Procol Harum - An album by album listener's guide

By Scott Meze

Few artists have had as great an impact with their debut single as Procol Harum. Mesmerizing and perplexing in equal measure, 'A Whiter Shade Of Pale' remains the perfect distillation of the possibilities of psychedelia in that brief period when British pop seemed to promise a summer of love that would last forever.

But as this book reveals, from the start Procol Harum envisioned a post-psychedelic landscape of the heartsick and bewildered. Through Gary Brooker's classically-inspired melodies and soaring, soulful vocals, lyricist Keith Reid told harrowing stories of voyages into the darkness of the soul, through graveyards of the damned, and to the depths of madness.

Aided by musicians of the caliber of Matthew Fisher and Robin Trower, Procol Harum invented and mapped out the interplay of organ and electric guitar soon to explode into prog rock's epic structures, and pioneered the integration of band and orchestra that broke the boundaries separating young musicians and the establishment.

It's all here in Scott Meze's guide. Meze explores each album and standalone single in depth, as well as the wealth of outtakes, demos, session tracks, and alternative mixes the band has released on its expanded and deluxe editions, compilations, and boxes. He also describes the band's official live recordings and available footage, and indicates which associated materials and solo albums you'll want to own.

From 'A Whiter Shade Of Pale' to 'Missing Persons (Alive Forever), ' here is the complete guide to a legacy that cries out to be heard.

Note: a shorter form of this text was first released in 2024 as On Track...Procol Harum. This edition presents the full text as originally written, corrected and expanded, alongside Scott Meze's images and vinyl maps.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: B0HH8BZ6C8
• ISBN13: 9798191869476
• Release Date: May 2024
• Publisher: Independently Published
• Length: 146 Pages
• Weight: 0.58 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.3" x 7.5" x 9.3"