Disco de Procol Harum: “Live [Eagle Vision]”

What makes this DVD worth seeing the most is the fact you are able to witness the full force and technique of original drummer Barrie Wilson who along with Keith Moon from The Who & John Bonham from Led Zeppelin was perhaps one of the most naturally gifted drummers in rock music. The sound quality of the 1971 session is great, however the picture which for the most part is fine, is at times spoilt by the occasional and annoying studio camera effects. That minor criticism aside the band are on great form - Gary Brooker's voice is powerful and graceful, Chris Copping's hammond organ sounds crisp and clear but not overbearing, guitarist Dave Ball's riffs stand out on tracks such as 'Still There'll be More' and 'Simple Sister'. The two bonus tracks from the 1974 session `Drunk Again' and `Grand Hotel' lack the audio quality of the 1971 session which makes it sound a bit flat and not as `heavy' - the cameras seem to forget where bass player Alan Cartright is and Mick Grabham's guitar riffs suffer from the flat sound. Although there are no bonus features or glossy production values this DVD in my opinion is still a must have for die-hard Procol Harum fans.

NOTE: There are two (2) separate DVDs entitled Procol Harum Live. The following review pertains to the Radio Bremen / Musik Laden performances from the 70's - not the 2001 DVD by the same name. * * * * *

This is not a concert DVD but it is a live performance. The setting is perfect for an intimate encounter with Procol Harum. The band's performance is amazing to watch in this type of environment as each musician is spot on in their playing. The psychedelic effects in the background are noticeable but subdued on the first nine songs and do not detract from the presentation in the least. In fact, they actually add to the performance in that it makes it perfectly clear that this was recorded in an era when such effects were part of the pop culture.

The line-up performing the first nine songs is as follows:

Gary Brooker - piano, vocals

B.J. Wilson - drums

Chris Copping - Organ, guitar

Dave Ball - Guitar

Allan Cartwright - Bass

Tracks:

1. Shine On Brightly (* Perfect opening song featuring DB on a Gibson SG and CC on Hammond Organ)

2. In The Wee Small Hours Of Sixpence (* A real prog pop treat performed to perfection.)

3. Still There'll Be More (* High energy performance kicked off aptly by B.J.)

4. Pilgrim's Progress (* Nice performance of this Procol epic.)

5. Quite Rightly So (* Gary forgets the title momentarily but nails the vocals perfectly. Great song!)

6. Magdalene My Regal Zonophone (* A true highlight of the set.)

7. Power Failure (* Copping plays guitar on this one - B.J. gets to show his stuff.)

8. A Salty Dog (* Great song, great performance, bird calls provided by the band. Gary states he almost had a stroke on this one.)

9. Simple Sister (* Dave Ball performs with controlled aggression.)

The final two tracks are performed from the Musik Laden stage at a later date. You will immediately notice that the studio stage is much darker than the previous one as a clean shaven Gary Brooker launches in "Drunk Again". Mick Grabham is now on guitar and gets his licks in on his trusty Les Paul on these. The performance on the closing track, "Grand Hotel", is worth the price of the disc alone.

Don't be surprised if you find yourself reloading the disc for another play. I've watch this DVD several times since receiving it earlier this week and it will certainly be watched many more times in the near future.

What a great DVD!!! This great DVD features 11 Procol Harum classics filmed for Radio Bremen and Musikladen TV specials,including: "A Salty Dog","Simple Sister","Shine On Brightly","Power Failure(great drum solo here!),In the Wee Small Hours Of Sixpence","Grand Hotel","Drunk Again",etc!!! Being a drummer myself,seeing the late B.J. Wilson rocking the skins was a major treat,one of the most underated drummers ever(he also plays a mean mandolinon "Grand Hotel" as well!),he will remind people of Keith Moon,but palys with a bit more technique,He's right up there with the best including Neil Peart,Kieth Moon,Ginger Baker,Charlie Watts,Ringo Starr,etc. Original pianist Gary Broker is also on board!!! The other great musicians in the group also are in top form!!! The audio and video are a bit rough,but hey,it's an old show from 1971 that was videotaped,I'll take what I can get!!! A great DVD for Procol Harum fans!!! Two thumbs up!!! Way up!!! Five stars that shine on brightly!!! A+

None of the other reviews of this DVD are accurate - there are for a different DVD that did feature the mid-70's line-up. The tracks on this DVD were recorded in 2001 in Copenhagen. If you pull up the other Procol Harum Live, you will find all the same reviews.

Very confusing. You can tell by the cover picture of Gary Brooker that this was not done in the 70's.