Prodigal Stranger

Procol Harum | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (August 27, 1991)
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Volcano
• ASIN: B00000098F
• Also Available in: Audio CD  |  Audio Cassette  |  MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 3.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (19 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #320,099 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Where's Procol Harum?, June 10, 2007

By 

Lawrence A. Strid (Mission Viejo, CA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Prodigal Stranger (Audio CD)

I had high hopes for this "reunion" album, what with core members Brooker/Trower/Reid/Fischer on board. What made PH one of the best and most unique bands of the late 60s and early 70s was Brooker's voice and elegant piano, soulful organ work by Chris Copping or Matthew Fischer, Reid's quirky and often enigmatic or humorous lyrics, a unique talent for blending rock with classical music, and restrained but tasteful guitar work from Trower and his successors in interest after he left the band to go solo. Other than Brooker's voice, all of those components are missing here. The songs suffer from a similarity in sound/tempo/theme such that you are basically listening to one long song throughout the 12 cuts. I don't know why Trower or Fischer even came on board, as they are denied soloing and their contributions are buried in a wall of sound type of production that is rife with synthesizers and what sounds like drum machines and which is better suited for disco or techno outings. The songs are mostly "power pop" ballads that should have been relegated to the Steve Perry chapter of Journey. Stick with Broken Barricades, Grand Hotel or the band's other classic outings, and avoid this sad chapter in their career. I blame the producer, not the band, as he shares song credits on many of the tunes on this enterprise.

6 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Dated Production Mars Return of Legendary Group, April 4, 2006

By 

Todd and In Charge (Miami, FL) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: Prodigal Stranger (Audio CD)

After limping away in 1977, a victim of changing musical tastes (the emergence of punk rock) and personnel shuffles, the band (minus the deceased drummer) triumphantly returned in 1991 with an all-new album of originals. As a major fan of the band, I was especially looking forward to Robin Trower's return to the fold.

Unfortunately, the producer attempted to recast PH in the mold of Stevie Windwood's "Roll With It" hit, or Eric Clapton's "After Midnight" remake for Miller, putting a shiny 80's sheen, synthesizers, synthetic drums, "upbeat" songwriting, and massive amounts of back up singers in an effort to update their sound.

It didn't work. Not that there aren't some gems in here, such as "Holding On," and "You Can't Turn Back the Page," but the overall production and otherwise dreary and uninspired songwriting makes you think you are listening to any AOR band of the mid-to-late 80's. No Whaling Songs, no Strong as Sampson here, just affirmational songs about prevailing and succeeding despite adversity, dressed in a sound that was already dated by its 1991 release. A major disappointment.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Expect professional reviewers to be wrong., March 26, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Prodigal Stranger (Audio CD)

Procol did not go downhill after A Whiter Shade Of Pale. They've always had a great message and fantastic music. This, by 4 original members is very wise, mature, and intelligent. I especially like the family values expressed on for example "Hand That Rocks The Cradle, The", but please be advised, you need to be sensitive and intelligent to really appreciate this 'thinking' music. A must for anyone trying to make sense of who we were in the 1960's, and who we will have become in the year 2000.