Customer Reviews

Matthew Fisher/Strange Days

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

 

 

I remember the day I held this CD in my hands for the first time. It felt like chills were running down my spine. You know,
Matthew's voice sounds so familiar after all these years
I've been listening to his songs on the radio. It's really
hard to explain how Matthew's songs made such a great impact
on people in my country. Not to mention that Matthew wrote a song considered to be among the 5 most played songs on the radio all over Hellas. It's none other than super all-time classic Why'd I Have To Fall In Love With You, a magic song filled with pathos & despair, so well built, so seductive you can't resist its charm. Though this 2 in 1 CD has some weak moments (to be honest), there are at least 5 loveable pop tunes
included here, songs like Can't stop Loving You Now or Can't
You Feel My Love that can make this CD a tender companion for your lazy afternoons.

I absolutely LOVE Matthew Fisher's vocals on this CD!! His voice has a unique ethereal soulful quality and the Best falsetto I've ever heard Anywhere! There are some great tunes as well -- standouts are "Running From Your Love," "Baby Can't You Feel My Love," and "Why Can't You Lie to Me" -- this last sporting a very creative brief quotation from Bach's "Minuet in G."

  I do miss his Magic Touch on the Hammond organ -- and am so sorry that he himself has been without a Hammond for the last 25 years.. He lent his Hammond, on which he created the immortal organ melody of "A Whiter Shade of Pale" to Brooker & Reid (of Procol Harum) in the early 70's, after which it was stolen and never replaced. Brooker and Reid still owe Fisher a Hammond -- as they owe the success of That Song to Fisher's crucial and inexplicably uncredited contribution to its music.

I think the best way to listen to this lovel! y CD is to concentrate on Fisher's gorgeous vocals and beautiful melodies, tuning out the synths and the orchestration, or imagining them replaced by his late lamented Hammond.

As a rabid follower of the band Procol Harum, I naturally follow the musical careers of those who had contributed substantially to its style and its success. As organ player on their first three albums, Matthew Fisher was one of a duo who gave the band its singular sound. When he quit after A Salty Dog, I found it hard to imagine how the band could go on without him.He did not remain idle but musically his solo work has been rather lackluster. I own all four of his solo efforts and consider the third one, simply entitled "Matthew Fisher", to be the best of the lot. In this reissue, it is bundled with the little-knownStrange Days. The industry reviewer mentioned that the latter was available in the UK only on a German import. Guess he's right because the Strange Days I own, which is the only copy I've ever seen, I purchased at the huge World of Music emporium in Munich back in 1984.Getting to the music itself, there is a nice mix of styles on "Matthew Fisher". While he does, as the hack reviewer suggests, tend to wallow in self-pity and gives himself a "doormat" image with his lyrics, he also shows himself as a polished arranger and keyboardist.The best song is plainly "Running From Your Love" with its inspiring orchestral interludes. With proper promotion, it could have introduced Fisher to Adult Contemporary audiences and been a big hit, too, as it is far superior to most of what is heard in that genre.Other songs I like are Only a Game, Can't You Feel My Love, Give it a Try and the ballad Anna, the lyrics of which remind me of a longtime girlfriend named...you guessed, Anna."Hard Corn" is the hack reviewer's apt description for Looking For Shelter and Miss Suzie. The lyrics are so lame and cheesy that one might cringe in embarrassment if caught listening to them. Fisher was probably doing such cringing while recording them.I find th second part of the album, Strange Days, pleasant but distinctly unmemorable.The best song here is the lead-off Something I Should Have Known. Nothing else struck a chord with me but then again nothing was so annoying that I wanted to smash the CD player. Strange Days is perfect as background music but unless you are a hardcore Procol Harum/ Matthew Fisher fan, you probably should spend your money on something else.

As a rabid follower of the band Procol Harum, I naturally follow the musical careers of those who had contributed substantially to its style and its success. As organ player on their first three albums, Matthew Fisher was one of a duo who gave the band its singular sound. When he quit after A Salty Dog, I found it hard to imagine how the band could go on without him. He did not remain idle but musically his solo work has been rather lackluster and it is clear to me that he should have stayed with Procol Harum. I own all four of his solo efforts and consider the third one, simply entitled "Matthew Fisher", to be the best of the lot. In this reissue, it is bundled with the little-known Strange Days. The industry reviewer mentioned that the latter was available in the UK only on a German import. Guess he's right because the Strange Days I own, which is the only copy I've ever seen, I purchased at the huge World of Music emporium in Munich back in 1984. Getting to the music itself, there is a nice mix of styles on "Matthew Fisher". While he does, as the hack reviewer suggests, tend to wallow in self-pity and gives himself a "doormat" image with his lyrics, he also shows himself as a polished arranger and keyboardist. The best song is plainly "Running From Your Love" with its inspiring orchestral interludes. With proper promotion, it could have introduced Fisher to Adult Contemporary audiences and been a big hit, too, as it is far superior to most of what is heard in that genre. Other songs I like are Only a Game, Can't You Feel My Love, Give it a Try and the ballad Anna, the lyrics of which remind me of a longtime girlfriend named...you guessed, Anna. "Hard Corn" is the hack reviewer's apt description for Looking For Shelter and Miss Suzie. The lyrics are so lame and cheesy that one might cringe in embarrassment if caught listening to them. Fisher was probably doing such cringing while recording them.I find the second part of the album, Strange Days, pleasant but distinctly unmemorable.The best song here is the lead-off Something I Should Have Known. Nothing else struck a chord with me but then again nothing was so annoying that I wanted to smash the CD player. Strange Days is perfect as background music but unless you are a hardcore Procol Harum/ Matthew Fisher fan, you probably should spend your money on something else as the first half is not spectacular enough to overcome the insipidity of the second.

Do you remember where you were and what you were doing when President John F. Kennedy was shot and killed? I do. I was in 6th grade history class. It is with the same clearity that I remember where I was and what I was doing the first time I heard Matthew Fisher's Hammond B3 come rolling through my car radio. I was parked with my girlfriend Susan. I was trying desperately to pick her locks when A Whiter Shade of Pale came over the radio and put the hook in me. I consider it to be the best song written by a baby-boomer and it is Matthew Fisher's organ playing that makes the song. I went on to marry Susan and by a Hammond B3. Not in that order, much to her dismay. I was lucky enough to hear Matthew Fisher back with Gary Brooker in 1993 during Procol Harum's Prodigal Stranger tour. I'm also glad that he was indeed playing a Hammond B3. It might not have been his original B3 but it sounded great. As did the rest of the band. I understand that Matthew is back at work with Procol Harum, so hopefully we will see another release soon. In the meantime, Strange Days will get you through the night just fine.

MATTHEW FISHER ONCE SAID HE WOULD HAVE A FEELING AND JUST RUN WITH IT. HE ALWAYS SEEMED TO PLAY WHAT HE FELT. FOR THAT I HAVE ALWAYS ADMIRED HIM. ESPECIALLY IN THE IMAGE CONSCIENCE MUSIC BUSINESS. I FELT THIS ALBUM AND HIS OTHERS GAVE ME A REAL PERSON'S REAL FEELINGS. I CAN ALSO IDENTIFY WITH MOST OF THIS SONGS. WHO HAS NOT WISH THEY COULD MAKE THERE LOVE FELT. JUST LIKE IN THE OPENING SONG. WHO HAS NOT BEEN IN LOVE AND FOUND THEM SELF THINKING SEE MAKES ME FEEL. I SURE COULD. THESE TWO ALONE ARE ON MY ALL TIME LIST. I HAVE EVEN FELT I SHOULD BUY AN EXTRA COPY OF THIS ALBUM AND GIVE IT TO MY FRIENDS AND GIVE A COPY TO THE LOVE SHOW RADIO HOST FOR USE ON HER SHOW. THEN EVERY DAY PEOPLE WHO ARE IN AND OUT OF LOVE CAN USE THESE SONGS FOR THEIR BENEFIT JUST LIKE I DID WITH THIS ALBUM. MATTHEW FISHER IS MY ALL TIME FAVORITE FOR HIS WORK. I AM THANKFUL TO HIM FOR THESE SONGS. I AM ALSO GLAD HE IS HAPPY IN HIS REGULAR GUY JOB IN COMPUTERS. THANK YOU MATTHEW FISHER.

Do you remember where you were and what you were doing when President John F. Kennedy was shot and killed? I do. I was in 6th grade history class. It is with the same clearity that I remember where I was and what I was doing the first Time I heard Matthew Fisher's Hammond B3 come rolling through my car radio. I was parked with my girlfriend Susan. I was trying desperately to pick her locks when A Whiter Shade of Pale came over the radio and put the hook in me. I consider it to be the best song written by a baby-boomer. I went on to marry Susan and by a Hammond B3. Not in that order, much to her dismay. I was lucky enough to hear Matthew Fisher back with Gary Brooker in 1993 during Procol Harum's Prodigal Stranger tour. I'm also glad that he was indeed playing a Hammond B3. It might not have been his original B3 but it sounded great. As did the rest of the band. I understand that Matthew is back at work with Procol Harum, so hopefully we will see another release soon. In the meantime, Strange Days will get you through the night just fine.

Do you remember where you were and what you were doing when President John F. Kennedy was shot and killed? I do. I was in 6th grade history class. It is with the same clearity that I remember where I was and what I was doing the first time I heard Matthew Fisher's Hammond B3 come rolling through my car radio. I was parked with my girlfriend Susan. I was trying desperately to pick her locks when A Whiter Shade of Pale came over the radio and put the hook in me. I consider it to be the best song written by a baby-boomer and it is Matthew Fisher's organ playing that makes the song. I went on to marry Susan and by a Hammond B3. Not in that order, much to her dismay. I was lucky enough to hear Matthew Fisher back with Gary Brooker in 1993 during Procol Harum's Prodigal Stranger tour. I'm also glad that he was indeed playing a Hammond B3. It might not have been his original B3 but it sounded great. As did the rest of the band. I understand that Matthew is back at work with Procol Harum, so hopefully we will see another release soon. In the meantime, Strange Days will get you through the night just fine.

the song "she makes me feel" shouldn't be in this album because is the only good song out of 20 selections. this is my own opion so pls don't get mad or hate me or something whatever!!!