Procol Harum in London • 13 May 2017

Tim Jones • Record Collector • July 2017

Gary Brooker was on good vocal and raconteuring form throughout the quintet’s 130-minute set, interspersing fresh cuts from Novum (such as the pop-rock Don’t Get Caught and orchestral synths of Sunday Morning) with prime choices from across their illustrious catalogue. I Told on You opened in sparkling fashion, before the first of their fiftieth anniversary reminiscences in the rumbustious, organ-led Homburg, while the dance macabre of Pandora’s Box and Deep Purple-esque Businessman were highlights of a first half rounded off with A Salty Dog.

Image of the Beast saw the band reconvene, Grand Hotel retaining momentum before the Talk Talk-seed art-pop of Cerdes. The lilting shanty harpsichord of Neighbour, with its sweet acoustic and electric guitar (Geoff Whitehorn), and the superior story-song, Conquistador, burned brightly, before the incandescant finale of A Whiter Shade of Pale. Bach’d be proud.

Our valued correspondent, Jim Corbett, writes: it was July's issue, but it was published mid-June in that weird way that one month's magazine is always available in the previous month.
So I guess they are not that far behind, and I didn't see a review in any of the other news-stand magazines.

 

Procol dates in 2017