Expanded Procol Harum reissues (2015)

Well we did get a SACD of Salty Dog. So once we collectors snap up ever copy of that, maybe there will be movement afoot to keep going. Grand Hotel would be a good choice, as would Edmonton.

 

Well, in addition to "Salty Dog", MFSL has done "Home" and "Broken Barricades" in the past, so they have not exactly been averse to doing Procol Harum. We'll see. For now, I'd like MFSL to start getting caught up on titles they've announced more than a year ago. Are they not aware that their target market is just beginning to shuffle off the coil in increasing numbers even as I write this?

 

Thanks for sharing this!

 

Looking at that post I may have made an error. In retrospect, I currently think current esoterics are worth buying and do rival or best previous releases. The boxed set in particular is quite nice for collectors.

 

They also did the Live album in their aluminum series.

 

Methinks today's MFSL is version 2.0 and any Procol Related decisions are not based on previous experiences.

I must say the SACD for SaltyDog is very choice. The music still sounds relevant. If you like Procol and you can play SACDs you should own this.

The four MFSL CDs were okay in my opinion but other releases are reasonable in the last 10 years time frame.
Westside, Salvo Esoteric all did fine versions of the equivalent albums.

 

I'm thinking if Procol are performing the Edmonton album in October 2018, does that mean a newly remastered /expanded Edmonton is coming out ?

 

The two cuts from Live on the new boxed set sound good. However, there is not much expansion potential beyond the Salvo release as I understand it. The rarities are a rehearsal of Shine on Brightly (working from memory here) and the b side live performance of Luskus Delph. Of course, there is the hour of material from 73 with the LA Philharmonic on the new boxed set.

 

I also like this era of Procol's; they seem to have gotten by quite well, without AWSOP

 

I apologize if this has already been answered somewhere in this thread. Do the Esoteric versions contain everything that was on the Westside single discs, Pandora's Box and the 3rd disc of the 30th Anthology? I have the Westside releases but I'm tempted to buy these again.

 

1) As you probably know, the box set ("Still There'll Be More ....") is now out, probably about $125 CDN shipped (seems to fluctuate). I have one and it's brilliant - lots of new unheard/unseen live stuff.

2) The Salvo Broken Barricades is a good one - the Extended Ending version of the title track is really good. BTW, there's a 'Gazza Records' (Gary Brooker's private label) version that came out years ago when it looked as though BB wasn't going to be re-released. This has no documentation, no bonus tracks, no indication that it was remastered. But the sound is very good. It's also hard to come by - I got mine through the Beyond the Pale website some time ago. Worth tracking down if you like the album.

 

I think the vocal version of "understandably Blue" was on the (pink) Salvo release of the first album. (I could be mistaken). Bit of a waste including it on the new box set - not very strong. It was essentially a demo - Brooker and Reid had written it for and hoped it would be picked up by Dusty Springfield - never happened.

 

I can only speak to the 30th Anniversary anthology, which contains a vocal-less backing track of A Whiter Shade, as well as a demo from an acetate of Magdalene My Regal Zonophone. Neither are available on any other official release afaik.
To your final point, I, for one, have many repeats of the same Procol songs on several labels (hence, different masters), as do many other 'Procoholics'. The Esoteric deluxe releases (also available as both single discs) are very good. I'll say no more

 

How does the "Gazza" compare with the Salvo sonically, particularly for the main album?

 

Looks like other may not agree. I thought the Gazza mastering of Broken Barricades was, well, meh. I think the Salvo version was good; it had "meat" to it but did not sound compressed to my ears. Seems to me that the mixes on the new boxed set are similar to the Salvo mixes. I just hope WPLJ 1971 comes as an extra for that one when Estoteric gets around to it. Nice bonus material on Grand Hotel and especially Exotic Birds and Fruit is coming. Esoteric has been a real boon to Procol.

 

One is left to wonder why Grand Hotel, Exotic Birds and even Prodigal Stranger are getting the full Esoteric Treatment, as had all of the titles before Broken Barricades. but still no Esoteric Broken Barricades. I have the Salvo of that latter for now, with such bonus tracks as it has, so I'm in pretty good shape already, but once those other Esoterics come in late June, the Esoteric "gap" will really stand out like a sore thumb on my shelf.

I can't think of any reason why Broken Barricades should be such an outlier. Perhaps Esoteric doesn't want to release Broken Barricades until it can get the rights for WPLJ 1971? Has anybody attempted to contact Esoteric to find out?

 

It's odd that Broken Barricades isn't streaming, either, at least not on Spotify. Given that Gary issued it, as above, on his Gazza label, I wonder if there's a rights thing that explains its being an outlier at the moment.

 

I like the theory from Weaselriot that they are trying to get rights to WPLJ 71. Given that they pulled of KZEW 1974 (that was my other biggie besides WPLJ) maybe there is hope.

I am a bit surprised that nothing from the Troubador 1969 has been released; boy wouldn't that be Amazing if that also showed up with Broken Barricades? Probably not since I think Matthew was involved in those shows. The best known version of Troubador was booted as Easter Island if I recall. OK now I am being ridiculous, I admit. I have a soft spot for shows with Matthew and Robin. Procol never really jammed per se; but Robin and BJ on the same bill could still be thrilling. But I do think Mick Grabham was very good also.

 

Great discussion point, and certainly seems logical. Perhaps a first class Hi-Rez remaster on SACD/CD of Broken Barricades that includes the last live broadcast performance with Robin Trower in pre-release support of the album would make for a tasty package of PH at their rockin' peak. Personally, I'd love to hear the Troubadore material and/or their Atlanta Pop Festival performance (however much of it exists, both audio & video).


Cat

 

Never had the Salvos, but I picked up the Esoteric 2CD remaster of the first album and like it a lot more than the Westside 1st Album plus remaster. The Esoteric is less compressed and has a more even tonal balance. Less bass and treble than the Westside.

Thanks to you and others on this thread, I decided to replace my Westside remaster of the second album with the 3CD Esoteric remaster set. it arrives tomorrow!

I've been waiting a long time for better masterings of the first two albums, so I am quite excited about these two Esoteric issues, especially with all the bonus tracks.

I have the MFSL SACD for A Salty Dog, the MFSLs for Home, Broken Barricades and live, plus the CP21 for Grand Hotel, all of which I am happy with.

 

Still waitin' for a stereo mix of "Procol Harum", aka the first LP.

 

Largely on Pandora's Box CD.

 

Really! Thanks, Bill!

 

Most, but not all, tracks on the debut have a stereo mix. But the Esoteric set includes the same stereo mixes as available from Pandora's Box among the bonus tracks.