Product Description

The fourth album by Procol Harum was released as the band was in the midst of a significant shift. With the departure of organist Matthew Fisher, guitarist Robin Trower stepped more to the fore. The two-keyboard approach was still being utilized, with singer Gary Brooker's piano being joined on some selections by the organ playing of multi-instrumentalist Chris Copping. However, the stately grandeur that had been previously applied with grace and subtlety gave way to a band that rocked much harder.
HOME is the work of a changed but still very compelling Procol Harum. Just compare this album's opening track, "Whiskey Train", to title-track opener onthe band's previous album, A SALTY DOG. Orchestral epics largely give way to bluesy riffing, but as the album rolls along the familiar characteristic strains, both sonic and lyrical, offer a full dose of Procol Harum's dark and symphonic sensibilities.

Track Listing

1. Whisky Train
2. Dead Man's Dream, The
3. Still There'll Be More
4. Nothing That I Didn't Know
5. About To Die
6. Barnyard Story
7. Piggy Pig Pig
8. Whaling Stories
9. Your Own Choice
10. Still There'll Be More
11. Whaling Stories

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #4204 in Music
• Released on: 2009-05-18
• Number of discs: 1
• Formats: Extra tracks, Original recording remastered
• Dimensions: .16 pounds

Customer Reviews

A timely remaster of a near-classic album
It's a good thing that the first four Procol albums weren't messed about with during the early years of remastering. Audio technology has moved on to the point where every ounce of sound data from the original recordings can be processed to perfection. Now 40 years later we can enjoy the crystal clarity of Gary Brooker's vocals, the sand-blasted scream of Robin Trower's guitar, and the colourful production of songs that, if handled by a standardised pop production line, would have turned out as just plain ordinary and unworthy of remastering. Procol were always trying to achieve something special but, victims of their own debut single success, tended to be shelved for later attention if nothing else was happening (and in the music industry that never was the case). Why the band failed on the album front is a debate that will never be closed - some cite the Radio One Playlist Policy, others that they were ahead of their time, and a small few (like myself) that art music would never appeal to anything but a small but ardent following. This particular album it noteworthy for being their last undaunted attempt at achieving success....future albums seemed monochromatic by comparison.

Procol Mark II
I wasn't going to buy this LP when it was first released in 1970. I couldn't imagine how Procol could survive the loss of Matthew Fisher's organ sound and composing skill. In the end, I bought it anyway. It has taken me almost 40 years to admit that this is one of the strongest Procol albums, and this new remaster is the best-sounding version available.
Two things immediately catch your attention: one is the way the organ is now relegated mostly to the background, with few solo moments; the other is the morbid focus on death and death images--"Dead Man's Dream", "About To Die", "Barnyard Story", and "Nothing That I Didn't Know". This last seemed strange indeed for a band whose members were in their late 20s; upon consideration, though, Keith Reid had never been interested in the run-of-the-mill moon-june kind of lyrics, so the death-obsession seemed more literary than psychological.
The band, now a quartet, was definitely tighter and much more of a rock band than a prog-rock band--though that term was yet to find currency. Robin Trower began what would be a two-album about-face in terms of the power of his guitar playing to replace the characteristic Procol organ sound, and his song-writing supplies three terrific rockers--"Whisky Train", "Still There'll Be More" (with Gary Brooker mumbling 'Rock Out!' as the song commences), and "Your Own Choice", with the great Larry Adler's harmonica break.
The sound production is straight-forward and ungimmicky, the product of Chris Thomas's back-to-basics approach--another departure from the psychedelia of "Shine On Brightly", and a much punchier sound than that found on "A Salty Dog".
The two bonus cuts provide a bit of interest, but the album is strong enough to stand on its own. If you thought you knew Procol from "A Whiter Shade of Pale", "Homburg" or "A Salty Dog", welcome to Procol Mark II. The consistency of the sound and the strength of the songs and musicianship puts this among the best the band had to offer in any of its incarnations.

HOME.....AGAIN!!!
After now having bought this album about 4 times, including the original vinyl issue, I find this new re-release a bit pointless as the 1999 cd issue had far more extra tracks on it, whereas this has only 2, both of which are already released.
Looking forward to the Procol Harum Anthology dvd sometime soon.
TONY DOBB