I'm one of those older viewers (along with dismissive hand gesture). I'm pleasantly surprised when our opinions align but I'm very entertained when they diverge. In regards to "Inheld Twas In I" I guess you had to be there. In my circle at the time it had a similar impact as "Bohemian Rhapsody" would have later. This is the first time in my life I have heard that Gary Brooker's vocals were a weakness. You guys be you!
His name is Kramzer - a wild card known for wild takes. For example, he's thumbs up on the Clash's Cut the Crap. I'd say most music fans have their share of hot takes though.
Kramzer is the weak link of this group....he is like a little child EVERYTIME he does not like a band....wearing his hat on backwards wining and sulking like a little child....ironic thing is you should see some of the bands and artists he DOES like😂😂😂😂😂 Really wish this was a 2 person crew with numb nuts getting the boot.....🙏
@@mccarthyd6603 I think it's a good idea to have someone who is contrary. I do tend to agree with Kramzer when it comes to newer stuff and Joe with the older. But they are all passionate and I don't mind arguments. But, yeah, his Cut The Crap opinion is odd, to say the least. I also wish he had taken part in the Gene Clark video; I'm thinking he would end up liking some of his stuff quite a bit.
Looking forward to watching this later this evening. I had their album "Home" in the early 70's and loved it but only knew a handful of other songs. I now own all their early albums up to Home, and will definetly be getting the later ones. Like The Kinks, I overlooked their albums in the 60's and 70's...
I was happy to find this review when I did a google search. I've never saw these 3 guys before but I really enjoyed listening to their crtique. Procol Harum is underrated overall and the reason I was searching for a review of their albums was because I recently rediscovered Procol Harum. I remember the hits but when I downloaded the albums I realized that my FM listening made many of the songs familiar. I will say "Grand Hotel" is my favorite album by them but I'm rediscovering each album.
You guys have done it again: offering a detailed, engaging and serious overview of a band I have paid virtually no attention to, nor cared to heretofore. I know two of their songs (Whiter Shade and Conquistador, natch) and while pleasant, nothing there that drove me to explore the band. Maybe now I will give a listen to a couple of their albums, so well done in piquing my interest. I did find it particularly amusing when Kramzer said something to the effect that they would be a better, more effective band with a different lead singer. And I thought, yeah, like Rush. I’m from Toronto, so I can say that. Cheers and best, JPE
Well documented how into the Procol debut the Beatles were, they would supposedly play the record often, they loved ‘Whiter Shade’…personally Conquistador is one of my favorite tunes of that year of my own birth ‘67
We will never lay off Kram and his weird rating system. "I like this band plenty because they have a 3.5 star album" just doesn't make sense to many of us.
Why? I think many of you out there just can't separate great and good. I do like Procol Harum plenty. Hence the word LIKE. They have four albums I like. None I love. They have a lot of songs I like. One that I love. ... This means I like the band. But more often than not with this rowdy bunch of viewers, liking a band just isn't enough. If Procol Harum is a "great band", then there are 2,567,188 "great" bands.
Furthermore, keep in mind what we do and who we are. We LOVE music, especially this kind of rock. But that doesn't mean that every band is automatically great simply by existing and contributing in this realm.
He's just a tougher rate so it makes sense to me, Joe gives higher scores. I know if I had a channel, I'd be giving put more 0, 1 and 2 star ratings than any of these three
@@ryankramzer1256 Ryan you don't need to explain yourself to anyone. Something that people don't understand is you guys are reviewing albums, it's different than reviewing songs or the band themselves. Not many people listen to a full album to understand some of the flaws that there are irregardless of how talented the band or artist is. For example, I love the Beatles but when it comes to albums only 2 of their albums are perfect 5 stars for me. Jason may disagree ;)
I only know the 7 first albums. My ranking : 1. Grand hotel 2. Shine on brightly 3. Home 4. Exotic birds and fruit 5. First album 6. A salty dog 7. Broken barricades
12. The Prodigal Stranger (1991) 2/5 11. Novum (2017) 2.5/5 10. The Well's On Fire (2003) 2.5/5 9. Something Magic (1977) 2.5/5 8. Broken Barricades (1971) 2.5/5 7. Procol's Ninth (1975) 3/5 6. Home (1970) 3/5 5. Grand Hotel (1973) 3.5/5 4. Shine On Brightly (1968) 3.5/5 3. Exotic Birds And Fruit (1974) 4/5 2. Procol Harum (1967) 4/5 1. A Salty Dog (1969) 4/5
1. Shine On Brightly 5 2. Grand Hotel 4.75 3. Procol Harum (North American) 4.5 4. Home 4.25 5. A Salty Dog 4 6. Broken Barricades 3.75 8. Exotic Birds and Fruit 3.5 9. Procol's Ninth 3.25 10. Something Magic 3.25
@@179rich Thanks Rich. Because I only heard it twice but feel like going back to it the most, hit a sweet spot but still didn't give me that 5 stars feeling, i can see it going up to 5 or staying 4.5 (used quarters as neater thanks to you :P)
I bailed on the reunion stuff, but it doesn't sound like it would be my thing. Thanks for doing this week, guys! Glad it proved worthwhile for new discoveries! 1. Grand Hotel - 4 (8.5) 2. Shine On Brightly - 3.5 (7.5) 3. Procol Harum - 3.5 (7.5) 4. Broken Barricades - 3.5 (7.0) 5. A Salty Dog - 3.5 (7.0) 6. Exotic Birds and Fruit - 3.5 (7.0) 7. Something Magic - 3.0 (6.5) 8. Home - 3.0 (6.0) 9. Procol's Ninth - 2.5 (5.5)
You're not missing much by ignoring the reunions. I wish I had the strength to ignore reunion albums. But I'm such a completist I get paranoid that I'm missing out on a hidden gem.
Great job, guys! Always interesting to hear your takes on some of these classic bands, especially the ones you weren't too familiar with going in. And great to see that, overall, you really did appreciate them and enjoyed their music. But it was a bit odd when at the top you referred to Procol Harum as a relatively unknown band that nobody ever talks about. I have always considered Procol Harum as one of the legendary great classic bands from the 60's and 70's. Totally unique, one-of-a-kind band, sound and style, one of the originators of progressive rock, with their mix of classical, blues, rock, and pop influences, the soaring guitar of Robin Trower, the swirling organ of Matthew Fisher, the distinctive piano and stellar vocals of Gary Brooker, and the fantastic drumming of B.J. Wilson, as well as the literate prose of Keith Reid throughout. They also hold a special place for me, as they were the first live rock concert I ever saw, as a teenager, way back in 1973. So, I was very familiar with most of their albums through the seventies, but had never listened to any of the later reunion albums, which was just as well. Here is my ranking: 12. The Prodigal Stranger (1991)- 2.5 11. Novum (2017)- 2.5 (These last 2: Bland, generic pop-rock, that sound nothing like Procol Harum. Not really bad, just OK, and totally unmemorable. 10. Something Magic (1977) - 3.0 (Some quite good songs, but dragged down by the lackluster side 2 'epic'). 9. The Well's on Fire (2003) - 3.0 (I actually liked this one, pretty good, with several songs that sounded more like the old PH). 8. Procol's Ninth (1975) - 3.5 (Pandora's Box is fantastic, among the band's all-time best songs, rest of album is hit and miss, but overall, quite good) 7. Exotic Birds and Fruit (1974) - 3.5 (Strong, very good album, some great songs) 6. Grand Hotel (1973) - 4.0 (1st without Trower, but they carry-on emphasizing Brooker's classical, symphonic style and approach to great effect) 5. Home (1970) - 4.0 (A bit darker and heavier, still great, but songs generally not quite as strong as on earlier albums) 4. Broken Barricades (1971) - 4.0 (Trower's final album, and some of his best work, several classic songs, great album) These top three (their first 3 albums) are all very close and order can change with mood 3. Shine On Brightly (1968) - 4.5 (Great side 1, then surpassed with innovative Prog epic In Held Twas In I on side 2) 2. Procol Harum (1967) - 4.5 (Great debut, nothing else like it at the time, very diverse-almost too diverse, but all songs work well) 1. A Salty Dog (1969) - 4.5 (Probably their most consistent, complete album, great stuff, really establishes a mood and tone throughout. Also, first album of theirs I ever heard, so that may be why I have it just edging the others for #1). Overall, no doubt a great band, with numerous fantastic songs, and several great albums, but I do agree with Jason and Joe (not so much with Krams) in that, as great as some of these albums are, I don't think they have a 5-star masterpiece album. There is still something on each album that holds it back from being a full-on masterpiece, maybe partially due to the wide variety of different types of songs on most of the albums, but just don't quite get to that next level. Some definite classics, just not quite a masterpiece over a full album length. A Great week, got to re-visit and re-enjoy some of these albums I had not listened to in quite awhile. BB’s Rating scale (1-5): 1 - Terrible, torturous to have to listen to 1.5 - Poor, not worth your time 2 - Fair, maybe a couple half-way decent songs, but sub-par overall 2.5 - Average, OK, meh, not bad but not that good either 3 - Good, solid album, several good songs, but not spectacular. Certainly worthy, but may not be something you come back to very often 3.5 - Very good album. Some stellar tracks, very enjoyable overall 4 - Great album, filled with great songs, one that you will want to come back to over and over again 4.5 - Excellent album, beyond great, superb in every way, just short of a masterpiece 5 - A Masterpiece, among the greatest albums of its type, and has stood the test of time
I don't know if you're familiar with the tune, but "Long Gone Geek" pops up on remastered Procol albums (also "Drunk Again."It is a rocker and is on UA-cam. And Ryan Kramzer may be happy with it. I've always thought -- and felt -- that Gary Brooker's voice had an almost mournful undercurrent. Not long before he passed away he gave a final interview with Goldmine and said he "always felt alone" after his father died when Brooker was eleven. His father was a professional musician and and those "music hall" songs like Mabel, Fresh Fruit, and A Souvenir of London (about contracting a venereal disease!) reflects his father's musical career. By the way, Procol and The Band toured together at least once -- both bands are similarly configured instrumentally and apparently got along. That configuration is very Black-church gospel oriented. Grand Hotel is prescient of the boomer generation's ambition, workaholism, indulgence, and even decadence. I was there in New York and in for part of that action -- principally the manic work ethic and ambition. This may be a cultural element you have to have lived through to hear. Again thanks to all three of you for this pod cast and your previously Procol top-ten songs show. It's personal for me, perhaps even "die-hard." The band deserves the recognition even if most are now gone.
here goes 12 something magic 3.0 stars 11 the prodigal stranger 3.0 10 the wells on fire 3.0 9shine on brightly 3.0 8 novum 3.5 7 proculs ninth3.5 6 grand hotel 3.5 5broken barricades3.5 4 procul harum 3.5 3 exotic birds and fruit 4.0 2 a salty dog 4.0 1 home 4.0 a good week the albums were a little hit or miss for me, not the best band to binge on , but a good band nonetheless Cheers!!! 🐯🐯
Hey 🐯 - Interesting that we both have Something Magic less than at least one of the reunion albums. They really sounded like they neededa break after this one . .I have Grand Hotel much higher.
A strong catalogue, although I’m not familiar with anything post-70’s. 9. Something Magic 8. Procol’s Ninth 7. Broken Barricades 6. Exotic Birds And Fruit 5. Home 4. A Salty Dog 3. Shine On Brightly 2. Procol Harum 1. Grand Hotel
Fun to listen to three music fans discover a classic band that (somehow) had previously escaped notice. It's a ranking that, at first looks easy: eliminate the three (sad) reunion albums and work backwards on the Chrysalis albums (nice surprise to see Joe champion EXOTIC BIRDS...). That leaves their first five albums for serious consideration. So then it's a question of taste: do you like the early, baroque sounds of the first two albums with Matthew Fisher or the hard rock, strip down sounds of albums 4 & 5 with Chris Copping? I like both phases which is why I always land in the middle with the transitional but solid A SALTY DOG. The title track is probably their most cinematic while "The Milk of Human Kindness" is rollicking and loose like the best of The Band. The gentle "Too Much Between Us" sets up the heavy "The Devil Came from Kansas". "Boredom" keeps the salty vibe of men too long from home, forcing a jig between storms. "Juicy John Pink" proved both that Brooker could emote and Trower was a very important contributor to the wide range of the band's palette. Too bluesy? "Wreck of the Hesperus", with the classical piano riff and orchestral swells, blows the band back to progressive territory. "All This and More" provides both, grand chord changes, chamber piano, horns and Trower's big guitar embellishments. No wonder this ended up on the later live album. Trower and Fisher get the final two songs respectively, proving this iteration of the band had the depth of talent able to fill an album with variety and drama. "Crucifiction Lane" isn't just a strong guitar workout: both Brooker and Fisher bring solid keyboard support. "Pilgrims Progress" is the elegiac album closer that also bids Fisher goodbye. A stomping coda gives the album an upbeat conclusion, bells and all. It's hard to say what the band would have accomplished if Fisher had decided to stay. However, all whiffs of the baroque are blown away by the fat guitar intro of "Whiskey Train". BJ Wilson is busy on the cowbell and Brooker belts out a drunken ode that provides one of the themes of this darker album. Unlike David Knights, Chris Copping's bass is mixed up and provides a pulse previous absent from PH. If booze is one theme, death is another, more dominant one on HOME. "The Dead Man's Dream" is dark, disturbing and helpless. Copping slathers on the organ to this homage to Edgar Allen Poe. "Still There'll Be More" is hilariously spiteful, "Nothing That I Didn't Know" heartbreakingly sad, "About to Die" ominous and Band-like. Can this album sustain such intense emotion? Despite their titles, "Barnyard Story" and "Piggy Pig Pig" just keep ratcheting up the confusion and dread. Trower is let loose on the latter before the swine drive out of the barn. "Whaling Stories" returns to another sea tragedy, building slowly from lonely piano to great slashes of guitar and sinister organ. The concluding "Your Own Choice" is a seemingly lighthearted (disheartened?) kiss off to life with only the warmth of the harmonica to placate. My sentimental favourite is BROKEN BARRICADES: it rocks hard but also taps into the cinematic qualities of both orchestra and movie screen. The title cut also features BJ Wilson's most textured drumming. Unfortunately, it often sounds like two different bands here: Trower's Hendrix power chording fighting Brooker's more chamber-like pieces. The rhythm section is up for both and Brooker's piano on "Memorial Drive" gives Trower's piece an earthy flavour. There's less organ in the arrangements but strings and synths fill in the sound, especially on the sexy "Luskus Delph". One wishes the guitar had been mixed higher on "Power Failure", a bruised road song with an almost anthemic introduction. The lurching, multi-tracked drum break is unexpected but certainly not given to the typical cliche's of the time. When then band kicks back in, they sound ragged and somewhat defeated (cue the ironic cheers), in keeping with the lyrics. "Song for a Dreamer" is a shimmering lift from ELECTRIC LADYLAND, a portent of what Trower would go on to do after leaving the band. "Playmate of the Mouth" does provide a bridge between the orchestral and electric, with Brooker spitting out Reid's tale of debachery worthy of Fellini. Cruelty is never far, from a sibling's torture of her "Simple Sister" to "Poor Mohammed", beaten and tortured despite being a man of the book, all covered up by greasy slide guitar, barrelhouse piano and cowbell. All of the portraits on this album are, indeed, "broken", making this a challenging but rewarding listen without the production gloss of their previous albums. Although the band had plenty in the tank, both LIVE and GRAND HOTEL would hold many highlights, Procol Harem would never be this great again. LIVE WITH THE EDMONTON SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA should be in every PH discography and even the later THE LONG GOODBYE has some lovely, nostalgic moments. Procol Harum was hamstrung by scoring a psychedelic worldwide hit that people kept waiting to be repeated. (They actually dropped "Whiter Shade of Pale" from their setlist in the early '70s.) Their albums were deep and varied; the band had a one of the classic rock voices of the late '60s, a unique keyboard attack combined with heavy guitarist, top-drawer drummer and a lyricist who could expand the subject matter of the three-minute rock song. They certainly deserved better and I'm grateful you tackled their discography.
This is a quite interesting watch! As a fan of Procol Harum I would of course rate everything a lot higher on the absolute scale just because I like the essence of the band a lot and don't really compare it to anything else. But I agree with many of the points you guys make here, especially the lack of creativity on the "new Procol" albums from 1991 onwards. I've actually always loved Gary Brooker's vocals, even in his later years I think he sounded fantastic, even though you could hear his voice age notably from a particular point on. I heard him live a few times in the early 2000s and it was always a treat.
This is my first time watching your show. The Procol review caught my attention. Yes I am A Procol fan. You have collectively done a good job. You picked up on BJ Wilson's drumming, covered Tower just right, and connected with Brookers "soulful vocals". If you continue to explore PH now that they deliberately have at least one humorous song on almost every album. At least that is the case according to Gary Brooker. As a fan I have probably listened to Home time most. Do I think it is their best? Hard to say. Picking Exotic Birds as numero uno was brilliant. I take no umbrage with your picks except one; The Well's on Fire is more like a top five album. At least for me. Keep up the good work.
When my dad was getting rid of his vinyl and let me take my pick from them, he got pissed off at me for not taking his Procol Harum records. I did end up allowing myself to be guilted into taking them - maybe I should check them out sometime.
I really enjoyed this video on Procol Harum and great that this band is getting some recognition for their superb collection of albums. However, Brookers voice is full of emotion and bloody majestic, so was a bit taken aback by Kramzer’s comment. Maybe he needs new headphones 😂
Did not listen to these albums on the lead-up, but Joe and Jason’s enthusiasm inspired me. First impression on the first seven: 7. Broken Barriers 6. Exotic Birds and Fruit 5. Grand Hotel 4. Home 3. A Salty Dog 2. Procol Harum (would be #1 with “WSOP” and “Homburg” of course) 1. Shine on Brightly
I would bet money that Procol Harum (then the Paramounts) saw Bob Dylan and the Hawks on tour in 1966. They took the cathedral organ/piano/sharp blues guitar/pounding drums/surrealistic lyrics idea to the bank. Play that first album next to the Basement Tapes - heck, play "Conquistador" next to "This Wheel's On Fire," "Homburg" next to "Tears of Rage." Like you guys, the first album and A Salty Dog are 4.5 albums for me - the song "A Salty Dog" is my favorite. I cannot get into their second album, however, so I haven't explored deeper. Will check out your suggestions. Kram gets a point for elevating "Wreck of the Hesperus," gets a swirly for his constant harping on Brooker's singing. CORRECTION: the debut album came out in stereo, except for the song "Whiter Shade of Pale" - it has an extended alternate take in stereo (and doesn't feature Trower). Good job, lads.
Lyricist Keith Reid was a little obsessed with Dylan as was Hendrix (among many others) at the time. I'm sure Brooker was too as A Christmas Camel has a similar intro to Dylan's Ballad Of A Thin Man.
10. Something Magic (1977) - 2.5/5 Something Magic / Wizard Man / The Worm & the Tree, Part 1 9. Procol's Ninth (1975) 2.75/5 Pandora's Box / Fool's Gold / The Unquiet Zone 8. The Prodigal Stranger (1991) 3/5 The po-lite AOR gloss hides a great comeback EP: The Truth Won't Fade Away / (You Can't) Turn Back the Page / A Dream in Ev'ry Home / The King of Hearts 7. Broken Barricades (1971) 3.25/5 title track / Simple Sister / Power Failure 6. Home (1970) 3.5/5 ShiP (geddit?) of Death EP: Whiskey Train / About to Die / The Dead Man's Dream / Whaling Stories 5. Shine On Brightly (1968) 3.75/5 title track / Quite Rightly So / Magdalene, My Regal Zonophone / In Held Twas in I 4. Grand Hotel (1973) 4/5 title track / Toujours l'Amour / A Rum Tale / T.V. Caesar / A Souvenir of London / Bringing Home the Bacon / Fires (Which Burnt Brightly) 3. Exotic Birds and Fruit (1974) 4.25/5 Nothing But the Truth / As Strong as Samson / The Idol / Fresh Fruit / Butterfly Boys / New Lamps for Old 2. Procol Harum (1967) 4.5/5 (US version - A Whiter Shade of Pale 5/5) Conquistador / She Wandered Through the Garden Fence / Something Following Me / A Christmas Camel / Salad Days (Are Here Again) / Repent Walpurgis 1. A Salty Dog (1969) 4.75/5 title track / Too Much Between Us / Boredom / Wreck of the Hesperus / Crucifiction Lane / Pilgrims Progress
Great choice this week!...I enjoy broker's voice...was surprised that kramzer didn't like Brooker.....the debut is my favourite....and 4.5 stars for that....they had a few great records...underrated act..cheers
I Just don't get the "Hipster" Kramzer and his strange opinions. I have loved this since my teens in the 70's and their 10 albums from 1967-77 are all above average while the reunion albums are all average.
I saw them in concert in 1973 .....that gig is in my TOP 3 best musical experiences EVER.......BJ WILSON on stage ...the beast let loose from its cage!!!!
1. Procol Harum (5/5) 2. Shine On Brightly (4.5/5) 3. A Salty Dog (4.5/5) 4. Home (4.5/5) 5. Exotic Birds & Fruit (4/4) 6. Grand Hotel (4/4) 7. Broken Barricades (3.5/5) 8. Procol's Ninth (3/3) 8. Something Magic (3/3) 10. The Prodigal Stranger (2.5/5) 11. The Well's on Fire (2/2) 12. Novum (2/2)
I don't normally think much of online reviews - but this is a very thoughtful and intelligent analysis. And you knew your subject matter, without sounding technical or stuffy. My hat is off to you. I look forward to more. My only criticism, that I feel, is too much time was spent on the Bottom 3 stinkers. I got the point quickly without needing to hear a song by song breakdown. Otherwise I highly commend your work .
Another fine video. Salty Dog definitely proto-prog. Joe's No.1 choice is very interesting, so that's going to get a poke very soon. Frustratingly, the only thing I feel I'm left in the dark about is Kramzer's thoughts on Gary Brooker as a singer. Otherwise, I thank you for your service.
1. Grand Hotel 2. Exotic Birds and Fruit 3. Procol Harum (US edition of the album) 4. Broken Barricades 5. Shine On Brightly 6. Procol’s Ninth 7. Something Magic 8. A Salty Dog 9. Home 10. The Well’s On Fire 11. The Prodigal Stranger 12. Novum
An interesting list by all of you . Here's my top 5 in order of preference : Grand Hotel ( with some of my favourite Procol songs on it : Grand Hotel , A Rum Tale , Fires Which Burn Brightly ) A Salty Dog Procol Harum ( the version of Conquistador is even better on the live album ) Exotic Birds & Fruit Broken Barricades Cheers !
I enjoyed this week quite a lot (aside from those reunion albums), I don't think I am quite done ranking these albums or getting to know them better. But this is where I am at right now. I also really loved their live album. I'm definitely keeping an eye out for them next time I go record shopping. 12. The Well’s On Fire - 1.5 (2.9) 11. The Prodigal Stranger - 2 (3.8) 10. Novum - 2 (4.0) 9. Something Magic - 3.5 (6.8) 8. Procol’s Ninth - 3.5 (7.2) 7. Procol Harum - 3.5 (7.3) 6. Broken Barricades - 3.5 (7.4) 5. A Salty Dog - 3.5 (7.4) 4. Exotic Birds and Fruit - 4 (8.0) 3. Shine On Brightly - 4 (8.3) 2. Home - 4 (8.5) 1. Grand Hotel - 4.5 (8.8) Bonus: Procol Harum Live: In Concert with the Edmonton Symphony Orchestra - 4 (8.4)
@@oldguysmusicstuff2896 I liked the 70s albums after Exotic Birds, Ninth moreso of course. But I would definitely be fine never acknowledging the existence of those reunion albums ever again. I don't think I realized you saw them, that's awesome.
Reading the comments I don't really get all the love for Grand Hotel. Give me the Trower era! Of the 7 I heard; 7. Grand Hotel(1973)-ducks....sorry lol 6.Exotic Birds and Fruit(1974)-Better than GH due to "as strong as Samson" and "butterfly boys" 5.Shine on Brightly(1968)-side 2 brings this down,but almost excellent. The top 4 are excellent. 4.Procol Harum(1969)-The American version,which gave you "conquistador" over WSOP. Excellent throughout. 3..Broken Barricades(1971)-No nonsense,and they really let Trower shine before he leaves the band. Their hardest rocker throughout. 2.Home(1970)-this album doesn't get treated with as much respect as some of the others,probably because it's darker than a Black Sabbath record. This is their one album that has no bad songs. Whisky Train and Piggy Pig Pig rip, and Still There'll Be More and Whaling Stories are stunning. Just short of 5 stars. 1.A Salty Dog(1969)-Their masterpiece,5 stars,even with some down monents such as Juicy John Pink and Boredom. All the other songs are stunningly good. I voted for Procol Harum because along with Mott the Hoople they're the most overlooked British classic rock band. And just think,Procol Harum has the most played song in British radio history! More than any Beatles,Stones or Queen song. I just think ,like Kramzer said,they got overshadowed by the success of one song.
1. A Salty Dog (1969) 4.5/5 2. Procol Harum (1967) 4/5 【U.S. version gets 5/5】 3. Shine On Brightly (1968) 3.5/5 4. Home (1970) 3.5/5 5. Broken Barracades (1971) 3/5 6. Procol's Ninth (1975) 3/5 7. Grand Hotel (1973) 3/5 8. Exotic Birds & Fruit (1974) 2.5/5 9. The Well's on Fire (2003) 2.5/5 10. Something Magic (1977) 2/5 11. The Prodigal Stranger (1991) 2/5 12. Novum (2017) 1.5/5 CHRONOLOGICAL ORDER: 4.0 Procol Harum (1967)【U.S. version gets 5/5】 3.5 Shine On Brightly (1968) 4.5 A Salty Dog (1969) 3.5 Home (1970) 3.0 Broken Barracades (1971) 3.0 Grand Hotel (1973) 2.5 Exotic Birds & Fruit (1974) 3.0 Procol's Ninth (1975) 2.0 Something Magic (1977) 2.0 The Prodigal Stranger (1991) 2.5 The Well's on Fire (2003) 1.5 Novum (2017) Procol Harum burst onto the stage as central players in the greatest year ever for popular music- 1967. I cannot imagine launching a career with a better first single than "A Whiter Shade of Pale." It owes its origins to J. S. Bach's "Air on the G String," but still, the final product is so viscerally affecting it defined a whole era of music. Procol's two keyboard attack gives their self-titled debut LP a thick, rich sound. "Conquistador" is the only song that approaches the majesty of 'Whiter Shade,' but the rest of the album is no slouch (particularly "Cerdes" and "Something Followed Me.") The U.S. version gets all the way to 5 stars for including 'Whiter Shade' and cutting "Good Captain Clack." Shine On Brightly (1968) is a worthy successor to the debut, mostly because of the title track and "In Held Twas In I," a multi-movement proto-prog epic that closes the album. I've lived near the ocean my whole life, so the nautical theme of 1969's A Salty Dog has always resonated with me. The band tackles a variety of musical styles, including blues ("Crucifiction Lane," "Juicy John Pink") and psych-folk ("Too Much Between Us.") But my favorite tracks are the proggier numbers- "Wreck of the Hesperus," "The Devil Came From Kansas," and the title track. The band's original organ player (Matthew Fisher) left the group prior to 1970's Home and 1971's Broken Barracades, resulting in those LPs being a little more hard rockin'. Robin Trower lays down some mean fretwork during this period- e.g. "Whiskey Train," "Piggy Pig Pig," "Memorial Drive," "Song For a Dreamer." Trower's guitar stylings provided most of the band's bluesy edge in their early years. But by this point, he and singer/pianist Gary Brooker were clearly headed in different musical directions, leading to Trower's departure in 1971. With Trower gone, Brooker's classical and pop impulses run wild on Grand Hotel (1973) and Exotic Birds & Fruit (1974.) Neither are particularly memorable affairs, but they do offer a couple mid-career highlights- "Fires (Which Burn Brightly)" and "The Idol." Legendary songwriting team Leiber & Stoller produced 1975's Procol's Ninth (actually their 8th studio LP.) It largely abandons their prog/classical past in favor of a polished R&B sound. Tracks like "The Final Thrust" and "Pandora's Box" make it worth a listen, even if it's not a full-on return to form. On the last album in their original run, 1977's Something Magic, the band comes close to sounding like the Moody Blues, complete with poetry readings. After a 14 year break, Procol returned in 1991 with The Prodigal Son. Trower and Fisher were back in the fold but, crucially, they were now missing their longtime drummer, B.J. Wilson (who died of an overdose in 1987.) The songs on 'Prodigal' are passable, but the production makes the band sound generic, like a typical late-1980s pop-rock group. The Well's on Fire (2003) does a decent job of updating their sound for the new millennium, with "Shadow Boxed" and "An Old English Dream" being the best cuts. 2017's Novum takes a step backwards, though- it's just too mellow and predictable. When they were at their best, no one did the 'orchestral rock' thing more tastefully than Procol Harum. They're a great and influential band, even if they're not quite an all-time top 100 artist for me. MY RATING SYSTEM: 5.0 = major classic (consistently great *and* stratospheric highs) 4.5 = minor classic (consistently great *or* stratospheric highs, but not both) 4.0 = great (a clear majority is worth revisiting and it's one of the best things for this artist/style) 3.5 = seriously good (at least half is worth revisiting) 3.0 = nominally good (less than half is worth revisiting) 2.5 = fair (competent but uninspired, not worth revisiting) 2.0 = poor (difficult listen) 1.5 = awful (can't finish it) 1.0 = historically awful (musical apocalypse) ▪︎"Consistently" does not mean "flawlessly." I allow for a few duds if the rest of the songs are good enough. "Stratospheric highs" refer to albums that feature iconic songs or have an iconic sound. (Albums I consider to be "perfect" can also reach 5 stars, even without containing legendary songs or being highly influential.) ▪︎I don't go below 1 star because once I'm in the realm of the truly terrible, I don't care to differentiate anymore. ▪︎Anything I rate 3.5 stars or better is an album I'm enthusiastic about and would likely revisit at some point.
12) The Prodigal Stranger (1991) 2/5 11) Novum (2017) 3.25/5 10) A Salty Dog (1969) 3.25/5 09) Exotic Birds and Fruit (1974) 3.25/5 08) The Well's on Fire (2003) 3.5/5 07) Broken Barricades (1971) 3.5/5 06) Shine on Brightly (1968) 3.5/5 05) Procol Harum (1967) 3.5/5 04) Home (1970) 3.5/5 03) Something Magic (1977) 3.75/5 02) Procol's Ninth (1975) 4/5 01) Grand Hotel (1973) 4/5 Ratings Scale: 0 stars - irredeemably terrible/insultingly bad/the worst .5 stars - terrible 1 star - bad 1.5 stars - pretty bad 2 stars - weak/mediocre 2.5 stars - meh 2.75 stars - "It's OK, but quit playing it." 3 stars - OK/decent 3.25 stars - pretty good 3.5 stars - good 3.75 stars - really good 4 stars - very good 4.25 stars - very, very good 4.5 stars - excellent 5 stars - Sixteen Vestal Virgins Chronological Order: 1967 - 3.50 - Procol Harum 1968 - 3.50 - Shine on Brightly 1969 - 3.25 - A Salty Dog 1970 - 3.50 - Home 1971 - 3.50 - Broken Barricades 1973 - 4.00 - Grand Hotel 1974 - 3.25 - Exotic Birds and Fruit 1975 - 4.00 - Procol's Ninth 1977 - 3.75 - Something Magic 1991 - 2.00 - The Prodigal Stranger 2003 - 3.50 - The Well's on Fire 2017 - 3.25 - Novum Notes: * I knew less from this band than most any other Tastes Like Music ranking I have ever done. All I knew beforehand was "A Whiter Shade of Pale." Only Mott the Hoople is comparable - going into that one, I only knew "All the Young Dudes." * While Procol Harum could never come close to my favorite bands, I found a lot to enjoy here. Very worthwhile exercise. * They could rock out when they wanted to. * "Cerdes (Outside the Gate of)" is the standout track on the debut (Not counting "A Whiter Shade of Pale" which showed up on the American release). * I'm not too crazy about the first two tracks on Shine on Brightly, but the proto-prog extended closer "In Held Twas in I" is really good. * A Salty Dog was meh for me, but I went back to it since it got so much critical acclaim and I do like it a bit more now. I think it suffers somewhat from this sort of general lethargy hanging over it. * Robin Trower's guitar isn't always the dominant instrument. But when Trower is on, he can really go off. * Broken Barricades has some of their best songs, but there's a four song stretch in there that's pretty uninspiring. * Lots of really good, grandiose orchestration on Grand Hotel. "A Souvenir of London" is about getting VD and was ridiculously banned by the uptight BBC. * I don't think Gary Brooker has one of the great voices, but it's usually really good. Sometimes they lyrics are lame, sometimes they're good. Often, they're just kinda weird. * They go for a more straightforward pop/rock album with Procol's Ninth. Plenty of very good songs here. At first, I was kinda put off by the cover of "Eight Days a Week." It doesn't fit the album or the band. But a great song can't be held down and I simply got used to it, and Procol at least put their own mark on it. I found the album title to be lame and boring, as is the cover with their signatures. But Jason mentioned it could be a tribute to Beethoven's 9th, so that's one way to look at it. When albums are named after the number they appear on the albums list, I tend to think the band was running low on ideas. * The Prodigal Stranger is pretty mediocre. There are some decent songs on it, but the sound is just horribly commercial and generic. It sounds like 1980's adult contemporary. * The Well's on Fire is a big improvement, at times anyway. They maintain some of that bland commercial sound, but they also give it more muscle - at times. I quite like the album cover. It sparks my imagination - makes me think about infinite universes and shit like that. * Cheers mates!!!!!!!!!!
Nice . . Not that different from mine actually. Speaking of Mott . . I think Procol is at their best when they sound like Mott. The blues and jazz workouts do nothing for me.
I'm from Detroit (blow the reveille)! Find a live (in the studio) version on YT of: *'A SALTY DOG'.* Then, ask yourself: Were _The Moody Blues_ really necessary? btw: Don't be too hard on yourselves, guys. You're all VERY astute at reviewing older stuff! One thing sets you apart: *Self-Deprecating!* (sometimes) Many fans _'2-gens-removed-from-me'_ have this _'definitive'_ style in their comments. _"Period!"_ _"End of discussion!"_ (& so on) While you guys REALLY GET the nature of art in music; You (sometimes)..... _'change-your-mind'_ right there, for all to see. That's class! That's honesty! 'Course it still wouldn't work if y'all didn't know what you were talking about. *Keep On Chooglin'!* - Dave B.
Funny how I keep watching even though I don't like the band at all. Keep up the good work guys! I would love to see you guys covering some more contemporary artists like, for instance, Josh Ritter or Daniel Romano. Kind regards from the Netherlands!
I was a big rock fan growing up and all the thing you guys said were weaknesses (obscurity), we considered straight. Record companies have pretty much condenses popular music to 40 and ALL music to a formula. You can't judge yesterdays music by todays meager standards. Back in the day the worst description you could call all music is it sounded like pop. Now it's the best thing. It use to be about the music, now its all about the Benjamin's. Good Luck with your's.
Just because someone dies doesn’t mean they’re hands off when it comes to a critique. Defeats the whole purpose of a review! I suspect this mindset comes from the 40 and under crowd.
I gave them a shot and quit after Grand Hotel. Here are my rankings up to that album 6) Grand Hotel (1973) 2.5 stars 5) Broken Barricades (1971) 2.5 stars 4) Home (1970) 3 stars 3) Shine On Brightly (1968) 3 stars 2) A Salty Dog (1969) 3.5 stars 1) Procol Harum (1967) 3.5 stars
1. Grand Hotel - 3.75 2. Procol Harem - 3.5 3. Broken Barricades - 3.25 4. A Salty Dog - 3.25 5. Exotic Birds and Fruit - 3 6. Procol’s Ninth - 3 7. Shine On Brightly - 2.75 8. Home - 2.75 9. The Well’s On Fire - 2.5 10. Something Magic - 2.25 11. The Prodigal Stranger - 2.25 12. Novum - 2 I guess this makes me a non-fan . . Oh well.
1. A Salty Dog 2. Procol Harum 3. Shine On Brightly 4. Exotic Birds and Fruit 5. Broken Barricades 6. Grand Hotel 7. Home 8. Procol's Ninth. There are 4 or 5 really good tunes here, but there are some weak tracks, and the cover tunes really drag the album down. Glad you guys picked up on how great B.J. Wilson is. I'll probably have Homburg on my top song list, and happy that it was added to the extended cd version. Agree about side one of Exotic Birds and Fruits. Side two is only weaker by comparison. I picked up so many of their lps in cheap used bins in the past couple of years; they are very easy to find. The live album is great and B.J. Wilson really commands. I forgot that Matthew Fisher produced A Salty Dog; in my mind it was Chris Thomas. Thomas produced some other steller albums, including those by The Pretenders, Roxy Music, Pete Townshend and John Cale. The Thomas produced Paris 1919 might be the one Cale LP that Joe might actually like.
@@painless465 "Nothing frightens me more than religion at my door." Lowell George and Richie Hayward seem kike odd choices for a John Cale back up band, but it works.
@@painless465 I'll have to go back and take a look. I wasn't a regular viewer/commenter back then, but I should check out older videos when I have the chance. Paris 1919 would be my number 3, behind Stevie Wonder-Innervisions and Roxy Music-Stranded.
@@johnlefsky8731 I think I had Dark Side of the Moon and Quadrophenia in my top 3. For Your Pleasure would be my Roxy choice for ‘73, but Stranded is great too
I don't own any Procol Harum (or even Robin Trower) albums, but if going the vinyl route it seems like their 1972 Best Of might be the best first stop as A Whiter Shade Of Pale is non-LP. unless you think the album tracks are better heard in context? (also could be some single edits?) next stop might be Exotic Birds And Fruit for As Strong As Samson plus Joe's #1
Hi guys, i must catch up on Procol Harum before drawing up a list, I've known them from quite a long time but never really got into them, i've got a couple of their albums, listen to them not more than 3/4 times, i've always found them a bit old, not aged well, a bit like Moody Blues.
Growing up in the seventies Procol Harum was one of my favourite bands. Grand Hotel for me is a masterpiece. Regarding the ”Something Magic ” album Gary Brooker said that the producers comments about the songs was: You can put chocolate on dogshit, but it will still taste like dogshit..
I’m excited for the Elton John listo (finally, good grief), but also not excited. In that, no, I’m not listening to Victim of Love for you people. I’ll make sacrifices, but I ain’t doin’ that.
“If [‘Whiter Shade of Pale’ was on this album], it would be my number one, it would be five stars.” Joe should just get his hands on the US version of Procol Harum, which is probably the version that 80% of the people who’ve ever owned this album are familiar with (the song it dropped from the UK version was actually “Good Captain Clack”). I think Spotify did you dirty on this one. Although it’s understandable why fans gripe about the US versions of Beatles albums, in some cases, those bastardized US versions of ‘60s British bands’ albums were arguably an improvement (for instance: this album, Traffic’s Mr. Fantasy, the Small Faces’ There Are But Four Small Faces). So … hurray for meddling US record labels? Given that I’d never seen it appear on the usual “greatest albums” lists or seen it be awarded five stars in any album guide, and that for years, like you three, all I knew of Procol Harum was “Whiter Shade of Pale” and the live version of “Conquistador,” I wasn’t expecting much when I first heard the debut (I think I listened to it while attempting to compile a “medieval rock” mix), but … hot damn. Talk about one of those albums that just oozes that “1967 magic,” or however you might choose to describe that brief, fleeting moment in pop music when a band’s songs could go anywhere and be about anything (or nothing) and yet still not slide into self-consciousness. Did these people know what genre(s) they were creating, or combining? Did they care? “Something Following Me,” “Conquistador,” “Repent Walpurgis” … too many highlights, but I can never resist turning up the volume at the start of Trower’s guitar solo on “A Christmas Camel” as B.J. Wilson simultaneously relaxes the beat the slightest bit - that’s got to be one of the ultimate “Whoaaaa” ‘60s rock moments right there. Yeah. This album. “My Amazon six-triggered bride/Now searching for a place to hide/Still sees truth quite easily/Shrouds all else in mystery/While madmen in top hats and tails/Impale themselves on six-inch nails/And some Arabian also-ran/Impersonates a watering can.” Say what?
Better than I expected, except for their last three albums. 12. The Prodigal Stranger (1991) ★½ 11. The Well's on Fire (2003) ★½ 10. Novum (2017) ★½ 9. Procol's Ninth (1975) ★★ 8. Something Magic (1977) ★★½ 7. Broken Barricades (1971) ★★★ 6. Exotic Birds and Fruit (1974) ★★★ 5. Grand Hotel (1973) ★★★½ 4. A Salty Dog (1969) ★★★½ 3. Home (1970) ★★★½ 2. Shine On Brightly (1968) ★★★½ 1. Procol Harum (1967) ★★★★ ★★★★★ - Masterpiece ★★★★½ - Really great ★★★★ - Great ★★★½ - Really good ★★★ - Good ★★½ - OK ★★ - Bad ★½ - Really bad ★ - Awful ½ - The worst
It's a shame that three of Procol Harum's very best tracks are outside the purview of this video. "Whiter Shade", obviously, but also the live in Edmonton "Conquistador" and the brilliant single "Homburg".
I mean… hey, we all hear things differently. So, if that’s what Kram hears, then so be it. I’m not going to slam him for it. I just think of all the singers to have such a sour feeling on, Brooker is an odd one. When I was in high school I bought a Procol Harum best of compilation. I loved it way more than I thought I would. However, for some unknown reason, I never sought out their studio albums. I have picked up three of their early albums over the years just digging for vinyl. I enjoy all three. So again, no idea why I haven’t gone further into the discography.
I'm kinda on Kram's side here. Brooker is perfectly adequate, but nothing special. I could see myself liking Procol more if they had a more dynamic singer.
@@ryankramzer1256 I kind of understand what you’re saying about the less emotive aspects of his vocal performances. He doesn’t belt out like a Plant or Marriott. When I first heard them years ago, I missed his soulful delivery in some of their more “symphonic rock.” But upon more listens, I began to hear a very distinct cadence that I warmed to. I say all this based on three albums though. Lol
Thank you for giving Procol some candid attention. In short, fav album Grand Hotel, fav track A Salty Dog. Here's a rare Brooker treat for all on this page, 3 years after the band first disbanded. ua-cam.com/video/Klon0T5zbgY/v-deo.html
The problem with AOR radio is that their playlists tend to be limited. You'll hear Stairway To Heaven or Black Dog a million times, but never hear Tangerine, Us and Them or Comfortably Numb but never Fearless. That's if you could find a radio station with a live DJ.
If they are asking for artists they know little about how about The Go-Betweens. Much like Prefab Sprout they have incredible “hits.” (Although technically The Go-Betweens never had a hit. Which seemed virtually impossible.)
Have tried to listen to this band and personally i really struggle good musicians but really not for me although i love Robin trower solo i feel he was wasted in this band
“Procol Harum” sounds like the name of an obscure blues musician from the South. It also doesn’t help that their most well-known song is an interminable slog.
Good band, and A Whiter Shade of Pale is an all-time great single, but I really don’t like the font of their band name logo. It looks like a fucking Dr. Seuss prog rock band.
Big problem with Kramzer on this one. His take on Brooker's vocals is ridiculous, ludicrous and indefensible. Also, it takes a few listens to appreciate many of these albums. He listens twice and then dismisses some great albums. Sounds like Joe did his homework and listened to the LPs multiple times. Some just have a way of growing on you. Finally, what's up with his grading system. Does he even like music? Those 3 later albums aren't great but are not close to terrible. You have to leave room for the absolute worst stuff out there. A 1 star rating should be the worst of all time. These are far from that. Get off my lawn Kramzer.
@@ryankramzer1256 Not true. There are many albums I couldn't get into until 4th or 5th listen. Usually, they were albums that weren't commercial. Prime example for me is Astral Weeks. Thought it was boring until about the 5th time through. Now it's a top 10. Back in the days before streaming you owned what you owned. Therefore if an album was in your collection you would eventually go back to it multiple times. At some point you would get it or not. But, I truly believe you must listen 4 or 5 times, unless it's truly wretched like Cut The Crap, to know for sure on most albums.
Ted Nugent would be challenging for many people to grapple with fairly from a strictly aesthetic and technical perspective due to his politics that so many (including me) find objectionable. But I do believe artists should be valued for their artistry even when other aspects of their lives are offensive. Nugent's virtuosity on the guitar cannot be denied.
@@barrymoore4470 I understand completely ted nugent is a hard man to like politically however I believe his music is definitely worth checking out I find him to be a great guitarist and definitely some of his music is amazing to me anyway I personally think he’s worth talking about musically
Ted Nugent has a quite big discography. I think a easy start for the boys would be his late 60's and early 70's band "The Amboy Dukes". Less albums and perhaps a bit more of their style musically. Also nice to give light to a more forgotten act.
@@JohannesYtterstrom another great choice however I’ve seen these guys take on big discography’s before such ad the kinks or yes so I believe they could do it it’s up to them if they want to though I was thinking it would make for an interesting topic for this channel because I’ve seen the channel sea of tranquility cover Teds solo and Amboy dukes output in just cerious to see these guys take on his music
@Benjamin Andrews Nuge is a heckuva guitar player. His "Stranglehold" solo deserves its place among the all-time great solos. I'm on the side that says you've gotta be able to separate the art from the artist. Although, I'll admit there are limits to that. I won't be attending a gallery of Adolf Hitler's paintings anytime soon.
I'm one of those older viewers (along with dismissive hand gesture). I'm pleasantly surprised when our opinions align but I'm very entertained when they diverge. In regards to "Inheld Twas In I" I guess you had to be there. In my circle at the time it had a similar impact as "Bohemian Rhapsody" would have later. This is the first time in my life I have heard that Gary Brooker's vocals were a weakness. You guys be you!
In Held in Twas I is a great listen if you are ripped on hasish or weed. That is about it.
Gary Brooker is a great vocalist, regardless of what upper left-hand corner says.
His name is Kramzer - a wild card known for wild takes. For example, he's thumbs up on the Clash's Cut the Crap. I'd say most music fans have their share of hot takes though.
Kramzer is the weak link of this group....he is like a little child EVERYTIME he does not like a band....wearing his hat on backwards wining and sulking like a little child....ironic thing is you should see some of the bands and artists he DOES like😂😂😂😂😂 Really wish this was a 2 person crew with numb nuts getting the boot.....🙏
@@mccarthyd6603 I think it's a good idea to have someone who is contrary. I do tend to agree with Kramzer when it comes to newer stuff and Joe with the older. But they are all passionate and I don't mind arguments. But, yeah, his Cut The Crap opinion is odd, to say the least. I also wish he had taken part in the Gene Clark video; I'm thinking he would end up liking some of his stuff quite a bit.
What a great choice of band to delve into - have been hoping you'd look at Procul Harum! Amazing body of work
Kram's take on Brooker is an all-time head scratcher.
Even more confusing, Brooker was invited to the Concert for George, with Harrison being one of Kram's favorite vocalists.
I love Brooker's voice; he had a kind of laid back majesty that suited the songs perfectly.
Brooker ruled…it’s lost on Kramzer who on occasion predictably just doesn’t get it, I mean he doesn’t get McCartney either so yeah enough said
If you think Gary Brooker and Paul McCartney are inferior singers to George Harrison then you're being very perverse.
Gary Brooker is an amazing singer, what the heck!!??
But then again, in the Genesis video he rated Foxtrot at #12 or something….
My favorite band when I was in high school. Saw them 3 times with Trower and a couple times after he left.
Very interesting averaged list. Excellent video as always gentlemen!
Looking forward to watching this later this evening. I had their album "Home" in the early 70's and loved it but only knew a handful of other songs. I now own all their early albums up to Home, and will definetly be getting the later ones. Like The Kinks, I overlooked their albums in the 60's and 70's...
Great list looking forward to seeing a Robin Trower listography list
I was happy to find this review when I did a google search. I've never saw these 3 guys before but I really enjoyed listening to their crtique. Procol Harum is underrated overall and the reason I was searching for a review of their albums was because I recently rediscovered Procol Harum. I remember the hits but when I downloaded the albums I realized that my FM listening made many of the songs familiar. I will say "Grand Hotel" is my favorite album by them but I'm rediscovering each album.
You guys have done it again: offering a detailed, engaging and serious overview of a band I have paid virtually no attention to, nor cared to heretofore. I know two of their songs (Whiter Shade and Conquistador, natch) and while pleasant, nothing there that drove me to explore the band. Maybe now I will give a listen to a couple of their albums, so well done in piquing my interest.
I did find it particularly amusing when Kramzer said something to the effect that they would be a better, more effective band with a different lead singer. And I thought, yeah, like Rush. I’m from Toronto, so I can say that. Cheers and best, JPE
Well documented how into the Procol debut the Beatles were, they would supposedly play the record often, they loved ‘Whiter Shade’…personally Conquistador is one of my favorite tunes of that year of my own birth ‘67
Grand Hotel for me Gents. That's the sweet spot of their catalogue...!
We will never lay off Kram and his weird rating system. "I like this band plenty because they have a 3.5 star album" just doesn't make sense to many of us.
Why? I think many of you out there just can't separate great and good. I do like Procol Harum plenty. Hence the word LIKE. They have four albums I like. None I love. They have a lot of songs I like. One that I love. ... This means I like the band. But more often than not with this rowdy bunch of viewers, liking a band just isn't enough.
If Procol Harum is a "great band", then there are 2,567,188 "great" bands.
Furthermore, keep in mind what we do and who we are. We LOVE music, especially this kind of rock. But that doesn't mean that every band is automatically great simply by existing and contributing in this realm.
He's just a tougher rate so it makes sense to me, Joe gives higher scores. I know if I had a channel, I'd be giving put more 0, 1 and 2 star ratings than any of these three
@@ryankramzer1256 Ryan you don't need to explain yourself to anyone. Something that people don't understand is you guys are reviewing albums, it's different than reviewing songs or the band themselves. Not many people listen to a full album to understand some of the flaws that there are irregardless of how talented the band or artist is. For example, I love the Beatles but when it comes to albums only 2 of their albums are perfect 5 stars for me. Jason may disagree ;)
@@stevemalek2970 haha thank you. Zach is a good dude, I was moreso just talking, not really explaining
I only know the 7 first albums. My ranking :
1. Grand hotel
2. Shine on brightly
3. Home
4. Exotic birds and fruit
5. First album
6. A salty dog
7. Broken barricades
12. The Prodigal Stranger (1991) 2/5
11. Novum (2017) 2.5/5
10. The Well's On Fire (2003) 2.5/5
9. Something Magic (1977) 2.5/5
8. Broken Barricades (1971) 2.5/5
7. Procol's Ninth (1975) 3/5
6. Home (1970) 3/5
5. Grand Hotel (1973) 3.5/5
4. Shine On Brightly (1968) 3.5/5
3. Exotic Birds And Fruit (1974) 4/5
2. Procol Harum (1967) 4/5
1. A Salty Dog (1969) 4/5
1. Shine On Brightly 5
2. Grand Hotel 4.75
3. Procol Harum (North American) 4.5
4. Home 4.25
5. A Salty Dog 4
6. Broken Barricades 3.75
8. Exotic Birds and Fruit 3.5
9. Procol's Ninth 3.25
10. Something Magic 3.25
Very cool. What kept you from giving Grand Hotel the 5?
@@179rich Thanks Rich. Because I only heard it twice but feel like going back to it the most, hit a sweet spot but still didn't give me that 5 stars feeling, i can see it going up to 5 or staying 4.5 (used quarters as neater thanks to you :P)
I bailed on the reunion stuff, but it doesn't sound like it would be my thing. Thanks for doing this week, guys! Glad it proved worthwhile for new discoveries!
1. Grand Hotel - 4 (8.5)
2. Shine On Brightly - 3.5 (7.5)
3. Procol Harum - 3.5 (7.5)
4. Broken Barricades - 3.5 (7.0)
5. A Salty Dog - 3.5 (7.0)
6. Exotic Birds and Fruit - 3.5 (7.0)
7. Something Magic - 3.0 (6.5)
8. Home - 3.0 (6.0)
9. Procol's Ninth - 2.5 (5.5)
You're not missing much by ignoring the reunions. I wish I had the strength to ignore reunion albums. But I'm such a completist I get paranoid that I'm missing out on a hidden gem.
Great job, guys! Always interesting to hear your takes on some of these classic bands, especially the ones you weren't too familiar with going in. And great to see that, overall, you really did appreciate them and enjoyed their music. But it was a bit odd when at the top you referred to Procol Harum as a relatively unknown band that nobody ever talks about. I have always considered Procol Harum as one of the legendary great classic bands from the 60's and 70's. Totally unique, one-of-a-kind band, sound and style, one of the originators of progressive rock, with their mix of classical, blues, rock, and pop influences, the soaring guitar of Robin Trower, the swirling organ of Matthew Fisher, the distinctive piano and stellar vocals of Gary Brooker, and the fantastic drumming of B.J. Wilson, as well as the literate prose of Keith Reid throughout. They also hold a special place for me, as they were the first live rock concert I ever saw, as a teenager, way back in 1973. So, I was very familiar with most of their albums through the seventies, but had never listened to any of the later reunion albums, which was just as well. Here is my ranking:
12. The Prodigal Stranger (1991)- 2.5
11. Novum (2017)- 2.5 (These last 2: Bland, generic pop-rock, that sound nothing like Procol Harum. Not really bad, just OK, and totally unmemorable.
10. Something Magic (1977) - 3.0 (Some quite good songs, but dragged down by the lackluster side 2 'epic').
9. The Well's on Fire (2003) - 3.0 (I actually liked this one, pretty good, with several songs that sounded more like the old PH).
8. Procol's Ninth (1975) - 3.5 (Pandora's Box is fantastic, among the band's all-time best songs, rest of album is hit and miss, but overall, quite good)
7. Exotic Birds and Fruit (1974) - 3.5 (Strong, very good album, some great songs)
6. Grand Hotel (1973) - 4.0 (1st without Trower, but they carry-on emphasizing Brooker's classical, symphonic style and approach to great effect)
5. Home (1970) - 4.0 (A bit darker and heavier, still great, but songs generally not quite as strong as on earlier albums)
4. Broken Barricades (1971) - 4.0 (Trower's final album, and some of his best work, several classic songs, great album)
These top three (their first 3 albums) are all very close and order can change with mood
3. Shine On Brightly (1968) - 4.5 (Great side 1, then surpassed with innovative Prog epic In Held Twas In I on side 2)
2. Procol Harum (1967) - 4.5 (Great debut, nothing else like it at the time, very diverse-almost too diverse, but all songs work well)
1. A Salty Dog (1969) - 4.5 (Probably their most consistent, complete album, great stuff, really establishes a mood and tone throughout. Also, first album of theirs I ever heard, so that may be why I have it just edging the others for #1).
Overall, no doubt a great band, with numerous fantastic songs, and several great albums, but I do agree with Jason and Joe (not so much with Krams) in that, as great as some of these albums are, I don't think they have a 5-star masterpiece album. There is still something on each album that holds it back from being a full-on masterpiece, maybe partially due to the wide variety of different types of songs on most of the albums, but just don't quite get to that next level. Some definite classics, just not quite a masterpiece over a full album length. A Great week, got to re-visit and re-enjoy some of these albums I had not listened to in quite awhile.
BB’s Rating scale (1-5):
1 - Terrible, torturous to have to listen to
1.5 - Poor, not worth your time
2 - Fair, maybe a couple half-way decent songs, but sub-par overall
2.5 - Average, OK, meh, not bad but not that good either
3 - Good, solid album, several good songs, but not spectacular. Certainly worthy, but may not be something you come back to very often
3.5 - Very good album. Some stellar tracks, very enjoyable overall
4 - Great album, filled with great songs, one that you will want to come back to over and over again
4.5 - Excellent album, beyond great, superb in every way, just short of a masterpiece
5 - A Masterpiece, among the greatest albums of its type, and has stood the test of time
I don't know if you're familiar with the tune, but "Long Gone Geek" pops up on remastered Procol albums (also "Drunk Again."It is a rocker and is on UA-cam. And Ryan Kramzer may be happy with it. I've always thought -- and felt -- that Gary Brooker's voice had an almost mournful undercurrent. Not long before he passed away he gave a final interview with Goldmine and said he "always felt alone" after his father died when Brooker was eleven. His father was a professional musician and and those "music hall" songs like Mabel, Fresh Fruit, and A Souvenir of London (about contracting a venereal disease!) reflects his father's musical career. By the way, Procol and The Band toured together at least once -- both bands are similarly configured instrumentally and apparently got along. That configuration is very Black-church gospel oriented. Grand Hotel is prescient of the boomer generation's ambition, workaholism, indulgence, and even decadence. I was there in New York and in for part of that action -- principally the manic work ethic and ambition. This may be a cultural element you have to have lived through to hear. Again thanks to all three of you for this pod cast and your previously Procol top-ten songs show. It's personal for me, perhaps even "die-hard." The band deserves the recognition even if most are now gone.
here goes
12 something magic 3.0 stars
11 the prodigal stranger 3.0
10 the wells on fire 3.0
9shine on brightly 3.0
8 novum 3.5
7 proculs ninth3.5
6 grand hotel 3.5
5broken barricades3.5
4 procul harum 3.5
3 exotic birds and fruit 4.0
2 a salty dog 4.0
1 home 4.0
a good week the albums were a little hit or miss for me, not the best band to binge on , but a good band nonetheless
Cheers!!!
🐯🐯
Hey 🐯 - Interesting that we both have Something Magic less than at least one of the reunion albums. They really sounded like they neededa break after this one . .I have Grand Hotel much higher.
A strong catalogue, although I’m not familiar with anything post-70’s.
9. Something Magic
8. Procol’s Ninth
7. Broken Barricades
6. Exotic Birds And Fruit
5. Home
4. A Salty Dog
3. Shine On Brightly
2. Procol Harum
1. Grand Hotel
Fun to listen to three music fans discover a classic band that (somehow) had previously escaped notice. It's a ranking that, at first looks easy: eliminate the three (sad) reunion albums and work backwards on the Chrysalis albums (nice surprise to see Joe champion EXOTIC BIRDS...). That leaves their first five albums for serious consideration.
So then it's a question of taste: do you like the early, baroque sounds of the first two albums with Matthew Fisher or the hard rock, strip down sounds of albums 4 & 5 with Chris Copping? I like both phases which is why I always land in the middle with the transitional but solid A SALTY DOG. The title track is probably their most cinematic while "The Milk of Human Kindness" is rollicking and loose like the best of The Band. The gentle "Too Much Between Us" sets up the heavy "The Devil Came from Kansas". "Boredom" keeps the salty vibe of men too long from home, forcing a jig between storms. "Juicy John Pink" proved both that Brooker could emote and Trower was a very important contributor to the wide range of the band's palette. Too bluesy? "Wreck of the Hesperus", with the classical piano riff and orchestral swells, blows the band back to progressive territory. "All This and More" provides both, grand chord changes, chamber piano, horns and Trower's big guitar embellishments. No wonder this ended up on the later live album. Trower and Fisher get the final two songs respectively, proving this iteration of the band had the depth of talent able to fill an album with variety and drama. "Crucifiction Lane" isn't just a strong guitar workout: both Brooker and Fisher bring solid keyboard support. "Pilgrims Progress" is the elegiac album closer that also bids Fisher goodbye. A stomping coda gives the album an upbeat conclusion, bells and all.
It's hard to say what the band would have accomplished if Fisher had decided to stay. However, all whiffs of the baroque are blown away by the fat guitar intro of "Whiskey Train". BJ Wilson is busy on the cowbell and Brooker belts out a drunken ode that provides one of the themes of this darker album. Unlike David Knights, Chris Copping's bass is mixed up and provides a pulse previous absent from PH. If booze is one theme, death is another, more dominant one on HOME. "The Dead Man's Dream" is dark, disturbing and helpless. Copping slathers on the organ to this homage to Edgar Allen Poe. "Still There'll Be More" is hilariously spiteful, "Nothing That I Didn't Know" heartbreakingly sad, "About to Die" ominous and Band-like. Can this album sustain such intense emotion? Despite their titles, "Barnyard Story" and "Piggy Pig Pig" just keep ratcheting up the confusion and dread. Trower is let loose on the latter before the swine drive out of the barn. "Whaling Stories" returns to another sea tragedy, building slowly from lonely piano to great slashes of guitar and sinister organ. The concluding "Your Own Choice" is a seemingly lighthearted (disheartened?) kiss off to life with only the warmth of the harmonica to placate.
My sentimental favourite is BROKEN BARRICADES: it rocks hard but also taps into the cinematic qualities of both orchestra and movie screen. The title cut also features BJ Wilson's most textured drumming. Unfortunately, it often sounds like two different bands here: Trower's Hendrix power chording fighting Brooker's more chamber-like pieces. The rhythm section is up for both and Brooker's piano on "Memorial Drive" gives Trower's piece an earthy flavour. There's less organ in the arrangements but strings and synths fill in the sound, especially on the sexy "Luskus Delph". One wishes the guitar had been mixed higher on "Power Failure", a bruised road song with an almost anthemic introduction. The lurching, multi-tracked drum break is unexpected but certainly not given to the typical cliche's of the time. When then band kicks back in, they sound ragged and somewhat defeated (cue the ironic cheers), in keeping with the lyrics. "Song for a Dreamer" is a shimmering lift from ELECTRIC LADYLAND, a portent of what Trower would go on to do after leaving the band. "Playmate of the Mouth" does provide a bridge between the orchestral and electric, with Brooker spitting out Reid's tale of debachery worthy of Fellini. Cruelty is never far, from a sibling's torture of her "Simple Sister" to "Poor Mohammed", beaten and tortured despite being a man of the book, all covered up by greasy slide guitar, barrelhouse piano and cowbell. All of the portraits on this album are, indeed, "broken", making this a challenging but rewarding listen without the production gloss of their previous albums. Although the band had plenty in the tank, both LIVE and GRAND HOTEL would hold many highlights, Procol Harem would never be this great again.
LIVE WITH THE EDMONTON SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA should be in every PH discography and even the later THE LONG GOODBYE has some lovely, nostalgic moments.
Procol Harum was hamstrung by scoring a psychedelic worldwide hit that people kept waiting to be repeated. (They actually dropped "Whiter Shade of Pale" from their setlist in the early '70s.) Their albums were deep and varied; the band had a one of the classic rock voices of the late '60s, a unique keyboard attack combined with heavy guitarist, top-drawer drummer and a lyricist who could expand the subject matter of the three-minute rock song. They certainly deserved better and I'm grateful you tackled their discography.
This is a quite interesting watch! As a fan of Procol Harum I would of course rate everything a lot higher on the absolute scale just because I like the essence of the band a lot and don't really compare it to anything else. But I agree with many of the points you guys make here, especially the lack of creativity on the "new Procol" albums from 1991 onwards. I've actually always loved Gary Brooker's vocals, even in his later years I think he sounded fantastic, even though you could hear his voice age notably from a particular point on. I heard him live a few times in the early 2000s and it was always a treat.
This is my first time watching your show. The Procol review caught my attention. Yes I am A Procol fan. You have collectively done a good job. You picked up on BJ Wilson's drumming, covered Tower just right, and connected with Brookers "soulful vocals". If you continue to explore PH now that they deliberately have at least one humorous song on almost every album. At least that is the case according to Gary Brooker. As a fan I have probably listened to Home time most. Do I think it is their best? Hard to say. Picking Exotic Birds as numero uno was brilliant. I take no umbrage with your picks except one; The Well's on Fire is more like a top five album. At least for me. Keep up the good work.
When my dad was getting rid of his vinyl and let me take my pick from them, he got pissed off at me for not taking his Procol Harum records. I did end up allowing myself to be guilted into taking them - maybe I should check them out sometime.
I really enjoyed this video on Procol Harum and great that this band is getting some recognition for their superb collection of albums. However, Brookers voice is full of emotion and bloody majestic, so was a bit taken aback by Kramzer’s comment. Maybe he needs new headphones 😂
Did not listen to these albums on the lead-up, but Joe and Jason’s enthusiasm inspired me. First impression on the first seven:
7. Broken Barriers
6. Exotic Birds and Fruit
5. Grand Hotel
4. Home
3. A Salty Dog
2. Procol Harum (would be #1 with “WSOP” and “Homburg” of course)
1. Shine on Brightly
I would bet money that Procol Harum (then the Paramounts) saw Bob Dylan and the Hawks on tour in 1966. They took the cathedral organ/piano/sharp blues guitar/pounding drums/surrealistic lyrics idea to the bank. Play that first album next to the Basement Tapes - heck, play "Conquistador" next to "This Wheel's On Fire," "Homburg" next to "Tears of Rage." Like you guys, the first album and A Salty Dog are 4.5 albums for me - the song "A Salty Dog" is my favorite. I cannot get into their second album, however, so I haven't explored deeper. Will check out your suggestions. Kram gets a point for elevating "Wreck of the Hesperus," gets a swirly for his constant harping on Brooker's singing. CORRECTION: the debut album came out in stereo, except for the song "Whiter Shade of Pale" - it has an extended alternate take in stereo (and doesn't feature Trower). Good job, lads.
Lyricist Keith Reid was a little obsessed with Dylan as was Hendrix (among many others) at the time. I'm sure Brooker was too as A Christmas Camel has a similar intro to Dylan's Ballad Of A Thin Man.
Wow...never expected this....thanks, guys.
10. Something Magic (1977) - 2.5/5 Something Magic / Wizard Man / The Worm & the Tree, Part 1
9. Procol's Ninth (1975) 2.75/5 Pandora's Box / Fool's Gold / The Unquiet Zone
8. The Prodigal Stranger (1991) 3/5 The po-lite AOR gloss hides a great comeback EP: The Truth Won't Fade Away / (You Can't) Turn Back the Page / A Dream in Ev'ry Home / The King of Hearts
7. Broken Barricades (1971) 3.25/5 title track / Simple Sister / Power Failure
6. Home (1970) 3.5/5 ShiP (geddit?) of Death EP: Whiskey Train / About to Die / The Dead Man's Dream / Whaling Stories
5. Shine On Brightly (1968) 3.75/5 title track / Quite Rightly So / Magdalene, My Regal Zonophone / In Held Twas in I
4. Grand Hotel (1973) 4/5 title track / Toujours l'Amour / A Rum Tale / T.V. Caesar / A Souvenir of London / Bringing Home the Bacon / Fires (Which Burnt Brightly)
3. Exotic Birds and Fruit (1974) 4.25/5 Nothing But the Truth / As Strong as Samson / The Idol / Fresh Fruit / Butterfly Boys / New Lamps for Old
2. Procol Harum (1967) 4.5/5 (US version - A Whiter Shade of Pale 5/5) Conquistador / She Wandered Through the Garden Fence / Something Following Me / A Christmas Camel / Salad Days (Are Here Again) / Repent Walpurgis
1. A Salty Dog (1969) 4.75/5 title track / Too Much Between Us / Boredom / Wreck of the Hesperus / Crucifiction Lane / Pilgrims Progress
A few headscratchers but overall satisfying and glad you did it and enjoyed it
I'll definitely have to check out your top songs before investing in their discography.
Great choice this week!...I enjoy broker's voice...was surprised that kramzer didn't like Brooker.....the debut is my favourite....and 4.5 stars for that....they had a few great records...underrated act..cheers
I Just don't get the "Hipster" Kramzer and his strange opinions. I have loved this since my teens in the 70's and their 10 albums from 1967-77 are all above average while the reunion albums are all average.
I saw them in concert in 1973 .....that gig is in my TOP 3 best musical experiences EVER.......BJ WILSON on stage ...the beast let loose from its cage!!!!
1. Procol Harum (5/5)
2. Shine On Brightly (4.5/5)
3. A Salty Dog (4.5/5)
4. Home (4.5/5)
5. Exotic Birds & Fruit (4/4)
6. Grand Hotel (4/4)
7. Broken Barricades (3.5/5)
8. Procol's Ninth (3/3)
8. Something Magic (3/3)
10. The Prodigal Stranger (2.5/5)
11. The Well's on Fire (2/2)
12. Novum (2/2)
I don't normally think much of online reviews - but this is a very thoughtful and intelligent analysis. And you knew your subject matter, without sounding technical or stuffy. My hat is off to you. I look forward to more.
My only criticism, that I feel, is too much time was spent on the Bottom 3 stinkers. I got the point quickly without needing to hear a song by song breakdown. Otherwise I highly commend your work .
Another fine video. Salty Dog definitely proto-prog. Joe's No.1 choice is very interesting, so that's going to get a poke very soon. Frustratingly, the only thing I feel I'm left in the dark about is Kramzer's thoughts on Gary Brooker as a singer. Otherwise, I thank you for your service.
1. Grand Hotel
2. Exotic Birds and Fruit
3. Procol Harum (US edition of the album)
4. Broken Barricades
5. Shine On Brightly
6. Procol’s Ninth
7. Something Magic
8. A Salty Dog
9. Home
10. The Well’s On Fire
11. The Prodigal Stranger
12. Novum
Sort of how i hear things too . .
Jason, which are albums #2 and 3 on your wall?
An interesting list by all of you .
Here's my top 5 in order of preference :
Grand Hotel ( with some of my favourite Procol songs on it : Grand Hotel , A Rum Tale , Fires Which Burn Brightly )
A Salty Dog
Procol Harum ( the version of Conquistador is even better on the live album )
Exotic Birds & Fruit
Broken Barricades
Cheers !
I enjoyed this week quite a lot (aside from those reunion albums), I don't think I am quite done ranking these albums or getting to know them better. But this is where I am at right now. I also really loved their live album. I'm definitely keeping an eye out for them next time I go record shopping.
12. The Well’s On Fire - 1.5 (2.9)
11. The Prodigal Stranger - 2 (3.8)
10. Novum - 2 (4.0)
9. Something Magic - 3.5 (6.8)
8. Procol’s Ninth - 3.5 (7.2)
7. Procol Harum - 3.5 (7.3)
6. Broken Barricades - 3.5 (7.4)
5. A Salty Dog - 3.5 (7.4)
4. Exotic Birds and Fruit - 4 (8.0)
3. Shine On Brightly - 4 (8.3)
2. Home - 4 (8.5)
1. Grand Hotel - 4.5 (8.8)
Bonus: Procol Harum Live: In Concert with the Edmonton Symphony Orchestra - 4 (8.4)
To me there's nothing after Exotic Birds. Saw them in 1969 and it was a thrill. Robin Trower has always been one of my favourite guitar players.
@@oldguysmusicstuff2896 I liked the 70s albums after Exotic Birds, Ninth moreso of course. But I would definitely be fine never acknowledging the existence of those reunion albums ever again. I don't think I realized you saw them, that's awesome.
Reading the comments I don't really get all the love for Grand Hotel. Give me the Trower era! Of the 7 I heard;
7. Grand Hotel(1973)-ducks....sorry lol
6.Exotic Birds and Fruit(1974)-Better than GH due to "as strong as Samson" and "butterfly boys"
5.Shine on Brightly(1968)-side 2 brings this down,but almost excellent. The top 4 are excellent.
4.Procol Harum(1969)-The American version,which gave you "conquistador" over WSOP. Excellent throughout.
3..Broken Barricades(1971)-No nonsense,and they really let Trower shine before he leaves the band. Their hardest rocker throughout.
2.Home(1970)-this album doesn't get treated with as much respect as some of the others,probably because it's darker than a Black Sabbath record. This is their one album that has no bad songs. Whisky Train and Piggy Pig Pig rip, and Still There'll Be More and Whaling Stories are stunning. Just short of 5 stars.
1.A Salty Dog(1969)-Their masterpiece,5 stars,even with some down monents such as Juicy John Pink and Boredom. All the other songs are stunningly good.
I voted for Procol Harum because along with Mott the Hoople they're the most overlooked British classic rock band. And just think,Procol Harum has the most played song in British radio history! More than any Beatles,Stones or Queen song. I just think ,like Kramzer said,they got overshadowed by the success of one song.
Yeah, they're sorta one of those "living in the shadow of the debut" bands, except that in their case, the debut in question was a single.
1. A Salty Dog (1969) 4.5/5
2. Procol Harum (1967) 4/5 【U.S. version gets 5/5】
3. Shine On Brightly (1968) 3.5/5
4. Home (1970) 3.5/5
5. Broken Barracades (1971) 3/5
6. Procol's Ninth (1975) 3/5
7. Grand Hotel (1973) 3/5
8. Exotic Birds & Fruit (1974) 2.5/5
9. The Well's on Fire (2003) 2.5/5
10. Something Magic (1977) 2/5
11. The Prodigal Stranger (1991) 2/5
12. Novum (2017) 1.5/5
CHRONOLOGICAL ORDER:
4.0 Procol Harum (1967)【U.S. version gets 5/5】
3.5 Shine On Brightly (1968)
4.5 A Salty Dog (1969)
3.5 Home (1970)
3.0 Broken Barracades (1971)
3.0 Grand Hotel (1973)
2.5 Exotic Birds & Fruit (1974)
3.0 Procol's Ninth (1975)
2.0 Something Magic (1977)
2.0 The Prodigal Stranger (1991)
2.5 The Well's on Fire (2003)
1.5 Novum (2017)
Procol Harum burst onto the stage as central players in the greatest year ever for popular music- 1967. I cannot imagine launching a career with a better first single than "A Whiter Shade of Pale." It owes its origins to J. S. Bach's "Air on the G String," but still, the final product is so viscerally affecting it defined a whole era of music.
Procol's two keyboard attack gives their self-titled debut LP a thick, rich sound. "Conquistador" is the only song that approaches the majesty of 'Whiter Shade,' but the rest of the album is no slouch (particularly "Cerdes" and "Something Followed Me.") The U.S. version gets all the way to 5 stars for including 'Whiter Shade' and cutting "Good Captain Clack."
Shine On Brightly (1968) is a worthy successor to the debut, mostly because of the title track and "In Held Twas In I," a multi-movement proto-prog epic that closes the album.
I've lived near the ocean my whole life, so the nautical theme of 1969's A Salty Dog has always resonated with me. The band tackles a variety of musical styles, including blues ("Crucifiction Lane," "Juicy John Pink") and psych-folk ("Too Much Between Us.") But my favorite tracks are the proggier numbers- "Wreck of the Hesperus," "The Devil Came From Kansas," and the title track.
The band's original organ player (Matthew Fisher) left the group prior to 1970's Home and 1971's Broken Barracades, resulting in those LPs being a little more hard rockin'. Robin Trower lays down some mean fretwork during this period- e.g. "Whiskey Train," "Piggy Pig Pig," "Memorial Drive," "Song For a Dreamer."
Trower's guitar stylings provided most of the band's bluesy edge in their early years. But by this point, he and singer/pianist Gary Brooker were clearly headed in different musical directions, leading to Trower's departure in 1971.
With Trower gone, Brooker's classical and pop impulses run wild on Grand Hotel (1973) and Exotic Birds & Fruit (1974.) Neither are particularly memorable affairs, but they do offer a couple mid-career highlights- "Fires (Which Burn Brightly)" and "The Idol."
Legendary songwriting team Leiber & Stoller produced 1975's Procol's Ninth (actually their 8th studio LP.) It largely abandons their prog/classical past in favor of a polished R&B sound. Tracks like "The Final Thrust" and "Pandora's Box" make it worth a listen, even if it's not a full-on return to form.
On the last album in their original run, 1977's Something Magic, the band comes close to sounding like the Moody Blues, complete with poetry readings.
After a 14 year break, Procol returned in 1991 with The Prodigal Son. Trower and Fisher were back in the fold but, crucially, they were now missing their longtime drummer, B.J. Wilson (who died of an overdose in 1987.) The songs on 'Prodigal' are passable, but the production makes the band sound generic, like a typical late-1980s pop-rock group.
The Well's on Fire (2003) does a decent job of updating their sound for the new millennium, with "Shadow Boxed" and "An Old English Dream" being the best cuts. 2017's Novum takes a step backwards, though- it's just too mellow and predictable.
When they were at their best, no one did the 'orchestral rock' thing more tastefully than Procol Harum. They're a great and influential band, even if they're not quite an all-time top 100 artist for me.
MY RATING SYSTEM:
5.0 = major classic (consistently great *and* stratospheric highs)
4.5 = minor classic (consistently great *or* stratospheric highs, but not both)
4.0 = great (a clear majority is worth revisiting and it's one of the best things for this artist/style)
3.5 = seriously good (at least half is worth revisiting)
3.0 = nominally good (less than half is worth revisiting)
2.5 = fair (competent but uninspired, not worth revisiting)
2.0 = poor (difficult listen)
1.5 = awful (can't finish it)
1.0 = historically awful (musical apocalypse)
▪︎"Consistently" does not mean "flawlessly." I allow for a few duds if the rest of the songs are good enough. "Stratospheric highs" refer to albums that feature iconic songs or have an iconic sound. (Albums I consider to be "perfect" can also reach 5 stars, even without containing legendary songs or being highly influential.)
▪︎I don't go below 1 star because once I'm in the realm of the truly terrible, I don't care to differentiate anymore.
▪︎Anything I rate 3.5 stars or better is an album I'm enthusiastic about and would likely revisit at some point.
Nice job. We pretty much eye to eye this time. Except, of course, Exotic Birds and Fruit.
@Ростислав Логачов I enjoyed your list! Perhaps if I spent more time with Grand Hotel and Exotic Birds & Fruit, they would grow on me a bit.
Great job as always WB! You certainly have a more conventional list than I do. I'm sure people look at mine and think I'm nuts lol.
whenever i see a piano i play a whiter shade of pale, never get tired of it
It's one of the enduring classics of its era, one of the most beautiful songs released in 1967.
Whenever I see a piano I grow a 3-month beard and play Let It Be.
@@NaughtyVampireGod haha solid choice
@@UlyssesJonah 😀
12) The Prodigal Stranger (1991) 2/5
11) Novum (2017) 3.25/5
10) A Salty Dog (1969) 3.25/5
09) Exotic Birds and Fruit (1974) 3.25/5
08) The Well's on Fire (2003) 3.5/5
07) Broken Barricades (1971) 3.5/5
06) Shine on Brightly (1968) 3.5/5
05) Procol Harum (1967) 3.5/5
04) Home (1970) 3.5/5
03) Something Magic (1977) 3.75/5
02) Procol's Ninth (1975) 4/5
01) Grand Hotel (1973) 4/5
Ratings Scale:
0 stars - irredeemably terrible/insultingly bad/the worst
.5 stars - terrible
1 star - bad
1.5 stars - pretty bad
2 stars - weak/mediocre
2.5 stars - meh
2.75 stars - "It's OK, but quit playing it."
3 stars - OK/decent
3.25 stars - pretty good
3.5 stars - good
3.75 stars - really good
4 stars - very good
4.25 stars - very, very good
4.5 stars - excellent
5 stars - Sixteen Vestal Virgins
Chronological Order:
1967 - 3.50 - Procol Harum
1968 - 3.50 - Shine on Brightly
1969 - 3.25 - A Salty Dog
1970 - 3.50 - Home
1971 - 3.50 - Broken Barricades
1973 - 4.00 - Grand Hotel
1974 - 3.25 - Exotic Birds and Fruit
1975 - 4.00 - Procol's Ninth
1977 - 3.75 - Something Magic
1991 - 2.00 - The Prodigal Stranger
2003 - 3.50 - The Well's on Fire
2017 - 3.25 - Novum
Notes:
* I knew less from this band than most any other Tastes Like Music ranking I have ever done. All I knew beforehand was "A Whiter Shade of Pale." Only Mott the Hoople is comparable - going into that one, I only knew "All the Young Dudes."
* While Procol Harum could never come close to my favorite bands, I found a lot to enjoy here. Very worthwhile exercise.
* They could rock out when they wanted to.
* "Cerdes (Outside the Gate of)" is the standout track on the debut (Not counting "A Whiter Shade of Pale" which showed up on the American release).
* I'm not too crazy about the first two tracks on Shine on Brightly, but the proto-prog extended closer "In Held Twas in I" is really good.
* A Salty Dog was meh for me, but I went back to it since it got so much critical acclaim and I do like it a bit more now. I think it suffers somewhat from this sort of general lethargy hanging over it.
* Robin Trower's guitar isn't always the dominant instrument. But when Trower is on, he can really go off.
* Broken Barricades has some of their best songs, but there's a four song stretch in there that's pretty uninspiring.
* Lots of really good, grandiose orchestration on Grand Hotel. "A Souvenir of London" is about getting VD and was ridiculously banned by the uptight BBC.
* I don't think Gary Brooker has one of the great voices, but it's usually really good. Sometimes they lyrics are lame, sometimes they're good. Often, they're just kinda weird.
* They go for a more straightforward pop/rock album with Procol's Ninth. Plenty of very good songs here. At first, I was kinda put off by the cover of "Eight Days a Week." It doesn't fit the album or the band. But a great song can't be held down and I simply got used to it, and Procol at least put their own mark on it. I found the album title to be lame and boring, as is the cover with their signatures. But Jason mentioned it could be a tribute to Beethoven's 9th, so that's one way to look at it. When albums are named after the number they appear on the albums list, I tend to think the band was running low on ideas.
* The Prodigal Stranger is pretty mediocre. There are some decent songs on it, but the sound is just horribly commercial and generic. It sounds like 1980's adult contemporary.
* The Well's on Fire is a big improvement, at times anyway. They maintain some of that bland commercial sound, but they also give it more muscle - at times. I quite like the album cover. It sparks my imagination - makes me think about infinite universes and shit like that.
* Cheers mates!!!!!!!!!!
Nice . . Not that different from mine actually. Speaking of Mott . . I think Procol is at their best when they sound like Mott. The blues and jazz workouts do nothing for me.
Kramz , for those of us in the back , how exactly do you feel about Brooker ? :)
Booker T > Brooker, G.
I'm from Detroit (blow the reveille)!
Find a live (in the studio) version on YT of:
*'A SALTY DOG'.*
Then, ask yourself:
Were _The Moody Blues_ really necessary?
btw: Don't be too hard on yourselves, guys.
You're all VERY astute at reviewing older stuff!
One thing sets you apart:
*Self-Deprecating!* (sometimes)
Many fans _'2-gens-removed-from-me'_
have this _'definitive'_ style in their comments.
_"Period!"_ _"End of discussion!"_ (& so on)
While you guys REALLY GET the nature of art in music;
You (sometimes)..... _'change-your-mind'_ right there, for all to see.
That's class! That's honesty!
'Course it still wouldn't work if y'all didn't know what you were talking about.
*Keep On Chooglin'!*
- Dave B.
Funny how I keep watching even though I don't like the band at all. Keep up the good work guys! I would love to see you guys covering some more contemporary artists like, for instance, Josh Ritter or Daniel Romano. Kind regards from the Netherlands!
Would love to cover newer artists but y'all don't watch
It's your channel, so you should do whatever you want : )
But what does Kram think about Brooker's voice ?🤨
The world may never know
I was a big rock fan growing up and all the thing you guys said were weaknesses (obscurity), we considered straight. Record companies have pretty much condenses popular music to 40 and ALL music to a formula. You can't judge yesterdays music by todays meager standards. Back in the day the worst description you could call all music is it sounded like pop. Now it's the best thing. It use to be about the music, now its all about the Benjamin's. Good Luck with your's.
Just because someone dies doesn’t mean they’re hands off when it comes to a critique. Defeats the whole purpose of a review!
I suspect this mindset comes from the 40 and under crowd.
Yeah . . It shouldn't change what you say . ."I don't want to say anything mean about Shakespeare . ."
Exactly. It's 'die young, have a good-looking corpse', not 'die anytime, five-star reviews guaranteed'.
Besides the Moody Blues you guys really need to do a Gentle Giant ranking at some point
Yes!!!
Greatest song w/Trower:Whaling Stories.
I gave them a shot and quit after Grand Hotel. Here are my rankings up to that album
6) Grand Hotel (1973) 2.5 stars
5) Broken Barricades (1971) 2.5 stars
4) Home (1970) 3 stars
3) Shine On Brightly (1968) 3 stars
2) A Salty Dog (1969) 3.5 stars
1) Procol Harum (1967) 3.5 stars
😖
They are an acquired taste. Something afterwards happens. There is something magic. I can tell all of you found this.
1. Grand Hotel - 3.75
2. Procol Harem - 3.5
3. Broken Barricades - 3.25
4. A Salty Dog - 3.25
5. Exotic Birds and Fruit - 3
6. Procol’s Ninth - 3
7. Shine On Brightly - 2.75
8. Home - 2.75
9. The Well’s On Fire - 2.5
10. Something Magic - 2.25
11. The Prodigal Stranger - 2.25
12. Novum - 2
I guess this makes me a non-fan . . Oh well.
1. A Salty Dog
2. Procol Harum
3. Shine On Brightly
4. Exotic Birds and Fruit
5. Broken Barricades
6. Grand Hotel
7. Home
8. Procol's Ninth. There are 4 or 5 really good tunes here, but there are some weak tracks, and the cover tunes really drag the album down. Glad you guys picked up on how great B.J. Wilson is. I'll probably have Homburg on my top song list, and happy that it was added to the extended cd version. Agree about side one of Exotic Birds and Fruits. Side two is only weaker by comparison. I picked up so many of their lps in cheap used bins in the past couple of years; they are very easy to find. The live album is great and B.J. Wilson really commands.
I forgot that Matthew Fisher produced A Salty Dog; in my mind it was Chris Thomas. Thomas produced some other steller albums, including those by The Pretenders, Roxy Music, Pete Townshend and John Cale. The Thomas produced Paris 1919 might be the one Cale LP that Joe might actually like.
If you don't like Paris 1919,you don't like music lol
@@painless465 "Nothing frightens me more than religion at my door." Lowell George and Richie Hayward seem kike odd choices for a John Cale back up band, but it works.
@@johnlefsky8731 if you go back to the best albums of 1973, Paris 1919 was my winner. And that year is loaded as we both know.
@@painless465 I'll have to go back and take a look. I wasn't a regular viewer/commenter back then, but I should check out older videos when I have the chance. Paris 1919 would be my number 3, behind Stevie Wonder-Innervisions and Roxy Music-Stranded.
@@johnlefsky8731 I think I had Dark Side of the Moon and Quadrophenia in my top 3. For Your Pleasure would be my Roxy choice for ‘73, but Stranded is great too
I don't own any Procol Harum (or even Robin Trower) albums, but if going the vinyl route it seems like their 1972 Best Of might be the best first stop as A Whiter Shade Of Pale is non-LP.
unless you think the album tracks are better heard in context? (also could be some single edits?)
next stop might be Exotic Birds And Fruit for As Strong As Samson plus Joe's #1
I also strongly hope you'll choose Townes Van Zandt and Ultravox! for future shows
I've been told to listen to these guys but never have so I can't rank you guys or anything but I want to learn
I love them
1. Shine on brightly
2. A salty dog
3. Self titled
4. Home
Hi guys, i must catch up on Procol Harum before drawing up a list, I've known them from quite a long time but never really got into them, i've got a couple of their albums, listen to them not more than 3/4 times, i've always found them a bit old, not aged well, a bit like Moody Blues.
I guess it's a fair comparission but I much prefer The Moodies to PH.
Townes Van Zandt. ❤
Spoon stuff? I thought it was cowbell
Growing up in the seventies Procol Harum was one of my favourite bands. Grand Hotel for me is a masterpiece. Regarding the ”Something Magic ” album Gary Brooker said that the producers comments about the songs was: You can put chocolate on dogshit, but it will still taste like dogshit..
I call that album Something Tragic.
Yeah. i do.
I’m excited for the Elton John listo (finally, good grief), but also not excited. In that, no, I’m not listening to Victim of Love for you people. I’ll make sacrifices, but I ain’t doin’ that.
Howie and Ronny Albert produced Steven stills manassas
when we doing the smashing pumpkins rankings?
Soon
Really yesssss
I'm a big fan of smashing pumpkins
1. A Salty Dog 5 stars
2. Procol Harum 4.5 stars
3. Quite Rightly So 4 stars
4. Exotic Birds and Fruits 4 stars
5. Grande Hotel 4 stars
6. Home 4 stars '
7. Broken Barricades 3.5 stars
My top 5 are 1.broken barricades 2.grand hotel 3. Exotic birds and fruit 4.home 5.something magic
“If [‘Whiter Shade of Pale’ was on this album], it would be my number one, it would be five stars.” Joe should just get his hands on the US version of Procol Harum, which is probably the version that 80% of the people who’ve ever owned this album are familiar with (the song it dropped from the UK version was actually “Good Captain Clack”). I think Spotify did you dirty on this one. Although it’s understandable why fans gripe about the US versions of Beatles albums, in some cases, those bastardized US versions of ‘60s British bands’ albums were arguably an improvement (for instance: this album, Traffic’s Mr. Fantasy, the Small Faces’ There Are But Four Small Faces). So … hurray for meddling US record labels?
Given that I’d never seen it appear on the usual “greatest albums” lists or seen it be awarded five stars in any album guide, and that for years, like you three, all I knew of Procol Harum was “Whiter Shade of Pale” and the live version of “Conquistador,” I wasn’t expecting much when I first heard the debut (I think I listened to it while attempting to compile a “medieval rock” mix), but … hot damn. Talk about one of those albums that just oozes that “1967 magic,” or however you might choose to describe that brief, fleeting moment in pop music when a band’s songs could go anywhere and be about anything (or nothing) and yet still not slide into self-consciousness. Did these people know what genre(s) they were creating, or combining? Did they care?
“Something Following Me,” “Conquistador,” “Repent Walpurgis” … too many highlights, but I can never resist turning up the volume at the start of Trower’s guitar solo on “A Christmas Camel” as B.J. Wilson simultaneously relaxes the beat the slightest bit - that’s got to be one of the ultimate “Whoaaaa” ‘60s rock moments right there.
Yeah. This album. “My Amazon six-triggered bride/Now searching for a place to hide/Still sees truth quite easily/Shrouds all else in mystery/While madmen in top hats and tails/Impale themselves on six-inch nails/And some Arabian also-ran/Impersonates a watering can.” Say what?
RIP Keith Reid :(
Better than I expected, except for their last three albums.
12. The Prodigal Stranger (1991) ★½
11. The Well's on Fire (2003) ★½
10. Novum (2017) ★½
9. Procol's Ninth (1975) ★★
8. Something Magic (1977) ★★½
7. Broken Barricades (1971) ★★★
6. Exotic Birds and Fruit (1974) ★★★
5. Grand Hotel (1973) ★★★½
4. A Salty Dog (1969) ★★★½
3. Home (1970) ★★★½
2. Shine On Brightly (1968) ★★★½
1. Procol Harum (1967) ★★★★
★★★★★ - Masterpiece
★★★★½ - Really great
★★★★ - Great
★★★½ - Really good
★★★ - Good
★★½ - OK
★★ - Bad
★½ - Really bad
★ - Awful
½ - The worst
It's a shame that three of Procol Harum's very best tracks are outside the purview of this video. "Whiter Shade", obviously, but also the live in Edmonton "Conquistador" and the brilliant single "Homburg".
There is something about Brooker and Kramzer...
I mean… hey, we all hear things differently. So, if that’s what Kram hears, then so be it. I’m not going to slam him for it. I just think of all the singers to have such a sour feeling on, Brooker is an odd one.
When I was in high school I bought a Procol Harum best of compilation. I loved it way more than I thought I would. However, for some unknown reason, I never sought out their studio albums.
I have picked up three of their early albums over the years just digging for vinyl. I enjoy all three. So again, no idea why I haven’t gone further into the discography.
I like his voice, but think he's an average performer... But ultimately I just don't think he's the right singer for the band for some reason
I'm kinda on Kram's side here. Brooker is perfectly adequate, but nothing special. I could see myself liking Procol more if they had a more dynamic singer.
@@AbbeyRoadkill1 exactly.... They are a good band...a better singer could make them great
@@ryankramzer1256 I kind of understand what you’re saying about the less emotive aspects of his vocal performances. He doesn’t belt out like a Plant or Marriott. When I first heard them years ago, I missed his soulful delivery in some of their more “symphonic rock.” But upon more listens, I began to hear a very distinct cadence that I warmed to. I say all this based on three albums though. Lol
Thank you for giving Procol some candid attention. In short, fav album Grand Hotel, fav track A Salty Dog. Here's a rare Brooker treat for all on this page, 3 years after the band first disbanded. ua-cam.com/video/Klon0T5zbgY/v-deo.html
Why is AOR often cited as something negative?
Because critics are too cool for it. - Joe
AOR doesn't have a negative connotation for me, although MOR does.
@@AbbeyRoadkill1 Oh, what is MOR?
@@JohannesYtterstrom What you'd hear in a dentist's offie.
The problem with AOR radio is that their playlists tend to be limited. You'll hear Stairway To Heaven or Black Dog a million times, but never hear Tangerine, Us and Them or Comfortably Numb but never Fearless. That's if you could find a radio station with a live DJ.
If they are asking for artists they know little about how about The Go-Betweens. Much like Prefab Sprout they have incredible “hits.” (Although technically The Go-Betweens never had a hit. Which seemed virtually impossible.)
Kramz, Trower left in '71
Prince
Kramzer....to the dead, one owes only the Truth.....
Have tried to listen to this band and personally i really struggle good musicians but really not for me although i love Robin trower solo i feel he was wasted in this band
“Procol Harum” sounds like the name of an obscure blues musician from the South. It also doesn’t help that their most well-known song is an interminable slog.
Oof. Bad opinion alert! - Joe
I’d didn’t really listen to them after B.J. Wilson died
I would have bet my house that Joe would not like the side long in held twas n I anything over 4 minutes no good n Kramzers take on Brooker hmmmmmm
Good band, and A Whiter Shade of Pale is an all-time great single, but I really don’t like the font of their band name logo. It looks like a fucking Dr. Seuss prog rock band.
That’s an L. - Joe
@@TastesLikeMusic An Aesthetic L lmao
Big problem with Kramzer on this one. His take on Brooker's vocals is ridiculous, ludicrous and indefensible. Also, it takes a few listens to appreciate many of these albums. He listens twice and then dismisses some great albums. Sounds like Joe did his homework and listened to the LPs multiple times. Some just have a way of growing on you. Finally, what's up with his grading system. Does he even like music? Those 3 later albums aren't great but are not close to terrible. You have to leave room for the absolute worst stuff out there. A 1 star rating should be the worst of all time. These are far from that. Get off my lawn Kramzer.
If it’s released post 1997 and it’s not boring indie or Americana music, Jason and Kramzer don’t like it. - Joe
Joe you really out here defending the last three Procol Harum albums? You even have them sub 3... Which is basically your one star
If they were great albums, two listens would be enough to at least want a third
@@ryankramzer1256 Not true. There are many albums I couldn't get into until 4th or 5th listen. Usually, they were albums that weren't commercial. Prime example for me is Astral Weeks. Thought it was boring until about the 5th time through. Now it's a top 10. Back in the days before streaming you owned what you owned. Therefore if an album was in your collection you would eventually go back to it multiple times. At some point you would get it or not. But, I truly believe you must listen 4 or 5 times, unless it's truly wretched like Cut The Crap, to know for sure on most albums.
Tell me which Procol Harum album to listen to two more times and I will and I'll get back to you
Not very good
I would personally like to see your guys take on Ted nugents albums or Robin Trower those 2 artists are my absolute favorites
Ted Nugent would be challenging for many people to grapple with fairly from a strictly aesthetic and technical perspective due to his politics that so many (including me) find objectionable. But I do believe artists should be valued for their artistry even when other aspects of their lives are offensive. Nugent's virtuosity on the guitar cannot be denied.
@@barrymoore4470 I understand completely ted nugent is a hard man to like politically however I believe his music is definitely worth checking out I find him to be a great guitarist and definitely some of his music is amazing to me anyway I personally think he’s worth talking about musically
Ted Nugent has a quite big discography. I think a easy start for the boys would be his late 60's and early 70's band "The Amboy Dukes". Less albums and perhaps a bit more of their style musically. Also nice to give light to a more forgotten act.
@@JohannesYtterstrom another great choice however I’ve seen these guys take on big discography’s before such ad the kinks or yes so I believe they could do it it’s up to them if they want to though I was thinking it would make for an interesting topic for this channel because I’ve seen the channel sea of tranquility cover Teds solo and Amboy dukes output in just cerious to see these guys take on his music
@Benjamin Andrews Nuge is a heckuva guitar player. His "Stranglehold" solo deserves its place among the all-time great solos. I'm on the side that says you've gotta be able to separate the art from the artist. Although, I'll admit there are limits to that. I won't be attending a gallery of Adolf Hitler's paintings anytime soon.
You guys should do a show on Rickie Lee Jones
We almost did. But the Patreons voted for Procol Harum instead.
@@TastesLikeMusic well I hope you will keep her in mind. Her early albums are incredible.