Procol Harum: Live at the Union Chapel [Blu-ray]

There are very few bands from the days of my youth that continue to capture my musical interest, but Procol Harum is one of the few. With the issue of Live At the Union Chapel, they prove that they deserve to be numbered among the musical elite. If you are reading this review, then you probably already have some knowledge of the band and a measure of affinity for their music. If you remember them only the way they were in their heyday, here is an opportunity to see that the band remains a vital unit. The production on this DVD is excellent, the sound largely crystalline, and the ambience conducive to the enjoyment of the kind of music the band plays. I haven't watched any of the extras, but the quality of the performance alone makes this a five-star offering. There are songs from nearly every album except Prodigal Stranger and Something Magic, but the largest number come from their latest CD The Well's On Fire. My favorites are thrilling renditions of Shine On Brightly, Pandora's Box, An Old English Dream, Homburg, Simple Sister, The Question, Wall Street Blues, and of course A Whiter Shade of Pale. Repent Walpugis is missed, I'd have liked to see it replace This World is Rich or Good Captain Clack, but unfortunately it did not. Gary occasionally trips over the lyrics and I think that Robin Trower is really missed on Whiskey Train, but those aren't really complaints, just observations. Overall, Live At The Union Chapel is a Procol fan's dream. If you are a Procol Harum fan, and did not get to see any of the shows when they were on their 2003 world tour, this DVD is a splendid opporunity to see the band's "bookends", Gary Brooker and Matthew Fisher, working on stage together once again. If you were fortunate enough to have caught one of their shows as I was, then Live At The Union Chapel is a fine souvenir of their memorable tour. It is particularly a necessary addition to the fan's collection as Fisher has once again left the band. Add this to your collection while you can. In my opinion, it is the best and most important DVD of 2004.

This is one of the 70's greatest unsung heros of rock. And they are still going strong. With their classic Hammond B3 organ sound and grand piano make an eclectic addition to any classic rock listener's collection. This video, taped at Union Chapel, is an awesome reminder of how wonderful the band was in its hayday.

Excellent in every way. Sound is flawless, video is brilliant. Brooker really has great stage presence and connects with the audience. I was surprised by Geoff Whitehorn - not your typical PH player but he clicks with the group with inspired ease, in ways Robin Trower came close to but never managed. The whole group looks relaxed and having fun, like they're just jamming in their livingroom. Standouts - Weisselklenzenact - best performance ever. Homburg - they make this look easy. Whiter Shade - the 3 verse version closes the concert. Repent Walpurgis is not included :-( It would have been perfect in this setting. Brooker said something about the key it's in being killed off years ago. Extras - not really necessary. Brooker answers a few interview questions. There's an alternate view track on a couple of the songs - it looks like taken from an audience member with a B&W 8mm. Nice if you want to feel like you're in the audience, but with the excellent on-stage camera work you really have a much better view than the audience got. Woof!

"Procol Harum, Live at Union Chapel" displays superb musicianship seasoned by the world tour the group had just completed in 2003. Gary Brooker does a masterful job of singing and piano playing and the band is the finest England has to offer, original member, Matthew Fisher on organ, Geoff Whitehorn on guitar, Matt Pegg on bass and Mark Brzezicki on drums. Procol Harum's music should be much better known as there is no better progressive rock. The powerful beauty and richness, wit and good spirits of Procol Harum's compositions and lyrics by Keith Reid are a pinnacle of rock history and they haven't let up a bit. Some terrific new material from their excellent 2003 CD, "The Well's on Fire" is performed among such classics as "Conquistador", "A Salty Dog", "Homburg" and "A Whiter Shade of Pale". The digital video was skillfully shot in widescreen on high definition cameras, with excellent lighting, direction and editing. The sound quality is great and in surround sound you will feel like you are in Union Chapel on that memorable night. Don't miss this one and tell your friends, this is a classic.

I've been a fan since the 70's and this is a great DVD. Song selection is a great mix of classics (Whiter Shade of Pale, Homburg, Salty Dog, Conquistador, Grand Hotel, etc.) and a few I hadn't heard in awhile. Musicianship is great, and for the most part the camera work and sound work is fine. They perform very well in the absence of a supporting orchestra or choir. Set list includes a rare 3 verse version of A Whiter Shade of Pale. The Chapel is a nice setting for this band - not overpowering at all. The Q&A interviews with Gary are interesting as well. If you are a fan of the band, or just enjoy watching and listening to "live" performances in a quaint setting, you should enjoy the DVD.

Was defective ; I retrned it for a replacement and it was defective ,too. I think there was a problem in manufacturing the Blue Ray version of tis Disc. When I tried to re order it in standard ( non Blue Ray ) version, it is still out of stock, so I think others have had te same problem and tried also to re order the regular version, which has caused the out of stock situation.

This is a great concert for Procol Harem fans, but it was slow and ponderous for me. I grew up on Led Zeppelin, The Who, Black Sabbath, and Deep Purple and this just didn't really make me want to rock out.

Again be careful of the item ordered. There is a single DVD version and a DVD and CD. I did not get the CD. I have noted this for Amazon. The DVD is very good. Eagle vision does a great job of showing different angles and spotlighting the group...not much can be done about the ambient acoustics or lighting in a small chapel. It is shown as performed and depends on your preference of Procol Harum material.

There seems to be a major resurgence of interest in 1970s music as today's 15-25 year olds rediscover music from that decade. I grew up in the 70s and my friends' teenaged sons and their friends are now frequently asking me about 70s bands and looking for lesser known bands and albums from that era. Procol Harum is one band I've told them about. Many people know Procol Harum from their two songs that get radio play: Conquistador and Whiter Shade of Pale. Those are both good songs that have stood the test of time but this band actually had a lot more great material that never made it on to the radio. For those unfamiliar with Procol Harum, this DVD is an excellent introduction to the band. It contains a lot of their best known material from the late 1960s and early 1970s along with some new songs. For those who do know Procol Harum's work from 40 years ago, this DVD is a worthwhile purchase. The two main creative players in the original band, Gary Brooker and Matthew Fisher, are both still active in the band and both are featured in this performance. Gary Brooker's voice has held up very well and Matthew Fisher's organ playing is still a main component of the band's sound. The band has gone through a number of guitar players over the years. Robin Trower is probably the best known of Procol Harum's former guitar players. The band's current guitarist, Geoff Whitehorn, is excellent. I wasn't familiar with Whitehorn before seeing this DVD but apparently he's been around the British music scene since the 1960s and has played with Roger Daltrey, The Who, Paul Rogers and many others. I was really impressed with his playing on this DVD. The venue for this recording was the Union Chapel in London's Islington district. It's a 19th century church that is still being used as a church but which is also used regularly as a venue for live performances. The church apparently uses the funds raised from concerts to fund its other activities. It's a great venue. It looks really good in the DVD and, like many 19th century churches, it has great acoustics. These churches had to have good acoustics since the congregation had to be able to hear the sermon throughout the building. One former 19th century Methodist church in my home town of Victoria, B.C. is now the Victoria Conservatory of Music. The former worship area is now a concert venue and performance hall. Like Union Chapel, it has excellent acoustics. The sound on this DVD is really good and the Union Chapel building undoubtedly played a major role in the final sound. This DVD is an excellent introduction to Procol Harum for those unfamiliar with the band. If you're already familiar with the band, this DVD is a very worthwhile addition to your collection. One other piece of trivia for Robin Trower fans. Robin Trower was Procol Harum's guitarist back in the late 1960s, early 1970s. Robin Trower's first two albums (Twice Removed From Yesterday and Bridge of Sighs) were produced by Matthew Fisher, who appears on this DVD in his long time role as the organ player in Procol Harum. Bottom line: Great DVD. If you're discovering/re-discovering or exploring 1970s music, this album is worth checking out.

Pour beaucoup, et surtout en France, Procol Harum est resté le groupe d'un seul tube: A Whiter Shade Of Pale. Grossière erreur! J'ai (re)découvert ce groupe il y a peu et l'immense qualité de song-writer de Gary Brooker, son principal compositeur (lyrics by Terry Reid). Ce concert At The Union Chapel de Londres est une petite merveille. Ambiance intimiste,image et son impeccables, très intelligemment cadré. Datant de 2003, à la sortie de leur dernier album Well's On Fire, Procol Harum interprète quelques uns de leurs plus récents morceaux, mais surtout un pot pas trop pourri de leurs plus grandes réussites: A Salty Dog, chair de poule assurée, Grand Hotel, baroque et dandy en diable, Hombourg ou Conquistador où Brooker confesse son admiration pour Ray Charles. Et puis évidement A Whiter Shade Of Pale, dans une version longue ou Matthew Fisher tricote de divins entrelacs d'Hammond. Gary Brooker au piano et Matthew Fisher à l'orgue sont toujours là, aux deux extrémités de la scène, comme pour rappeler leurs anciennes mésententes. Dans les anciens morceaux, Geoff Whitehorn nous offre à nouveau les belles parties de guitare de Robin Trower, avec un son un peu moins fuzzy qu'à l'époque, mais toujours très énergiques et lyriques, rappelant un peu Gilmour. Mark Brzezicki, batterie et Matt Pegg Bassiste sont tous deux excellents et on voit qu'ils prennent beaucoup de plaisir à accompagner ces vieux renards des sixties. La voix de Gary Brooker a très bien supporté le poids des années, toujours aussi puissante et suave, le Peter Gabriel du riche ! Et puis cet orgue Hammond, discret et omniprésent, qu'aucun synthé n'arrivera a égaler. Un beau voyage dans le temps, sans passéisme outrancier, mais avec la nostalgie du goût des choses simples.

Nachdem das Studioalbum von 2003 (The Well's on fire) schon ein qualitativ sehr hohes Niveau hatte durfte man auf das Live Album gespannt sein. Die Live-DVD "at the Union Chapel" war das letzte Konzert der 66 Konzerte umfassenden Tour. Und es war ein ganz besonderes. Von der Atmosphäre in der ehemaligen Kirche über die Stimmung im Publikum bis hin zur sehr guten spielerischen Verfassung der Band. Zu meinen persönlichen Höhepunkten gehören: Grand Hotel: Nie war der Tango in der Mitte perfekter. Quite rightly so: Selten live gespielt, aber der Groove ist super. fantastischer Gesang, ausgezeichnetes Schlagzeug, sakrale Orgel, wunderschöne, kraftvolle Lead-Gitarre. Dieser Song ist sowohl für das Konzert als auch für Procol Harum stellvertretend. Weitere Highlights sind die Hard-Rock Nummer "Simple Sister", das "Repent Walpurgis No2" (Weisselklenzenacht), die Blues Jams im Rap-artigen "Wall Street Blues", im Dire Straits liken "The Question" und dem sehr selten gespielten "Every dog will have his day". "A salty dog" hat nichts von seiner Faszination verloren. Gary Brookers Stimme wird anscheinend von Konzert zu Konzert besser....."Whiskey Train" wartet mit einem zwei-minütigen Top-Drum-Solo auf und "A Whiter Shade of Pale" ist erstmals offiziell in der 3-Vers-Version zu hören. Sound & Bild sind über jeden Zweifel erhaben. Der einzige kleine Wehmutstropfen: Schade das vom Soundcheck ("Grand Finale","A Rum Tale", "Look to your soul") keine Mitschnitte zu sehen sind , wie auf der letzten DVD (live in Copenhagen). Aber das trübt das Gesamtbild eigentlich gar nicht.

Buen directo, Buen sonido y buena imagen, Ya no estamos en los 70 y no suenan como en esa época, la voz de Gary Brooker ya no es la misma, pero vale la pena verlo, los temas son todos buenos y la mayoría de la primera época.

ありがとうございました。