Customer Reviews

BBC Live in Concert

5 star:		(1)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Recorded in front of an audience by the BBC in 1974 for broadcast on Radio One's "In Concert" programme, this album (not released commercially until 1999) is the only official record of the band playing live sans orchestra. Made just after the release of "Exotic Birds & Fruit", it features the same personnel and six of the songs to be found on that album. The live sound is a little rough in places and the instrumental balance is not as finely judged as on the band's albums of this era (when Chris Thomas was their regular producer). That said, the album provides ample evidence of Procol Harum's often underestimated rock sensibilities. The quality of their songs and the band's well-honed instrumental prowess shine through and the band-only arrangements of songs like 'Grand Hotel' (originally recorded with choir and strings) in articular emphasise that Procol Harum where first and foremost impressively accomplished rockers.

Gary Brooker is in fine voice throughout and BJ Wilson's excellent drumming consistently plays a far more significant structural role in the arrangements than is common in rock music. Mick Grabham's guitar-playing, on the other hand makes telling contributions to each song without indulging in axe-hero excesses (though he's impressively raunchy on the guitar-dominated 'Simple Sister'). Chris Copping's and Alan Cartwright's playing (on Hammond organ and bass respectively) is impressive and perfectly weighted within Procol's generally piano-led sound.

The only fly in the ointment is the disappointing production work of Jeff Griffin. BBC staff producer Griffin had tremendous experience of working with a wide variety of musicians but seems to have made no attempt to respond to the complexities of Procol's musical arrangements with their important shifts in instrumental significance within and between songs. Instead, he seems to have opted for a "set it up once, then leave it alone" approach. The chosen settings serve the songs from "Exotic Birds & Fruit" reasonably enough (which is just as well: this broadcast was, after all, a promotional exercise in support of that album) but make some of the finer points of the earlier songs hard to pick up, even for the afficionado. This is a shame, as otherwise this release would be a near-perfect addition to Procol Harum's recorded legacy.

As it is, even with its production shortcommings, this is an essential purchase for those who like Procol Harum and is highly recommended to anyone who's interested in hearing how this intriguing band could rock when freed from the accretions of the "symphonic rock" sound for which they are unfairly best known.

I agree with other reviewers who complain about poor mixing and shoddy engineering on this CD. Both stink! But those responsible know it and apologies of a sort are included in the liner notes, so I won't continue belaboring the issue.
Despite all its faults, BBC Live In Concert captures the essence and the excitement of a live Procol Harum performance. I've seen them many times and each time the band, both as a group and individually, has never failed to give its all. And this CD is no exception.
I like every song here, but special mention should be made of luscious renderings of the rarely-performed New Lamps For Old, Beyond the Pale (despite that some of the piano part seems to be missing), a hard driving Simple Sister, a delicate Grand Hotel, and a rousing Nothing But the Truth.
I'll knock a star off for the recording, but this CD should still be in the collections of true Procol Harum fans. The band is still playing, but live gigs are rare so this suffices as an interim fix while awaiting the next tour.

and you can hear everything a lot better, Gary Brooker's vocals being in most excellent form despite being nearly drowned out in places. And you will have to adjust the equalization yourself: the treble all the way down on Bringing Home the Bacon and then all the way back up again on everything else - what gives with the label that issued this CD anyway? Give that a try and I think you will find the pleasure that is experiencing this wonderful live performance. The other reviewers are right: the engineering is pretty awful, though typical of many bands in the 70's (at first listen, I thought they must have recorded it out in the lobby!), and the production is atrocious. But the performances are very compelling. Besides Gary's plaintive and alternately rollicking vocals, BJ Wilson's solid drumming and Mick Grabham's ripping guitar work are also standouts. Hearing so much of the Exotic Birds and Fruit album performed live is a special treat as this is some of their best work during the period and provides a fresh alternative to the reverb effect, studio version. But just listen to Whaling Stories, stripped down to its bare essentials and building to a chaotic climax - altogether breathtaking! Other highlights are Simple Sister (I wish to God I had made it to a live Procol performance - any performance - to hear this one) and Grand Hotel, the piano sections played tenderly by Gary and the band rising to a powerful crescendo - just awesome! My advice: buy it, listen to it and keep listening to it because it will win you over completely. And just maybe, with all the other Procol material thought to be in the BBC vaults, there will be still more to come. I can't wait!

I must echo previous reviewers: The engineering on this live record is quite subpar. Instrumental balances are terrible. But enough of the negative.
I saw the band live during this period and remember the experience as being awesome; Brooker played and sang his heart out, Wilson took drumming to a whole new level, and the rest of the band were tight and expressive. Here, however, the performances seem a tad off kilter. Not terrible, mind you, but perhaps the poor recording has something to do with this impression.
In my opinion, this album is only for completists and collectors. For a true taste of this band's accomplishments on a live recording, get In Concert With the Edmonton Symphony Orchestra, where Procol Harum make it seem as if rock was meant to be played with a full orchestra and chorus.

I am a major fan of Procol Harum...have all their stuff...and while the period following A SALTY DOG was sketchy..as far as consistency...The 1974 lineup pulls off this material without a glitch....

I dont like going into each and every song....you wouldn't be looking at this CD if you weren't already familiar with the band...Right??

I will tell you....the sound quality is as good or superior to each of the studio albums....The opening track..Conquistador is superb!!!!! It gives the listener a preview of an excellent concert that follows. The musicianship is awesome and very precise....GB always surrounded himself with excellent players.

The BBC title is misleading...it was recorded from one of their live concerts....that just happened to be broadcast live on the BBC....same as the KING BISCUIT FLOWER HOUR in America...

If you like Procol Harum and want to experience them in a live atmosphere from their 1974 era......do yourself a big treat...grab this cd.

I don't find the audio here to be lacking; once you turn it up, I hear pretty clear, fluid and organic performances of some of my favorite PH songs.

In particular, "As Stong as Samson" here rocks, and captures the grandeur and epic nature of this sweeping classic. The closer, "Nothing But The Truth" is also a highlight, and is more vigorous and anthemic than even the studio version.

This is well worth picking up, before it enters CD oblivion.

Children born in the musically unpromising decade of the 80's never got to experience the so-called "peak" of rock n' roll in the seventies. Hendrix, Led Zeppelin, Alice Cooper were missed by an entire generation who instead grew up with stale pop and synthesizers - a musical dark age of cheese. But, as 80's-born Betsy MacDonald tells, "after all my days of playing and replaying my dad's old Deep Purple tapes and resenting the time at which I was brought into this world, I've finally come across a new sound that is reminiscent of those days spoken so fondly of (and in many cases not really remembered a heck of a lot) by our booming over-40 community."

Procol Harum have, in fact, been around for the past 25 years writing music and performing countless shows. This BBC recording, however, is actually the band's first official concert release. With a pure vintage sound, classic seventies guitar riffs and a devoted bunch of "Procoholics", this band may be the best thing since sliced bread -or perhaps Lynyrd Skynyrd.

The first track entitled "Conquistador" is a dark, energetic arrangement that uses piano, electric guitar soloing, and a Hammond organ, which is played on this album by Matthew Fisher. Singer/pianist/composer Gary Brooker has a voice resembling Robert Plant, but with his own laid-back (yet deliberate) style. He uses strong lyrics (compliments of the band's writer Keith Reid) and well-crafted melodies to propel his voice. Although Harum have similarities to a handful of classic rock bands, they suceed in producing their own unique sound. An example is track 6, "Beyond the Pale", which explores a different style of music with a unique chord progression and "one of those beats you just can't help nodding your head to". The fact that this album is live makes it even more authentic, although the band still maintains studio-worthy control as instrumentalists.

Betsy continues "there are still times when I am filled with woe for having to have been born into such a bleak era of music as the eighties, growing up listening to the likes of Salt n' Peppa and the infamous New Kids, and later the bubblegum pop explosion that brought young girls everywhere to new heights(on their platform shoes, that is!). But listening to this band gave me something different to sink my teeth into, giving me a chance to visit the time of my parents and at the same time giving me a break from the sometimes painful pop music of today. I think this band has just found a new Procoholic..."

This live recording features many of PH better songs.Their performance is good, but the sound mix is awful at times. Unfortunately that takes the edge of many numbers.