Procol Harum



Procol Harum is one of those bands that's been in the back of my head for years. A decade ago (while working on the first MMDS record incidentally) I listened to Rick Dinger's CD copy of "A Salty Dog", and I really liked it. This was just before MP3s and filesharing ruined the record industry, and it wouldn't be till the next year when I started ripping things myself (Switched on Bach was the first thing I ever ripped - I checked it out, ripped it and reburned it to CD - Transcoded. Horrible, I know, but I was young and naive.) So I listened to this Procol Harum record, then promptly forgot about it. In the last ten years, anytime I hear "Whiter Shade of Pale" I usually say "You know, I listened to 'A Salty Dog' years ago, and really liked it," and leave it at that.

Thanks to our new XM radio, they were brought back up when Megan said, "I love this song (shade of pale, obviously), do I like Procol Harum?". To which I replied, "You know, I listened to 'A Salty Dog' years ago, and really liked it," but instead of leaving it, I came home and downloaded the 320kbs complete discography. You know what? Procol Harum is pretty fucking awesome.

I listened to the first five records tonight and I really, really, really fucking liked them. Meg liked it too, but I don't think nearly as much as I did. They're mostly proto-prog with shitloads of hammond organ. Gary Brooker's voice is excellent and they manage to keep Robin Trower's overblown and self righteous guitar playing in check (which is why he eventually quit the band in 1972 to go solo so he could dick around all over the fretboard). If you like early Genesis, then you should like Procol Harum. If you like beautiful, masterfully produced early 70's progressive pop, you'll fall all over yourself to eat a dick for Procol Harum.

Their current official website is, by the by, pretty embarrassing.


- posted by Mason @ 6:26 PM