Disco de Procol Harum: “Home [Home...Plus]”

Home was Procol Harum's fourth release, and quite a departure from the group's previous efforts. With organist Matthew Fisher gone, Procol coalesced around their 'one-two' punch of drummer B.J. Wilson and guitarist Robin Trower to create a surprisingly hard rocking album.

Between "Salty Dog" (1969) and "Home" (1970), Robin Trower showed the most astonishing leap in his guitar mastery. Previously he had demonstrated tasteful leads that augmented songs well, but on "Home" he cuts loose with powerfully muscular guitar that propels Procol Harum to a new level of excellence.

To be sure, it is Trower's rocker, "Whiskey Train" that gives the album a great kick-off. "Still There'll Be More" and "Piggy Pig Pig" feature great, ripping fretwork. The piece de resistance of the the album, though, is "Whaling Stories", where Trower blazes through one of the most spine-tinglingly great solos in all of rock.

I had the great fortune to see these fellows in Minneapolis in 1971 at a place called the Depot (later featured in Prince's "Purple Rain" movie). When the band exited the dressing room and headed toward the stage, I still remember Trower, looking like a gnome with the unmistakably long-fingered hands of an artist. Procol was collectively great that night.

In fact, I don't mean to minimize the talents of Gary Brooker, B.J. Wilson, or Chris Copping. But, at this stage of the game, Procol was a showcase for Trower. He completed one more album with the group, and went on to his solo career, where he was always faulted for sounding too much like Jimi Hendrix. Well, people, Hendrix's influence on rock was much like Charlie Parker's on jazz. Many sax players followed Parker's lead, but they weren't denigrated like guitarists in the wake of Hendrix.

"Home" is the sound of Robin Trower finding his voice. I still think of it as a pinnacle in his career. Check it out for yourself.

Much is being said about the ballyhooed "Salvo" reissues. They're good, just the liner notes thereon prove it. But for the BEST, all time #1 reissue of "Home," seek out and purchase this "Westside" edition. Minimal liner notes (just enough, really...everybody knows that Fisher & Knights quit right after "Salty Dog," both replaced by multi-instrumentalist Chris Copping, my favorite Procoler), but the bonus tracks here are worth much more than "Salvo." Of particular interest is the "take 7" alternate of "The Dead Man's Dream," which has Copping's Hammond B3 much higher in the mix, and 100% more spooky. But for my money, the 2 tracks where you can hear all four former members of the Parmounts morph into "Liquorice John Death," THEN into Procol Harum is a Procol Harum education all on its own. Again: WELL worth more than the "Salvo."

OK I'm going to rave here a bit-Procol Harum were simply one of the finest rock bands to ever lay down vinyl. Gary Brooker possessed one of rock's all-time greatest soulful voices and was a fine piano player to boot. Robin Trower was remarkably adept at adapting himself to the style-hopping this band was famous for, whether it was a screaming hard rock solo, a delicate acoustic passage or just backing the band's two talented keyboardists, Trower was always up to the task. Ditto for drummer B.J. Wilson. Matthew Fisher, whose Hammond organ sound on "A Whiter Shade of Pale" helped define Procol Harum, had left the band after "A Salty Dog" along with bassist David Knights. Chris Copping replaces both men here, which leads to less organ work, as one might expect. As always, the band's secret weapon was lyricist Keith Reid, who was fashioning each album in PH's classic sequence after a certain theme, such as the seafaring tales of A Salty Dog. On Home, the theme was death, which might sound depressing but instead led to one of the band's very best records. Home is such a brilliant amalgamation of styles that a song-by-song breakdown is in order.

"Whiskey Train" - Fisher's departure seems immediately apparent on this hard-charging blues rocker fueled by Trower's Hendrixian riffs. But have no fear, Procol Harum's usual mix of styles is just around the corner. This tale of a drunkard trying to quit the bottle before it kills him gets things off to a great rocking start.

"The Dead Man's Dream" - absolutely phenomenal prog-rock type of track slows things right down during Brooker's melodic piano intro. Soon the nightmarish, proto-death metal lyrics take over and the track builds to an organ-drenched horror show soundtrack. Simply awesome!

"Still There'll Be More" - An upbeat, very melodic track that sounds like it should have been a hit single, until you realize that it's about a lunatic on the loose. "I'll blacken your christmas, I'll p--- on your door, you'll cry out for mercy, still there'll be more." Sing along with the serial murderer kids!

"Nothing That I Didn't Know" - The lilting strains of Trower's acoustic introduce Brooker's sad tale of a man who's beloved has tragically died, and he wishes it could have been him instead. The dirge like pace fits the lyrics to a tee.

"About to Die" - seeing the pattern in the song's themes yet? Another rumination on death, co-penned by Trower who's emotional riffing fuels this mid-tempo rocker.

"Barnyard Story" - Man, can Brooker's voice just tear you to pieces emotionally! His sombre piano leads this deceptively simple yet profound tale. Brooker's best vocal on an album filled with sterling performances. Words can't even describe this track, not only one of the best on this record, but one of their all time best period. By the time Brooker sings the final line, "Maybe death will be my cue," you'll already feel that this is one of the greatest records you've ever heard and they're not even close to done yet!

"Piggy Pig Pig" - A more uptempo rocker with lots of proggy touches and a crazy ending that shows the humourous side of this often serious band. Of course it's the blackest of humour but on this album it just fits!

"Whaling Stories" - along with "Barnyard Story", the highlight of the album. This is the prog mini-epic of Home and this track does have it all. PH was long known for their ability to switch among different styles from song to song while always retaining their identity. Here they do it in one 7 minute song. Dramatic symphonic prog sections, screaming hard rock guitar leads, powerful quiet sections and flat-out rocking, all topped off by Brooker's soulful vocals. The finale alone is worth the price of admission. A prog-lovers wet dream!

"Your Own Choice" - If you hate getting songs stuck in your head, be forewarned! This is the most instant-classic catchy number on the whole disc, and coming right at the end, it leaves you with an upbeat feeling after all the death and drama. Or does it? The first two verses tell us to choose our way of life and live it every day. In the third and final verse the protagonist commits suicide by drowning himself in a river. Only Procol Harum could pull this off, the perfect and most perfectly fitting ending to one hell of a classic record.

All of this band's late 60's to mid 70's output is highly recommended, but if you insist on only two, make it A Salty Dog and Home.

This was the first Procol Harum album I ever purchased, having been lured by the fabulous blues rocker "Whiskey Train" heard on the radio. (Best use of a cowbell I ever heard!) I was not prepared for what came next--a lifelong obsession with this group's music.

Without expounding on this obsession, let me just say that the dark tone on many tracks of this album (Keith Reid must have really been in one helluva funk!) are merely a precurser to an upbeat coda in the song "Your Own Choice" with its delightful harmonica.

The oddly titled "Piggy Pig Pig" is probably my favorite track; I don't know if the title has relevance beyond its vocal match to the syncopation of the rhythm, but the lyrics are most evocative. The performance is outstanding!

I would still recommend the group's first album as a novice's first purchase, however. Buy the albums in chronological order and experience a wonderful musical and lyrical evolution. Not until their ninth album, oddly enough titled "Procol's Ninth", had the group disappointed.

..."Home" is definitely PH at one of their high points. I'm not sure about "one of the ten best records of all time" opinion of one reviewer, but definitely an excellent record. After "Whiter..." PH never seemed to regain the popularity that record spawned. Critical raves they got (along with sneers from some R&R purists) but never the sales they deserved. You'd think that "Salty Dog" would have won them a whole new legion of fans, but here in the US, it caused barely a ripple. Yes, like nearly every other band that year they had been seduced by "Music From Big Pink" and it showed on several songs from Salty Dog, but if imitation is a form of flattery, they did a great job of flattering The Band. "Home" was both a return to basic PH concerns like death, and, well, death. Lyrically speaking, Keith Reid is in jolly good gothic form here. Creepy visions, nightmares, fun evenings in the graveyard etc. ram up against some very jaunty melodies, which is kind of a PH trademark, I guess. The opener, "Whiskey Train" almost sounds like it's from a different album, but it chugs along nicely with Robin Trower's blustery guitar leading the way. From there we jump right into the pit of despair right down to the last track. Usually, this would make for a pretty dire listening experience, but in this case, it just adds to the overall experience. If you're looking for a light, carefree pop experience, this is not it, but neither is it a darkly unapproachable album. The music is tremendous, and, as usual, the hidden star of the proceedings is drummer BJ Wilson, who is sadly no longer with us. The reason PH could get away with songs like "Milk of Human Kindness" on Salty Dog sounding like an outtake from Big Pink, is due in large part to BJ's uncanny ability to use his drumset like a lead instrument w/o ever getting in the way of the song. Really, one of the best drummers in rock, equaled only by Dave Mattacks and Levon Helm for only playing the exact thing the song needs, and no more. I like the first two PH albums, but it was the next three that totally sold me on them. This album, Salty Dog, and Broken Barricades are a great starting place for an overlooked band.