Customer Reviews

Procol Harum - Live at the Union Chapel

5 star:		(13)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

"Procol Harum, Live at Union Chapel" displays superb musicianship seasoned by the world tour the group had just completed in 2003. Gary Brooker does a masterful job of singing and piano playing and the band is the finest England has to offer, original member, Matthew Fisher on organ, Geoff Whitehorn on guitar, Matt Pegg on bass and Mark Brzezicki on drums. Procol Harum's music should be much better known as there is no better progressive rock. The powerful beauty and richness, wit and good spirits of Procol Harum's compositions and lyrics by Keith Reid are a pinnacle of rock history and they haven't let up a bit. Some terrific new material from their excellent 2003 CD, "The Well's on Fire" is performed among such classics as "Conquistador", "A Salty Dog", "Homburg" and "A Whiter Shade of Pale". The digital video was skillfully shot in widescreen on high definition cameras, with excellent lighting, direction and editing. The sound quality is great and in surround sound you will feel like you are in Union Chapel on that memorable night. Don't miss this one and tell your friends, this is a classic.

There are very few bands from the days of my youth that continue to capture my musical interest, but Procol Harum is one of the few. With the issue of Live At the Union Chapel, they prove that they deserve to be numbered among the musical elite.
If you are reading this review, then you probably already have some knowledge of the band and a measure of affinity for their music. If you remember them only the way they were in their heyday, here is an opportunity to see that the band remains a vital unit. The production on this DVD is excellent, the sound largely crystalline, and the ambience conducive to the enjoyment of the kind of music the band plays.
I haven't watched any of the extras, but the quality of the performance alone makes this a five-star offering. There are songs from nearly every album except Prodigal Stranger and Something Magic, but the largest number come from their latest CD The Well's On Fire. My favorites are thrilling renditions of Shine On Brightly, Pandora's Box, An Old English Dream, Homburg, Simple Sister, The Question, Wall Street Blues, and of course A Whiter Shade of Pale. Repent Walpugis is missed, I'd have liked to see it replace This World is Rich or Good Captain Clack, but unfortunately it did not.
Gary occasionally trips over the lyrics and I think that Robin Trower is really missed on Whiskey Train, but those aren't really complaints, just observations. Overall, Live At The Union Chapel is a Procol fan's dream.
If you are a Procol Harum fan, and did not get to see any of the shows when they were on their 2003 world tour, this DVD is a splendid opporunity to see the band's "bookends", Gary Brooker and Matthew Fisher, working on stage together once again. If you were fortunate enough to have caught one of their shows as I was, then Live At The Union Chapel is a fine souvenir of their memorable tour. It is particularly a necessary addition to the fan's collection as Fisher has once again left the band.
Add this to your collection while you can. In my opinion, it is the best and most important DVD of 2004.

Most music listeners equate Procol Harum with one song recorded at
the height of the musical regeneration of the 60's. "Whiter Shade of
Pale" has been covered by 260 artists to date, little wonder, as it
lies at the pedestal of euphony and speaks to a culture and its
beginings.

Procol Harum belongs to the ages, as do Led Zeppelin, the
Beatles,The Kinks,Free, Cream, Traffic and many other inovators of the
genre. The difference is Procol Harum is still a living aeonian spirit
whom roams the earth changing, reinventing the past to fit the present
and plan the future.

For the average music fan, Procol's history begins and ends with
"Whiter Shade of Pale" a pity really, as this is a band who over the
past 35 plus years of its unceasing quest for the holy grail of
communication have managed to climb peaks few have reached.

From 1968's follow up "Shine on Brightly" containing the masterful
20 minute plus one sided vinyl take of "In Held 'Twas In I" through
2003's "The Emperor's New Clothes" from their 13th studio offering,
Procol Harum have repatriated time and time again those lost ideals
that make music so eternally exhilarating.

The Procol followers are a devoted lot, keeping the spirit alive
in whatever manner needed. Fiercely devoted to spreading the word and
anointing seekers with Procol mythology and idealogy that solidify's
their legend.

Procol Harum - Live at the Union Chapel is a rare oppertunity to
witness what the band does best on their home turf at the end of their
recently released "The Well's on Fire" a burning testimonial
on the current state of affairs.

Replacing legendary drummer B J Wilson would be a monumental task,
he who created those voluptuous drum fills throughout "A Salty Dog",
"About to Die", "Piggy Pig Pig", "As Strong as Samson" and many others
during his ten year tenure. Mark Brzezicki of Big Country notoriously
and reverently fits inside the current configuration since joining in
1991 for "The Prodigal Stranger".

Robin Trower,whom many consider rivaled Hendrix with his guitar
pyro technics, contributing the meat on "Whisky Train" ( Home 1971),
and coming into his own on 1971's "Broken Barricades" would put to
task anyone whom stepped up to the challange and I must say, Geoff
Whitehorn has filled the bill with Tower's style and spirit while
remaining his own unique talent.

Filmed at the Union Chapel, a wonderful and animated hall as
described by Brooker as "almost performing inside some sort of
kaleidoscope" and brings a very special vibe to the procedings.
Opening with a blindingly forceful version of "Shine on Brightly"
the band move through the core movments of contemporary offerings from
"The Well's on Fire" and throw in some brimmingly incandescent
memories of times past.

"Strong As Samson" hold a special place in my fondness for Procol
as it began on 1974's "Exotic Brids and Fruit" one of my favorite and
most cherished Procol offerings and in their 2003 version burns bright
touching the original and transcending any expectations.

For those folks who only remember Procol for "Whiter Shade...." I
emplore you to take some time and traverse the spectrum of Procol's
past recorded vinginetes of glorification put to tape. For those of
you who know what I'm talking about already have this in hand, and
those who are just finding out, come and witness a band for all ages
as "Live at the Union Chapel" destifies with an acurate eye.

This is a band who embraces the dignity of the creative artistic
process while touching the heart and soul of what it truly means to be
alive and well through 35 years of legendary showmanship and
integrity.

Procol Harum is one of the legendary classic rock bands of the last century.
Their magnificent all of time superhit "A Whiter Shade Of Pale" is considered as my favorite song for many decades. I read that John Lenon was amazed when hearing the song for the first time for its extraordinary lyrics and the superb Hammond B3 organ with the magic Leslie amplifier rotating sound. After those long years they performed this concert in London's Union Chapel. And what a concert!!! The music surrounds you magicaly and even songs which are not so popular or known to me are amazing.
Gary Brooker is like no one else...Warm, greatly performing, and highly carismatic. The great organ player Matthew Fisher is unbelievable...He's The soul of the band, shy and highly talented giving the band its exclusive taste.
Although reviews and documents show that Fisher was playing on a Hammond M102 which is also one of the high ended Hammond series, its sound is almost identical to that of the B3. The same M102 organ was also used by Booker-T and the MG's and many other prestigious bands of this decade.
This DVD is a real document for a great band sharing on making modern music history.

After the relative recorded dullness of the previous DVD releases, the sound, not the songs. I wasn't expecting anything new from this release. Wrong. This recording is special. In DTS format, the bass really pounds, the surround channels reverberate strongly. This is perhaps the best DTS concert I've heard (Zoom was good, but not this good). The band was obviously enjoying itself and Matt Fisher even almost smiled. BTW I first saw the band in 1967, just as the 1st album was released. They played at the Westbury Music Fair, NY, as an unknown, last minute replacement for Sly and The Family Stone. Does anyone know the date and if this was their first concert in the states?

If you've been looking for that perfect Procol Harum DVD, look no further. This is the one! The venue is intimate and the cathedral-like chapel is the perfect backdrop for the band's best-loved works. The production is altogether superb on both audio and video. (There are even alternate camera locations on some tracks, like one from the back of the hall.) The three-part concert is relatively long but you won't notice it, the performances move right along. The band performs a dozen songs from the 60's and 70's (and not necessarily the ones you might guess). They play another eight songs from their latest album, The Well's on Fire, which freshens things up. Gary Brooker's voice is in fine shape and he is playing on a *real* piano this time out. One highlight is the song "As Strong As Samson" from the mid-70's which the've reworked a bit, giving guitarist Geoff Whitehorn room to stretch in the middle. He and bassist Matt Pegg play off well against one another. You've got to see how they do the gull sounds at the beginning of "A Salty Dog." Yes, AWSOP includes the rarely heard third verse. And don't miss the shot of Keith Reid in the audience toward's the end of the main show. All in all, a very rewarding experience. Savor it! (Now, if only they could book a gig with the Edmonton Symphony Orchestra..... )

I am one of those people who only knew 'Whiter Shade of Pale' and 'Conquistador'. I took a risk on this DVD offering on the basis of those two and the reviews.
I am REALLY pleased I did. This is such a solid concert and there is quite a variety of full-bodies songs. The musicality is quite rich: appealing to the serious musicos and those in search of catchy songs alike.
There was a bit of a slow start but I really got into this concert and found a new favorite - 'Shadow Boxing'.
I'd say they are writing better and better stuff. I am in my 50s and loved it: as did my daughter in her 20s whose roots were grunge. For both of us to really get into songs we hadn't heard before and to span agegroups like that says a lot for the group's substance.
If you only knew the 2 well known songs I did don't expect all the music to be of this style or even dominated by organ sounds. There is a lot of solid rock here.
The setting is also well-chosen- having an intimate and Baroque feel that harmonises well with their music.
Well worth a visit -and I will be watching this group from now on.

I have been a long time Procol fan, and this DVD is a godsend. It has a decent mixture of songs from early through their most recent CD. All are played well, the sound balance is excellent and all musicians can be heard in the surround mix. The best part of the whole program was the third verse in "A Whiter Shade of Pale". It is on the sheet music, but I have never heard it sung, and it is here in all it's glory. Now, I have heard rumors that there is a fourth verse around, but no verification that anyone else has ever heard it. This combination of musicians have been the longest lasting of late and the strongest version of PH, almost matching the group of the first four recordings. Buy it, you will listen to it often. Shine On, Gary Brooker and Matthew Fisher!

One of the greatest DVDs in musical history !
The Commander (Gary Brooker, voice and piano) has never sounded better.

I had seen the video of "A Whiter Shade of Pale" on Youtube, which lead me to discover the DVD concert "Live at Union Chapel". I bought the DVD just for that one song, but I have to say that I enjoyed all of the other pieces as well ( almost all of them anyway ). Gary Brooker gives a great interview and delivers a masterful rendition of AWSOP. Loved it.