CLASSICS VOLUME 17 (AKA GREATEST HITS)

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.