SECRETS OF THE HIVE - THE BEST OF PROCUL HARUM

I had to get hold of at least one Procol Harum and this seemed as good as any. What a delightful feast of early Crossover Prog it is. So contrary to popular belief the great PH are not a one hit wonder with 'Whiter Shade Of Pale' but have a plethora of tasty delicacies that transcend all expectations. All their classics are here from their most celebrated essential albums. Highlights from CD1 include 'Quite Rightly So', 'Broken Barricades', 'Salty Dog' and 'Beyond The Pale'. The psych prog of 'Into The Flood' and 'Repent Walpurgis' is astounding music.

The second CD begins with the instrumental gem 'Homburg' and the weird and delightful 'She Wandered Through The Garden Fence'. 'Shine On Brightly' is from that album and is a definitive track as is 'Conquistador'. My favourite of the CD is 'Grand Hotel' that is structured like no other PH, complete with shimmering Hammond and effective theatrical vocals. It is orchestrated with real orchestra playing real instruments and captures a symphonic wall of sound paving the way for The Moody Blues and Emerson Lake & Palmer. 'Pandora's Box' is a delight also as is 'Weisselklenzenacht'. Headphone music bliss.

Every track features the keyboards and very sporadic drumming. There is some excellent material here lifted from a wide range of PH's discography. Not everything jumps out and bites me but there is enough here to hold interest and it is a compelling and fascinating diverse compilation. The booklet that comes with it is full of stories and a condensed history of this eclectic group. The packaging is a real feature that opens out with a nice photo of the band and many colour photos show the historical lineups and styles of band members.

There are a lot of compilations but this seems to be the most complete of the band. There are even some unreleased tracks such as live renditions of tracks, making this a must have for completists and as a starting point for anyone interested in the bands prolific imprint on prog, look no further.