Procol HArum

Procol Harum's singer, pianist and co-founder of the cult proto-prog rock outfit Procol Harum, has passed away at the age of 77. The band confirmed it in an official statement: "With deep regret, we must confirm the death of Gary Brooker,…

"Something Magic" was a seriously solid, dignified (temporary) farewell for the cult prog-rock pioneers, who stayed firmly true to their own sonic heritage.

»Procol's Ninth« is far from a bad album, but some imposed production moves wrecked the original plans. On top of that, Procol Harum had made so many better records in the past that comparing it with them is rather thankless.

Location: Pordenone / Palazzetto dello Sport / Italy Date: Saturday, 07.10.2017 Procol Harum, the legendary English pioneers of progressive rock, have hit the road on a new tour for their fiftieth anniversary, one that was meant…

It's hard to sum up all the emotions that hit you when you finally see a band live that you'd almost convinced yourself you'd never get to see, especially when, while they play the classics that helped write the history of progressive rock,…

»Novum« is the best gift Procol Harum could have given their devoted fans to celebrate the fiftieth anniversary of the legendary band.

»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,…

Taken as a whole, »Exotic Birds And Fruit« was still a thoroughly solid effort, packing in a handful of really good songs, while elsewhere the Procol Harum guys, leaning more and more on their sharpened sense of humor, were…

When it comes to lavish orchestral arrangements and the sheer effectiveness of skewering English society, »Grand Hotel« is still one of Procol Harum's finest achievements, and also one of their last where you can still talk about creative…

»Broken Barricades« ranks among the classic Procol Harum studio achievements, one that still thrills today with its distinctive blend of symphonic rock, psychedelia and blues rock, which was extremely innovative for its time.

»Home« was a temporary retreat into homespun rhythm and blues territory, with Procol Harum clipping the wings of their symphonic arrangements a bit. It was an artistic step back, but the end result was still thrilling enough that the album…

»A Salty Dog« is one of the finest achievements in the long, stormy saga of these indestructible prog rock pioneers, who made most of their greatest masterpieces early in their career.

»Shine on Brightly« was another step forward from the cult debut for this legendary band, and it's also one of the key albums for understanding the embryonic forms of progressive rock.

The essence of the Procol Harum debut could most easily be boiled down to a single sentence - "A Whiter Shade of Pale". This pioneering album, carried on the wings of a huge hit, is without doubt one of the best debuts in rock history.