Procul [sic] Harum at the Fillmore East

Cashbox, 12 October 1968

PROCUL [sic] HARUM / TEN YEARS AFTER FILLMORE EAST, N. Y.

Three top attractions, Procul [sic] Harum, Ten Years After and Country Joe and the Fish, shared the bill at Bill Graham's rock theatre for four shows last weekend [27 + 28 September 1968 Ed]. We caught the last of the shows, and, at 2:30 in the morning, regretfully had to depart before catching the Fish.

Procul [sic] Harum have switched labels (they're now with A & M) but their unique sound remains essentially the same. With the exception of A Whiter Shade of Pale and Conquistador, all the songs from their first album have been (rightfully) purged from their repertoire. In addition to the above songs, their live act consisted of material from their new set, Shine on Brightly, their two A&M singles, and several unidentified tunes.

Gary Booker's voice could be identified over the sound of the San Francisco earthquake and always seems just right for the songs he sings. His piano work, counterpointed with Matthew Fisher's Hammond organ styling, give the group an individual sound, a highly marketable commodity in these noisy days. Unfortunately, their best material, which features a degree of 'imitation jam session' sounds, was the unnamed stuff. However, no fault can he found with their other tunes, which included Homburg, Wish Me Well and Sixpence. The Harum are a group I feel I could sit and listen to for days on end. With luck, their next trip through New York will be a longer one.

Ten Years After, who received quite a rave review from us after their last Fillmore appearance, more than lived up to it. Their individual musical abilities are so strong that even though they did exactly the same set this time, it was a fact which failed to diminish the enjoyment.

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