Author: Peter Podbrežnik
Artist: Procol Harum
Label: Eagle Records
Release: 2003
Runtime: 59:13
Rating: 3.5/5
»The Well’s on Fire« was the eleventh studio album from English progressive rock pioneers Procol Harum. It was their last album with original keyboardist Matthew Fisher, and a somewhat better effort than its seriously mediocre predecessor »Prodigal Stranger« (1991), which left a bitter aftertaste after original guitarist Robin Trower left (again). Most Procol Harum fans don’t count the »The Long Goodbye« (1995) project among the regular studio albums either, since apart from re-recorded classics it contained just one previously unreleased song. Of the ‘old guard’, only Fisher stayed on for »The Well’s on Fire«, along with singer, pianist and unofficial band leader Gary Brooker and lyricist Keith Reid, who had held official member status since the group’s very beginning. From the »Prodigal Stranger« lineup, drummer Mark Brzezicki (Big Country, Ultravox, The Cult) was still around, while bassist Matt Pegg and guitarist Geoff Whitehorn (ex-If, Crawler) counted as the newcomers, even though the latter had been in the band since 1991, when he replaced the short-lived returnee Trower. Pegg, who is best known for working with former It Bites singer/guitarist Francis Dunnery, is the son of longtime Fairport Convention and Jethro Tull bassist Dave Pegg.
The first half of the album is a bit stronger than what follows, where the less inspired material dominates, as if the band were slowly running out of songwriting steam. Even so, Brooker, who was closing in on sixty at the time, was still in magnificent vocal form. Paired with Fisher’s trademark Hammond organ sound, Whitehorn’s varied guitar passages and Reid’s unmistakable lyrics, once again full of (self-)irony, black humor, touching lyricism and socially barbed messages, he manages to bring back that romantic atmosphere that defined the classic Procol Harum albums of three decades ago and more. »An Old English Dream« has a wonderfully fitting title, since the lyrics touch, in a darkly humorous way, on the nostalgia of the average conservative Englishman for the greatness of the once-mighty empire. Still-life piano arrangements are repeatedly cut through by mighty guitar passages, while Brooker’s distinctive vocals and Fisher’s warm Hammond sound together conjure up quite a bit of classic Procol Harum atmospheric magic.
»Shadow Boxed«, hands down the punchiest number on the album, features a special guest, Roger Taylor (Queen), on guest vocals. His trademark falsetto in the background nicely takes care of the backing harmonies, while thanks to angry guitar passages, ferocious drum fills and unusually furious singing from Brooker, this one comes close to being a hard rock cut. This lively creation is followed by »A Robe of Silk«, a more traditional Procol Harum song with a playful undertone and a cheeky piano melody, which makes it a bit reminiscent of similar humorous standards from the past like »Good Captain Clack« or »The Devil Came From Kansas«. With the decent but unexciting piano ballad »The Blink of an Eye«, Procol Harum suddenly find themselves back in the 21st century, both sonically and production-wise, partly because the Hammond organ is pushed into a completely marginal role this time.
The blues-rock-leaning »The VIP Room«, where they once again try to sound a little more ‘modern’, opens with a promising riff, but the song as a whole leaves behind rather mixed feelings. Despite plenty of energetic passages and some good instrumental sections, it feels like they wanted to update their sound at all costs. The jazzy »The Question« makes for a sharp contrast, resting mostly on relaxing piano arrangements, funky bass lines and Brooker’s unerring vocal warmth, with a short but sparkling Hammond organ solo as an added bonus. »This World Is Rich (For Stephen Maboe)« is a revivalist ballad with gospel-based backing vocal harmonies that, through Brooker’s saddened vocals, points to the bleak injustice of a world where social inequality keeps growing. Unfortunately, instead of an anthem that would fill the listener with socially critical energy and a drive for change, it comes across as the lament of an offended bird. One of the better moments is certainly the romantic ballad »Fellow Travellers«, built on an arrangement of »Lascia Ch’io Pianga«, a classical masterpiece by the legendary composer George Frideric Handel, since in structure and mood it’s slightly reminiscent of Brooker’s unforgettable guest appearance on The Alan Parsons Project classic »Limelight«.
»The Wall Street Blues«, as its title already tells you, is again a somewhat bluesier-rock affair that, despite a heartfelt and energetic performance and good piano arrangements, doesn’t leave any deeper impression. »The Emperor’s New Clothes« is once again more in tune with the traditional Procol Harum romantic ballads, with no shortage of socially critical mockery and irony in the lyrics. The energetic »So Far Behind«, with the shimmering organ mastery and dramatic vocal harmonies back up front, sails along quite successfully between funky rhythms and hard rock. »Every Dog Will Have His Day« is a playful creation with witty lyrics, in the midst of which Brooker once again successfully shows off his vocal versatility, while Fisher lets loose with some sharp organ variations. The sacred-tinged instrumental »Weisselklenzenacht (The Signature)«, which puts Fisher’s organ mastery front and center, makes for a dramatic close to the album.
»The Well’s on Fire« was by no means a bad effort, and in plenty of ways it edged close to the classic Procol Harum records. The old guard of progressive rock set out to make an album that would carry them into the 21st century sonically, without letting down their longtime fans or sacrificing their classic sound, and to a degree they actually pulled it off. After the fairly big disappointment of »Prodigal Stranger«, this was highly encouraging and proof that things were heading in the right direction again. Sadly, »The Well’s on Fire« lacked ‘timeless’ songwriting achievements, the kind a listener never forgets, so a real comparison with their best-known evergreens is out of the question. After Fisher left, and after he later, following a long legal fight over songwriting credit for the hit »A Whiter Shade of Pale«. got what he wanted, Procol Harum stayed away from making new music for a long time and in their old age preferred to devote themselves to concert tours. That was probably a pretty smart decision, given that the original atmospheric magic of the sixties and seventies was hard to preserve, despite Brooker’s impressive vocal form, while still sounding as contemporary as possible.
Lineup
Gary Brooker – vocals, piano
Matthew Fisher – Hammond organ
Geoff Whitehorn – guitar
Matt Pegg – bass guitar
Mark Brzezicki – drums
Keith Reid – lyrics
GUEST MUSICIANS:
Roger Taylor (Queen) – backing vocals (2)
Production
Rafe McKenna & Procol Harum
Track List
1. An Old English Dream (4:41)
2. Shadow Boxed (3:34)
3. A Robe of Silk (2:43)
4. The Blink of an Eye (4:42)
5. The VIP Room (4:55)
6. The Question (5:01)
7. The World Is Rich (5:20)
8. Fellow Travellers (4:47)
9. Wall Street Blues (4:26)
10. The Emperor’s New Clothes (4:17)
11. So Far Behind (3:51)
12. Every Dog Will Have His Day (5:20)
13. Weisselklenzenacht (The Signature) (5:24)
