SOMETHING MAGIC

I have to disagree completely with the other reviewer. This is a very good album from a veteral Art Rock band, and as late as 1977 they seemed to show no interest in the current music scene. but so friggin' what?! Who cares about Punk or Disco? This a progressive review site, for God's sake. In any case, neither Punk nor Disco are remembered with much fondness by too many people nowadays.

Back to what I wanted to say about Something Magic. It is an album in the tradition of the Symphonic Progressive rock, influenced by Classical and Baroque music, melancholy and heavily orchestrated in places. The styles vary somewhat, as they always do on Procol Harum albums, and there is enough mellotron, moog and organ bits to please the most discerning prog fan. The highlight of the album is without doubt the lengthy suite "Worm" complete with an anguished guitar solo, a fabulous moog solo - enough to challenge Wakeman or Banks, orchestral climaxes and spoken narration. Something Magic is whimsical and bombastic, and the bitter-sweet Skating on Thin Ice is almost Chopinesque in its gentle melancholy, dominated by acoustic piano and strings, with wind-section highlights. The riff-driven The Mark Of The Claw is classic Harum, combining rock with orchestra and containing progressive meter changes and a soaring moog solo.

Yes, it is pompous, yes it's pretentious and complex, but who cares, if the music is good? Isn't that what progressive rock is all about?