Procol Harum vs Elton John (their classic years)

both are famous for the partnering with composition and lyrics (in PH it is mainly Brooker/Reid but sometimes Fisher/Brooker/Reid, Brooker/Trower/ Reid) but mostly Brooker/Reid, and Elton have honestly said that the partnered songwriting in Procol Harum is one if he's main influences as a musician, and I will by hearth say that Elton took the concept even further)

Edited by aginor - September 16 2010 at 10:53

However good Elton John;s songs might be, they cannot match with Procol's peak moments.

Elton

Edited by tuxon - September 16 2010 at 11:38

aginor wrote: ^^ what about the album Captain Fantastic and the Brown Dirt Cowboy, everytime I play that from start to finish I can't hear any weak points, some of the songs there are so heartfeldt, a real crossover prog album (by essence and tone), Someone Saved my Life Tonight, title track, We all Fall In Love Sometimes/Curtains are all quite impressive songs espessially when the final song reach it's peaks/climax.   to me a perfect album need to balance to elements/aspects/ technics: Dynamics and Climax (everything else is just rudementary,but if you understand those to concepts in a size of an album then you are where you need to be)

someone_else wrote: However good Elton John;s songs might be, they cannot match with Procol's peak moments.

My signature justifies my selection. 

I find this interesting because for example if you listen to the song "Yellow Brick Road" you can easily hear Gary Brooker singing it. The same applies to "Don't Let The Sun Shine Down On Me",.....Gary Brooker would have been the ideal candidate for lead vocal as well. He is the only person besides Elton himself that I can think of who is vocally suitable for the style. There are other Elton John ballads.....ones that are a bit gloomy and remind me of Procol Harum songs. Especially on the "Grand Hotel" album. Elton had crossed into the progressive world during his brief rejection from the King Crimson audition. I can hear Elton singing "I Talk to the Wind". He always had a great voice for that kind of stuff and this is easily indicated on his early ballads. He wrote truly inventive chord progressions that were sometimes reminiscent of Procol Harum and The Beatles.   

TODDLER wrote: I find this interesting because for example if you listen to the song "Yellow Brick Road" you can easily hear Gary Brooker singing it. The same applies to "Don't Let The Sun Shine Down On Me",.....Gary Brooker would have been the ideal candidate for lead vocal as well. He is the only person besides Elton himself that I can think of who is vocally suitable for the style. There are other Elton John ballads.....ones that are a bit gloomy and remind me of Procol Harum songs. Especially on the "Grand Hotel" album. Elton had crossed into the progressive world during his brief rejection from the King Crimson audition. I can hear Elton singing "I Talk to the Wind". He always had a great voice for that kind of stuff and this is easily indicated on his early ballads. He wrote truly inventive chord progressions that were sometimes reminiscent of Procol Harum and The Beatles.

this is a good post, I agree with this.

Elton

Icarium wrote: I also think Elton is a better singer then Brooker (epessialy in the 70s)   very few can touch Elton's singing voice when he was at he's peak (between Dont shoot me and Captain Fantastic), just see at all the time people at American Idol, X-factor and such "talent " shows they all are OK on most artists and are adequete at their best,but they fall completly thorough their facade on two attempts singing Queen (becuse of Freddie offcourse), and Elton John, he is technicly verry hard to actualy sing becouse he have so big register and tone controll, and have those crystal clear falcettos and the band are good to back him upp, few points this out when people are comparing singing in general but Elton should be highlighted more then he does,   and Brooker aint no slack on vocals ether he's voice can at best be compared du Randy Newman and Joe Cocker (and that is not bad to be compared to these two, they are two of the best in the buisness)   both Brooker and Elton have both been mistakningly thought as afro-american singers becouse of their soul-full tone and phraseing, and few singers are better then afro-american soul singers.

What would happen if any of them tried to sing some Yes, or some Renaissance? Or something from Peter Hamill or Banco del Mutuo Socorsso?