THE WELL'S ON FIRE

I'm not an expert on the music of Procol Harum. Of course, I'll never forget 'A Whiter Shade Of Pale', which was on the radio long after I was born... Before having heard 'The Well's On Fire', I've only listened to two other PH albums: 'The Best Of' - of which I think it actually misrepresents the band - and 'Grand Hotel': still one of my favourites!

But back to 'The Well's On Fire'... The signature sound of Procol Harum - a well balanced mix of rock, blues and rock, with hints of musical themes of the classical genre - got a good polish. Even 20 years later their distinctive style still sounds fresh. I'm still not sure if that's due to the sound engineers or to the fact that they're such a great band. Probably a bit of both I guess... Anyway, this is how Procol Harum should sound in the new millennium: exactly like they did during their finest moments in the old millennium... Just listen to these tracks: 'An Old English Dream' and 'Weisselklenzenacht (The Signature)' and you'll know what I'm talking about. Isn't that's why it's called classic rock?

As I'm concluding this review, I'm listening to a Styx version of the classic Procol Harum song 'A Salty Dog'... Only one thought crosses my mind: there's only one Procol Harum!