PRODIGAL STRANGER

Because when you listen to this album, there is only one feeling: HUGE disappointment. Brooker's voice is still efficient but boy! Only poor melodies are available here. Dreadful AOR sounds ("The Truth Won't Fade Away", "Man with a Mission", "Learn To Fly"), disgusting and syrupy ballads ("Holding On", "A Dream in Ev'ry Home"). That's the picture.

I really wonder why the hell the band was brought back together some fourteen years after their last studio effort. To suffer an almost gospel "Turn Back The Page" is a rather painful exercise. To say the least.

Keyboards are the highlight but in this ocean of mediocrity, there is no way that they can save this record. The band would have been very much inspired NOT to record this "work". Even if their last two albums were not very good, they were waaaaay better than this crappy stuff.

I'm desperately looking for a great number, but can't find it (actually, it will come a little later). I did appreciate the band quite a lot up to "Exotic Birds.", but this is an insult to their past grandeur. And it is not a boring trial to rock ("The Hand that Rocks the Cradle") that is going to save the whole.

This very long break was nothing beneficial to the creativity of the band. Maybe the desire to cash in was the main reason for this. But I just can tell you to pass your way. This album is totally useless; with the exception of an inspired "The King of Hearts" which at least reminds us that Procol Harum can still produce some good moments (just over four minutes). But this is frankly the only good song here.

"All Our Dreams Are Sold" is just another awkward and flat piece of rock. Good dual keys and an average guitar break is all you'll get here. Just average. But average here sounds almost as good.

To be honest, I have to say that "Perpetual Motion" doesn't sound as bad : almost a good old Procol song. Same applies to The Pursuit of Happiness which features a convincing Brooker on vocals. But the whole of this album sounds so weak that I can hardly rate it with two stars.

One little star for a very weak record, indeed. Nothing prodigal, unfortunately.

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