Customer Reviews

Procol Harum - Live in Copenhagen

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

 

 

Any fan of Procol Harum should pick up this DVD now! The band is in fine form, the video is well shot, the sound is crisp & well balanced, and the song selection spans the band's entire career: full of classics, rarely played gems, and a few relatively newer cuts from 1991's "Prodigal Stranger" CD. This is a nearly 2 hour concert from Denmark in December, 2001. The band includes, Gary Brooker (piano, vocals), Matthew Fisher (Hammond B3 organ), Geoff Whitehorn (guitar), Mark Brzecki(drums), and Matt Pegg (bass guitar). From sizzling rockers like "Memorial Drive" and "Piggy Pig Pig" to beautiful ballads like "A Salty Dog" and "Homberg" (and all points in between) the band plays with great passion and precision. Gary Brooker's voice and piano playing are incredible, and the rest of the band shines on brightly, as well! The concert is shown without cuts and interruptions. Among the special features included are interviews, very cool rehearsal footage, a discography, and a family tree. This DVD is a real bargain. For Procol Harum fans, buying this is is a no brainer. Adventurous fans of Art Rock, Prog Rock, Classic Rock, Psychedelic Rock will find all this and more (including a sprinkling of Classical Music, R&B, 50's & 60's Rock & Roll, & even World Music) in Procol Harum. This is a truly great band deserving far more success and acclaim than they ever received. They do it A-L-L with power, majesty and class!

I have seen Procol many times over the years. From their early Filmore east concerts to their most recent shows in NYC. I must say , This is the best I have heard them on a "Live" recording since Robin Trower left the band in 1971.The band is tight and the dynamics are like that of vintage Procol Harum . Geoff Whitehorn plays with the emotion and feel remenisent of Robin Trower(who is 10's in my book) ,while still using his own style and technics. BJ.is a hard act to follow and I miss his playing very much . I give Mark Brezicki alot of credit for keeping in BJ's style but also using his own orginality . Matt Pegg does some very nice licks and blends in well also . As for Mr. Brooker and Mr. Fisher ,It's always great to see these to Pros working together! Procol Harum is truly a great band ,and with out a doubt an "orginal" band . Most of all if you are a real Procol fan this DVD is a MUST HAVE! THX.GC.

I love the classic Procol Harum band and their recordings upto about mid-seventies. With this video and it's performances I do have a few dissasatisfactions that keep it from getting my full five-star blessing...

1) I don't care what the common practices are, there is no excuse for not using a REAL PIANO for a concert. Lets see...real piano strings or a digitally sampled piano sound. I'll take a real piano (in tune or not) anyday.
At least Matthew make no compromise and uses a real Hammond organ, but c'mon Gary lets hear Grand Hotel on a real piano. Maybe slightly inconvenient but it won't break the bank.

2) The band is together (altough perhaps a tad too loose, but please, please put some energy into it. Getting a little older is no excuse for not turning up the volume and getting wild.
The drummer has great style but will only hit his kit so hard and overall the band just seems to be holding back.
Take off the slippers boys and put yer Rock n' Roll boots back on and don't be afraid to break a sweat.

All that aside, the visual and audio production on this disc is excellent, very good indeed. None of that disturbing modern flash editing that makes us music lovers cringe.
The song list is great, lots of old favorites...
Christmas Camel, Memorial Drive, She Wandered Through, Repent Walpurgis, New Lamps and much more).
I actually enjoy the rehearsal performance more than the concert itself.
Overall this is a great disc and well worth the price of admission.

I would like to share a few comments on Procol's new live DVD. I think the band has presented themselves the best possible way
with plenty of good songs, excellent Dolby 5.1 sound, a beautiful stage without any excess or gimmick. Since I'll probably never be able to attend a Procol Harum concert, this is really for me the next best thing.
I was particularly delighted by Gary's mention of my country, Venezuela, during one of the interview segments, talking about the success of a AWSOP.
The concert segment show the band in top form, playing with confidence and style, and Gary's voice is stunning like always. It is really a delight to hear the live renditions of A Wither shade of Pale, A Salty Dog, Homburg, Holding On, and so many very old and not-so-old songs . The concert transmitted a sensation of magic and peace of mind, and they let the music speak for itself, so I would suggest every Procol fan to buy the DVD, dim the lights, get a good bottle of wine, have your wife or husband join you, watch together the concert and let the world spin without you for a while. I would like also to recommend ... an excellent website run by fans of the band

The "almost" I am speaking of is the lack of enthusiasm in general. (The audience and the band). It's not really that noticable and might just be the way it was recorded... almost "through the board" type of recording. I don't think Procol Harum has to jump around like Mick Jagger... but there is a slight lack of movemnet in the DVD. Just a little stiff. I also agree that with another reviewer that I wish Gary Brooker would play a real piano. And of course B.J. Wilson's drumming is always missed but Mark B. does a great job. That aside...great choices of songs great performances and a very clear recording. This DVD makes me want all the Procol Harum remastered CD's and reminds me how GREAT this band is. Also...Just to get a glimpse of Keith Reid at the end is almost worth the price. Highly recommended DVD.

This is just a great DVD! Just the opportunity to see Matthew Fisher and Gary Brooker at work is a real treat in itself. Their current lineup is very good, with a percussionist formerly from Big Country and Dave Pegg's son on bass. The new guitar player is quite tasteful, sticking closely to the classic style of the early band (think Robin Trower ala Gibson, minus the Wah Wah). The performance in Copenhagen includes good performances of 20 odd pieces spanning their career. I would have liked more from the second album...NO LIFE IS LIKE A BEANSTOCK?...SHAME! Also, I wonder if they still perform "Cerdes, outside the gates of"?
The real treat, however, is a surprise extra performance of 6 or 7 songs in rehearsal for the tour. In a relaxed atmosphere, they run through great versions of "Morning Dew", "Hey Joe", and a wonderful rendition of "She waundered through the garden fence", among others. Watching Matthew Fisher play those beautiful lines from that song on his Hammond/Leslie combo was worth the purchase of the DVD itself. A cap to the set was an inspired version of "Let's go get stoned", a song where you can clearly see Gary Brooker's dept to Ray Charles.
If you have been a long standing fan, or...wonder what all the hoopla was about "skipping the light fantastic", check out this DVD. You can't go wrong. Hey, the price is right too. Now, how about Robin Trower on DVD!!

How much was your ticket to the last concert you attended? More than twenty dollars, I expect. How long did the band play, not counting chit-chat and intermission if there was one? Probably not more than two hours at most. So then, if you are a Procol Harum fan, you should have no qualms about dropping twenty dollars on this fine DVD.
It really gives you value for money. Not only do you get twenty mostly well-chosen songs and great shots of the band at play, but you get a slew of special features, the most important of which is an eight-song feature called Procol Harum: Uninhibited. On this, the viewer is invited to sit in as the band goes through a seemingly informal practice session that covers not only familiar Procol Harum tunes, but also a few old well-known sixties songs written by others that Brooker and Company like to cover such as Hey Joe and Morning Dew.
Some reviewers complain of the the band's lack of animation. Well, this is Procol Harum, not the Rolling Stones. The band is laid back, poised, polished, and rarely misses a note. Fans of the original band should own this just to see how well Matt Pegg, Mark Brzezicki, and Geoff Whitehorn ably fill the shoes of the musical giants who preceded them.
My favorites here are Pandora's Box, Homburg, Fires(Which Burnt Brightly), Beyond the Pale, A Christmas Camel, and the three great classics from the first US album: Repent Walpurgis, Conquistador, and A Whiter Shade of Pale. In the "Uninhibited" feature, my favorites are A Whiter Shade of Pale and She Wandered Through The Garden Fence.
Let me reiterate that Procol Harum-Live In Copenhagen provides lots of value for your money. If you are a fan on any level, you should get this if you have not already done so. It will bond you to the band's music for life.

Procol Harum have been one of the my favourite bands for a long time. Brooker and Fischer are magical. But it was BJ Wilson who really gave the unit its power. And like him or not, Trower added raunch to the class that is Procol Harum. Maybe that's the problem with this set. It's cleanly recorded, immaculately played. But it just never gets in that Procol Harum sound, where all the disparate elements sound as one thrilling rock and roll ride. Brookers wonderful voice soars over a staid background that somehow never gels the way Procol Harum can. I still play this and love it for what it is. It is afterall Procol Harum. My tastes are just not as neat and clean as the sound on this puppy. My suggestion is to first purchase the new DVD Procol Live, which is an audio-enhanced version of the stellar Musikladen DVD from a 1971 performance. Although Trower is gone, BJ Wilson's percussive drive makes this an indispensible gem. A thrilling document. Now, that's Procol Harum as I love them. Another choice that bests the Copenhagen set is the Union Chapel DVD that offers a warm, cohesive sound and stellar playing.

This group is so "tight", it is hard to believe the fabulous sound you hear is coming from only 5 musicians. Audio is in Stereo only but it is "Excellent Sound". Picture quality is perfect. Concert is in full screen. I highly recommend this concert as well as Procol Harum "Live at the Union Chapel". If you're not a big Procol Harum fan now, you will be after watching either of the above concerts.

First off, there is NO such thing as a bad Procol Harum anything.
That being said, I was left somewhat uninspired. The musicanship was great of course. Flawless lyrical soaring from Gary, Mathew playing his "parts" as one would expect. Artful guitar licks and bass playing. Drumming was weakest point but steady and acceptable. Maybe I approached this with too much life, but the performance as a whole had no fire. Sorry. I agree with a previous review that mentioned the lack of audience enthusiasm. Again as he said, this might be due to lack of production quality. No excuse for that though with today's technology.
I really don't care if Gary plays a grand Piano or his Roland, but I DO object to a portly guitar player wearing a T shirt, tight jeans and sneakers. At least Gary and Mathew had sport coats on. geeeeeze : ) Shine On!