Search - Procol Harum :: All This & More

Great band, poor selections

Kevin D. Rathert | Carbondale, IL | 10/26/2009

(1 out of 5 stars)

"I'm a huge Procol Harum fan, but lets face it, their day was in the late 1960s/early 1970s. I have a 3 cd set of singles on the Repertoire label that is much more interesting than this release which I hate to say. Salvo does a wonderful job in making the sound just so, and their booklets are well designed and thought out, and they've even fixed the flaw in their box set design. But gee whiz why all the new recordings and why are is all the video footage new. The band was huge when Robin Trower played with them on their first four albums, but this era is glazed over, as is the second phase when they hit big with the Live with the Edmonton Philharmonic Orchestra and the live recording of "Conquistador" reinforced the fame of the "Whiter Shade of Pale" single recorded just before Trower joined the band. I don't understand why all the emphasis on the recent material. It just isn't interesting and certainly doesn't make me overjoyed to spend $50 for recordings and footage of a band 30 years after their star had burned out. After the wonderful jobs done on the Peter Green and Move box sets I thought Salvo was on a roll. I'd suggest either the double cd Salvo best of or the above mentioned 3 cd Repertoire Singles A's and B's as alternatives to this box set. I hate to be so tough on the release but there really isn't anything here of interest to me. No unreleased early recordings and no vintage video footage. Why would Salvo expect me to buy this box set? I hope they consider such things before releasing another box set or they could be in serious trouble. Sorry guys but I can't suggest for anyone to spend their hard earned money on this release. I started to give the box 2 stars for old times sake, but honestly its hardly worth one. What a letdown."

Great CD compilation, poor DVD footage

Bring_back_the_60s | Australia | 10/22/2009

(3 out of 5 stars)

"I am a fan of Procol Harum. This Box set doesn't have much unreleased stuff apart from some 'Live' songs. However the sound is greatly improved and the choice of songs is well thought out.

I was surprised they didn't include a 'Live' version of Whiter Shade Of Pale, but I guess they needed room to fit all the other great songs.



The DVD is a big disappointment, mostly footage from recent tours in 2007 etc and nothing from the 1960s at all. I have a DVD doc made in Australia during the recording of the 'Home' LP which is fantastic, why isn't this included?



The booklet is great with lots of good pics and info of the songs and band members.



I wish they could have included more 'vintage' footage of the band instead of recent shows.

"

A Grand Overview

Kurt Harding | Boerne TX | 03/02/2010

(5 out of 5 stars)

"OK, so you already have all of Procol Harum's officially released albums, some several times over in different formats, and you also own DVDs of most or all of the concerts sampled on the DVD. So why own All This And More? Good question, and your first answer is to own it for the sound quality of the Salvo remasters. But there are other reasons too, not least the stunning and informative 71 page booklet that accompanies the set. You also get sixteen live cuts, many of which were previously unavailable in any format and a couple of which were completely new to me. Seventy-four cuts in all and all for less than a dollar per song even if you pay full price! Now is that value or what?

All This and More doesn't purport to be anything more than a grand, over-arching view of the long run of Procol Harum as of 2009. Yes, you and I may have picked different cuts for inclusion had we been in charge of compiling the songs ultimately selected. Unlike some, I don't think that the Trower years were necessarily the best ones. As good as the music was during his tenure as guitarist, a lot of great music certainly continued to be made after his departure. One of my favorite "new" cuts is Last Train to Niagara which gives a series of musical nods to many of the best songs in Procol Harum's canon.

Most long time fans know the music and should like this set. But its the booklet that puts the box set over the top in terms of value and you have to read it to know what I mean. When you are finished, you should have a fairly comprehensive knowledge of even obscure tidbits about the band.

I highly recommend All This And More to all fans of the band no matter any prejudices with regard to their "best" period. Once you hear and see it, you will put all negative thoughts aside and revel in the phenomenon that is Procol Harum."