DVD Review: Procol Harum Live at the Union Chapel

This concert DVD will be a real treat for fans of Procol Harum and classic rock in general. It presents the band in all its glory, playing the final show of a world tour that ended in December 2003 at the beautiful and majestic Union Chapel in Islington, London. The band is in top form, the sound quality of the recording is excellent, and the filmmakers took full advantage of the grand setting to create gorgeous visuals. There are just a few special features - arty alternate camera angles on a few songs, an interview with Gary Brooker, and some fan quotes - but there's so much music here that you won't feel the need for more extras.

In two full sets plus a four-song encore, the band plays the songs everyone knows, along with quite a few others from its back catalog, plus a healthy chunk of its new CD, which (unlike with many "dinosaur" bands) does not consist of inferior material. In fact, the casual fan (one who knows only "Whiter Shade of Pale" and "Conquistador," say) will probably not be able to identify which are the old songs and which the new.

Gary Brooker sounds a tiny bit hoarse compared to when I saw him several years ago with Ringo's All-Stars, but he obviously knows how to husband his resources, as any singer who does a lengthy tour of two-hour-plus concerts must. Suavely avuncular, he leads the band without unnecessary flashiness or antics, while clearly having a good time, as are the other musicians. Guitarist Geoff Whitehorn, in particular, is one of the happiest-looking middle-aged rockers you're likely to see.

Brooker's piano and Matthew Fisher's incisive Hammond playing comprise Procol's trademark two-keyboard attack. Whitehorn's bluesy but precise guitar playing rides their waves, while fashion plate Matt Pegg and hardworking Mark Brzezicki cover bass and drums respectively. Pegg makes it look easy (take it from a bass player, it's not). Brzezicki especially impresses; even with the somewhat restricted palette of rock drumming, he paints spacious canvases of sound the way a jazz drummer might.

Not surprisingly, the band has gone through personnel changes since its 1967 debut, but its sound remains intact. Brooker's been the constant, of course, and Fisher is an original member as well. Along with the signature organ, it's Brooker's soaring voice and unmistakable songwriting that make Procol Harum Procol Harum.

Article Author: Jon Sobel

Jon Sobel is Co-Executive Editor of Blogcritics. As a writer he contributes most often to the Culture section, where he often reviews NYC theater; he also writes a semi-regular review round-up of independent music releases. …

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