Procol Harum: Gary Brooker (vocals, piano); Robin Trower, Jerry Stevenson (guitar); Matthew Fisher (organ); Dave Bronze (bass); Mark Brzezicki, Henry Spinetti (drums); Keith Reid.
Producers: Matt Noble, Gary Brooker, Keith Reid, Matthew Fisher.
Engineers include: Matt Noble, Gary Brooker, Keith Reid.
More than a dozen years after disbanding, Procol Harum reformed for this 1991 release. The group is here built around the songs of pianist and singer Gary Brooker and lyricist Keith Reid. The band's sound is here further bolstered by founding member Matthew Fisher on organ, and guitarist Robin Trower, both of whom departed at different points during their first five years. Sadly, drummer B.J. Wilson, who was a remarkable stylist and a key component of the group's sound, died a two years before this reunion.
The production on THE PRODIGAL STRANGER is big and bright, and typical of the time at which it was recorded. Dual keyboards still inform Procol Harum's sound, as do the vocals of Brooker, a man who possessed of one of the great voices of late-'60s rock music. The group's overall sonic bearing remains perfectly matched to the words penned by Reid, which are rife with poetic juxtapositions, magical circumstances, and layered meanings, much like the music itself.
Professional Reviews
Q (12/91) - 4 Stars - Excellent - "...a return to form with a feeling of better to come..."
Stereo Review (1/92, p.88) - Performance "Dramatic" / Recording "Good" - "...you can almost relive the late Sixties and early Seventies--back when Procol Harum was doing this sort of stuff for the first time..."
