Procol Harum

Beyond
the Pale 

PH on stage | PH on record | PH in print | BtP features | What's new | Interact with BtP | For sale | Site search | Home

The Well's on Fire

Reviewed by Dag Erik Asbjørnsen, 2 March 2003


An Old English Dream starter plata i balladefart umiddelbart med den magiske kombinasjonen av Gary Brookers piano og Matthew Fishers orgel. Joda, gamlegutta er tilbake - og de eldes med stil på samme måte som Jethro Tull. De faller ikke for fristelsen for å introdusere noe nytt fanteri, dette kunne like godt vært ei låt fra Exotic Birds and Fruit (1974). Shadow Boxed kunne like gjerne vært innspilt av Roger Daltrey (den minner for eksempel sterkt om Martyrs and Madmen!) eller The Who. This World Is Rich griper noe av den sørgmodige stemninga jeg alltid har forbundet med Procol Harum, men blir kanskje på den annen side litt gammelmodig. Every Dog Will Have His Day viser rockerøttene til ei gruppe som har laget såpass tunge ting som Home (1970). Rart at det ofte glemmes at Procol Harum har laget vel så mye streit rock'n'roll som symfonisk rock.

An Old English Dream starts the record in ballad tempo with the magic combination of Gary Brooker's piano and Matthew Fisher's organ. Yes, the old boys are back, and they age with style the same way as Jethro Tull. They are not tempted to introduce anything new: this might just as well have been a song from Exotic Birds and Fruit (1974). Shadow Boxed might just as well have been recorded by Roger Daltrey (it reminds me for instance strongly of Martyrs and Madmen) or The Who. This World is Rich seizes some of the sad mood I always have connected with Procol Harum, but may on the other hand be a tad outmoded. Every Dog Will have His Day shows the rock roots of a group that have made such heavy works as Home (1970). Strange how it's often forgotten that Procol Harum has made more straight rock'n'roll  music than symphonic rock.

Tekstene til Keith Reid er ikke riktig så susete og "beyond these things" (eller procol harum som det heter på finlatin!) som i gamle dager. Dette gjør at han blir den 111. tekstskribenten som kommenterer 11. september, noe som for meg virker litt pinlig og unødvendig. Kankje det var likevel var bedre den gangen vi ikke skjønte hva han fabulerte om... Matthew Fishers bidrag Fellow Travellers er bygget over Georg Friederich Händels Laschia Ch'io Pianga (hentet fra en av hans operaer). Weisselklenzenacht starter morsomt nok med samme orgelakkord som A Whiter Shade Of Pale, sånn at du et sekund tror at det er den som skal komme nok en gang. Dette er en måte å si "det var også min låt" på, Fisher ble nemlig ikke kredittert for sitt bidrag, noe som i årene løp har bidratt mye til konfliktene mellom han og Brooker (og gjorde at Fisher slutta i 1970).

Keith Reid's lyrics are not so dizzy and 'beyond these things' (or Procol Harum as it's called in Latin!) as in the old days. This makes him the 111th writer commenting on 11 September, something that to me seems embarrassing and unnecessary. Maybe it was better when we didn't understand what he was fabulating about. Matthew Fisher's contribution Fellow Travellers is based on Georg Frederic Handel's Laschia Ch'io Pianga (from one of his operas). Weisselkenzenacht starts funnily enough with the same organ chord as A Whiter Shade of Pale, so that for a second you believe that's the song coming up again. This is a nice way of saying 'this was also my tune'. Fisher was not credited for his contribution, something that over the years has brought much conflict between him and Brooker (and made Fisher leave the band in 1970).

Med The Well's On Fire gjør ikke Procol Harum det noe dårligere enn sine jevnaldrede det er naturlig å sammenligne med. Jeg nevnte tidligere Jethro Tull, men det er også naturlig å sammenligne med Pink Floyd. I likhet med disse andre sekstiåringene som brøt gjennom på sekstitallet flytter ikke Procol Harum musikalske grenser, men de gjør heller ikke skam på sin gamle og respekterte tradisjon. The Well's On Fire overgår etter min mening noen av de svakere 70-talls albumene (som for eksempel Something Magic). Noe bedre kan man knapt forvente seg, og gamle fans vil ha stor glede av denne plata.

With The Wells' on Fire Procol Harum is not doing any worse than the contemporaries they stand natural comparison with. I mentioned Jethro Tull earlier, but it's also natural to compare the band with Pink Floyd. Like these other sixty-year-olds, who had their breakthrough in the sixties, Procol Harum is not moving any borders, but they don't disgrace their old and well-respected tradition either. The Well's on Fire surpasses, in my opinion, some of the weaker 70s' albums (like Something Magic). Better than that you can hardly expect, and old fans will take much pleasure in this record.

Nye interesserte bør nok først sjekke klassikerne, start med A Salty Dog og hør klassisk rock på sitt beste. Procol Harum spiller forøvrig i Stavanger 4/3, i Skien 5/3 og i Oslo 6/3-2003.

Newly-interested fans should probably first look into their classics: start with A Salty Dog and hear classic rock at its best. Procol Harum plays by the way at Stavanger 4/3, in Skien 5/3 and in Oslo 6/3-2003.

Trans. Jens + Roland

Order The Well's on Fire from Amazon UK

Order The Well's on Fire from Amazon USA 

Order The Well's on Fire from Amazon Germany

Order The Well's on Fire
from Amazon Canada

Reviews of this album

Reviews of more Procol Harum albums


Procol Harum albums


PH on stage | PH on record | PH in print | BtP features | What's new | Interact with BtP | For sale | Site search | Home