Customer Reviews

Within Our House

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

 

 

With all the mass-produced, techno-music in the world, this album is a welcome change. My only regret is that I wasn't there to hear the recording being made live.

Eclectic, charming, warm. The music ranges from purely vocal versions of ancient songs to Procol Harum's rock to a terrific version of Whiter Shade of Pale, played on a church organ!

For anyone who has followed Procol Harum and Brooker over the years, this is a wonderful addition to the collection. It's adult music for adults, produced by a talented, mature musician who takes chances but comes through.

On Sept. 28, 1996, Procol Harum lead singer Gary Brooker organized a charity concert to raise funds for his local church, the St. Mary and All Saints Church, in his hometown of Surrey, England. The resulting live CD of the concert, "Within Our House," is a marvelous recording that's beautiful, uplifting & spiritual, as Brooker blends "church-friendly" arrangements of Harum classics like "A Whiter Shade Of Pale," "Nothing But The Truth," and "A Salty Dog" with Christian/Gospel numbers like "Gospel Train," "Jesus On The Mainline," and "Peace In The Valley." With Gary brilliantly leading on vocals and piano, he's joined by Harum members Dave Bronze on bass and Mark Brzezicki on drums, as well as the Chameleon Arts Choir & String Quartet. From start to finish this is a lovely live recording. Originally limited to 1000 copies, "Within Our House" is now available to all, for which Harum fans all over can be grateful. Thank you, Gary.

I made a compilation disc of christmas music as gifts for some friends at work. I mixed in a couple of songs form "Within Our House". Everyone asked me who performed these songs. It was my pleasure to tell them it was Gary Brooker from Procol Harum. I hope that they explore more of Procol Harum.

Have you visited the village churches of England? You're there if you sit down with this beautiful recording by Procol Harum's good Commander and his friends. The title song, by Brooker/Reid, is as beautiful and mature as any song written in this century and is an all-time keeper. How the mix of Procol and church songs came off so beautifully is still beyond me and I've been listening since this album was available just to phans. Please. Slow down. Weep. Hear this music. Gary Brooker is to be thanked.

I waited years to get this. The price is somewhat steep (although quite fair for an import). I agree with all the reviews except the one that suggested Mr. Brooker was inadequate to sing "negro-type" spitirtuals (I guess that also eliminates soul, R&B, etc. - oh wait, Gary has always been described as a blue-eyed soul singer of the first order).

Two things I wish to comment on:

- I have a sophisticated home recording studio with pretty high-end amps and speakers. This sounds fantastic and well above any recent release I have heard for fidelity, volume dynamics, and spectrum width. I consider it one of, if not the, finest live recordings and it stands as a superb sonic treat, live or in the studio. This is one CD that was not crammed through the compander to achieve maximum volume while adding clipping and removing dynamics. I would bring this to demo in stores when I purchase my next speakers. It also sounds superb through an mp3 player at 320 kbs and Koss Porta-Pro headphones.

- The singing and arrangements are excellent. I have always enjoyed Mr. Brookers voice but I think this one release stands head and shoulders over his entire catalog for the great phrasing, pitch control, vocal range, and clarity.

So buy it. You won't regret it even if you don't really like Procul Harum.

I rarely write a review. I save it only for the finest of the finest. I think this ,my 4th review in 7 years. I avoid criticizing what I didn't like and only mack the effort in rare raves.

Read the other reviews of "Within Our House". I agree with them and can only add........If this CD only had one single song, this version of "A Salty Dog" and the price was double, I think I would be worth it !

I wasn't going to write any more reviews. Seems my reviews generally just piss people off. When people buy albums, they usually choose recordings by artists they know and like, and somehow, criticism of the album seems to translate to criticism of the buyer. This time however, I agree with the many 5-star reviews. I have been a Procol Harum fan since Whiter Shade of Pale was a single on WLS Radio in Chicago, and a hard core fan since the release of Shine on Brightly.

This is the best work Gary Brooker has done since Grand Hotel. It is an unbelievable surprise, given the size and scope of the concert, just over 100 people in attendance. The sound quality is unsurpassed by anything I have heard - you can clearly hear each instrument, and are left with the sense of being there at the church in the front pew. Some rock vocalists, as they age, should give up singing (Roger Daltry comes to mind). Gary's voice has improved with age. The song selection is different, and interesting. The renditions of Salty Dog and Whiter Shade of Pale are as good or better than any he's done, complete with the Procol Harum type grand ending to Whiter Shade of Pale. I have never been a fan of church music and choirs, but the performances are excellent, and the given the song mix and the overall ambience of the evening, they work. This is a little known gem. Those of us lucky enough to have discovered it are harboring a real treasure.

What a thrill to hear Gary Brooker's relatively unchanged voice from Procol Harum's hayday. Their music was always glorious, but these versions of "A Salty Dog" and "A Whiter Shade Of Pale" made the heavens open wide. Unthinkable that these songs could ever have been improved upon, but in this cd, taped inside Brooker's church, they were. Any Procol Harum fan must have this cd. It was truly glorious. Thus speaketh the atheist.

Gary Brooker never ceases to amaze. In this CD, he combines the familiar sounds of Procol Harum with spirituals that stir the soul. This is Brooker at his best. Don't miss it.

For those looking for a combination of Procol Harum's literate stylings with a church choir. The high quality of the arrangements make it almost impossible to believe that this was originally created for an extremely limited distribution. Highest rating!