Customer Reviews

Salty Dog - Plus

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Most people I know either love prog-rock or hate it - except for "A Salty Dog." One of the pioneers of their much maligned genre, Procol Harum proved early on that it was possible to bring classical stylings and elaborate arrangements into rock without sounding bombastic or pretentious. Few other bands have managed to do so, and even Procol themselves didn't always live up to their own standards after their third album. But however briefly, they proved it could be done.

The title track is still the show-stopper, with its gorgeous orchestration and haunting lyrics, but it's only the tip of the iceberg. The nautical theme recurs throughout the album, most prominently on "The Wreck of the Hesperus," which features the album's most frantic musical arrangement. Cleverly tucked about halfway into the original album's progression, it serves as an unexpected climax if you listen to the songs in order. Elsewhere, "Juicy John Pink" and "The Devil Came From Kansas" serve as reminders that progressive rock is still rock and are a lasting testament to Robin Trower's influence during his too-brief sojourn with the band. Toward the end, the minor-key "All This and More" and "Pilgrim's Progress" bring things full circle with their more characteristic keyboard-driven melodies and dark lyrics.

As usual, the "new" bonus tracks clutter the setting a bit, but on balance they're a nice addition. "Long Gone Geek," a long-lost B-side, is one of the hardest rockers they've ever recorded. "Still There'll Be More" is apparently the same take found on the "Home" album, but as one of the best songs on one of their lesser efforts, it's welcome on this CD as far as I'm concerned. "McGreggor," a tale of a wayward soldier recorded in late 1968, is the most obscure of the bunch. The liner notes are almost apologetic about the sound quality of this only known recording of the song, but it's not really bad at all.

Recommended for anyone with an open mind about rock music. Next time someone says prog-rock is boring, just put "A Salty Dog" on and wait for your apology!

this album should be listened to and taken in deeply, because there hasn't been something this singular made since rock music became formulaic and went corporate. Salty Dog is a wonderful musical mirror of its time: it's theme is the search and journey through life; it has Sgt. Pepper-like orchestrations on the title track and the totally awesome "Wreck of the Hesperus" (I've actually been on a ship in those kinds of waters and this song gives you that same kind of giddy rush!); there are pseudo-biblical references with "The Devil Came from Kansas", and the Bunyonesque "Crucifiction Lane"; there is the eccentric/exotic xylophone driven "Boredom"; and some fine Trower guitar on "Juicy John Pink" "Milk of Human Kindness" The Devil came From Kansas" and "The Wreck of the Hesperus". The last song, "Pilgrim's Progress" will just float you along and then waft you away like a forgotten dream. The bonus tracks, the usual outtakes and alternate performances, are for enthusiasts only who like to track songs in their creative processes and in no way detract from the enjoyment of this fine album.

Considered the ultimate Procol Harum album, A Salty Dog is where it all came together for the band...and just as quickly fell apart. Anyone back in the spring of '69 expecting to hear a typical rock album when putting needle to vinyl was in for a severe shock. The stately orchestration and Gary Brooker's mournful vocals on the opening title track signaled a truly unique sonic experience about to unfold. A loosely based concept album about sailors and the sea, A Salty Dog contained melancholy odes (Too Much Between Us, Pilgrim's Progress), seafaring epics (The Wreck Of The Hesperus, the title song) and classic Procol rockers (The Milk Of Human Kindness, The Devil Came From Kansas). Unfortunately, the album was followed by the departure of two band members - the irreplaceable organist Matthew Fisher and bass player David Knights. After this, only their third album, and the loss of these two musicians, Procol Harum would never again sound as regal and self-assured as on this masterpiece.

Quite simply the most fully realized themeatic work by any pop artist. A Salty Dog will take you on a journey not unlike the ancient mariner, complete with images of old crusts, seaman's logs, bowsun's whistles and the like. From the opening cry of sea gulls to the finale of "Pilgrams Progress", Procol Harum demonstrate their ability to hold together the concept, never overstated or mellow dramatic always precise and colorful. Sadly, A Salty Dog was the last "port-of-call" for the orginial brilliant lineup. Departed after completion of this masterpiece, were the peerless Matthew Fisher on organ and vocals and the steadfast David Knights on bass.

I saw the original lineup perform most of the material from this magnificant album, long ago at New York's famed Filmore East. As an ensamble they performed "yeomen's work" indeed recreating the majestic sound of this seafaring epic. It's difficult to describe the intensity of their performance after more than thirty years. Suffice to say that Gary Brooker and company left the audience satisfied and fulfilled. It was a magical evening for certain, as A Salty Dog is surely a seaman's delight.

1969 was a year of musical excesses. From the Who to Iron Butterfly, the long song was it. Procol had already done that. "In Held 'Twas In I" was more than a year old, "A Whiter Shade of pale" more than two years old. "A Salty Dog" (the album) took the band back to shorter songs but with a mix of styles, moods, and effects that few bands then or now could match. Keith Reid's words are obscure, challenging, funny. Robin Trower's guitar, Barrie Wilson's drum lines, and Matthew Fisher's Hammond are tight throughout with only hints at how they could swing. This is the only Procol album with three different singers and composers. Gary Brooker's baritone clearly was the main vocal force (title track, "Too Much Netween Us," "All This and More"). Matthew Fisher's tenor provided a very different feeling ("Boredom," "Wreck of the Hesperus" [with no nod to Longfellow], "Pilgrim's Progress") and Robin Trower rasps out "Crucifiction Lane" in a style to be heard only twice more (on 1971's Broken Barricades) before disappearing for 26 years. The bonus tracks on this release make Procol less distant (listen to the studio banter before take one of "Pilgrim's Progress") but why include "Still There'll Be More" from 1970's Fisher-less "Home" album? If you only buy one album this year, your budget is too tight. If it's only one Procol album, this should be it.

I can't say enough about "A Salty Dog." It has everything, from the haunting beauty of the title track, to the joyous whimsy of "Boredom," to the Mississippi blues of "Juicy John Pink," to the intelligent progressive-blues-rock of "Devil Came from Kansas," to the epic sweep of "Pilgrim's Progress." There is simply not a bad track on the album, and each one is a delightful surprise. Only the Beatles are in the same league.

"Salty Dog" is, quite simply, one of the finest rock albums ever recorded. If you like psychedelia, British rock, '60s rock, blues-rock, progressive/art-rock, etc., please - PLEASE - buy this album.

I loved this album so much when it came out in the 60s. Buying it and playing it again I am amazed at how much resonance it has for my way of life and admittedly more mature view of the world now I am a hell of a lot older.

In a nutshell everything about Procul Harem's "inner meaning" and descriptive poetic way with lyrics was ahem, a wee bit over my head when I was 18. But I just knew they were saying something tremendously important. Even if I couldn't quite understand what these unusual plays on words REALLY meant, I knew it was about something REAL but just beyond the tip of my own tongue.

And who cared back then? If you loved "Whiter Shade of Pale" and I did, the whole concept of the band which is an Art Nouveau pastiche of orchestrational brilliance with majestic themes and melodies worth of Bach himself. Well it was simply thrilling and daring enough and who actually needed to know what it MEANT?

So no matter what your age timeline this album is one for the ages. After "Whiter Shade of Pale" it burst on the scene and was Procul's first well recorded effort (hey it was finally in Stereo, where Pale was NOT.)

If you like "Whiter Shade of Pale" then this album is just WAITING for you to stumble upon it. I guarantee you will be stunned.

And if you were alive back then and can swear you actually were in on what was being said---then I am glad you are alive now and reading this. Sorry I missed meeting you and so much of what happened the first time. Remember when we used to not trust anybody over 30? Isn't that hilarious?

There once was a band called Procol Harum, who loomed under the popular music radar screen while making the best progressive rock music ever made. They were a band without peer, who were some of the best songwriters and musicians of their era. They reached the pinnacle of their career with this, their third album "A Salty Dog". Although I'm sometimes torn between this one and their next album "Home", If I was to take any of their discs to a desert island, it would have to be this one. Only because there are a couple songs on here I simply could not live without. Most notably, the stunning opener "A Salty Dog". This one is a woefully underappreciated gem that should have been a huge hit in America. Gary Brooker has never surpassed the superb vocal performance he achieved on this song. With it's big time drumbeat by B.J. Wilson, widely regarded as the best rock drummer of all time, and it's early use of full orchestration, this song had a huge panoramic sound that just couldn't be beat. This one's on my short list of best rock recordings ever made. The other must have on here is "Pilgrim's Progress". A nice contagious little hymn that's hard to forget. Sung by Matthew Fisher, he also plays virtually every instrument on this track. More time went into the production of this song than any other on the album. Sadly, this was the last song done by the multi-talented Fisher before he left the band for greener pastures, which he never found. Other favorites on here: "The Milk Of Human Kindness". I love this song with it's honky tonk piano sound and lyrics like "She left me for a wasp without a sting". Keith Reid really had a way with words. "The Devil Came From Kansas", which offers some howling guitar soloing by the great Robin Trower. It seems like everybody gets involved in the singing on this one. "Juicy John Pink" is Procol's first foray into the 12 bar blues, with Trower driving the song along with his short searing blues guitar licks. "Wreck Of The Hesperus" is the second song on here with full orchestration. Matthew Fisher again sings and plays about every instrument on this one. A song that's grown on me over the years. Also of note are the bonus tracks. They do a couple instrumental versions of "Milk Of Human Kindness" and Pilgrims Progress", where it sounds like their getting in a little casual rehearsals before the real thing. Also interesting is a raw, but very good version of "Still There'll Be More", which would appear on their next album. I don't have enough adjectives to describe how much I like this classic album. Let's just start with beautiful, mysterious, haunting, hummable, and just plain magnificent. And that picture of the drunken sailor who looks like he's spent too much time out at sea, qualifies as one of the great all time album covers. I can't think of a more appropriate disc to take to a desert island than "A Salty Dog". This one's a real jewel in Procol Harum's catalogue. Highly recommended and essential listening!

For their 3rd album, released in 1969, Procol Harum and their lyricist Keith Reid fashioned a song-cycle based on seafaring tales. In doing so, they produced their masterpiece with A Salty Dog. This band had loads of talent and the first two records had plenty of good stuff on them, but with A Salty Dog it all came together with a conceptual focus that makes it their best among many fine albums.

For those who only know them from "A Whiter Shade of Pale," Procol Harum was far from a one-hit wonder. Their dual keyboardists, Gary Brooker and Matthew Fisher, were both outstanding classically influenced musicians. Brooker also possessed a soulful vocal style that could rival Steve Winwood's, while Fisher also sang and does an outstanding job with the production on this album. For a long time I had assumed that some big-name producer had done this one, so hats off to Fisher, who unfortunately left the band after this record.

In a recent interview, Fisher stated that he left to do more singing and writing, but later came to realize that Brooker's voice and the Brooker/Reid songs made the classic Procol Harum sound. Despite his self-effacing comments, Fisher's contributions here are huge.

The classic opening title track shows just how refined the band had become, with Brooker's powerful vocal soaring over the full orchestration. Procol Harum had another excellent musician, guitarist Robin Trower, who later went on to a successful hard-rock solo career. Trower gamely went along with his bandmate's various song stylings while always remaining a bluesman first and foremost. His pounding riffs and blistering solo fire up the classic "The Devil Came From Kansas" and Trower even sings a rather authentic-sounding blues on "Juicy John Pink," which is intentionally given a lo-fi production. I love varied production so I like that little touch. It's like a demo in the middle of a beautifully produced record, but somehow it works perfectly, and shouldn't sound any other way.

On "Boredom" all of the band members join in on oddball winds and percussion (look out for that bosun's whistle!) to conjure up a seafaring jig. Fisher takes the vocal on the orchestrated "Wreck of the Hesperus," another stone cold classic on this album. Brooker does some snazzy piano arpeggiating while the symphonic sections are the icing on a perfect cake. The record ends with the Fisher-led "Pilgrim's Progress," the perfect closing number for a perfect album.

Every song on this CD is an absolute must-hear. You won't want to or need to skip a single track. Procol Harum combined the musical chops and conceptual dynamic of the best prog-rock groups, with the melodicism and taste of the classiest pop. Add in Reid's uniformly excellent lyrics plus the outstanding production and you've got an all-time classic.

In my opinion, Procol Harums's best record, and for newcomers I would recommend starting here even before a greatest hits album. Heck this IS a greatest hits album!

Considered the ultimate Procol Harum album, A Salty Dog is where it all came together for the band...and just as quickly fell apart. Anyone back in the spring of '69 expecting to hear a typical rock album when putting needle to vinyl was in for a severe shock. The stately orchestration and Gary Brooker's mournful vocals on the opening title track signaled a truly unique sonic experience about to unfold. A loosely based concept album about sailors and the sea, A Salty Dog contained melancholy odes (Too Much Between Us, Pilgrim's Progress), seafaring epics (The Wreck Of The Hesperus, the title song) and classic Procol rockers (The Milk Of Human Kindness, The Devil Came From Kansas). Unfortunately, the album was followed by the departure of two band members - the irreplaceable organist Matthew Fisher and bass player David Knights. After this, only their third album, and the loss of these two musicians, Procol Harum would never again sound as regal and self-assured as on this masterpiece. (Note to A&M Records: Where are the domestic CD versions of Home, Broken Barricades and Live With The Edmonton Symphony Orchestra?!)