"Broken Barricades" by PROCOL HARUM – May 1971 US LP on A&M Records and June 1971 UK LP on Chrysalis Records – featuring Robin Trower, Gary Brooker, Chris Copping, BJ Wilson and lyricist Keith Reid (28 June 2019 UK Esoteric Recordings 3CD Expanded And Re-Mastered Edition with 36 Bonus Tracks (32 of which are Previously Unreleased) in a Large Card Digipak with Booklet and A Foldout Poster – Paschal Byrne Remasters) - A Review by Mark Barry...

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Desperate not to be pigeonholed by the Mellotron melodrama of May 1967's "A Whiter Shade Of Pale" (a huge worldwide hit) - Procol Harum were always trying to move forward musically from that crowd-pleasing 45 straightjacket with their albums proper - onwards and upwards and damn the genre torpedoes. But truth be told, their dense often Prog-like Rock of the late 60ts and early 70ts has always been something of an acquired taste and their fifth studio LP "Broken Barricades" from 1971 was and is no different. 

The last platter to feature ace lead guitarist Robin Trower who quit a month after its release to pursue a solo career (his hard rocking Hendrix-like debut "Twice Removed From Yesterday" appeared in March 1973 also on Chrysalis Records) - BB has divided the faithful for years - some loving it - some loathing it - most sensibly plopped in-between. 

"Broken Barricades" was issued first week of May 1971 in the USA on A&M Records SP-4294 and second week of June 1971 in Blighty on Chrysalis Records ILPS 9158 (Chrysalis still using the Island catalogue number numerical hence the ILPS code). But which reissue to buy on CD? There are three principal ones to choose from with both 'content' and 'price' a factor, and I'd like to explore what's what and why?

First up was Germany's Repertoire Records; their EROC remastered "Broken Barricades" appearing in August 2002 on Repertoire REP 4980 (Barcode 4009910498026). That single-CD variant came in a card digipak with three bonus tracks - "Broken Barricades" (Single Edit)", "Power Failure (Single Edit)" and "Simple Sister (Mono Version)". I mention this because despite the huge 36 Bonus Tracks offered on this latest June 2019 triple-CD set from Esoteric Recordings of the UK (32 of which are Previously Unreleased) – that threesome is 'not' featured here and when you look at the 66-minute playing time on Disc 3, there was room. The 7" single edits of "Broken Barricades" b/w "Power Failure" were issued Stateside in July 1971 on A&M Records 1264 with no UK equivalent – so have always been British 45 collector's items for years. It feels like a bit of a silly oversight to have left them off. 

The second CD outing for "Broken Barricades" came with Salvo of the UK in August 2009 as part of their 'Procol Harum 40 Years' reissue series. Salvo Records SALVOCD022 (Barcode 698458812223) offered Four New Bonus Tracks – all Previously Unreleased at the time. At least these four are repeated on this 2019 Esoteric Records 3CD variant (the titles are Tracks 10, 9, 17 and 15 on CD A as listed below). Coming in a gatefold card sleeve, Nick Robbins of Ace Records fame was the Remaster Engineer on that Salvo version and most fans rate this variant as tops. The Repertoire and Salvo issues are still under a tenner new and can often be found for less on auction sites.

Which brings us to this new 3CD beast clocking in at over twenty quid depending on where you buy it and offering some genuine rarities fans have been craving on digital for over three decades. Let's get to the technicalities...

UK released 28 June 2019 (delayed from May 2019) - "Broken Barricades: Expanded And Re-Mastered Edition" by PROCOL HARUM on Esoteric Records ECLEC 32673 (Barcode 5013929477346) is a 3CD Three-Flap Card Digipak Reissue with 44-Tracks (36 Bonus Tracks, 32 of which are Previously Unreleased) that plays out as follows:

CD A (72:53 minutes):

1. Simple Sister [Side 1]

2. Broken Barricades 

3. Memorial Drive 

4. Luskus Delph 

5. Power Failure [Side 2]

6. Song For A Dreamer 

7. Playmate Of The Mouth 

8. Poor Mohammed 

Tracks 1 to 8 are their fifth studio album "Broken Barricades" - released May 1971 in the USA on A&M Records SP-4294 and June 1971 in the UK on Chrysalis ILPS 9158. Produced by CHRIS THOMAS - it peaked at No. 32 in the USA and No. 44 in the UK. Tracks 1, 2, 4, 5 and 7 written by Gary Brooker and Keith Reid - Tracks 3, 6 and 8 written by Robin Trower and Keith Reid 

BONUS TRACKS: 

9. Simple Sister (Raw Track) *

10. Broken Barricades (Long Fade) *

11. Memorial Drive (Early Mix) 

12. Memorial Jam 

13. Luskus Delpi (Early Version)   

14. Power Failure (No Applause) 

15. Song For A Dreamer (King Jimi) (Backing Track) * 

16. Playmate Of The Mouth (The Boyard's Ball) (Raw Track, Heavy Bass Mix) 

17. Poor Mohammed (Backing Track) *

* First appeared August 2009 on the Salvo Records 40th Anniversary CD Reissue - all others PREVIOUSLY UNRELEASED

CD B - PREVIOUSLY UNRELEASED (71:54 minutes):

Live - WPLJ, New York City, 12 April 1971 

1. Memorial Drive

2. Still There'll Be More 

3. Nothing That I Didn't Know 

4. Simple Sister

5. Luskus Delph 

6. Shine on Brightly

7. Whaling Stories 

8. Broken Barricades 

9. Juicy John Pink 

10. A Salty Dog 

11. Whisky Train 

12. Power Failure  

Tracks 1 to 12 were originally issued in the USA on a white label unofficial compilation called "The Elusive Procol Harum" (catalogue number 718 A/B). This is the first official release of this Mono material. 

BBC Radio One - 'Sounds Of The 70s' - recorded 6 October 1971

13. Simple Sister 

14. Quite Rightly So 

15. Broken Barricades 

16. Power Failure  

CD C - PREVIOUSLY UNRELEASED (66:41 minutes):

Live - Sverige Radio, Folkets Hus, Stockholm, 16 October 1971

* Not featured in the Sverige Radio Broadcast 

1. In The Wee Small Hours Of Sixpence *

2. Still There'll Be More 

3. All This And More 

4. Quite Rightly So 

5. Power Failure 

6. Pilgrims Progress 

7. Simple Sister 

8. Magdalene (My Regal Zonophone)

9. A Salty Dog 

10. Repent Walpurgis * 

11. In The Autumn Of My Madness / Look To Your Soul / Grand Finale 

The original 1971 LP (on both sides of the pond) was a gatefold sleeve with die-cut shapes in the card on the front-flap to see the band faces on the inner flap beneath. As another reviewer has pointed out, this three-way foldout digipak doesn't have such elaborate packaging and worse - it feels clunky and awkward with what it does have. One flap of the digipak has a six-leaf foldout poster of the cover art (Esoteric Recordings catalogue number on it) while the 28-page booklet is certainly substantial with new liner notes from ROLAND CLARE. The lyrics are on the digipak flaps but there is naught beneath the see-through CD trays. 

The booklet is very in-depth and features input from the band’s leading player Gary Brooker and archive material. You get rare 45s from Europe of "Poor Mohammed" and the hard-to-find titled US sleeve for "Simple Sister", period pictures of the band, an A&M trade advert for the US album, even a full-page shot of a 1970 master-reel from the "Broken Barricades" sessions. The booklet also shows a photo of the four-piece featured on the cover - Robin Trower on Guitar, Gary Brooker on Keyboards and Vocals, Chris Copping on Bass and Hammond Organ while BJ Wilson played the Drums and Percussion. The unsung fifth member of the band was lyricist Keith Reid described as providing 'words' pictured in silhouette on the rear. I can't help thinking that this is really one of those occasions where it would have been better to have a 3CD Clamshell Box Set – three mini LP repro artwork sleeves on the inside, the 1971 bootleg art (which exists) and a new cover for Disc 3's Swedish Radio Broadcast. 

The Audio is a 24-Bit Remaster from original tapes by PASCHAL BYRNE at Audio Archiving and it really is a tale of two source cities. Some have said the album is too bright – I don't think so. I've had the Salvo issue for years and it's the nuts – but here there is more power in those keyboard flourishes – the vocals too – and the guitar feels like its about to bust a gut but not in a bad way. But I agree with detractors that feel the live recordings are just about acceptable – while the BBC stuff is disappointingly gruff and actually rather crappy (I can so hear why this session stayed in the can). Still, to have this much unreleased-material in one place will be a huge draw to fans (especially that US famous white label). And Trower was still with the group too managing three songs on the record while Gary put up the rest (I dig that Brooker/Trower dynamic). To the tunes...

I never could work out whether lyricist Keith Reid was with the whooping cough kid in "Simple Sister" (pointing out her horrible social stigma) or against her - the lyrics reeking ever so slightly of snide. No such confusion however with the Trower riffage - Side 1's opening track smacking of "Whisky Train" revisited - that fantastic Rock chugger on the band's preceding album "Home" from 1970 on Regal Zonophone Records. That fuzzed-up Sabbath-like guitar is quickly joined by piano-funk. I never did like the vocal on this – feels like it's detached and too far back in the mix – and unfortunately I'm not sure this Remaster helps. The simpler title track "Broken Barricades" with its catchy synth runs was an obvious US single – all bright jewels and glittering sand – the sound is great. We're back to riffing with the excellent "Memorial Drive" – the band sounding like a Rocking outfit – cool piano soloing too. Side 1 ends with "Luskus Delph" – a tune I always liked musically (even those string passages) but those lyrics feel forced and pretentious. 

The Side 2 opener "Power Failure" is my favourite cut on the record – a heady mix of Trower guitar – great Brooker vocals and a set of keyboard arrangements that make the whole chunky tune swing. A&M in America tried the full version of "Simple Sister" as a second 45 from the album in September 1971 with the equally long five-minutes-plus of "Song For A Dreamer" on the flipside (A&M 1287). But I think they should have resurrected the shorter Rock-catchy "Power Failure" which they'd used as the B to "Broken Barricades" in July and tried that as an A in September 1971. The Remaster of "Power Failure" is excellent and I've been playing it like a loon – siding it into playlists alongside the fantastic March 1971 "Dragonfly" B-side "The Purple Dancer" by Fleetwood Mac (see my review for the 2020 box set "Fleetwood Mac: 1969 to 1974"). Speaking of which, the album's other redeemer is the Fleetwood Mac "Albatross"/Jimi Hendrix "Little Wing" floating beauty of "Song For A Dreamer" – a Trower tune that precursors the ballad sound he would get on say "Bridge Of Sighs" from 1974. With a really great remaster - "Song For A Dreamer" is shimmering Rock that sounds like its lyrics – oblique words sung about meeting you on the other side of the moon – lying in the ocean – scheming at the bottom of the sea. The album finishes with two tunes that divide - the slyly worded nasty that is "Playmate Of The Mouth" (month/mouth pun intended) followed by the equally acrid "Poor Mohammed" - both somehow reading as sympathetic and damning at one and the same time. 

Of the Alternates - the drums and slide guitar of "Power Failure" is a real funky find as is the 'King Jimi' mix of "Song For A Dreamer" - a stunning 'vibe' tribute to the recently lost master axeman. The being at 'The Boyard's Ball' version of "Playmate Of The Mouth" does feel like a work-in-progress albeit a not very interesting one. Better is a tad hissy "Memorial Jam" - riffage galore - working it out - well worth the entrance fee and a must for Robin Trower devotees. 

"So ladies and gentlemen, without further ado..." the announcer introduces the band and off goes Trower and Brooker - silver dollar across the sea. The "Home" album track "Still There'll Be More" follows and although the sound is very 1971 - it isn't disastrous by any means - power in the performance. The 'slow Scottish lament' of "Nothing I Didn't Know" is introduced with humour and both piano and vocals are well transferred. Trower nearly blows the room out with "Simple Sister" but I went instead to the Ten Years After boogie of "Juicy John Pink" and the set's final winning double of "Whisky Train" and "Power Failure" - both akin to early ZZ Top - if that makes sense. The four from the BBC are practically unlistenable and really should have been replaced with those single edits. I have to admit to that I struggled too through the Sverige set not because of the performance but the sound - Brooker's vocals too distant to be genuinely engaging or enjoyable.

So despite the splurge of Previously Unreleased and combined with the fatso packaging that feels clunky instead of classy - I'd give this bulging attempt at "Broken Barricades" four stars instead of five for a 'different' remaster of the album, those unreleased outakes worthy of the moniker Bonus and that excellent-sounding US gig. The rest feels unnecessary, but of course, fans will have to own it. A 'cellar full of diamonds' then, well almost...