THE WELL'S ON FIRE

This studio album from 2003 will probably be Procol Harum's last and it's fine way to say goodbye. The over production of Procol's last studio incarnation from 1991 titled the Prodigal Stranger is thankfully absent. Gary Brooker is still in fine voice and his latter day song collaborations with lyricist Keith Reid trod some old and new themes.

As with almost all Procol albums, the opening track is great and the music starts to go down hill after that, but this album is full of well rounded songs, but still starts off great with the vocally hook leaden An Old English Dream. Prior to Procol Harum disbanding in the late seventies, Brooker and Reid's compositions became more topical and literal as with songs such as Strong As Sampson from Exotic Birds and Fruit. Brooker and Reid almost outdo themselves with the emotional ballad This World Is Rich (For Stephen Moboe) , written for the South African activist and sung, remarkably, by Booker from Moboe's point of view of his "poor countrymen starving." Brooker is just as emotionally convincing as he was singing A Salty Dog some thirty plus years earlier. This has always been Brooker's real strength as a singer, aside from his great sounding voice.

Shadow Boxed is a fun straight up rocker with very cheeky and cleaver lyrical rhyming by Reid, while The VIP Room hearkens back to Procol's rich Grand Hotel alter ego living the high life, especially in his time of dying! Another great rocker.

Robe Of Silk and Fellow Travelers show off from fellow original remaining member, the great Mathew Fisher on his superb Hammond organ, as he's never lost his touch. In fact, Fisher does another fantastic instrumental closer tilted Weisselklenzenacht (The Signature) which almost rivals Repent Walpurgis form Procol's incredible debut album from 1968. New guitarist Geoff Whitehorn smokes his guitar into a frenzy at the songs conclusion. The result? Classic Procol Harum.

Ex Big Country drummer Mark Brzezicki returns with a more Procol like sound and percussion accents then was exhibited on the Prodigal Stranger, while sometime Tull bassist Matt Pegg (Dave's son) makes for a potent rhythm section.

As with all sixties groups, Procol felt that they had to literally fill up the running time of the modern CD, so a few duff songs are on offer, namely the throwaways titled Far Behind and Every Dog Will Have It's Day. But aside from those two songs, this album will be a treat for long time Procol Harum fans. Simply put, The Well's On Fire has everything a fan would want to savor in a later day Procol album.

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