Halcyon Daze

Peter Kone in 'Q' magazine, December 1997, p 152

Procul [!] Harum Halcyon Daze: The Best Of ...
Music Club MCCD 315

As far as their homeland is concerned, A Whiter Shade of Pale has proved to be one of the biggest albatrosses of the lot. It's become a sort of musical shorthand for all that was naff about the hippy 60s: the pomp, the paisley, the schoolboy fringes, the overly flouncy turn of phrase and that's just for starters. Essex's Procul [!] Harum always deserved better. Activity on this particular budget-priced Best Of -- and there have been plenty -- is once again concentrated on the early years. Yet with Homburg, Shine on Brightly, Conquistador and the glorious A Salty Dog all present and correct there can be few complaints about value for money. Unlike most of their peers they always aimed for the stars and, with suitable allowances made for the fripperies of the era, they still managed to succeed to more often than not.

**** (= excellent, definitely worth investigation)