Consuming the Tangible

The reasons I picked up the self-titled debut from Procol Harum are hazy at best, but it probably had something to do with discovering that Robin Trower was their original guitar player. Is that enough to make me a fan of the band? My knowledge of anything beyond “A Whiter Shade of Pale” and the fact that Transatlantic have a kickers cover of the band’s massive epic “In Held Twas In I” was basically nil, and so I went with one of my standard gambits when faced with a new band. Start at the beginning. So here we are with Procol Harum. It’s fine, with moments that pull you in and moments that leave you wanting. It’s solid, in other words, like most debuts.

With more than a few listens under my belt, I don’t know if I’m any closer to saying whether I like Procol Harum or not. When Trower gets a chance to let loose, things get inspired, like “Cerdes (Outside the Gates of)” which shows how brightly Trower was burning, and how soon that fire would be too much for the more sedate, ornate Procol gang. So it’s no wonder my favorite tracks are the ones where he gets to do his thing, hence the use of closer “Repent Walpurgis” for the sample track in this review.

But it wouldn’t be fair to say he’s the only good thing on the record. The original UK pressing didn’t contain “Whiter Shade of Pale” but the 2015 double CD set from Esoteric not only has it immediately following the album proper, but also has an early extended version as well as a live take from the BBC. Mono, instrumental, and alternate mixes abound, as do singles and bonus tracks.

Notice how I still haven’t really gotten to the songs? That’s because they reward attention. Brooker, who not only wrote most of the music (though lawsuits tell a different story), also served as vocalist and keyboardist. Partnered with lyricist Keith Reid, the songs range from psychedelic chamber pop: “She Wandered Through the Garden Fence” has a lovely vocal melody, while something like “Salad Days (Are Here Again)” pulls equally from the lush orchestration of George Martin and the Beatles with the storytelling swagger of Bob Dylan.

But if I’m not actively engaged every moment, much of Procol Harum tends to brush past me. I’ll wake up for a snippet of glory from Trower on “A Christmas Camel” or a particularly juicy keyboard sequence from Brooker who turns the opening of “Repent Walpurgis” into an extended coda for “A Whiter Shade of Pale.” Consider me cautiously intrigued — enough to check out the next few records on streaming, at least until Trower leaves the band.

On the off chance anyone out there is a Procol Harum fan, what was your inroad? What am I missing about the debut?

And where can I get a shirt like that?