Exotic Dancers and Fruit
Overall Album Score: 9.5 out of 10 OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOH MANNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNN!!!!!! A Salty Dog was so grandiose in nature that I thought that it would be next-to-impossible to top. Procol Harum, being the coolest art-rock band that ever existed, topped it with Grand Hotel. That album was not only breathtakingly grandiose at times, but it was Procol’s most consistently enjoyable album. It was so great that I didn’t think they could top that, either. But they did! With Exotic Birds and Fruit. No, it’s not as grand as Grand Hotel, but it’s more enjoyable with all the songs on it bordering actual pop music! Really, hardly a song goes by on this album that doesn’t scream out “ENJOY ME” directly into your ears. Exotic Birds and Fruit is such an excellent album. Man! If you have been considering starting a Procol Harum discography collection but have been hesitating for whatever reason, take it from me! It’s totally worth it! I have every Procol Harum album owned up to this point except for Broken Barricades, which I will get the moment it won’t cost me twenty bucks. (I used to have A Salty Dog, but it was stolen … I need to re-purchase that one, too.) Anyway, I’m really having a hard time figuring out if there’s any other band I would rather have such a significant discography of. Especially an art-rock band. There are very few art-rock bands that are so immaculately perfect … I’m rambling, aren’t I? That’s because I can’t find much else to say about this album that isn’t some sort of unabashed praise for it. Read the track reviews for specific info on the songs. And, I must repeat: GREAT ALBUM!!! Overall Album Score: 9.5 out of 10 (This verrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrry narrowly beat out The Grand Hotel as the best Procol Harum album ever made. I think I adore that album more than this one just because of its grand depth. Exotic Birds and Fruit is certainly more enjoyable, however.) Average Song Score: 9.4 (Great songs! There’s not a single bad one in the bunch!) Album Tilt: 9.5 (This is a highly entertaining album to listen to. When there aren’t any bad songs, what’s there to lose? NOTHING!!!) Artist Rating: 9.5 (Another masterpiece. Procol Harum is so cool.) Track Reviews Nothing But the Truth 10/10 Now, this is a good old classic-style Procol Harum tune except this one is more rockingful and upbeat (therefore more exciting and accessible). Gary Brooker’s wonderful talent with melody is at its fullest here … yup, this is one heckuva good art-rock song. And for those of you out there (o, my wonderful audience who art weary of progressive rock), it’s kept well under four minutes! (Of course, Procol has always been good at keeping their songs’ length down even though they basically started the whole mumbo-jumbo lengthy progressive rock scene.) The point I’m trying to make is that this ought to have been something that was played a lot on the radio. As fate would have it, nobody really noticed this band much after 1967, so it was kept off, but … It shouldn’t have been! Everyone shall like this song, because it is so gooood! Beyond the Pale 10/10 Another immaculate art-pop number that’s given a good Mediterranean feel. The melody is just spot-on once again … Man! This Gary Brooker fellow is just wonderful, ain’t he? Again, this guy is just out to create another rock music masterpiece. (There’s even a well-used electric guitar in here … albeit, it’s hidden.) The overall instrumentation is excellent, and the song is even exciting! Yay! I like excitement! As Strong As Samson 10/10 ANOTHER EXCELLENT SONG!!!!!!!!!!!! WHAT’S WRONG WITH THIS ALBUM??? WHY IS IT SO BLOODY GOOD????? Actually, this is my choice as the best song from the album … but it basically ties with the previous three. Hmmm. But this song has the melody that I remember the easiest (really, it’s a great melody). And … geez … would you just check out this totally excellent instrumentation? Listening to albums like this totally spoil me when I listen to generic wannabes (Styx, Kansas, etc.) … argggh! This is so excellent!!!! The vocals here are even wonderful, too. It’s so danged effectively dramatic. Just by the merit of these first three songs, Exotic Birds and Fruit is clearly an art-rock masterpiece. Thou shalt listen to this! The Idol 9/10 Ahhhhh … the seeming immaculate perfection ends … but isn’t this a totally excellent song as well? The melody isn’t as catchy (but it’s still good), and the instrumentation isn’t full of cool novelties as the previous three, but this song is also dramatic and exciting! That’s not something you’d always expect out of an art-rock song. Procol Harum doesn’t wank like so many other so-called art-bands. They’re completely cool! The Thin Edge of the Wedge 9/10 Even when the album gets into something that might be considered throwaway (if you look at it by the sheer merit of its melody) … this is so danged comic that it’s difficult to dismiss this one! It’s such an effectively spooky-sounding song that phonies like Black Sabbath had a hard time topping it. Monsieur R. Monde 9/10 This is another sort-of throwaway song. But I find it VERY difficult to refrain from enjoying this fun song because it’s so loud and even toe tapping. Wow! Will this album’s coolness never end??? … I’m not sure yet, but I doubt it. Fresh Fruit 9/10 Oh, brother! This goofy melody, the cheesy whistling, and the lyrics’ simple ode to fresh fruit makes me think this was written for some children’s program. … But, dude! The melody is so well written that I can’t help but love this one, too! Ohhhhh… How wonderful this album is … Butterfly Boys 8.5/10 Hmmm … This song’s melody doesn’t strike me as anything great (it’s rather generic). But it’s well done and all the stuff like that. The song itself doesn’t give me any added thrills or chills. But this is still an excellent song! When you get to this point of the album, I think you’ll still be listening to this one happily. New Lamp For Old 9.5/10 This is a “Whiter Shade of Pale” type song … and it’s excellent! No, it’s not as good as Procol’s most celebrated song, but it is still good. Plus, it takes on a life of its own. Brooker doesn’t fall asleep at the wheel as this has such a well written melody, and it’s as dramatic and exciting as anything else on this album. Super! Drunk Again 9.5/10 Whoah!! A hard-rock song to close the album with!!! Why is one of rock music’s leading art-rock bands so good at hard rock? Shouldn’t that be a contradiction? Anyway … maybe Brooker was having a Robin Trower relapse or something … but this is another wonderful hard-rock/heavy-metal song to put on Procol’s record. And it was a wonderful upbeat choice for the album closer, too! BONUS TRACK: There’s the single version of “As Strong As Samson” on here. Yay? Got an exotic dancer to get off your chest? Leave your comments about this album here! |
All reviews are copyrighted by the author, Michael Lawrence. He's got a portable telephone in his shoe! ... Hmmm ... bet that was supposed to be top secret. ... Sorry 'bout that, chief.
