Procol Harum:Union Chapel

"Procol Harum, Live at Union Chapel" displays superb musicianship seasoned by the world tour the group had just completed in 2003. Gary Brooker does a masterful job of singing and piano playing and the band is the finest England has to offer, original member, Matthew Fisher on organ, Geoff Whitehorn on guitar, Matt Pegg on bass and Mark Brzezicki on drums. Procol Harum's music should be much better known as there is no better progressive rock. The powerful beauty and richness, wit and good spirits of Procol Harum's compositions and lyrics by Keith Reid are a pinnacle of rock history and they haven't let up a bit. Some terrific new material from their excellent 2003 CD, "The Well's on Fire" is performed among such classics as "Conquistador", "A Salty Dog", "Homburg" and "A Whiter Shade of Pale". The digital video was skillfully shot in widescreen on high definition cameras, with excellent lighting, direction and editing. The sound quality is great and in surround sound you will feel like you are in Union Chapel on that memorable night. Don't miss this one and tell your friends, this is a classic.

There are very few bands from the days of my youth that continue to capture my musical interest, but Procol Harum is one of the few. With the issue of Live At the Union Chapel, they prove that they deserve to be numbered among the musical elite.
If you are reading this review, then you probably already have some knowledge of the band and a measure of affinity for their music. If you remember them only the way they were in their heyday, here is an opportunity to see that the band remains a vital unit. The production on this DVD is excellent, the sound largely crystalline, and the ambience conducive to the enjoyment of the kind of music the band plays.
I haven't watched any of the extras, but the quality of the performance alone makes this a five-star offering. There are songs from nearly every album except Prodigal Stranger and Something Magic, but the largest number come from their latest CD The Well's On Fire. My favorites are thrilling renditions of Shine On Brightly, Pandora's Box, An Old English Dream, Homburg, Simple Sister, The Question, Wall Street Blues, and of course A Whiter Shade of Pale. Repent Walpugis is missed, I'd have liked to see it replace This World is Rich or Good Captain Clack, but unfortunately it did not.
Gary occasionally trips over the lyrics and I think that Robin Trower is really missed on Whiskey Train, but those aren't really complaints, just observations. Overall, Live At The Union Chapel is a Procol fan's dream.
If you are a Procol Harum fan, and did not get to see any of the shows when they were on their 2003 world tour, this DVD is a splendid opporunity to see the band's "bookends", Gary Brooker and Matthew Fisher, working on stage together once again. If you were fortunate enough to have caught one of their shows as I was, then Live At The Union Chapel is a fine souvenir of their memorable tour. It is particularly a necessary addition to the fan's collection as Fisher has once again left the band.
Add this to your collection while you can. In my opinion, it is the best and most important DVD of 2004.

Most music listeners equate Procol Harum with one song recorded at
the height of the musical regeneration of the 60's. "Whiter Shade of
Pale" has been covered by 260 artists to date, little wonder, as it
lies at the pedestal of euphony and speaks to a culture and its
beginings.

Procol Harum belongs to the ages, as do Led Zeppelin, the
Beatles,The Kinks,Free, Cream, Traffic and many other inovators of the
genre. The difference is Procol Harum is still a living aeonian spirit
whom roams the earth changing, reinventing the past to fit the present
and plan the future.

For the average music fan, Procol's history begins and ends with
"Whiter Shade of Pale" a pity really, as this is a band who over the
past 35 plus years of its unceasing quest for the holy grail of
communication have managed to climb peaks few have reached.

From 1968's follow up "Shine on Brightly" containing the masterful
20 minute plus one sided vinyl take of "In Held 'Twas In I" through
2003's "The Emperor's New Clothes" from their 13th studio offering,
Procol Harum have repatriated time and time again those lost ideals
that make music so eternally exhilarating.

The Procol followers are a devoted lot, keeping the spirit alive
in whatever manner needed. Fiercely devoted to spreading the word and
anointing seekers with Procol mythology and idealogy that solidify's
their legend.

Procol Harum - Live at the Union Chapel is a rare oppertunity to
witness what the band does best on their home turf at the end of their
recently released "The Well's on Fire" a burning testimonial
on the current state of affairs.

Replacing legendary drummer B J Wilson would be a monumental task,
he who created those voluptuous drum fills throughout "A Salty Dog",
"About to Die", "Piggy Pig Pig", "As Strong as Samson" and many others
during his ten year tenure. Mark Brzezicki of Big Country notoriously
and reverently fits inside the current configuration since joining in
1991 for "The Prodigal Stranger".

Robin Trower,whom many consider rivaled Hendrix with his guitar
pyro technics, contributing the meat on "Whisky Train" ( Home 1971),
and coming into his own on 1971's "Broken Barricades" would put to
task anyone whom stepped up to the challange and I must say, Geoff
Whitehorn has filled the bill with Tower's style and spirit while
remaining his own unique talent.

Filmed at the Union Chapel, a wonderful and animated hall as
described by Brooker as "almost performing inside some sort of
kaleidoscope" and brings a very special vibe to the procedings.
Opening with a blindingly forceful version of "Shine on Brightly"
the band move through the core movments of contemporary offerings from
"The Well's on Fire" and throw in some brimmingly incandescent
memories of times past.

"Strong As Samson" hold a special place in my fondness for Procol
as it began on 1974's "Exotic Brids and Fruit" one of my favorite and
most cherished Procol offerings and in their 2003 version burns bright
touching the original and transcending any expectations.

For those folks who only remember Procol for "Whiter Shade...." I
emplore you to take some time and traverse the spectrum of Procol's
past recorded vinginetes of glorification put to tape. For those of
you who know what I'm talking about already have this in hand, and
those who are just finding out, come and witness a band for all ages
as "Live at the Union Chapel" destifies with an acurate eye.

This is a band who embraces the dignity of the creative artistic
process while touching the heart and soul of what it truly means to be
alive and well through 35 years of legendary showmanship and
integrity.

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