You put Procol Harum together with an orchestra and choir, and it’s
a match made in heaven. For a piece of this heaven, you only need to look
as far as the DVD and companion CD, In Concert With The Danish National
Concert Orchestra & Choir, recorded in the summer of 2006 on
the pastoral grounds of the Palace of Ledreborg, just outside the Danish capital
of Copenhagen. Featuring strings, woodwinds, a choir, Gary Brooker’s
well-known pipes, and a few new faces in the band, this pristine sounding
set is pretty much the continuation on a theme of Procol Harum playing with
orchestras that started way in the early 70s on their Live With The
Edmonton Symphony Orchestra.
Opening with a near-perfect reading of the title track of the 1973 album
Grand Hotel, the band kicks into startling high gear with
Brooker sounding every bit as good as he did back in the day. “Something
Magic” again utilizes the full use of the orchestra, as well as drummer
Mark Brzezicki (a founding member of Big Country). “Salty Dog”
and “Sympathy For The Hard Of Hearing” feel a lot like a Brooker
solo performance with the orchestra, with the rest of the Procol Harum band
taking a secondary role. Things start off well enough, but midway through
the band is so far back in the mix (or not playing at all) that you really
don’t hear them. “Into the Flood” is probably the only song
where the band takes the lead and actually rocks.
Of course, “A Whiter Shade Of Pale” gets an airing with its odd,
surreal lyrics that seem to fit so well. Brooker delivers a nice, bluesy vocal,
maybe his best on the entire collection. But again, where is the rest of the
band? They are more or less absent until that distinctive organ line plays
through and the rest fall in. “Conquistador” is where it all comes
together and makes for an appropriate finale, with those great driving strings,
pounding timpani, startling jolts from the band with riding a wild-stallion-through-the-night
pacing, and Broker’s stirring vocals.
While the CD contains 10 songs from the show, the DVD features 15 along with
six bonus tracks from a 1974 Danish television program. Not only do you get
“The Devil Came From Kansas” — you also get a different
lineup with Brooker leading the way and the late beloved drummer B.J. Wilson
pounding till his heart’s content. The CD is great for a quick listen,
but the DVD offers so much more. Which ever way you go, In Concert
With The Danish National Concert Orchestra & Choir is a great
addition to the already stellar catalog of the immortal Procol Harum.
~ Ralph Greco, Jr.
