A few days ago I bought the DVD+CD release of Live at the Union Chapel, recorded by Procol Harum in December, 2003. I listened repeatedly to the CD in my car (and on my iPod), but it wasn’t until tonight that I sat down to watch the whole 139 minute concert video.
Brilliant. Just wonderful.
Gary Brooker’s voice sounds just the way it did back in 1966, and Matthew Fisher’s Hammond organ playing is as magical as ever. As Gary described in the “bonus interview”, the programme tends to be 40% new material (promoting the latest album), 40% of the songs that they have to play, and 20% of whatever takes his fancy. Highlights for me were “Shine On Brightly”, “An Old English Dream”, “Wall Street Blues”, “A Salty Dog” (boy, that one takes me back!), “Whiskey Train” with a stunning drum solo (remember those?), and “A Whiter Shade Of Pale” with the rarely-performed third verse.
Emphatically recommended.
(I only saw them once in concert – High Wycombe Town Hall, 1969, I think. What a strange venue that was! It’s been over 3 years since they last played in the USA….)