Expanded Procol Harum reissues (2015)

Think the track selection is nice but not all my faves are on there.

I like that they are including cuts from Prodigal Stranger and The Well's On Fire up to Novum (2017).

But notable omissions from those albums (IMO):

Prodigal Stranger ("The Truth Won't Fade Away") - the great album opener. Not included.

The Well's On Fire ("A Robe of Silk") - the legendary, long-gestating killer track appears, fully produced and horribly mastered (it was 2003). Not one of the cuts included? Another strange omission and I'd keep "An Old English Dream" (included) and absolutely "A Robe of Silk". So still stuck with my the crap-ass 2003 mastering of some great stuff.

Novum - "Last Chance Motel" and "Neighbor" - my two faves didn't make the cut.

Why did they leave off "Wizard Man" from Something Magic?

Anyway, for those looking to go deeper by album...

If you have the first few (up to and included A Salty Dog), I'd skip right to Grand Hotel (1973) and Exotic Birds & Fruit (1974). I love those. I think they are highly regarded here - at least the latter.

Jeff

 

I missed that the upcoming box set will be Cherry Red/Esoteric. A bit odd to say the least, particularly since Esoteric didn't get "Broken Barricades" to do, even though that title was previously included with the first four in earlier reissue campaigns.

Digging a bit deeper, I find that the PH website that doesn't mention Esoteric at all is in fact a fan site, not an official one. That still doesn't explain why Esoteric is eliminated from any mention at all despite being the most recent label for PH reissues, to say nothing of the upcoming box, which also is not mentioned. It does proudly announce "Updated Weekly", but I am not sure what that really means when there is no date showing when it was in fact "last updated". I do note that the site shows 2018 PH concerts, so I doubt that it is some long lingering abandoned website as sometimes happens (according to some internet sites, my late Mom is still living in Georgia, even though her funeral was 22 years ago, just for example).

I wish I could be more help on "Broken Barricades", which appears to be a tough one to come by. Even CD japan shows all versions out of print, including the most recent 2012 with die cut LP sleeve like the original (an HQCD sourced from the 2006 K2HD master to boot). I have had some bad experiences with some of those K2HDs, especially ELP titles. But the K2HDs for Procol Harum based on Westside with same bonus tracks are quite good, ditto Todd Rundgren, for some reason. I probably should have pulled the trigger on that one, but who knew at the time?

My only CD copy right now is the Salvo. That's probably the one to get sonically, the most recent, and with the most bonus tracks, though without the die-cut gatefold cover. FWIW, even Amazon US shows that title unavailable new in any format. However, it also currently shows about eight purportedly Repertoire copies currently available used from about $25 and up if you want to take a flyer on shipping to you abroad. Amazon Canada looks even worse, with the cheapest option being an apparent Salvo for over $200 CDN(!). Sheesh, you can do better than that for a supposedly new one on eBay. But I'll bet you dollars to donuts you can likely find a Repertoire or Salvo in the used bins for a more reasonable price if you walk softly and maintain a good poker face.

 

I think I have a repertoire of Broken Barricades on Repertoire. I can take a look. I think the Salvo is actually pretty good for that title; but more people like the MOFI. Like weaselriot; I think the EQ on the Salvo is actually good. It has just the right amount of low end.

My guess is that Esoteric will do Broken Barricades at some point. The fact that some of the tracks are on the new boxed set is a good sign.

I think there a plenty of copies of Broken Barricades that have been in print and therefore available used, so I would not overpay.

I would not put too much stock into what is or is not on a website.

Oh, to respond to weaselriot on a another point, I do like Procol's Ninth more than anything else that came after it. After that its just one cut or two, here or there.

I think the Danish concert is pretty good; but in my mind there is a certain nostalgic charm to the Edmonton live album.

I also agree with most of people's rankings. I still go back and forth on Exotic vs. Grand Hotel. If you can find the KZEW concert from 1974 that is a good way to hear these also.

 

I always wondered who actually conducted the Edmonton Symphony Orchestra on that LP. No credit is given anywhere that I have seen. Perhaps there wasn't a conductor, though the cover illustration would suggest otherwise, and it WAS before a live audience. In truth, I understand that a conductor isn't really needed for an actual performance of a given piece, his most important role primarily being to pull the piece with its interpretations and arrangements together behind the scenes and during rehearsals. That's the real heavy lifting. During an actual concert, most professional players rarely even have to look at the conductor except at the start of the piece and as might be needed from time to time. He is there because the audience expects him to be, mostly for show. And when the conductor misses something or otherwise errs (sometimes they do), the players already know what to do anyway. Note how often a conductor's attention and gestures are directed toward a particular section of the orchestra during a particular stretch, yet the rest of the orchestra carries on just fine. Overall, he provides to the audience reassurance that the players really have got it right.

While on the topic, have you heard John McLaughlin and the Mahavishnu Orchestra's "Apocalypse" with the London Symphony Orchestra conducted by Michael Tilson Thomas (1974)? It wasn't taken very seriously at the time (even by me), though to be fair fusion itself was already starting to fall apart in general after showing such early promise, and even the golden age of classic rock was in its last year of glory before the big fade started (disco exploded onto the scene that fall, and punk was already just getting started). But in retrospect, the blend of McLaughlin's fiery guitar runs and Jean-Luc Ponty's work on violin with a strong arrangement performed by a top tier orchestra was criminally underrated at the time, and sounds even better to today's ears. Playing it at a medium sized gathering at home not long ago as background music, it really got everybody's attention, and they all wanted to know more about it. Being totally unfamiliar with the album, some thought that I was introducing them to the Next New Big Thing, and were uniformly stunned to learn that it was over forty years old. Maybe disappointed too, since Lord knows we have all been badly in need of a Next New Big Thing for quite some time now.

And, of course, there is always Zappa's "Yellow Shark". One step at a time....

 

I'm surprised at the general scarcity of "Broken Barricades" on CD. Is it that popular or did they just do a smaller run of this title? It was because the CD version was unavailable in the early 2000's that Gary Brooker did a limited private pressing of it on his own Gazza label. Some folks here have said they were not very happy with the sound quality of that issue. I have it and I think it's OK for my purposes because it's probably my least favorite Harum album of the lot. Never having heard the MoFi, Repertoire or the Salvo, I can't do a comparison but according to most, the MoFi and Salvo are likely a substantial improvement. "Simple Sister", "Luskus Delph" and "Memorial Drive" are the only tracks I ever listen to. I'm glad that all of them will be on the upcoming box set.

 

Esoteric label double disc sets of Broken Barricades through Procol's Ninth would be very welcome.

 

For the first Procol album in vinyl and mono, the British Regal Zonophone and Classic 2 disc set are terrific. I have both, having found the RZ in a used record store for $10. Almost passed out! The Classic reissue is close in quality.

 

With regard to Apocalypse; it is one of my favorite albums. Frankly, it gets more play than any single Procol album. And as you have figured out I have a serious Procol problem. Maybe I need to go back to Yellow Shark (I do have it) and listen again.

The conductor for Edmonton has been posted before. I think it was a guest conductor not the main person.

I have owned the Gazza, Repertoire, Mofi, and Salvo of Broken Barricades. I like the Salvo the best, followed by Mofi. Repertoire was (is? I may still have it in the B stock rack) reasonable, and Gazza was meh. Just personal opinions. I still have the Salvo for what its worth; but then again the Mofi sold for a nice price.

You want obscurity? At one time I owned a DBX encoded vinyl of Broken Barricades. I bought it on the theory it might be a collector's item. It was really hard to sell actually.

I always liked the cut out cover on the original A&M records version.

 

Yes, it is rather annoying that it is so hard to find. First time I heard it, I must admit thet Iwasn't too impressed. But that changed on the second listen and I'm totally smitten. So I snatched up a copy of the Salvo 2009, luckily. I still hope for a two disc remaster from Esoteric some time in the next year or so.

Now I only have to track down Grand Hotel for a reasonable price (EDIT: I just did. SCORE!) since I've found everything form the original run for a pretty good price except for the live album which I had to order a Victor one from Cdjapan. There isn't any bonus tracks but I hope that it is okay soundwise.

I've been a bit weary of any product from Salvo after those the Move remasteres. They are all better sounding than any earlier cd issue when it comes to clarity and detail, but there is something that is definitely off about the sound. The curse of Regal Zenophone I guess, he he.

 

I guess you were right, if you see my answer to weasleriot above. Pure luck, tho.

And now I'm 98,7% sure that Esoteric will remaster the whole bunch.

As for the live with the Edmonton Sympho one, I'm always very, VERY cautious when it comes to rock'n'symphony albums, but this one is just fantastic. "Whaler's Tales" becomes almost a different song and the version of "Conquistador" is so much more forceful than the studio cut. I sorta miss Trower, tho. Even if Ball is great. Well, can't win 'em all, I guess

 

I have an original A&M vinyl pressing. Needle-dropped it to add to my iTunes. Some really good songs on that album. Trower plays well.

 

Any update on the "box set"? Links?

 

Salad Days (Are Here Again): Esoteric Plans Multi-Disc, Audio-Visual Procol Harum Anthology

 

Wow, that looks awesome!

 

That audio-visual anthology does look fantastic. Finally a box set that delivers on the early performances of a band -- 3 DVDs full. I don't regret lack of blu-ray, because I doubt the video would show significant improvements. At 73 British pounds, it's fairly pricey, but may be worth it.

 

The box does not show up (yet) even as a pre-order on Amazon US as of today, but at least from Amazon Canada we know it is scheduled March 23. I'll have to watch that like a hawk. I hope the discs themselves (inside the box) come in one or more CD jewel, Digipak or mini LP sleeve enclosures (like Sgt. Pepper's 50th) that can sit on my CD shelves with the rest of my PH, rather than having to store them separately in the box on my separate box set shelf. Just having the classic era PH TV appearances, including Beat Club without the added post-production psychedelic effects, would be worth the price of admission.

This box being a pretty big project, one hopes that preoccupation explains why Esoteric has not done "Broken Barricades" or later albums, and that they still plan to. Instead of a decision to stop with "Home" and have the box substitute for the rest. One hopes that after this box there still remains enough worthwhile BBC, King Biscuit, live and other tracks to fill out a second disc for each of the albums from "Broken Barricades" through "Exotic Birds". I wonder in particular if there is enough "Edmonton" to flesh out a complete concert on two discs.

 

I just noticed that the boxed set leaves out "Power Failure" from Broken Barricades. How can that be?

 

It would have been nice if the DVDs with this footage had "with" and "without" options for the "psychedelic effects" that were added (one option being true to the original Beat Club broadcasts, the other being just "raw" and straight forward.)

 

Two words: drum solo.

 

Power Failure is on most Procol collections. At the end of the drum solo BJ yells Rubbish.

 

Like on any compilation, there are always tracks we'd all prefer but get left off. Personally, I would rather have had "Dead Man's Dream" in place of "Barnyard Story" and left out "Souvenir of London" for either "A Rum Tale", "Bringing Home the Bacon" or "Toujours L'Amour". On the other hand, I'm shocked that one of my favorites, "The Thin End of the Wedge" made it.

 

Well I am buying it for the extras. But for those who need the cuts I beg to differ on a few choices. Yes it needs Bringing Home the Bacon. And why include Understandably Blue?

 

That is a head scratcher.

 

It is probably the vocal version. That would make sense, wouldn't it?

And yes, while BtP doesn't mention the Esoteric remasters yet, but they do have a page about the forthcoming box set in the albums-section. They are also mentioned in the thank you notes of that set, shown in a photo on this particular page

'Still There'll be More' • The Procol Fiftieth Anniversary Boxed Set • Esoteric Records 2018

 

As a slight aside, my vinyl Grand Hotel LP is pretty scratchy.

Apparently there was an "audiophile" release from Sweet Thunder in 1981? Anyone heard this?

Procol Harum - Grand Hotel

I've got the Salvo 2009 issue w bonus tracks (minus strings on one) - sound a bit sharp, not rich like original release. It can be much better.

Damn, I'd love an audiophile SACD of Grand Hotel. Those strings!

Jeff