Customer Reviews

Prodigal Stranger

5 star:		(7)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(5)
2 star:		(4)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

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.

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.

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.

No, you cannot. But, you can listen and think about the music and lyrics. The aforementioned song is the most haunting since 'Too Much Between Us'. Every track tells a story: some positive and upbeat, others painful and reflective. Life is like that. The songs are a remembrance, a graceful reminder of the thirty-three years since 'A Whiter Shade of Pale' sent us looking for ruined cathedrals and faded copies of 'The Canterbury Tales' just to see if Chaucer really wrote 'The Miller's Tale'. That is what makes this album a must for every Procol Harum enthusiast. When I first discovered it in 1991, it received very limited airplay; then, it was gone. Its obscurity intrigued me: I had to have it, and was not disappointed. There is not a bad track on the CD. This is perfect for long freeway commutes. My personal favorites are 'Perpetual Motion' ,'The Truth Won't Fade Away', and 'Holding On'. Gary Brooker fans will be amazed. All the band members are in fine form. Hip, Hip Hooray for the Harum!

One more time Procol has proofed that he can be the best prog-rock band in world. For me it's probaly best album after Salty dog...actually its best all of their albums. Songs like One more time King of Hearts and Learning to Fly are the total masterpieces. I can't understand why this album is so underrated but maybe my music taste is totally different from others. I'll give 5 points to this album, because it's totally deserved it.

I was a huge fan of Procol Harum from the late 60's through the early 70's. They disbanded in 77 after a horible album called "Something Magic" I was unaware that they had reuntied in 91 with Robin Trower and Mathew Fisher. Then I found this in a used CD bin in Detroit. There's some great pop stuff here as well as some not so great stuff. The album would have been much stronger running at about 40 minutes without the likes of "Hand That Rocks The Cradle", "One More Time" and "Learn to Fly". Thouroughly forgettable songs that just don't fit in with the better material here. The strongest cuts here are "All Our Dreams Are Sold" which features Trower at his best showcasing his original style. (Not that ersatz Hendrix stuff he got so wealthy doing on his own) "Perpetual Motion" and " The Pursuit Of Happiness" both of which are very true to the original sound of the band. Though somewhat of a mixed bag, I'm still glad I own it. I'm giving 4 stars because it's a little better than 3.

I am a near-worshipper of Procol Harum, but that doesn't mean I will slavishly praise their every note. The hack reviewer should know that the band never matched the popular success of Whiter Shade of Pale because they are not a top-40 band and that the chart success of that song in that format could only have happened in the particular time period that it was successful. That was when radio stations allowed more latitude in what a DJ played. There are no DJs today, just monkeys pressing buttons, and Whiter Shade of Pale would get no airplay at all if it did not fall into the category of a "classic". That being said, I find this reunion effort rather weak and disjointed but better than nothing. There are some decent songs on the album but nothing that really stands out. I agree that Brooker's voice is as strong as ever but disagree with the professional reviewer who said that Robin Trower fits in well here while his solo efforts are overblown. No one really fits in here. Though you have the Procol Harum "sound", here that sound is identified mainly by Brooker's voice and piano. The others could just as well have been studio hirelings. I'd like to see them record another album together but hopefully the material will be stronger should that come to pass.

From 1991, The Prodigal Stranger was a comeback, of sorts, following a fourteen year gap wherein Procol Harum's driving force Gary Brooker recorded three solo albums. Members of the group's original line-up including Brooker, guitarist Robin Trower, and organist Matthew Fisher all appear in songs ranging from very fine to very derivative, bathed in a dated, large '80s sound. Brooker sounds as good as ever, Fisher adds some nice organ backing and signatures, and Trower is mostly invisible. Sorely missing is the late B.J. Wilson's singular drumming. The album was seemingly welcomed by fans and few else. I welcomed it fondly at the time, but find myself returning to it less and less.

Procol Harum has always distinguished itself as a highly original band, both musically and lyrically. Their earlier works challenged the listener and offered alternatives to the predictable music scene. Prodigal Stranger, while giving us the core band together again, is an enormous disappointment (I'm being kind giving it 2 stars). Brooker and Reid, always able to arrest us in the past with the force of their creativity, have sold out on this one, reaching for nothing and settling for the lowest common denominator of commerciality. These people should never have let this one out - on their worst day they can top this mediocrity. If you need something current and different by the band, you'll have to check out the excellent solo work by Gary Brooker called "In This House". It's a true pleasure. Pass on Prodigal Stranger.

Great