Althouse: "Prog — it was not invented when we started. We always try to be progressive in what we do. So we made our first album, and then we tried to move on, to progress."

February 27, 2022

"Prog — it was not invented when we started. We always try to be progressive in what we do. So we made our first album, and then we tried to move on, to progress."

Said Gary Brooker, quoted in "Gary Brooker, Singer for Procol Harum, Dies at 76/The pianist and singer composed the band’s music for five decades, including the hit 'A Whiter Shade of Pale'" (NYT)("'A Whiter Shade of Pale' drew on Johann Sebastian Bach’s 'Air on a G String' for its chord progression. Matthew Fisher’s organ opened with a stately melody, and Mr. Brooker sang a countermelody, somberly offering the surreal paradoxes of Mr. Reid’s lyrics").

If music be the food of love/Then laughter is its queen/And likewise if behind is in front/Then dirt in truth is clean/My mouth by then like cardboard/Seemed to slip straight through my head/So we crash-dived straightway quickly/And attacked the ocean bed....

45 comments:

Mike Petrik said...: The “Grand Finale” of “In Held ‘Twas In I” is a goose bump generating marvel. Brooker was a true talent.; 2/27/22, 7:47 AM
Temujin said...: A strange, great tune. And an underrated band for an album or two. Love the 60s and early 70s rock videos that always showed the band running in a field, or just...standing there.

What I didn't know was that he once formed a band with Robin Trower (remember him?). The Paramounts. So English.

Another of our contemporaries moves on to the next show. I'm not sure if they are getting more numerous or if this is just a typical age for people to pass on. I guess it is.; 2/27/22, 7:50 AM
farmgirl said...: Thank for posting the videos along w/the posts. I’ve always loved that song- as someone who used to love going to bars(to dance, socialize &drink- in that order). The feelings good songs invoke is even deeper than a memory.; 2/27/22, 7:50 AM
farmgirl said...: Feeling/is
Feelings/are; 2/27/22, 7:51 AM
wendybar said...: Never a fan of Prog rock.; 2/27/22, 7:51 AM
farmgirl said...: I don’t even know what prog rock is- lol. I just love the slow sway and memories of 18!; 2/27/22, 7:52 AM
Mike Petrik said...: @Temujin -- Indeed, Trower joined Brooker early on and was Procol Harum's lead guitarist for its first several albums.; 2/27/22, 8:29 AM
Ann Althouse said...: "Never a fan of Prog rock."

Me neither.

Still, "A Whiter Shade of Pale" was such a wonderful recording at the time it came out, before "prog" meant anything. That's true of a lot of things — punk was best before anyone said "punk," etc. etc.

Signed,

Old Person (and proud of my condition); 2/27/22, 8:43 AM
Yancey Ward said...: I distinctly remember the first time I ever heard the song- I was in the back seat of the car with my mother driving at age 6 when it played on the car's radio- I asked her if that was on the 8-track or the radio because I wanted to hear it again. I didn't understand the lyrics, of course, but the melody was powerful enough to make an impact. I always noticed the song when I heard it over the course of the next few years, but didn't get my own recording of it until I was a teenager. There is one remake of it by Annie Lennox that I actually prefer today, but the original is still the one I listen to more often.; 2/27/22, 8:53 AM
Rollo said...: People also ask

What is the meaning of the song Whiter Shade of Pale?

The general consensus is that “A Whiter Shade Of Pale” is a snapshot of a drunken sexual escapade gone awry. Yet the song defies a specific interpretation, instead conjuring various shades of melancholy which are embellished by the mournful music and Brooker's pained delivery.; 2/27/22, 9:04 AM
Lem Vibe Bandit said...: I've never forgotten the ominous warnings in a speech by appellate justice Janice Rogers Brown (an African American woman of color by the way (nttiawwt)) in which she used 'A Whiter Shade of Pale' lyrics. The speech was given at The Federalist Society, April 20, 2000.

I will close with a story I like a lot. It's a true story. It happened on June 10, 1990. A British Airways jet bound for Malaga, Spain, took off from Birmingham, England. It was expected to be a routine flight. As the jet climbed through the 23,000-foot level, there was a loud bang; the cockpit windshield directly in front of the captain blew out. The sudden decompression sucked Captain Lancaster out of his seatbelt and into the hole left by the windscreen. A steward who happened to be in the cockpit managed to snag the captain's feet as he hurtled past. Another steward rushed onto the flight deck, strapped himself into the captain's chair and, helped by other members of the crew, clung with all his strength to the captain. The slipstream was so fierce, they were unable to drag the pilot back into the plane. His clothing was ripped from his body. With Lancaster plastered against the nose of the jet, the co-pilot donned an oxygen mask and flew the plane to Southampton —approximately 15 minutes away — and landed safely. The captain had a fractured elbow, wrist and thumb; a mild case of frostbite, but was otherwise unharmed.

We find ourselves, like the captain, in a situation that is hopeless but not yet desperate. The arcs of history, culture, philosophy, and science all seem to be converging on this temporal instant. Familiar arrangements are coming apart; valuable things are torn from our hands, snatched away by the decompression of our fragile ark of culture. But, it is too soon to despair. The collapse of the old system may be the crucible of a new vision. We must get a grip on what we can and hold on. Hold on with all the energy and imagination and ferocity we possess. Hold on even while we accept the darkness. We know not what miracles may happen; what heroic possibilities exist. We may be only moments away from a new dawn.; 2/27/22, 9:05 AM
Lem Vibe Bandit said...: If you play prog rock on a yacht, instead of yacht rock, will the yacht sink like a rock?

This is a tough crowd.; 2/27/22, 9:16 AM
Fernandinande said...: Pachelbel Rant; 2/27/22, 9:33 AM
Sebastian said...: "If music be the food of love/Then laughter is its queen" Etc.

Milton to Wordsworth to Yeats to --.

Progress.; 2/27/22, 9:42 AM
Dude1394 said...: I cannot think of a more celebrated one hit wonder.; 2/27/22, 9:44 AM
David Begley said...: Didn’t Joe Biden and the Dems block any nomination of judge Brown to SCOTUS.; 2/27/22, 10:11 AM
farmgirl said...: Lem- wow.
As I heard her speaking in my head- yr 2000, I thought: we do this too often. I don’t like to think figuratively(or not) tearing down good secure structures is the best way to move forward.

By the Grace of God…; 2/27/22, 11:03 AM
Doug said...: I think I listened to Procol Harum "Live with the Edmonton Symphony Orchestra" a zillion times in my college years.
RIP Gary Brooker; 2/27/22, 11:09 AM
RBE said...: I love prog rock including Procol Harum. ELP, the Moody Blues, King Crimson and Yes stand out among many others. ELP was inspired by classical music. Prog groups were experimental and romantic...an odd mix. Most were stellar musicians. Greg Lake singing In the Court of the Crimson King...nothing better.; 2/27/22, 11:28 AM
RBE said...: Forgot to add link to the original King Crimson on youtube. https://youtu.be/ukgraQ-xkp4; 2/27/22, 11:36 AM
baghdadbob said...: Dude 1394 said:

"I cannot think of a more celebrated one hit wonder."

Conquistador was a top 40 hit as well.; 2/27/22, 11:38 AM
Anthony said...: This is kind of like a plate 'o shrimp moment for me: Just yesterday I got a letter (an actual typewritten letter, on an old typewriter, from a fellow typewriter enthusiast) mentioning a Procol Harum song (Souvenir of London) that was her Dad's favorite. I didn't care for it.; 2/27/22, 11:38 AM
Readering said...: Takes me back to London childhood. Did not really understand the lyrics but never got tired of listening. For more c. 1967 nostalgia just watched recent Last Night in Soho. Silly horror plot based on time travel, but great soundtrack, costumes and scenery. And some Brit cinema legends.; 2/27/22, 11:45 AM
Narr said...: We wore their first album out, but when they and other respectable rockers started going symphonic I lost interest. You can only crossover so far. Compare the true 1HW called Chumbawamba.

I never had any doubt that the song described a fun night turning bad with too much booze and drugs and not enough sex, and Brooker's voice is a good one for it. The song and voice both have a Van Morrison vibe that I've never noticed before.

The success of that song proves the wisdom of only stealing from the best.; 2/27/22, 12:08 PM
MikeD said...: The only enjoyable/listenable version of that song was by King Curtis at The Fillmore in SF. But then, I am a pre-boomer and have little, if any, tolerance for meaningless verbiage.; 2/27/22, 12:41 PM
Lem Vibe Bandit said...: "Didn’t Joe Biden and the Dems block any nomination of judge Brown to SCOTUS."

You might be right... they might've blocked her to one of the circuit court of appeals.; 2/27/22, 12:58 PM
Mike Petrik said...: @Dude -- You really need to get out of your Top 40 bubble.; 2/27/22, 1:06 PM
PM said...: The song Shine On Brightly is one of my all-time favorites.
Can manage a lame version on the piano.
He was a notable voice in a notable band.; 2/27/22, 1:27 PM
rehajm said...: The Big Chill kind of ruined it but eerie nonetheless…

Way to touch people a bit…; 2/27/22, 1:46 PM
Big Mike said...: “Whiter Shade of Pale” was the stoner anthem back in the day.; 2/27/22, 2:11 PM
Iman said...: Quite a talent, RIP. Fave Procol Harum song around our house when I was growing up (too slowly, some said) was “Simple Sister”, employed often against my two sisters.; 2/27/22, 2:19 PM
Jim at said...: While prog is my favorite genre, I just never got into Procol Harum.

King Crimson, Yes, Genesis, Rush, Tool ... yeah. I have all of their stuff. Actually saw King Crimson open for Tool at the Paramount in 2001. Just not PC. Maybe I'll give them another listen.; 2/27/22, 3:22 PM
Ralph L said...: Aren't these guys a little old now to be kidnapping school girls?; 2/27/22, 4:27 PM
Roughcoat said...: Liked Renaissance, especially "Carpet of the Sun." Annie Haslam's voice.; 2/27/22, 5:23 PM
n.n said...: The art, science, and religion of one step forward, two steps backward. Tres chic.; 2/27/22, 6:20 PM
Narr said...: So where does Prog turn into Art into Fey?

Is there something besides contemporaneity that unites PC, King Crimson etc to Pentangle? Or Jethro Tull?; 2/27/22, 7:06 PM
gpm said...: >>Aren't these guys a little old now to be kidnapping school girls?

I've already admitted that I may well be a bad person, but that one made me laugh out loud a little.

--gpm; 2/27/22, 7:33 PM
guitar joe said...: "I cannot think of a more celebrated one hit wonder." PH had a second hit, Conquistador, in the 70s, but it's true they didn't hit the singles charts often. They were lucky to come along when album sales were more important, and they did well there. Their first 5 or so albums are pretty solid.; 2/27/22, 7:54 PM
farmgirl said...: Holy crap- I’m a prog rock kid! Yes, Rush, Tool, Jethro Tull… Genesis!!!
Add a little Eagles and it’s perfect.; 2/27/22, 8:48 PM
Yancey Ward said...: "Compare the true 1HW called Chumbawamba."

They got knocked down, never got up again.; 2/27/22, 10:13 PM
Jim at said...: "So where does Prog turn into Art into Fey?"

I admit, I don't know what that means.

But prog relaxes my brain.

They have yet to create a prog song that's too long.
But Porcupine Tree is still trying.; 2/28/22, 1:51 AM
Jim at said...: I also saw Marillion open for Rush at the St. Paul Civic Center in March, 1986.

But enough about me.

Told ya I liked prog.; 2/28/22, 1:54 AM
guitar joe said...: As with a lot of rock genres, Prog is not a precise term. Ian Anderson rejects the description for Tull and meant Thick as a Brick as a parody. Pink Floyd, Rush, Yes, ELP, Gentle Giant, and the more recent band Porcupine Tree are all prog, and they're different from each other. Early Steve Miller is psychedelic, not prog, but I don't know why, especially since his album Sailor uses a Mellotron line that is very similar to one used in King Crimson's In the Court of the Crimson King. King Crimson and Soft Machine were the best of the prog bands, highly experimental, showing a strong jazz component and the chops to play it. I saw King Crimson in September during what is likely to be their last tour and they were astonishing.

I guess Procol Harum was prog, but I never thought of them that way. Brooker was a very soulful singer and kept the band going even into the new century. The later records don't match the heights of the first handful of albums, but they're not embarrassing.; 2/28/22, 7:19 AM
Narr said...: YW@1013PM

Superb.; 2/28/22, 10:16 AM
Narr said...: My comments come out of a place of confusion--the whole concept of 'rock genres' is a little hinky, but it can be fun to talk about.

TAAB was undoubtedly parody--and brilliant parody at that--but Passion Play was all-too-serious.

I see that Anderson has some new stuff out.; 2/28/22, 10:21 AM