Expanded Procol Harum reissues (2015)

That is the one. The big Kahuna. Memory is poor. Forgot it was WPLJ not WMMR. My bad.

 

Yes, that's the performance exactly. My copy is simply titled "Procol Harum A&R Recording Studios, New York
April 12 1971" from 2000 ....its a Cd-R from a fly-by-night company nsmed Old Crow purchased on E-bay years ago.

 

Just received the Esoteric 'A Salty Dog' today and I'm enjoying it quite a bit. I've nothing to compare it to but the sound does not disappoint.

My Procol collection is limited:
1st album on Westside from 98'
A Salty Dog on Esoteric from 15'
Broken Barricades - silver MOFI from 87'

I guess I'll pick up Shine On Brightly on Esoteric when I can.

Great band.

 

I was recently playing the Esoteric of Salty Dog on my portable digital audio device (Shanling M2). Full flacs.

I had forgotten just how good the Matthew Fisher production was on this album. The album is well recorded, well produced, and well mixed. Thoroughly enjoyable.

 

Interesting I bought the Westside version of the first album a few months before Esoteric re-issued it. Is it improved much?

I also note form Fly's website they released a 50th anniversary EP of 'Whiter Shade of Pale' on vinyl this year, with 2017 remastered versions of the tracks. I wonder how that sounds (sorry, I know it might have been covered elsewhere).

 

The Whiter Shade of Pale 12" was really good. It was a RSD release.

 

I was lucky enough to get this on RSD. It really is good.

 

Some very negative reviews of the CD on Amazon.

 

What were the negative comments about?

 

The sound quality, amongst other things. It’s on Amazon UK.

 

WSOP was my favorite RSD release.

 

Just bought it and just wanted to say that removing vocals from Understandably blue" made a tremendous effect I nevver expected that removing vocal line can make a song better

 

In general, I thought the Westside releases were pretty darn good. Salvo was hit or miss. Esoteric is also good.

I owned the record day AWSOP EP for a bit. I sold it because it reminded me why I hate vinyl; side two was quite noisy. The mixes? No better in my opinion than what is already out there.

One bonus track was kind of fun, the new stereo version of Lime Street Blues. It had some fun spirit to it. The new stereo mix of AWSOP did not sound all that different to me than the other stereo mixes already released.

The hidden track on side one was kind of blues vamp. It pretty much went nowhere. Reminded me a bit of the original, vocal free version of Pandoras Box. Just kind of droned on.
Not even sure if any members of Procol from the actual first LP were on it. There are no liner notes as it is an Easter Egg deal. I found it pretty forgettable.

Then again I thought Robe of Silk and Understandably Blue were subpar and those had Gary vocals (were there is a version of Understandably Blue without vocals but it still is mediocre stuff in my view). I will probably start a food fight here but the best early rare tracks have been out for along time (Seem to Have the Blues, Stereo Homburg, Stereo Conquistador, Stereo Walpurgis).

My general rule of thumb remains in effect, for the most part the bonus tracks from most bands were not released in the first place for a reason. There are a few Beatles, Stones and Who rarities that are cool but those are the exception for me not the rule.

 

I thought the Salvo reissues were really good. I didn't like the box set that they did, but more for content than anything else. Also, they put it in this weird configuration that made the discs slide out constantly, and I thought I was going to have to throw myself out the window from frustration after a while.

 

How does WSOP RSD release on LP compare to the Classic mono LP, which I think sounds really good?

One thing I liked about the Classic mono , though it didn't use the better US tracklist, it did at least send "Good Captain Clack" to packing Davey Jones' locker, restore "Conquistador" to side 2 where it belongs (though in a different spot on the side), and insert "Homburg" instead of WSOP. Though I don't see why Classic couldn't have restored WSOP instead, still, a big improvement over the UK tracklist, and the single WSOP is included on separate disc.

To me, the ideal tracklist for that first album would have been the US tracklist, but dump "Mabel" from side 1 as well, and stick "Homburg" there instead. But I think there must have been some sort of rule that required sticking a throwaway jokey music hall type ditty right smack in the middle of each side to break up the otherwise great vibe of the rest of the side. When "Shine on Brightly" came out, I figured they would at least be unable to do that in the middle of the nearly side long "In Held 'Twas in I". Wrong. Hello "Teatime at the Circus". I guess where there's a will, there's a way. I think that there's a reason I have seen so many used PH LPs with inevitably one or more multi-rotation ticks at the beginning of "Cerdes", "Repent Walpurgis" and "Autumn of my Madness" (from "In Held "Twas in I" after "Teatime"). That would be the result of previous owners getting up to recue past "Mabel", "Clack" and "Teatime", on multiple occasions. I wonder who was behind those decisions, and the reasoning they used.

 

Just listining to "Shine on Brightly" deluxe (stereo one) and there although it sounds fine i feel like there are to big differnces in loudness between tracks. Especially rambling on sounds louder than the rest. Really weird choice by mastering engineer.

 

I'm wondering what will happen post Home; from what I understand, Cherry Red have entered into a reissue deal with Gary Brooker et al, to reissue from Broken Barricades onwards, but I don't know if that's just rumour. Maybe, someone could enlighten me, if I'm incorrect.

 

The Salvo Broken Barricades just disappeared from US Spotify. I'll never figure out their rhyme or reason for dropping selections. I'm glad I picked that one up as I don't have the MFSL.
Just in case anyone hasn't heard the live version discussed at the top of the page:

 

I see there is a thread re: Spotify's droppings from last July.

 

P H site announces a 8 discs boxed set next year....!!!!

 

I saw that - lucky if you were able to see them in Europe you got a chance to win one from Gary Brooker. Do we know if anything previously unreleased will appear? Any details?

They did a great job on the Esoteric label 2-3-disc sets of the albums, with improved sound over the Salvo reissues... wonder what could be unique to the set that isn't live?...

Anyway, they deserve a 50th box collection.

Jeff

 

Or a 51st

 

Just how true is the 8 cd box set ? I think some of the Salvo CDs from Broken Barricades are starting to drop off from amazon (not sure if status is deleted). I would look forward to a serious set of the Edmonton 1971 gig, amongst others, and a deluxe of Grad Hotel.

 

Confused, are the Esoterics unique masterings or just old Salvo rehashes? Have found the Salvos too harsh for my taste. Have all the Mfsl silvers and the first three Salvo titles. Do love the bonus material though. Salvo are way overrated, they ruined the Nazareth catalog!

 

Agreed. I have found the Westsides, with their extra tracks, consistently good.