Procol Harum Album: “Something Magic [Remasterd] [Bonus Tracks]”

I bought this years ago when it first came out on vinyl, hoping it would be an improvement over it's very uneven predecessor, Procol's Ninth. I was appalled at the musical stench that arose from the grooves of the album as it played. The Worm and the Tree was the worst; it was a sad swan song for the most intellectual song writing duo of the 60s/70s and for the band that gave voice to their creative vision. The words and music reeked of creative and spiritual exhaustion.

In the last couple of years, I have rediscovered my old love for the music of Procol Harum and have been building a CD library that includes many recordings that were not readily available in the days of the LP. Recently, I decided to give Something Magic another shot and so ordered this remastered reissue.

Repertoire Records has done a fine job presenting this recording in the most attractive light possible. Included with the CD is an informative and well-written booklet that gives the listener an idea as to why Procol Harum was on the rocks at this time.

Now that I have revisited the album and have listened with new ears, I find that it has risen in my esteem. Gary Brooker and Keith Reid were still a formidable songwriting team. Just read the lyrics of the first four songs and listen to the musical arrangements on them. They scream classic Procol Harum. Even The Mark of the Claw, the music for which was written by Mick Grabham, is Brookeresque in its sound.

The Worm and the Tree remains problematic. The music, particularly in part one is often gorgeous and dreamy. The lyrics on the other hand, though they are meant to be allegorical, are often maudlin and jejune. As for the final two "bonus" cuts, they are OK, but rather disposable and not worthy of the Procol Harum I knew.

Though this album may not delight everyone, those who are Procol Harum fans should own it to remind themselves that even at their nadir, this was (and is again) a very good band. On the strength of the first four songs and select parts of the infamous Worm and the Tree, this CD rates a solid three.

Procol Harum were on their way out, in a world beseiged with disco and punk. Chris Copping switched back to bass, and Gary Brooker brought Pete Solley in for the coveted organ role. And Pete even played some synthesizers (BLGH) to attempt to keep Procol in tune with the times, but....no. And having schlockmeisters, Ron & Howie Albert to "produce" (heh-heh-heh) "Something Magic" ensured its - and the group's - imminent demise. STILL, though: the fourth song, Guitarist Extraordinare Mick Grabham's "The Mark Of The Claw" made purching the album worth it. It's a grinding rock and roller, but the astounding solo that Pete Solley plays on the song almost justifies synthesizers' very existence. Go on, you've bought albums and/or CD's for just one song before...

Having been a rabid fan of Procol Harum ever since they burst on the music scene in the late 1960s, I am committed to acquiring every piece of music they record. But that doesn't mean that each and every record is worthy of the same high praise. Something Magic is a record that sparked strong feelings in many fans at the time of its release and is widely considered to be Procol's nadir, that proverbial straw that broke the camel's back as far as fan loyalty was concerned. But if you revisit it on this Salvo reissue, you may well find that its not nearly as bad as you remember. There are some great songs here that hold their own when compared to some of what is generally considered to be the band's best.

Even though I already own Something Magic on vinyl and on an earlier CD release, I was willing to hear what Salvo had done with it. And as with previous Salvo remasters, it turns out to be an aural improvement. Here's what I like: the stately, stirring title cut; the gliding waltz of Skating On Thin Ice; the classic Procol sound embedded in The Mark of the Claw; and the appropriately spacey Strangers In Space. Of the bonus tracks, only the jazzy instrumental Backgammon is worthy of a second listen.

The problem that most fans had/have with this album is the sometime astounding, yet often atrocious ditty The Worm And the Tree. This could be a masterpiece if properly redone, but in its present form suffers most from the puerile poetry pawned off as art. Granted, the music at the beginning is often soaring and inspired but it never manages to overcome the snicker-inducing vapidity of the lyrics.

As with other Salvo releases, this one comes with a handsome and informative booklet that tries to explain the album in the context of its time. That goes a long way in mitigating the damage done by The Worm and the Tree in the eyes of this fan. So if you like Procol Harum and have not heard Something Magic, give it a listen while it is cheap and available.

Maybe not their best album (Like "Live w/ The Edmonton Symphony Orchestra", but, still Excellent, one of my favorites, right up there with "A Salty Dog". The only weak Procol albums in my humble opinion are "Tropical Birds & Fruit", "The Prodigal Stranger", and that horrible "other" orchestral album w/Tom Jones singing "Simple Sister" on it. All other P.H. albums are GREAT ! Also, check out Gary Brooker's first solo album "No More Fear of Flying" - very good/fun also and produced by none other than The Beatles' genius producer George Martin.

Wow, Procol Harum frenzy must be reaching a fever pitch for this album to get reissued. It's really hard to imagine what Gary was thinking with The Worm & the Tree. Really awful. I recently read a review which said that this album may encapsulize why punk was necessary. Perfect. Buy anything and everything by Procol Harum except this album! It does have some novelty value for the sole PH Mick Grabham composition - the Mark of the Claw - which features a pretty outrageous synth solo from Pete Solley.