Procol Harum:Union Chapel

The word "classic" is being used way too much in music these days, especially when the latest "flavour of the week" song is called an "instant classic"; what the heck is that anyway? No, folks, a true classic song has to stand the test of time and is usually a great song to begin with. Procol Harum's "A Whiter Shade Of Pale" is officially a classic song. The British music-licensing group PPL recently named it the most played song in the past 70 plus years, that's not bad for a song that's actually only 41 years old! It closes off this DVD and the reason I start at the end is because no matter what else I write here, the pleasure of seeing and hearing the extended version of this song alone makes this DVD worth buying. To see Matthew Fisher perform his magic on the Hammond organ is an awe-inspiring experience. This was his last performance with the band as he and founder Gary Brooker faced off in court over the rights to the song, making this DVD a "must have" even more so. Oh, by the way, there's also two hours worth of other songs as well. The live concert features cuts from the band's "The Well's On Fire" album and overall the songs are really good; some just pure fun-some more thought-provoking, such as "An Old English Dream" and "This World Is Rich". For comparison sake, you could easily make someone believe these songs are by Dire Straits. Of course, Procol Harum predates Dire Straits by at least a few years!
The real gems here though are the oldies; "Conquistador", "A Salty Dog", "Quite Rightly" and of course, the classic song mentioned in the first paragraph.
The setting for the concert was the Union Chapel in Islington, England, which is impressive and slightly foreboding with its intense gothic architecture, which adds to the look of the performance. The sound quality on the DVD is amazing and special features include an interview with Gary Brooker, comments from the punters and alternate angle options for some songs. A statement on the back of the DVD case says it's "a truly magical performance". It is.

I purchased this weeks ago and just did not get to it as it was just a guess and hope.
If you like Madonna this is not for you but if the Last waltz is your thing get it.
The blu ray concert in a smaller location is like a trip back in time with Hammond organs etc.
The participants are likely originals and the concert is refreshingly real.
anything but geezer rock from hazbeens this is the best I hoped for.
The camera is right in with the musicians but not interfering.

There seems to be a major resurgence of interest in 1970s music as today's 15-25 year olds rediscover music from that decade. I grew up in the 70s and my friends' teenaged sons and their friends are now frequently asking me about 70s bands and looking for lesser known bands and albums from that era.

Procol Harum is one band I've told them about.

Many people know Procol Harum from their two songs that get radio play: Conquistador and Whiter Shade of Pale.

Those are both good songs that have stood the test of time but this band actually had a lot more great material that never made it on to the radio.

For those unfamiliar with Procol Harum, this DVD is an excellent introduction to the band. It contains a lot of their best known material from the late 1960s and early 1970s along with some new songs. For those who do know Procol Harum's work from 40 years ago, this DVD is a worthwhile purchase.

The two main creative players in the original band, Gary Brooker and Matthew Fisher, are both still active in the band and both are featured in this performance. Gary Brooker's voice has held up very well and Matthew Fisher's organ playing is still a main component of the band's sound.

The band has gone through a number of guitar players over the years. Robin Trower is probably the best known of Procol Harum's former guitar players. The band's current guitarist, Geoff Whitehorn, is excellent. I wasn't familiar with Whitehorn before seeing this DVD but apparently he's been around the British music scene since the 1960s and has played with Roger Daltrey, The Who, Paul Rogers and many others. I was really impressed with his playing on this DVD.

The venue for this recording was the Union Chapel in London's Islington district. It's a 19th century church that is still being used as a church but which is also used regularly as a venue for live performances. The church apparently uses the funds raised from concerts to fund its other activities.

It's a great venue. It looks really good in the DVD and, like many 19th century churches, it has great acoustics. These churches had to have good acoustics since the congregation had to be able to hear the sermon throughout the building. One former 19th century Methodist church in my home town of Victoria, B.C. is now the Victoria Conservatory of Music. The former worship area is now a concert venue and performance hall. Like Union Chapel, it has excellent acoustics. The sound on this DVD is really good and the Union Chapel building undoubtedly played a major role in the final sound.

This DVD is an excellent introduction to Procol Harum for those unfamiliar with the band. If you're already familiar with the band, this DVD is a very worthwhile addition to your collection.

One other piece of trivia for Robin Trower fans. Robin Trower was Procol Harum's guitarist back in the late 1960s, early 1970s. Robin Trower's first two albums (Twice Removed From Yesterday and Bridge of Sighs) were produced by Matthew Fisher, who appears on this DVD in his long time role as the organ player in Procol Harum.

Bottom line: Great DVD. If you're discovering/re-discovering or exploring 1970s music, this album is worth checking out.