The Prodigal Stranger

Contemporary album review

Simon Hinkler in Rock World No 1, June 1992

Essentially a re-union album made for the best reason there is: they wanted to. This sounds like a bunch of musicians and old friends enjoying themselves. The good news is that Gary Brooker's voice is still as good as it was in the Sixties, when A Whiter Shade Of Pale was first a hit, and Matthew Fisher plays Hammond organ in preference to modern, synthy noises.

Unfortunately (for me that is) the production seems to soften up the overall sound of the album. This is something that is really difficult to avoid in studios these days, because you are surrounded by all this 'wonderful' technology and it's a bit like being in Aladdin's cave.

A second hearing confirms that there are some good songs though. The King of Hearts has some of the old Whiter Shade Of Pale feel to it, and All Our Dreams Are Sold is quite a rocker, which I'm sure sounds great live. This album will appeal to anyone who is into latter-day Phil Collins-y stuff, (which I'm not), but personally I think Procol do it better! 

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