Friday, September 21, 2007

PANDORA'S BOX

PANDORA'S BOX by Procol Harum.

As far as I'm concerned, Procol Harum is one of those awful groups that has an inexplicable cult following, like "Whiter Shade of Pale is fine, but you should really check out 'Live In Concert With The Edmonton Symphony Orchestra' if you want to hear true prog genius." No thanks.

So is there any Procol Harum worth listening to? How about their last album, produced by Lieber and Stoller, and absolutely despised by their "true" fans. Maybe, though counterintuition only takes you so far (the album is called "Procol Harum's Ninth" [Beethoven get it?] after all). Maybe, mainly because of the majesty of the lead single, Pandora's Box.

This is excellent art pop. A bit of exotic instrumentation (marimbas still being a little unusual in 1975), a little swing to balance the ...ambitious lyrics, overall it strikes a good balance between the art and the pop.

LISTEN.

Photo: West side.

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5 comments:

Anonymous said...

The random crane in each shot this week. I love it. [non sequitur coming]. Maybe a YNWA week would be a good thing.

Anonymous said...

So is NYC in building mode with all those cranes? Things have slowed down in Northern Virginia, Prince William County (which was one of the fastest growing populations for several of the past few years). This is suburbia but the county still issued a ruling that they would not approve any residential building permits for a year.

Mom

bill said...

Tell you what--I'll post a version of YNWA as a pick-me-up every time Liverpool lose. Hopefully I'll run out!

soonergooner said...

WARNING: ARSENAL TANGENT-
Maybe the cranes are a way to comment on the right way to build a team/club.
The cranes lift small parts to become part of a larger entity. They either do their job and grow, or fail. Should a crane pay huge amounts b/c the beams' metal is highly recommended, just because it's critical? Or should the crane pay what is needed to obtain its' services?
At the Arse, we believe in quality materials and letting them bloom in a TEAM.
Its funny, b/c like the cranes, it is there for anyone to see...

bill said...

hmm. blooming metal. interesting mix of metaphors! though I know what you mean