Skip Softly (My Moonbeams) / Also Sprach Zarathustra (live in the USA, April 1969)
The Milk of Human Kindness (take 1; raw track)
Digitally remastered and expanded edition of the British Progressive/Pop band's third album, originally released in 1969. Rightly lauded as Procol Harum's masterpiece, A Salty Dog is one of the high spots of late '60s Rock... more » culture; an unmissable musical voyage, a brilliant example of how to fuse classical music with Rock and a tremendously rewarding experience, enhanced here with six bonus tracks selected by band leader Gary Brooker. When you listen to the album, it becomes clear - from the sweeping title track that opens the album, to the serene 'Pilgrims Progress', which brings it to a conclusion, that A Salty Dog is quite simply Procol's most rewarding album. 16 tracks. Salvo. 2009.« less
Digitally remastered and expanded edition of the British Progressive/Pop band's third album, originally released in 1969. Rightly lauded as Procol Harum's masterpiece, A Salty Dog is one of the high spots of late '60s Rock culture; an unmissable musical voyage, a brilliant example of how to fuse classical music with Rock and a tremendously rewarding experience, enhanced here with six bonus tracks selected by band leader Gary Brooker. When you listen to the album, it becomes clear - from the sweeping title track that opens the album, to the serene 'Pilgrims Progress', which brings it to a conclusion, that A Salty Dog is quite simply Procol's most rewarding album. 16 tracks. Salvo. 2009.
CD Reviews
Brilliant songwriting, great playing and superior sonic rema
G. Alexander | Baltimore, Maryland | 10/04/2009
(5 out of 5 stars)
"With many others, I believe that this album is one of the great and musically lasting achievements of the late 1960's explosion of rock forays into other genres and, in this instance, is almost sui generis. The melodies are, in and of themselves, gorgeous, with nary a track having the same rhythm or even instrumentation as the one before or after it. I write less to persuade, however, but rather simply to praise the remastering job. I have a German remastered CD and a recent Japanese K2HD coding remaster, which both have excellent sound, but this remastering outdoes this them. Outside of expensive remasters by Steve Hoffman (first for DCC and now for Audio Fidelity) and a few instances by Mobile Fidelity, I have never heard a redbook (i.e. plain vanilla) CD sound both so warm and yet so sonically detailed. The tracks with the full orchestra and band together are a bit less impressive from a sonic perspective but that is due only to the limitations of the available tracks and "pinging" in the recording studio at the time, and I doubt that they can be further improved with any method. The care that Salvo took, in both the remastering as well as the packaging, is especially surprising and praiseworthy in this day of reduced iPod sound. My highest recommendation."
Procol harum gets the sound quality it dererves
Allan K. Betz | Ogden, Utah, USA | 08/16/2009
(5 out of 5 stars)
"After many horrible attempts to improve the original mix through remastering somebody finally got it right."
A Natural Hat Trick
Morten Vindberg | Denmark | 07/06/2009
(5 out of 5 stars)
"A Salty Dog was the last Procol Harum album to feature the original 5-piece line-up. Compared to the previous two, which were very much dominated by Gary Booker's songs and vocals ( not a negative thing at all ), more space is given to guitarist Robin Trower and organist Matthew Fisher.
Robin Trower debuts as leadsinger on his own "Crucifiction Lane" and he wrote "Juicy John Pink" - both songs show the roots of Procol Harum as a tight r&b band. Trower also co-wrote the acoustic "Too Much Between Us" with Brooker - beautifully sung by Brooker, by the way.
Matthew Fisher produced the album, and arranged the orchestra for three of the songs - most note-worthy the title track, which is one of the greatest songs ever written and recorded.
Compared to Brooker's Fisher's voice may appear somewhat thin, but he sings his two songs "Wreck of the Hesperus" and "Pilgrim's Progress" beautifully, and both songs fit in nicely on the album. "Pilgrim's Progress" bears big resemblance to the classic "A Whiter Shade of Pale".
The charming "Boredom" with its Carribean rhythms is a Brooker/Fisher collaboration, adding to the great variety in styles which characterize the album.
Apart from the unique "A Salty Dog", the album features another Brooker classic "All This and More" - classic Procol Harum sound. Inspiration from the Band's recently released "Music From Big Pink", shines through on "The Milk of Human Kindness". The Band was a big inspiration for Procol Harum. "The Devil Came From Kansas" is one of the few tracks I often consider skipping over - too heavy and noisy; seems somewhat out of place on the album.
Much better is the B-side "Long Gone Geek"; another heavy thing, which sounds inspired by The Small Faces or Humble Pie.
Among the bonus-track there are 4 rare live-tracks from a 1969 April tour in the States. Great to hear the original band live - again their r&b roots shine through.
With this album you could say that the band scored a natural hat trick; having their debut and "Shine on Brightly" in mind."
Well-Done Remaster of an Iconic Album
Kurt Harding | Boerne TX | 10/30/2009
(5 out of 5 stars)
"One of the coolest album covers around is what originally prompted me to buy this album forty years ago and the quality of what's inside has kept me buying every "improvement" since then. Only this time there really is an improvement, both in presentation and in the all-important sound quality.
Salvo Records has embarked on the ambitious project of remastering and re-releasing every Procol Harum album from the first through at least Something Magic. In the process of doing so, it is also providing the buyer with quality packaging and an informative booklet with each reissue. A Salty Dog is the third in what has so far proven to be a remarkable series.
What I like most on A Salty Dog has changed over the years as my musical tastes have shifted and matured. My favorites are all now crammed on to what was side 2 of the LP: the epic Wreck of the Hesperus, the gritty All This and More, the raw Crucifiction Lane, and the dream-like Pilgrim's Progress. As much as I like Gary Brooker's voice, it was both Matthew Fisher and Robin Trower who gave the Procol Harum sound a fresh new feel on this album.
On the bonus tracks, Long Gone Geek sounds as good as it ever has despite that it is not one of my favorites. My favorite is Goin' Down Slow, the performance of which PROVES that Procol Harum is the equal of any of its contemporaries in the blues arena. I also enjoy the live versions of Juicy John Pink and Crucifiction Lane, which highlight the rising guitar prowess of Robin Trower.
Whether you are one of the old fans or new to the band, it seems that the Salvo reissues are going to set the standard. So I would recommend getting A Salty Dog and the rest of them while they are available at a great price. The CD is handsomely packaged in a tri-fold digipak and comes with an informative booklet that contains tidbits about the band, commentary on the songs, pertinent album info, and lots of pictures. Don't miss it!"
Music To Feed The Senses.
Armchair Pundit | Durham City, England. | 05/11/2010
(5 out of 5 stars)
"This is music for headphones and a certain state of mind. And if you think that is pretentious, just listen to the album, then decide.
Personal favourite tracks.
A Salty Dog.
The Wreck of the Hesperus.
Pilgrim's Progress.
Boredom.
If on liking this album I would recommend their eponymous first album and "Procol Harum Live: In Concert with the Edmonton Symphony Orchestra", which in my opinion includes the best live track ever, "Conquistador"."
Track Listings (16) - Disc #1