Procol Harum's 'Classic Rock'

FZ in Il Messagero, 6 July 2003

 Procol Harum's "classic rock"

Do you remember A Whither [sic] Shade of Pale, Homburg, A Salty Dog? They are three historic songs from the sixties, especially the first one, and the players were Procol Harum, the mythical band for which a new category was expressly created, "classical rock", because Procol mixed strange sounds and background noises, a symphonic touch and a wonderful energy that never became a racket, a Hammond organ which gave the right seasoning, and words behind which almost an apocalypse seemed to be hidden.

In July 1967 A Whiter Shade of Pale became number one in the charts all over the world and sold millions and millions of copies, and although a good 36 years have passed, they are now here: you can see them tonight in concert at RomaEstate in a line-up including two founder members, singer and pianist Gary Brooker and organist Matthew Fisher, and three other younger players, guitarist Geoff Whitehorn, bassist Matt Pegg, and drummer Mark Brzezicki.

What will be the English band’s setlist? A nice journey in the past with all their hits, from those already mentioned to Something Following Me, Conquistador, Kaleidoscope, Shine on Brightly etc., leading to some songs from the 1995 Symphonic Procol Harum album and the new The Well's on Fire. And you will enjoy the evening, maybe with the option of some gentle tears, even if Gary is now an English gentleman with white hair, who says of today’s pop music: "It is rubbish, and unfortunately rubbish that’s all the same." Well, at least he has very clear ideas.

Trans. Martin Clare / Stefano Ciccioriccio – grazie!