PROCOL HARUM / Live in Concert with the Edmonton Symphony Orchestra

On the 18th of November 1971, Procol Harum recorded this concert with a 52 piece symphony orchestra and 24 singers in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. This is the evidence of this grand event.Already well established as a rock band of serious music that leaned way into the classicial/artsy rock that was gaining in popularity as the 1970's unfolded infront of us. Procol Harum, could produce hits such as: "A Whiter Shade Of Pale" and please record buyers with such epic pieces as: "A Salty Dog" & "In Held 'Twas In I."Lead guitarist Robin Trower had left the band after the sessions for their excellent LP: "Broken Barricades" to explore a more blues/rock orientated direction away from the classicial format of Procol Harum. The group quickly replaced Robin with guitarist, David Ball and headed out to tour the world once more. This concert from Edmonton would be the high-point of the tour.From: "Conquistador" through to the grand finale of: "In Held 'Twas In I", this show is a perfect marriage of rock and classical music forms. This orchestra and the large chorus is not here to linger in the background. "Glimpses Of Nirvana" will show you that an orchestra can hold the power of a heavy metal band {while you watch your windows rattling!}Groups such as Deep Purple and The Nice, had already played concerts with orchestras, but the results were mixed as the rock band seemed to opposed to The orchestra in a fight for dominance. This time out Gary Brooker and his band, got it all perfect. The performance featured here is as much orchestra as it is rock band, it all bleeds together and breaths life as one BEAST. This is the record, for which all others that want to attempt this should listen to first. If the music doesn't fit as perfectly as Procol's does to orchestration...Don't do it, this one already did it better!Again, this is not rock music, it is something else all together. The mission of this group was to produce something 'Bigger' than pop/rock music, something for the ages. Right here on this disc they have done so.FIVE STARS !!!

Since Live In Concert With the Edmonton Symphony Orchestra was the only Procol Harum album I did not yet own on CD, this Salvo remaster was eagerly anticipated. Even though this album was not my favorite Procol Harum release when it was current, I cannot deny that the rendition of Conquistador presented here has become the one by which all other renditions of the song are measured. The song sounded spectacular upon its original release and sounds even more so on this remaster.So why do I give this only four stars? Well, mostly because Conquistador is the only song in which the orchestration becomes an integral part of the composition. On the other cuts, the orchestra merely adds highlights although those highlights are not unimportant to what both the band and the orchestra were trying to do here. The other cuts from the original release where the orchestra does most to enhance the music are A Salty Dog and certain parts of the epic In Held Twas In I. As for the bonus cuts, orchestral impact is minimal. I enjoy most the version of Luskus Delph.Pieces not mentioned are good as well though a lot more could have been done with Simple Sister. The abbreviated take on that here reminds me of how radio butchered the Doors' Light My Fire in the interests of brevity for AM play. Also, even though Gary Brooker has a very appealing and distinctive voice, the vocal parts of In Held Twas In I formerly performed by Matthew Fisher show that he is sorely missed.This is the album where Procol Harum came out of the closet to proudly display the classical leanings fans always suspected they had. As with the other Salvo remasters, this CD comes with a handsome and interesting booklet containing all pertinent album info, pictures, and interesting commentary that is highly retrospective but with a judicious dose of contemporary viewpoints. I highly recommend this and all other Procol Harum remasters by Salvo issued to date.

This release was one of 3 albums that I bought as a kid when I got my first "decent" stereo, and I've loved it for years. Now comes this new remastered version, with 3 additional songs not included on the original. What a fantastic job they have done of remastering this awesome concert! The recording now seems louder(without being abrasive, distorted, or annoying) and it seems to have more headroom. It was a thrilling concert before, but now it sends shivers up my spine. And to think that the Edmonton Symphony Orchestra was playing this show for the first time, sight-reading the material, and that the DaCamera Singers were delayed in getting to the venue by a late flight, and were performing the songs virtually un-rehearsed. Amazing!!!! They all sound as if they'd worked on it for weeks together. The 3 additional songs, at least a couple of which were recorded during a second round of taping at the same show, are all well worth having too! Add to this, the fact that this release sounds even better than the Mobile Fidelity Sound Lab cd version I bought years ago. Don't waste a second thinking about whether or not to buy it...just do it and thank me later.

I( have this album on vinyl, and had hoped to convert it to MP3 so I could listen to it on my daily commute to work. However the original quality was not so good. The usual scratches, hisses and the odd jump here and there. I was not even aware that this album was still available, but the CD is far better quality, and the added bonus of additional tracks was not anticipated. I'm sure that any Procul Harum fan already has this album in their collection. Sure it is now nearly 48 years old, but there are some classics on here. Really love A Salty Dog and All This And More.. I'm so glad I purchased this and would certainly recommend.

Anyone who owned & loved this superb live performance by Procol Harum on vinyl will be blown away by the wonderful soundstage that this exemplary reissue provides.My cherished LP was filed away unplayed for years - How could I ignore this record for so long? Just as bands including the Beatles, the Stones & the Yardbirds led me to discover the gritty truth of blues & R'n'B, Procol's fantastic integration of rock band and orchestra taught me to appreciate the power & splendour of classical music - well,occasionally!The Edmonton concert has always been one of the finest live albums I've ever heard. Since buying this album & "Broken Barricades" as 40th Anniversary edition CDs, I've happily rediscovered the many delights of my Procol collection - a great band.Afficianados won't need reminding of the drama of "Conquistador" or the emotional power of "A Salty Dog", whilst the epic "In Held 'Twas In I" allows the seamless combination of rock band, chorus and symphony orchestra to create some magical moments. The bonus tracks include songs played at rehearsal, and there's a superb 20-page booklet to add value to the package.Don't just gaze wistfully at your vinyl copy of this classic record - buy the reissue, it's timeless stuff.

One may initially wonder how an album UK charting at 48 and devoid of Procol Harum's unique masterpiece ' Whiter Shade of Pale' can be so majestic and memorable. Just listen once to know exactly why. For me this is Procol Harum at their unsurpassed best.The collaboration between rock group, symphony orchestra and choir can never have been finer. Live albums frequently lack something, suffering the absence of studio sophistication. Here's a perfect exception. All the undoubted risks taken in this one-off live performance endear an exceptional magic and musicality. The consistent accolades of the musical press at the time confirm my seeming bias, with phrases like 'a highly talented album', 'the music...some of the finest I've heard', and so they went on.Procol Harum Live was one of the first vinyl albums in my collection and has profoundly influenced my musical taste thereafter. Deciding to re-acquaint myself with this 40th anniversary CD version is one of the best decisions I've made. The clarity, presence and sheer musicality from all those decades ago have just added further splendour over time with digital remastering. The bonus tracks and excellent booklet add a further dimension to the package. Whether a Procol Harum fan or not, I commend you to savour this memorable evening in rock history. One thing's for sure, you'll not be disappointed. Any shade of pale will be turned vividly white!

I bought this on vinyl in 1972 and later got rid of it.As it is part of the excellent 2009 re-issue programme of their albumsI decided to buy it again. These re-issues all contain high sound quality,informative booklets and come in impressive digi-packaging.The album is worth buying for Conquistador alone although all their songswork well with orchestra. The bonus tracks include Luskus delph which shouldhave been included on the original release.The problem I had was that like many great bands of the time there was a tendencyto slip into pomposity with long tracks featuring spoken narration which distractedrather than enhanced the music. The guilty track here being In held twas in I.Having said that, I appear to enjoy these tracks more now than I did 40 years ago.If you are new to Procol Harum you really should start with their earlier albums, inparticular A salty dog. However if you already own those albums this is a worthyaddition to your collection. The fact that I have bought it again suggests the musichas a magnetic attraction that stays with you long after you have filed it away.

For me, this is the best live album I know of. When 'Conquistador' was released in '72 I found it hard to believe it was live, it was that good. The rest of the album stands up well and the bonus tracks are good though I was slightly disappointed with the lack of orchestration on 'Shine on Brightly'. Still a great album though and after more than 40 years, it's Shining brightly!