Customer Reviews

Journey's End/I'll Be There

5 star:		(2)
4 star:		(6)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Matthew Fisher was the organist for Procol Harum during its very finest days. After "A Salty Dog" -- surely one of the most underrated records of all time -- he went his own way and was not heard from until 1973. "Journey's End," the first of the two recordings here, is the better one, filled with lush melodies and Fisher's patended baroque keyboard stylings. "I'll Be There" is less successful, although there are some beautiful songs -- "Do You Still Think About Me?" "Song Without Words" and a few others. Be warned -- Mr. Fisher seems to have been a bitter man when these records were made (one cut is an urgent plea to never have to play or sing or, for that matter, hear "A Whiter Shade of Pale" ever again. But the air of English melancholy on "Journey's End" is quite winning and I'm glad these discs are finally available again.

For fans of the old Procol Harum, the trinity of Gary Brooker, Matthew Fisher and Keith Reid was the foundation of one of the greatest bands to come out of the 1960s. Fisher, with his captivating organ, was the heart of the band while Brooker with his incomparable vocals and piano was its soul. Reid, with his brooding, often inscrutable lyrics was its guiding spirit. When Fisher left, the heart was torn from Procol Harum and it went on to fame and fortune as a quite different kind of band.
What then happened to Matthew Fisher? I like almost all of Procol Harum's line-ups, but with Fisher gone so was the ineffable aura of baroque melancholy which surrounded the band.
When Fisher left, I watched the record stores for any solo releases and was delighted when Journey's End was issued shortly followed by I'll Be There.
I was instantly enthralled by some of the songs on each of them but was sorely disappointed in the [weak]top-40 style commerciality of some of the others. So his albums eventually languished in my record room unheard and unappreciated.
Fisher recently rejoined Procol Harum, I saw them on tour, and that re-awakened my interest in his solo material. So I purchased all of his remastered CDs as featured on this site.
Journey's End features two songs instantly evocative of his work with Procol Harum. "Separation" is a wonderful instrumental that could have come from Procol Harum's first album, while "Hard To Be Sure" is a fine bit of introspection worthy of Fisher's A Salty Dog period.
Hearing the album again today with new ears, I also really like "Suzanne", his declaration of independence and self-worth on "Play The Game", "Marie", "Not This Time", and his bitter rant directed at Gary Brooker on the glorious title track.
The whiny, self-pitying "Going For A Song" knocks a star off of an otherwise fine album. Matthew, please don't ever play that song again, I can't stand to hear it.
I'll Be There is a much edgier album though at times it too wallows in Fisher's morass of self-despair.
There are a couple of excellent rockers with "It's Not Too Late" and "It's So Easy", the obligatory instrumental on "Song Without Words", and a bitter anthem in "I'll Be There". I also like "Taking The Easy Way Out" and "Cold Harbour Lane".
The maudlin "She Knows Me" and "Do You Still Think About Me" knock a star off of this album.
Fisher is a fine musician and a talented, thoughtful writer of intelligent songs when not feeling sorry for himself. His work has suffered undeserved obscurity which may yet be remedied now that he is back where he belongs with Procol Harum and their star is once again ascendant. Perhaps the band will record some of the best of both Fisher's and Brooker's solo work.
You wouldn't be reading a review of this CD if Matthew Fisher's music did not interest you on some level, so if you don't yet own this, buy it. You won't be disappointed.

As virtually everybody that might be reading this review knows, Matthew Fisher was the organist for prog pioneers Procol Harum from 1967-1969, playing on the band's first three albums, and leaving (or getting fired) right after the masterful "A Salty Dog". "Journey's End", his first solo album, was released in 1973; "I'll Be There" was released the following year.
"Journey's End" is probably the inferior of the pair, although it has its highlights, namely the beautiful instrumental "Separation", the stirring, anthemic two-part title track. The album, though, is hurt by the leaden rhythm section, especially the drummer, and Fisher's rather bland, repetitious lyrics, although it's important to remember that in 1973 he was still quite bitter about being fired from Procol, and it definitely shows. (There are some impressive invectives directed at Procol leader Gary Brooker in the title track and "Going for a Song", among others.)
"I'll Be There" is, in my opinion, better, although it's nice both albums are available on one disc. Fisher's songwriting is much stronger, in particular the rocking "It's So Easy", which has an amazingly catchy Beatlesque guitar hook. The production is somewhat rawer and more bracing than the previous album (which, to me, is an improvement, but may irritate some listeners), but there are some nice touches, such as the dreamy, delicate electric piano and chorused guitar drifting through the diaphanous ballads "Taking the Easy Way Out" and "Do You Still Think About Me?". The rhythm section is also much more limber and fluid; in particular, bassist Jim Ryan displays a Jack Bruce-like rhythmic and melodic imagination on the punchy "Cold Harbour Lane", as well as elsewhere on the album. Fisher's lyrics are also an improvement; while there are still good-sized doses of self-pitying and/or "girl don't go" songs, there's a much wider range, from the incredibly hateful title track (sample: I'll be there to watch you wriggling as you burn/I'll be there to give the knife an extra turn), supposedly written about Richard Nixon, and the melancholy introspection of "Taking the Easy Way Out", to the wry, cynical "It's So Easy". Still, there are quibbles; Fisher's reedy, choirboy tenor isn't particularly suited to the raucous "It's Not Too Late", and the lush strings on "Not Her Fault" skirt muzak territory, although Fisher's outstanding organ solo saves the song from maudlin sentimentality. Nothing on either of these two albums is up to the standards of, say, "Pilgrim's Progress" or "Wreck of the Hesperus", but it's still some damn good prog-pop from an undeservedly unknown talent, and it proves once and for all that Fisher's more than "that guy that played organ on A Whiter Shade of Pale".

Matthew Fisher was the "especially fine organist" (cited by Lillian Roxon's Encyclopedia of Rock) who perennially played second banana to Gary Brooker in the band Procol Harum.

"Journey's End/I'll Be There" chronicles the two albums that began Fisher's solo career from 1973-4. "Journey's End" begins with "Suzanne", a sprightly number with downcast lyrics, showing Fisher's by now familiar Byronic sensitivity, spiced by a more upbeat pop accompaniment than ever would be found on a Procol Harum album.

The combination worked, because as a whole, "Journey's End" is better than many if not most of the Procol Harum albums. There is a perfectionist's ear in the fine arrangements of the songs, which form a kind of musical suite, as they fit together so seamlessly. Fisher is also revealed as a fine player, whether he is playing organ, piano, electric piano, or guitar.

"I'll Be There" is possibly even a better showcase for Fisher's diverse talents. Tracks like "It's Not Too Late" and "It's So Easy" rock out with bitter sarcasm and vocals reminiscent of John Lennon. Other songs such as "Not Her Fault" and "Do You Still Think About Me" focus on self-pity, although musically they are pretty and well composed, like 19th century paintings.

Matthew Fisher was never destined for rock stardom; with his temperament, he was probably too refined for that sort of thing. But, he created a few musical artifacts which anyone who appreciates things that are finely crafted should be able to enjoy.

You've heard Matthew Fisher's music. Even if you don't know it. Anyone who has heard the unforgettable organ part in "A Whiter Shade of Pale" by Procol Harum has heard Fisher's grand organ playing. Unfortunately for Procol (and their fans), Fisher tired of touring and quit the band after 1969's classic "A Salty Dog" album (the band's creative and artistic peak). Procol soldiered on without him but was never the same. Fisher finally reappeared several years later with the moody "Journey's End" album. Sad, stately songs like "Separation," "Hard To Be Sure" and "Journey's End" reminded listeners of the magic Procol lost when Fisher walked. "I'll Be There" was a hasty follow up album that lacked the strength of the first (but had its moments like "Not Her Fault" and the title track). Several other Fisher albums followed, but none really had the magic of "Journey's End." Nice to see it finally on CD, although there is some controversy as to whether or not the original master tapes were ever actually used. The remastering isn't the greatest, but still better than no CD at all.

I always liked "Pilgrim's Progress" from Procol Harum's 1969 "A Salty Dog." That's Matthew Fisher's work-- the classic Keyboard 101 modulations in that song are very satisfying. All piano players interested in mastering the basics of rock chord progressions ought to know it and, of course, "A Whiter Shade of Pale." For which Fisher wrote the great organ line, and for which he was apparently screwed out of his part of royalties for decades, only winning a court case in the last year or so that awards him future but not back royalties for the song. (The case seems to have gone to appeal at least once, and it took some doing for Fisher to win. And apparently Fisher was upset about the situation from the beginning, telling interviewers around the time of the release of "Journey's End" that he was co-author of "Whiter Shade.")

Anyway, "Journey's End" is kind of a good record; Fisher is no great singer and he writes a lot about feeling screwed out of the royalties for "Whiter Shade." The chord progressions are satisfying, though. I for one always found the post-Fisher Procol Harum kind of a bore; Gary Brooker was sort of a typical constipated British blues singer and the lyrics...well, let's just chalk it up to the times. Nothing Procol Harum ever had to say amounted to much that you could parse on a page; it all came down to the atmosphere and the interplay between Brooker and Fisher, and the early records had cool blues licks from Robin Trower. Some of the throwaways were fun. But having seen video of Procol in about '73, they were clearly a case of a not-bad band with a couple of great mindless radio hits ("Whiter Shade" and "Homburg" and "Conquistador") turning into '70s "progressive" rock. Brooker's piano style was about as clunky as Elton John's. You could argue that Procol was a template for Roxy Music and you wouldn't be wrong, but Brooker was one of those guys stuck in the '60s, whereas Ferry and company were looking ahead to the future.

But Fisher had a grace about him I still enjoy to this day, and I quite like "Salty Dog" and the other early Procol stuff. "Journey's End" is worth your time, if only for a glimpse into how the tropes of '60s rock 'n' roll-turning-into-"rock" devolved so quickly into something a lot less interesting. But those chord progressions are great, the title track is nice, and what the heck, I don't mind that these albums have nothing to say beyond a pretty fascinating bitterness about money, fame and Fisher's fear that he has been left behind by time.

It figures, doesn't it? JOURNEY'S END, Matthew's first solo album, features some great tunes: "Suzanne," "Interlude" and "Journey's End" are all wonderful. However, my favorite tune on the album, "Not This Time" appears to be either an alternate version or a re-recorded version. Either way, it's certainly not as good as the original version. Why this song was replaced with an inferior version is beyond me.

Having said that, it's nice to see these albums see the light of day on CD. JOURNEY'S END is perhaps the stronger of the two, featuring nice melodies with bitter lyrics of lost love and/or contempt for his former bandmates in Procol Harum.

I'LL BE THERE continues the theme of bitterness and lost love, but this time the tunes rock a lot harder. "It's Not Too Late" is certainly the most aggressive thing Fisher's written since "Long Gone Geek" from his Procol days. "It's So Easy" and "I'll Be There" are also good.

All in all this CD is well worth hearing, especially to those of you who thought Procol Harum was entirely Gary Brooker's project.

Probably sentimental favorite from college. Journey's End was solid and enjoyable all the way through. I'll Be There has some forgettable tracks but some very good ones as well and the title track is a hoot. I think Fisher had a real nice feel for singer-songwriter style pop. The keyboards are terrific and he writes solid lyrics. The tunes are varied and memorable. His only real drawback was the lack of a strong voice, but he covers that up with studio magic. I was delighted to find this in such good quality!

Is everybody participating in the death of irony?

In the first place, I think Procol featured nonpareil musicians and a lyricist in the band that was better than Robert Hunter. If you doubt this, there's Whisky Train and In Held Twas in I and Power Failure. I saw this band play Salty Dawg before it was released in a Teen Center in Birmingham, Michigan before it was released. I'm sure there's no Deadhead reading this, but I can't imagine why.

For all the hype, anybody that thinks Robin Trower sounds like Jimi Hendrix is musically challenged. Mainly, what's annoying is ignoring the grand Procol tradition of revenge and similar scenarios. Still There'll Be More is an astounding series of threats. The Devil Came From Kansas Matthew Fisher made a brilliant song about washing his hands of his friends, and getting revenge by surgical, cutting lyrics.

Please Don't Make Me Sing That Song Again catalogues the indignities he thought Gary Brooker and Keith Reed put him through. He rewrites Pilgrim's Progress, brilliantly, and just informs them he's had it. In another song he says "Some folks say they're religious, but what do they believe in? Do they believe God made me so they could rob me blind?" I know they're are better lines, though I can't think of one.

I wouldn't pretend to knowing enough to take sides, but it does seem that M. Fisher made Whiter Shade Whiter Shade.

Procol was astonishingly original and unique, and it was a rare collaboration. Brilliant lyrics, bass playing like Jack Bruce, guitar that ignorant people campare to Hendrix, sprctacular all-fills-all-the-time drumming, fluid piano from one of the best singers anybody ever heard, and a unique musical sensibility to an organ player worthy of those big machines worthy of Virgil Fox but content with the B3 Hammond.

My opinion, those boys screwed Matthew Fisher over, and this only makes me sad, because they were better with than without. If you consider these songs by Matthew Fisher from his point of view, the lyrics are poignant, defiant, and self-affirming. He was betrayed by his best friends.

Aside from anything else, the musicianship on a variety of instruments on these two albums is fairly stunning. It's a little like Gregg Allman making a record with slide just about as good as Duane. The harmonica playing is ridiculously good. Drums are decent, but not the booming, portentous hard knocks of Salty Dog (and for Procol percussion, I'd refer you to Power Failure (which is mind-bending).

Anyway, if you like Procol, this double album is de rigeur. You get to see who it was that Keith Reed bounced ideas off and honed his ironic skills against. Gary Brooker, he bought me a coke once, and he was witty, and he has a ridiculously fine voice. I wish they hadn't jobbed Matthew Fisher all those years ago, but, then, there wouldn't have been an album as excellent as Journey's End.