Gary Brooker

This album features some spectacular names – aside from Mr Brooker he has gusts like Eric Clapton, George Harrison, Phil Collins Tim Renwick & Mel Collins; you are looking at the cream of the British music aristocracy of the mid-eighties.
Gary Brooker himself was a founder member of Procul Harum – the voice of ‘A Whiter Shade Of Pale’ – and having played with some of the greats he was recognised by his fellow musicians as a master. But when this was released in 1982 it didn’t do half the business it should have due to huis association with ‘that bloody song’!

Actually this is a pretty good album.
The songs are generally pretty strong: ‘Mineral Man’ is a superb opener with bounce and a strutting rhythm, ‘Hang On Rose’ has real anthemic qualities and a fine hook, ‘Lead Me To The Water’ has a 10cc-esque mock-reggae bounce to it and ‘Sympathy For The Hard Of hearing’ tells a chilling tale of a life with harrowing emotions and some dark and deep playing building to a real stormer.

The only problem is that it is stuck a little in the technology of the time. A lot of the keyboard playing sounds cheesy today and at least half the songs could have been left in 1982 without loss.

If you are a fan of Gary Brooker there is enough here to bring a lift to your life and a couple of numbers will be on my regular playlist.