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PROCOL HARUM

Crossover Prog • United Kingdom


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Procol Harum picture
Procol Harum biography
Formed 1967 in Southend-on-Sea, Essex, UK - Disbanded in 1977 - Reformed in 1991 and still active as of 2017

PROCOL HARUM came out of the ashes from a band called the PARAMOUNTS that had its roots back in 59 (!!) and had split in early 66. Gary Brooker meet lyricist Keith Reid and began writing songs and by 1967, it became clear that they would need the help from their old colleagues from PARAMOUNTS days to form their new band to be called PROCOL HARUM. They developed a really new sound with two KB (piano for Brooker and Hammond organ for Fisher) and a guitarist extraordinaire called Robin Trower who was greatly influenced by JIMI HENDRIX EXPERIENCE. They quickly became one of the precursor of progressive rock (along the MOODY BLUES and The NICE) and mixed in some classical influences (BACH in "Whiter Shade of Pale") and sold millions of singles but also albums.

They became the first band to build a multi-movement suite that lasted a whole side and this was in early 68 in their second album called "Shine on Brightly" and became a real influence for all progressive groups to come. By their fourth album "Home", the sound had evolved to an almost hard-rock but by the following one, the guitarist Robin Trower left for a long and successful solo career, leaving Brooker alone at the driving wheel. From their "Grand Hotel" album, the sound will be tamer but still explosive but all of the succeeding album would follow suit, the band still enjoyed many hit singles. Until they folded in 77, victim of the punk wave. They sporadically reform around the Brooker-Reid duo and Fisher to record a new album and small tour, the most recent being in 2003.

PROCOL HARUM is highly recommended for all the progheads who are interested in the birth of prog and its roots as well as its inventive use of an symphonic orchestra often used a real instrument in their music.

: : : Hugues Chantraine, BELGIUM : : :

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PROCOL HARUM discography


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PROCOL HARUM top albums (CD, LP, MC, SACD, DVD-A, Digital Media Download)

3.88 | 379 ratings
Procol Harum [Aka: A Whiter Shade of Pale]
1967
4.06 | 382 ratings
Shine On Brightly
1968
3.59 | 288 ratings
A Salty Dog
1969
3.57 | 191 ratings
Home
1970
3.35 | 175 ratings
Broken Barricades
1971
3.90 | 262 ratings
Grand Hotel
1973
3.43 | 154 ratings
Exotic Birds And Fruit
1974
2.85 | 120 ratings
Procol's Ninth
1975
3.03 | 134 ratings
Something Magic
1977
2.43 | 85 ratings
Prodigal Stranger
1991
2.00 | 2 ratings
Liquorice John Death: Ain't Nothin' to Get Excited About
1998
3.05 | 96 ratings
The Well's On Fire
2003
3.32 | 60 ratings
Novum
2017

PROCOL HARUM Live Albums (CD, LP, MC, SACD, DVD-A, Digital Media Download)

4.09 | 145 ratings
Live In Concert With The Edmonton Symphony Orchestra
1972
4.07 | 21 ratings
BBC Live in Concert
2000
3.80 | 10 ratings
One More Time
2003
4.07 | 33 ratings
In Concert With The Danish National Concert Orchestra And Choir
2009

PROCOL HARUM Videos (DVD, Blu-ray, VHS etc)

3.17 | 16 ratings
Live (DVD)
2002
4.13 | 21 ratings
Live at The Union Chapel
2004
4.71 | 24 ratings
In Concert With The Danish National Concert Orchestra And Choir
2009

PROCOL HARUM Boxset & Compilations (CD, LP, MC, SACD, DVD-A, Digital Media Download)

2.95 | 3 ratings
The Best of Procol Harum [Fly]
1971
3.06 | 12 ratings
The Best of Procol Harum [A&M]
1972
4.25 | 8 ratings
Rock Roots
1976
4.77 | 4 ratings
Procol Harum's greatest Hits Vol.1 (Pickwick)
1982
3.25 | 4 ratings
Portfolio
1988
3.07 | 11 ratings
Chrysalis Years 1973-1977
1989
3.20 | 6 ratings
The Definitive Collection
1992
3.45 | 7 ratings
Homburg & Other Hats: Procol Harum's Best
1995
4.13 | 48 ratings
Various Artists: The Long Goodbye
1995
3.38 | 6 ratings
Classics Volume 17 (aka Greatest Hits)
1996
4.23 | 11 ratings
30th Anniversary Anthology
1997
0.00 | 0 ratings
Halcyon Daze: The Best of Procol Harum
1997
3.09 | 3 ratings
Three Classic Albums
1998
4.63 | 7 ratings
Pandora's Box
1999
3.50 | 2 ratings
Procol Harum, The Best Of (Golden Times)
2001
4.00 | 5 ratings
Whiter Shade Of Pale
2001
3.75 | 4 ratings
Singles, A's and B's
2002
4.17 | 9 ratings
Classic Tracks and Rarities: An Anthology
2002
4.80 | 5 ratings
Procol Harum/Shine On Brightly
2002
4.08 | 7 ratings
First Four
2003
4.00 | 6 ratings
A Salty Dog / Home
2003
4.04 | 7 ratings
Secrets Of The Hive - The Best Of Procul Harum
2007
3.43 | 9 ratings
All This And More... - A 4-Disc Compendium
2009
4.00 | 1 ratings
Still There'll Be More - An Anthology 1967-2017
2018

PROCOL HARUM Official Singles, EPs, Fan Club & Promo (CD, EP/LP, MC, Digital Media Download)

4.54 | 24 ratings
A Whiter Shade Of Pale
1967
4.00 | 1 ratings
In the Wee Small Hours of Sixpence
1968
3.57 | 7 ratings
Quite Rightly So
1968
4.00 | 8 ratings
Homburg
1968
4.10 | 10 ratings
A Salty Dog
1969
4.00 | 1 ratings
The Dead Man's Dream
1970
4.00 | 1 ratings
Poor Mohammed / Broken Barricades
1971
4.04 | 9 ratings
Conquistador (live)
1972
3.50 | 4 ratings
Robert's Box
1973
4.00 | 1 ratings
Grand Hotel / A Rum Tale
1973
3.40 | 5 ratings
Souvenir Of London
1973
4.00 | 1 ratings
Beyond the Pale / Fresh Fruit
1974
3.67 | 6 ratings
Nothing But The Truth
1974
4.14 | 7 ratings
Pandora's Box
1975
3.67 | 3 ratings
Something Magic
1977
3.00 | 1 ratings
The Truth Won't Fade Away
1991
3.00 | 1 ratings
(You Can't) Turn Back the Page
1991
3.50 | 2 ratings
A Whiter Shade Of Pale - 40th Anniversary Edition
2007
3.21 | 5 ratings
Missing Persons (Alive Forever)
2021

PROCOL HARUM Reviews


Showing last 10 reviews only
 Something Magic by PROCOL HARUM album cover Studio Album, 1977
3.03 | 134 ratings

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Something Magic
Procol Harum Crossover Prog

Review by Prog Network

4 stars Something's Magic by Procol Harum marks a notable shift towards a more symphonic sound, with the band exploring new dimensions while staying true to their core identity. The album, as a whole, is a captivating journey through intricate compositions, showcasing their prowess in melding rock and orchestral elements. It's a testament to the band's evolution and adaptability. The standout, "The Worm & The Tree," is a mesmerizing finale. While it lacks traditional singing, the emotive spoken word narration delivers a compelling fairy tale-like narrative. Yet, what truly shines is the composition?rich, layered, and evocative. This is an album that will certainly be enjoyed by fans of the band, and fans of symphonic prog in general.
 Procol Harum [Aka: A Whiter Shade of Pale] by PROCOL HARUM album cover Studio Album, 1967
3.88 | 379 ratings

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Procol Harum [Aka: A Whiter Shade of Pale]
Procol Harum Crossover Prog

Review by alainPP

3 stars In 1967 a spiritual father PROG was born with just a title... but what a title!! 1.Conquistador an avant-garde sound I weigh my words, realize at the time, wonderful with this orchestration coming from the classic and a Hammond that of Matthew 2. She Wandered Through the Garden Fence flirts well with the Anglican melodies of the BEATLES, that's a fact; afterwards we are facing a proto title like GENESIS did with its first opus 3. Something Following Me on the same dynamic with a piano and a tune reminding me of what MANFRED MANN will do, with another organ; here to note the well done Robin solo 4. Mabel for the interlude which also smells of the bucolic and rural atmosphere of the BEATLES titles, WINGS, later QUEEN, saloon atmosphere, without prog 5. Cerdes (Outside the Gates Of) with the organ in the forefront and a bluesy tune with another beautiful lively solo on the guitar; 5 mins longest title 6. A Christmas Camel piano begins, the fashion of the 60s, the search for air above all; good used, vintage yes and fortunately but the instruments suggest that it would not take much to find a hit 7. Kaleidoscope more pop than anything else, a little organ break at the end but quickly done 8. Salad Days (Are Here Again) with another title driven by the piano and assisted by Matthew 9. Good Captain Clack for the second interlude with a dynamic ballad that could be found in a saloon; the fairground organ brings a little progressive sensuality 10. Repent Walpurgis for the last title and progressive reminiscences at the... PROCOL HARUM with this organ which is finally used in the place it should have had before; a warm, tormented slow with Robin who also lets loose and the most accomplished piece for the UK version; the variation with the famous 'Bach prelude' in the middle is worth noting; OK, I'm going to see what else there is on the US version. 11. A Whiter Shade Of Pale ... just a title instead of the 1st title... well I couldn't ignore it and not talk about it; one of the most beautiful slow songs of all time, quite simply; What else can I say except that this Hammond was surely one of the most beautiful inventions and revolutionized a new musical genre... progressive rock?
 A Whiter Shade Of Pale by PROCOL HARUM album cover Singles/EPs/Fan Club/Promo, 1967
4.54 | 24 ratings

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A Whiter Shade Of Pale
Procol Harum Crossover Prog

Review by alainPP

5 stars A single initially and it took a while to get it on the initial album; so here I confine myself to talking only about the title hit of course.

1.A Whiter Shade Of Pale first single from Procol Harum and a unique sound, a unique Hammond organ; the instrument of choice, the one that rocked my tender years, even when I was still in my mother's womb... yes we have all been there; in short a title that I put at the Pygmalion of the musical adventure, on the same level as when a man loves a woman, in short a languorous organ which fills the ambient air by sucking in all the other instruments to amplify its own; so yes some will say that it was also one of the best titles to be able to look for the boy to flirt with; yes this moment when we could stay close to each other without there being a 'me too' which would separate the two lovebirds, this moment when the future couple could imagine chatting next to each other other, touch yourself without having the fear of a complaint in the ass....! In short, let's come back to this title OMNI, to Gary and his stratospheric voice, to Barrie James who typed 'slower than him you can't', to David who took the step, the one with whom you had to dance (a word which has lost its meaning nowadays, when the woman could feel certain body parts of the man and vice versa!), to David who launches a solo but I'm not so sure, to Matthew who was one of the first to showing that prog rock could use an instrument other than the guitar to melt.

 Shine On Brightly by PROCOL HARUM album cover Studio Album, 1968
4.06 | 382 ratings

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Shine On Brightly
Procol Harum Crossover Prog

Review by altered_beast

4 stars The true definition of Proto-Prog. It's all here folks. Yes Procol Harum always pops at the top of my head when I think Proto-Prog perhaps the most controversial category on Prog Archives. Most of these bands might have been influencial one way or another but I cringe at most of them being here. Procol Harum being listed as Crossover yet probably being the most important Proto-Prog band there ever was mostly due to this very album. If the debut album wasn't quite there yet despite the Bach and Classical influence this album is where things really take off and set new standards and highs that would define Prog albums for years to come.

While the first thing that occurs to me when I think about this album is the overly silly and catchy Skip Softly (My Moonbeams)" comes to mind. Also the keyboard into of Quite Rightly So also comes to mind. Overall this album is an early Prog powerhouse. Robin Trower a Blues guitarist playing in a very Classical based band is something that sticks out like a sore thumb and makes Procol Harum a memorable and interesting band.

Side B a number of tune building an epic track making this album a very important part of Prog history. The title track also being very memorable and having Classical elements that improve what was heard on the debut album. The year this album was released and what it was pulling off always made it impossible not to view as what I see as the most epic album by Procol Harum. I don't feel like they ever came even close to topping this in the studio at least. Procol Harum Live: In Concert with the Edmonton Symphony Orchestra is a fantastic live album that could be called essential along with this. 2 of recordings nobody should overlook in their lifetime.

 Classics Volume 17 (aka Greatest Hits) by PROCOL HARUM album cover Boxset/Compilation, 1996
3.38 | 6 ratings

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Classics Volume 17 (aka Greatest Hits)
Procol Harum Crossover Prog

Review by Progmin23

4 stars I had never heard of Procol Harum before (with the exception of "Whiter Shade Of Pale"), and given the amount I've heard about the progressive importance of these guys, I decided to give them a go. All I could find was this compilation which is the way I go when sampling artists anyways. The expectations everyone had set for Procol Harum were at par with my thoughts on the music on this disc. Included is an eclectic mix of genres from these guys, but pieces like "Conquistador" and "Whaling Stories" illustrate the band's proto-progressive importance. I was equally pleased with the poppier/psychedelic numbers including "In The Wee Hours Of Sixpence" which I have replayed a number of times. In all, this compilation served its purpose and paints a picture of some of the band's greatest moments and illustrates their virtuosity in playing with different themes, styles, and structures.
 Shine On Brightly by PROCOL HARUM album cover Studio Album, 1968
4.06 | 382 ratings

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Shine On Brightly
Procol Harum Crossover Prog

Review by WJA-K

4 stars This record has - arguably - the first prog epic ever. There have been long songs before, but none of them appears to qualify as a prog track. In Held 'Twas In I does.

In Held 'Twas In I is brilliant. It's every inch a prog classic. It's very obvious to me that acts like Genesis and Aphrodite's Child followed in their footsteps. On top of that, it is engaging, fun and brilliantly played. a solid 10 out of 10, certainly considering the time it was released. A time of experimentation indeed, but none had followed this path. 10/10

The rest of the album is more straightforward Procol Harum Is I have come to know them (through the classic tracks Whiter and Homburg).

Quite Rightly So is a great tune and should have been a hit 9/10

Shine on Brightly is another strong track. I especially like the squeaking guitar. 8/10

Skip Softly start rather uninteresting, but halfway through it totally changes and turns into an epic 8/10

Wish Me Well is a straight-up blues track. nothing wrong with it and confidently played and sang 7.5/10

Rambling On is very much what I know and love of Procol Harum. It has a resemblance with Homburg and Wither. 8/10

Magdalena starts the second side and introduces the epic. Another one that is close to their staple sound. 7.5/10

This album is a piece of the puzzle of prog. And on top of that, it is great. I thought about giving it five stars. The second side deserves it. But the first is merely very good. So 4 stars it is.

 Shine On Brightly by PROCOL HARUM album cover Studio Album, 1968
4.06 | 382 ratings

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Shine On Brightly
Procol Harum Crossover Prog

Review by A Crimson Mellotron
Prog Reviewer

4 stars 1968's 'Shine On Brightly' is truly a little art rock gift from the famous British band Procol Harum, best known for their 1967 hit single 'A Whiter Shade of Pale' (that has sold more than ten million copies by now). Being the band's second full-length studio album, it is obviously a continuation and somewhat of an expansion of the sound of their self-titled psychedelic/baroque-pop tinted rock debut LP. 'Shine On Brightly', however, dares to break some new ground, it dares to be more adventurous, and perhaps for the first time, more progressive. Whether universally accepted as one or not, this record has to be fabulous example of at least proto-prog (if not full-blown progressive rock), with the grandeur of the 17-minute multi-part album closer 'In Held 'Twas In I', properly titled from an acrostic and signifying nothing. It does not get more prog than that, at least in 1968.

'Shine On Brightly' features Gary Brooker on vocals and piano, Robin Trower on guitar and vocals, Matthew Fisher on piano, organ and vocals, Dave Knights on bass guitar, B. J. Wilson on drums, and finally, Keith Reid's lyrics. Side one is occupied by a couple of nice, more radio-friendly psych-pop tracks, definitely good material, as the band display fine songwriting skills as well as lovely instrumentation. Then side two opens with another 3-minute song in the same vein as the ones found on side one (maybe a tad bit more obscure, but still good), just to let the big winner of the album to unfold before the ears of the listeners - 'In Held 'Twas In I', or the first really big progressive rock epic. The band were quite ambitious for assembling this great composition, linking together all the different parts in a gorgeous manner, pretty much in the spirit of what would become a recognizable trait of many long songs representing the 70s art rock revolution in the face of bands like Yes, Jethro Tull, ELP, Genesis, Crimson, Floyd and many more. The song also features various influences, another testimony for its prog credentials, stepping firmly into symphonic rock, classical, baroque pop, and eventually a bit of psychedelia, alongside the narrative of the first part 'Glimpses of Nirvana'.

All in all, 'Shine On Brightly' is from one side the proof that Procol Harum was not just some one-hit wonder band, also acknowledging the fact that they went on to release good albums after this one, and from another, it is a great collection of early, more accessible art rock songs, full of energy, picturing an interesting episode in the development of one of rock music's most enigmatic and pompous subgenres.

 Missing Persons (Alive Forever) by PROCOL HARUM album cover Singles/EPs/Fan Club/Promo, 2021
3.21 | 5 ratings

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Missing Persons (Alive Forever)
Procol Harum Crossover Prog

Review by SteveG

3 stars This EP/Single from the late Gary Brooker, and his latest line up of Procol Harum bandmates, is a nice post card from the long time rocker and reunites him with long time Procol lyricist Keith Reid. The first song "Missing Persons" is a mid tempo ballad bemoaning the loss and disappearance of persons known over time. It has the Bach inspired organ flourishes that Procol was known for back in the day and is a decent song with a strong melody line. "War Is Not Healthy", with it's funky blues inspired shuffle and loud group choruses is much more exciting. Amazingly, Brooker can still stretch his voice over this quick moving lively tune. The anti war sentiments, or chants to be more precise, penned by Reid are quite simple but still effective, especially in the wake of the current Ukraine\Russian conflict. Written by both Brooker and Reid many months ago, it just goes to show that these sentiments will, unfortunately, never go out of fashion. 3 stars for songs that feel quite workman like, well performed and well polished, but never really fly high enough to grab your attention.
 A Whiter Shade Of Pale by PROCOL HARUM album cover Singles/EPs/Fan Club/Promo, 1967
4.54 | 24 ratings

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A Whiter Shade Of Pale
Procol Harum Crossover Prog

Review by DangHeck
Prog Reviewer

4 stars Released just 4 months before their debut and self-titled album (on which this, our A-side track, appeared on US pressings), "A Whiter Shade of Pale" is one of those tracks that has been christened by the press and critics specifically as eternal, a must-hear and one of the greatest songs of all time. Under most circumstances, why would and how could we ignore that? What's crazy about this historical and continued regard is that this is their first ever release! Hell, I'm certainly impressed. More-so considered to be Baroque Pop than Progressive Pop/Rock, this is a more straight-ahead number, much like the majority of music found on their debut. The instrumentation is excellent though, with perfectly loose (sloppy?) Ringo drag, open, soaring organ and warm bass. Brooker's voice is clear and classic and the lyrics are certainly beautiful.

This is my first time actually hearing its B-side, "Lime Street Blues", rootsy and, of course, bluesy. Once again, evidence in their early discography that this is a post-Dylan, post-The Band world, and they're just livin' in it. Very alright with it. It is an interesting juxtaposition to "Whiter Shade", but as a single of course it works great. Rootsy in its organ and bluesy in its piano and guitar lead. The drums are certainly something you could have found in many a Beat track of the '60s. Being merely a blues-driven R'n'B number does, though, bring this otherwise essential single down a peg. I'm sure you can guess with a mean average what I gave each side.

 Procol Harum [Aka: A Whiter Shade of Pale] by PROCOL HARUM album cover Studio Album, 1967
3.88 | 379 ratings

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Procol Harum [Aka: A Whiter Shade of Pale]
Procol Harum Crossover Prog

Review by DangHeck
Prog Reviewer

3 stars Another one from my own vaults--one I'm grateful to own as it's an album I have historically enjoyed--I am unfortunately reviewing in the wake of the passing of another great artist: this time, Gary Brooker (1945-2022). Brooker was the lead vocalist, pianist and a key songwriter for Procol Harum; along with The Moody Blues and The Nice, one of the earliest bands to bridge the gap between the psychedelic and... something else. In general, to compare them to their other peers, these bands were more artful, perhaps, and more classically inspired. This will be a review of the slightly different original UK-pressed version, self-titled and excluding the earlier, landmark radio hit "A Whiter Shade of Pale".

Our album starts with "Conquistador", a track that does not translate as simply Psychedelic Rock nor as simple, radio-ready Rock music (I suppose, too, this concept in general was still relatively new)--though it is relatively poppy--significant in 1967. Well known, Procol Harum was a key player in what we now know to be (early) Progressive Rock. Perhaps, in the popular Psychedelic vein, a contemporary could be found in The Doors, but unlike them they offer more Pop and have more Soul. To me, therefore, innately British (more on that sentiment below).

"She Wandered Through the Garden Fence" is a sure favorite of mine, I feel a must-hear from early Prog. Poppy, too, this has a memorable hook, bright organ (neo-classically poised, I must add) and straight- ahead rhythm, though I quite like the very-of-the-time drumming. Wonderfully placed next is "Something Following Me", a soulful number, but very straight, even in comparison to the former. With Beat, R'n'B and 'Northern Soul', as it were, the UK has had a longstanding love and appreciation for the genre (Soul, that is).

Very other, we have the sort of honky-tonk "Mabel". It's cute haha. Interestingly enough, though at first glance I'd say it doesn't have a lot to offer, it does have some notable textural choices. Gratefully, we move onto the very cool groove of "Cerdes (Outside the Gates Of)", a backwards name if there ever was one. This is organ-driven and features some nice, bluesy lead guitar throughout. Honestly, this latter element is one I often forget they have going for them. And they really do: great soloing.

Starting the second side with a memorable piano riff and simmering organ, "A Christmas Camel" (har-har) is another with sure Proto-Prog significance to my ears. This is followed by the upbeat "Kaleidoscope" (Boy, the Freaks really loved those things, didn't they?), with fuzzy guitar, Rock 'n' Roll piano and Ringo drag, much to my delight. Good track. Much more low and slow is "Salad Days (Are Here Again)"--God, I sure do know a lot of songs and albums entitled "Salad Days"--this track is very R'n'B and yet also reminds me of the Roots Rock of mid-60s Bob Dylan (likely, really). The organ is nice, but ultimately the song is a low-light.

Next is "Good Captain Clack", a sort of Music Hall quickie-but-a-goodie. Fun track with group vocals and what sounds like a Wurlitzer. The album then ends perhaps with the most progressive track of them all, "Repent Walpurgis", with cool, rolling drums, open organ and a strong build of guitar soloing to the middle section, a near-solo piano, which it itself builds with the rhythm section and a triumphant and yet wary classical-inspired theme.

True Rate: 3.5/5.0

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