and Dave Bronze bass and Mark Brzezicki drums. That was the line up and the elapsing time is around ten minutes longer than a lp.

The Prodigal Stranger is not bad at all. It's an ordinary rock record with some good songs and well performing musicians. Brooker sings well and I liked the listening times. The first track "The Truth Won't Fade Away" is amongst the albums best with a pleasent main melody and the closer "The Pursuit of Happiness" is even better with great guitar and melody. "The King of Heart" is a powerful track that is alos worth mentioning. I also like "Man with a mission", "The Hand that rocks the cradle", "All our dreams are sold". "Perpetual Motion" and "Learn to Fly". The others aren't interesting enough.

The sound of Procol Harum that year 1991 didn't get the same good results that the best of the old records but absolutely in parity with some of them as "Home", "Broken Barricades" and "Procol's Ninth". It's absolutely well performed music but it doesn't lead us to any fantastic shores or new experiences of musical glory. It's absolutely not a prog record, actually there's not much in this band's history that is prog. But as good as three stars is certainly fair!