Search - Procol Harum :: The Well's on Fire

Always consistent in quality and artistry!

Alan Riva | Valley Village CA, USA | 01/15/2008

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Suffice it to say that Procol Harum never ceases to put out quality music, lyrics and performance time after time. Their style is always fresh and current yet remains true to the unique qualities that has always made them stand out amongst all the groups that have gone and are to come. What a songwriting team we have here in Gary Brooker and Keith Reid. Although many may prefer certain original members (needless to say they were all "tops") the current lineup is as good as any in my book. Also, I really like the production of this album. Even though I love The Prodigal Stranger, I hope they remaster it soon as I don't think the overall fidelity compares with this (obviously things have improved since then in the audio arena). I won't go into detail about the songs and material here, others have done that well, but for any Procol Harum fan, I believe this will keep the fire burning, after all...the Well's on FIre!"

Way, way good stuff

bdlove@earthlink.net | Los Angeles, California | 05/31/2009

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I have purchased every Procol Harum release since the first (yeah, I'm ancient), and I can speak to the truth. This really is a great record. The compositional skills of Brooker and Reid remain undiluted, and it's sweet to have Fisher back in the fold. The mix is what it is: authentic to the playing, which is superb. It's all really passionate. I didn't feel that it needed to be tarted up with Kanye production tricks. It sounds ... well, what can you say except majestic when called for, and pure out Lieber and Stoller when that kicks in. I love "Every Dog Will Have Its Day," which could have been on an Elvis Presley record, and is also the only PH song I will ever be able to master on guitar, since it's three chords.



The ballads are artful, heartbreaking, funny at times, and never pretentious. The rockers are less exciting to my taste, but they are done terrifically. Reid's lyrics are taking a more political tone (Well, "Strong as Samson" from Exotic Birds is as good as anything Dylan wrote, and Bob is the master of this stuff), but there is a lot of very deep, well crafted lyricism here. Plus some playfulness.



Seriously, this record goes though all their influences, from Handel to Bach to R&B. But at the heart of it all, they really are an R&B group. They just happen to have an incredible musical vocabulary. How this works is a mystery: Bach and Elvis? Maybe genius lies in finding impossible combinations. My guess, anyway. They pull it off.



Seriously recommended to anyone who cares about music."

Could've been released in 1976

David Sleger | West Allis, WI | 01/24/2010

(3 out of 5 stars)

"This is a surprisingly decent album considering the schlock that permeated PRODIGAL STRANGER, SOMETHING MAGIC and NO MORE FEAR OF FLYING (the only Brooker solo effort I'm familiar with). It seems that this record with its equal parts classic Harum ('An Old English Dream') and simplistic pop ('The Blink of an Eye') would've fit nearly perfectly between the final classic period LP PROCOL'S NINTH (1975) and its dreadful followup SOMETHING MAGIC (1977). This album begins promising with 'Old English Dream' one of several tracks that I'd categorize as classic sounding pieces. It is followed by the sterile 'Shadow Boxed' not a bad track but overproduced and soulless. 'A Robe of Silk' continues where the opening track left off - an engaging piano and organ driven melody. 'Blink of an Eye' is a disappointment. It's unfortunate that perhaps the most profound event of our lifetime(s) could ellicit such a hollow cliche-riddled lyrical response from one of rock's heretofore most erudite writers, Keith Reid. And so it goes... 'V.I.P. Room" yeah, 'Question' nay. 'This World is Rich' is nice but underdeveloped. Incidentally Gary Brooker's voice is superb on this album. It has aged sensationally - far better than most 60 year old rock singers. THE WELL'S ON FIRE concludes in strong fashion as five of the remaining six tracks are quite good ranging from the melodic anthem of 'Fellow Travellers' to the Trower-esque rockers 'Wall Street Blues' and 'So Far Behind' to the bittersweet 'Emperor's New Clothes' which might be the finest track here. 'Every Dog Will Have His Day' is a throwaway track whose omission would make this a stronger record. Matthew Fisher's instrumental 'Weisselkenzenacht' is a pleasant piece that closes this album fittingly. Instrumentally, Brooker and Fisher provide what Procol fans would expect. Guitarist Geoff Whitehorn is an unspectacular but extremely accommodating player who plays for mood and effect rather than for spotlights, not unlike Mick Grabham. Drummer Mark Brzezicki (Big Country) is adequate as is bassist Matt Pegg (Dave's Son) - understated playing by both but entirely appropriate for Harum's style of melancholy, classically-infused music."