Procol Harum - Home (Regal Zonophone 1970) 24-bit/96kHz Vinyl Rip

The group's hardest-rocking classic album is, beyond some superb vocalizing by Gary Brooker, principally a showcase for Robin Trower's high-powered guitar and a rock-hard rhythm section, with B.J. Wilson only a little less animated than Ginger Baker on some of the music. Procol Harum had a split personality by this time, the band juxtaposing straight-ahead rock & roll numbers like "Still There'll Be More" and the Elvis Presley-influenced "Whisky Train" with darker, more dramatic pieces like "Nothing That I Didn't Know" and "Barnyard Story." Chris Copping doubles on organ, replacing Matthew Fisher, but the overall sound is that of a leaner Procol Harum, all except for the ambitious "Whaling Stories" – even it was a compromise that nearly worked, showcasing Trower's larger-than-life guitar sound (coming off here like King Crimson's Robert Fripp in one of his heavier moments) within a somewhat pretentious art rock concept. It shows the strains within their lineup that the producers chose the lighter, more obviously accessible "Your Own Choice" – on which Gary Brooker's piano is the lead instrument – to end the album after "Whaling Stories"' pyrotechnic finish. Bruce Eder AMG.

Tracklisting:

A1. Whisky Train

A2. The Dead Man's Dream

A3. Still There'll Be More

A4. Nothing That I Didn't Know

A5. About To Die

B1. Barnyard Story

B2. Piggy Pig Pig

B3. Whaling Stories

B4. Your Own Choice

Keith Reid: Words
Robin Trower: Lead Guitar
B. J. Wilson: Drums
Chris Copping: Bass Guitar & Organ
Gary Brooker: Voice & Piano
Produced by Chris Thomas