Novum
Reviewed by Jeff Tamarkin at
Relix • 11 July 2017
A Whiter Shade of Pale was as essential to the heady 1967 musical
landscape as anything and – even if it’s the only song by them that most
rock fans know – Novum proves that half a century later Procol
Harum remains a vital artistic force. Gary Brooker, the vocalist,
pianist and co-composer of the zillion-selling classic that started it
all for Procol and all that have followed it, has been the one constant
in the band’s line-up since those early days, but the current band has
been together for more than a couple of decades and delivers quite
admirably here.
The greatest, and most significant, change is the complete absence of
Keith Reid, the lyricist who Brooker has partnered with on nearly every
Procol song since day one. Many of Novum’s words are supplied
instead by Pete Brown, best known for his work with Cream, with the band
itself sharing credits as well. How much of a difference that shift in
authorship credits will make to even hardcore PH fans – and there are
still many – is negligible, as it’s all quite identifiably Procol.
There’s a whimsy in some of Brown’s tunes [sic]: In The Only One,
the narrator insists, among other cryptic musings, “This whole world, I
put it there, I dreamed it up myself,” while Last Chance Motel
will make anyone think twice about the merits of an illicit dalliance.
Other tracks – Soldier and Sunday Morning among them – take
a more studious approach. Whatever he’s singing about though, Brooker’s
remarkably intact voice and signature piano stamp this music instantly
and unambiguously.
Procol Harum albums