The Best of Procol Harum (1972) poll

There's only two short threads on this band, so I thought they haven't been overdiscussed.
I can see someone voting for anything on this list except the three b-sides. The songs from this were staples on the local classic rock station's 1965-1975 Sunday afternoon programming.

It's almost definitely "Conquistador" (even though I'm not sure I recall this live version) but I'll try to listen to the whole thing before voting.

Seems maybe to be live in Canada, so...

I only know "A Whiter Shade of Pale" and "Homburg" tbh. I thought I knew "Conquistador", but I don't recognize it after all.

Of course we didn't have classic rock stations.

The only Procol song I really like (other than the obvious) is Pandora's Box, which isn't on here as even though it dates from this era it wasn't recorded until later. So Whiter it is.

Oh, it's the version of "Conquistador" with the Edmonton Symphony Orchestra? I think that's the only version I know, actually. Maybe it fit the MAPL criteria for Cancon? It's the song I always heard on classic rock radio. Still brought a smile whenever I hear it at the Beer Store pre-COVD.

The live "Conquistador" was their other hit in the states.

Although checking wiki, I see "Homburg" went to #34 Pop, so they actually had 3 Top 40 hits here.

How did they get connected with Edmonton's (of all places') symphony orchestra?

I don't own anything by this band but I always enjoy them when I listen to them. I sometimes regret missing the chance to seem them from the fences at Bluesfest a couple of years ago.

*see

Listening to the original studio version of "Conquistador" now, it seems oddly stripped down.

Yes, this live version was their second big hit, and probably prompted the release of this greatest hits record (with a picture of a spiral galaxy on the cover, to convince buyers that they were some kind of cosmic space rock). Gary Brooker was talking somewhere about writing the orchestral arrangements on the plane to Edmonton!

I'm pretty sure that Keith Reid was the first full-time non-performing lyricist for a rock band, unless you count some of Brian Wilson's early collaborators. It shows how much rock had changed in 3 years - can you imagine any of the British Invasion groups with a poet in their ranks?

A Salty Dog is worth listening to if you don’t know it. Probably will vote for Conquistador though.

i went with a salty dog. the drum entry alone. those rich chords. really nicely put together, perfect prog. just one more iota of bombast would have pushed it over into kitsch.

I'm pretty sure that Keith Reid was the first full-time non-performing lyricist for a rock band, unless you count some of Brian Wilson's early collaborators.

Didn't the Grateful Dead have a non-performing lyricist? And then there's Pete "Pirates" Sinfield too, although maybe he started a bit later.

Reid & PH got together about six months/a year before Robert Hunter was working with the Dead, and around two years before Sinfield & Crimson.

Pete Brown working with Cream might just predate Reid, but he wasn't a full-time.

Cream are almost the opposite phenomenon - by my count, they had five non-members who wrote original lyrics on their three albums (with Pete Brown making the most notable contributions).
I'm not sure at what point in Dead history Hunter went from "guy who writes lyrics for Jerry" to full-fledged group member.

bernie taupin maybe worth mentioning too, though he met elton '67 compared to '66 for reid & procol harum.

I was thinking of lyricists of "band members" (although Bernie appears in the band photos on Rock of the Westies, at least).

A friend texted me (with the old needs more cowbell joke) whisky train the other day. Cowbell was cool but I did not love the song

later obv but blue oyster cult had partnerships with a lot of outside lyricists (richard meltzer, patti smith, michael moorcock, john shirley), and sandy pearlman did production songwriting, conceptual stuff, imagery, lyrics, you could argue he was the band leader though not actually in the band

though they were around as soft white underbelly in 67, then stalk forest group and some of the early boc material dates to the early days

Automatic thread bump. This poll is closing tomorrow.

"Homburg" is an improvement on "A Whiter Shade of Pale" in terms of lyrics, performance, production and dynamics. "A Salty Dog" doesn't remind me of any other "rock" record except John Cale's "Paris 1919". I'd hate to see either of them ignored.
I've seen a few reviews that criticize Gary Brooker's singing. He's no Steve Winwood in terms of range and power, and there's a certain emotional inflexibility to his style, but I think he's particularly skilled at putting over the funny or witty lyrics, and I wouldn't attribute the failure of any Procol Harum song to his vocals.

"Homburg" is better than WSOP and Gary Brooker is a good singer. Also John Cale wanted to work with Chris Thomas on Paris 1919 because of his work with Procol Harum

I've never heard the word Conquistador pronounced as "con-kwis-ta-dor" before. I'm assuming that's a UK thing, and not the result of everyone involved failing to correct Gary Brooker's pronunciation?

Automatic thread bump. This poll's results are now in.

Interesting, I thought there'd be at least one Robin Trower partisan to vote for "Whiskey Train".

Twas 50 years ago today that Procol Harum Live: In Concert with the Edmonton Symphony Orchestra was recorded.

RIP Gary Brooker

https://procolharum.com/gary-brooker-obituary.htm

oh boy. shine on brightly, gary.

Oh no, RIP Gary.

I loved PH a lot as a teen, and even had the organist at my wedding play "Whiter Shade." Even though I haven't really listened to them in decades this news is making me very sad. RIP.

i loved them as a teen too, which was long ago. i saw them on the grand hotel tour at c.w. post college. the internet tells me that steeleye span opened(!), but they must not have made a big impression on my teenage self.

Oh wow what a memory.

PH were great though. they played much, much louder than one would expect.

A gentler song than was typical for them:

Too Much Between Us