Procol HarumBeyond |
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THE PRODIGAL STRANGER - PROCOL HARUM (ZOO)
Without nicking too much from the cover article a few pages away, it's a darn good thing Procol Harum chose to return with members that made them so legendary. Matthew Fisher’s subtle baroque organ layerings make all the difference in the world. Man with a Mission and All our Dreams are Sold incorporate quick audio glimpses of the live wire guitar tones that went on to solidify Robin Trower as a mid-seventies guitar hero. The foundation of Procol's sound is still twofold—Gary Brooker’s sturdy, confident vocals alongside his structured piano mosaics and Keith Reid's squired English lyrical camera. Since their long layoff, Reid's role has increased exponentially. Listening to the operatically soaring, majestic ballad (You Can't) Turn Back the Page is like gazing at an old British landscape oil painting – its wildness is bathed in pastoral sensibility and civilised classic form. One More Time and The Truth Won't Fade Away are the safest airplay bets. The Hand that Rocks the Cradle charts into Gospel waters. If Album Radio can reconcile a need for picturesque, image-laden balladry, venture forth with The King of Hearts and the moody Perpetual Motion, the artful high points of the collection. Again, Fisher’s spitefully tortured cathedral Hammond organ madly churns away in the background. Welcome back gentlemen.
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PH on stage | PH on record | PH in print | BtP features | What's new | Interact with BtP | For sale | Site search | Home |