Broken Barricades [Import]

Procol Harum | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (August 11, 2009)
• Number of Discs: 1
• Format: Import
• Label: SALVO
• ASIN: B002GNYJJM
• Also Available in: Audio CD  |  Audio Cassette  |  Vinyl
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (34 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #13,016 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Editorial Reviews

Digitally remastered and expanded edition of the British band's 1971 album including bonus tracks. Stylish packaging includes a 20-page booklet, rare photos and memorabilia plus extensive sleevenotes by Procol expert and respected author Patrick Humphries with contributions from band members. 12 tracks. Salvo. 2009.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

28 of 28 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Great Rockin' Harum Classic, March 27, 2004

By 

Alan Caylow (USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Broken Barricades (Audio CD)

1971's "Broken Barricades" is Procol Harum's fifth album, with pianist/vocalist Gary Brooker & company putting aside the Hammond organ and going even more in a hard rocking direction than on their previous album, "Home" (though "Barricades" still has a pair of softer numbers). The results are awesome, as "Broken Barricades" is yet another winner from this great British band (and message to the Rock 'N' Roll Hall Of Fame: induct these guys NOW!). The album's best-known song, "Simple Sister," remains an all-time Harum favorite, a classic rocker that the band still perform in concert to this day. Other great rockers include guitarist Robin Trower's "Memorial Drive," "Power Failure" (featuring an awesome drum solo by B.J. Wilson), the great rollicking fun of "Playmate Of The Mouth" (one of my personal favorite Harum tunes), and Trower's album finale, "Poor Mohammed." The classical-flavored title song is very lovely. "Luskus Delph," despite bizarre lyrics by Keith Reid, also has great power (only an outstanding singer like Gary Brooker could sing a line like "Make me split like chicken fat" and make it sound like poetry), and Trower's "Song For A Dreamer" has a very spacey, mystical feel to it. The performances by Brooker, Trower, Wilson, and bassist Chris Copping are excellent, and the songs are consistently solid from beginning to end. "Broken Barricades" also marked the end of an era for Procol Harum, as founding guitarist Robin Trower made his exit from the band after this album was completed (though he briefly returned for Harum's 1991 comeback album, "The Prodigal Stranger"). But he left on a very high note with "Broken Barricades," as he contributes powerful guitar-playing throughout, co-wrote three songs with lyricist Reid, and laid down a pair of lead vocals as well (he has a rougher-sounding voice than Brooker, but it fits "Song For A Dreamer" and "Poor Mohammed" just fine). The brilliant music of Procol Harum continues with "Broken Barricades," a great rockin' Harum classic.

30 of 32 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars End Of An Era, December 2, 2003

By 

Kurt Harding "bon vivant" (Boerne TX) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Broken Barricades (Audio CD)

It is hard to say that one Procol Harum album is a higher grade of "5 stars" than another, because most of their albums attain that lofty status. To me, there are five distinct periods in the evolution of the band. Broken Barricades marks the end of their second period and also the end of an era with the subsequent departure of guitarist Robin Trower who was instrumental in giving the second period its harder sound.
On Broken Barricades, the usual songwriting team of Gary Brooker and Keith Reid continues at center stage, but with diminished presence. My favorites from that team include the brutal Simple Sister on which Trower plays full throttle, the inscrutable title cut, the suggestive Luskus Delph, and the opaque classic Playmate of the Mouth. Fans of drummer BJ Wilson will thrill to Power Failure. And Trower teams up with Reid to put his stamp on three cuts, the best by far of which is the soaring Song For A Dreamer.
Trower has often been accused of aping Jimi Hendrix, but Trower's style was in formation before Hendrix was well known, so I for one do not agree with that charge. It is true that Trower admired Hendrix, and Song For A Dreamer is Trower's tribute to him.
If you are a fan of Procol Harum on any level, this well-done remaster of a classic album deserves a place in your CD rotation. If this is your first taste of the band, I say buy this while it is still available and check out the band's other great albums.

19 of 19 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Trower of Power, October 25, 2002

By 

D. Hartley (Seattle, WA USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Broken Barricades (Audio CD)

This is the Procol Harum album where guitarist Robin Trower finally perfected the "sound" (most notably on the opener "Simple Sister") that was about to propel him into a successfull solo career. In fact, you'll find much less of Gary Brooker's classical-style piano tinkering and almost none of the usual symphonic flourishes on this long out-of-print gem... "Broken Barricades" rocks, pure and simple! Trower fans will detect a template for future gems like "Daydream" and "Bridge Of Sighs" when they listen to "Song For A Dreamer", Trower's moving memorial to Jimi Hendrix, who had only recently passed at the time of this recording. In the 2002 liner note interview, Gary Brooker is fairly diplomatic when discussing the split with Trower, and makes some wry comments about lyricist Keith Reid's flowery...words to "Luskus Delph" (the lyrics are generously printed for you to chuckle over). Kudos to Repertoire for faithfully reproducing the original cover design and the excellent remaster. This one gets my vote for Reissue Of The Year.