PH had some nice hits with Homburg and also Conquistador and 'Salty Dog' but an unforgettable fretting organ (Matthew Fisher) winding it's way led by a great voice (Gary Broker) make A Whiter Shade Of Pale my choice for their best song.
Yes your right, this is their best song....considering J.S.Bach was the principle author. Name correction: Gary Brooker not Gary Broker. I think the band member in the video with the tight white flares in the background is displaying some kind of virile miracle.
...'Salty' tears are what count. 'Wreck of the Hesperus' rides on a wave close by (I could almost put 'A Pilgrims Progress' somewhere between). I see them as so thematically and emotionally similar...both struggling against a torrent of immensely huge teary waves.
What I particularly love about these two pieces of music is the lyricism of the segues.
In the 'Wreck of the Hesperus' at the end of the line: "burnt by fire, blind in sight, lost in ire" we have a decrescendo occurring towards the end of that line which cleverly merges into a crescendo lead by lead guitar and orchestra. To me its just magical - like a rising wave. The ostinato piano throughout adds to the atmospheric turbulance of the sea.
In 'A Salty Dog' - another narrative set on the high seas. The instrumental section that follows the line: "A sand so white, and sea so blue, no mortal place at all" is just sublime. It is very 'classical' in style (principally piano and pizzicato strings), tranquil and a good contrast to the rest of the song. It once again returns at the end of the song, as a peaceful confirmation to the safe end of a voyage.
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Yes your right, this is their best song....considering J.S.Bach was the principle author. Name correction: Gary Brooker not Gary Broker.
ReplyDeleteI think the band member in the video with the tight white flares in the background is displaying some kind of virile miracle.
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ReplyDeleteI may have to amend my previous assessment based on my tear pool count. Salty Dog may be their best...but then I'm ocean biased.
ReplyDeleteprecisely, it's the tear count that I objected too
Delete...'Salty' tears are what count. 'Wreck of the Hesperus' rides on a wave close by (I could almost put 'A Pilgrims Progress' somewhere between). I see them as so thematically and emotionally similar...both struggling against a torrent of immensely huge teary waves.
DeleteWhat I particularly love about these two pieces of music is the lyricism of the segues.
In the 'Wreck of the Hesperus' at the end of the line: "burnt by fire, blind in sight, lost in ire" we have a decrescendo occurring towards the end of that line which cleverly merges into a crescendo lead by lead guitar and orchestra. To me its just magical - like a rising wave. The ostinato piano throughout adds to the atmospheric turbulance of the sea.
In 'A Salty Dog' - another narrative set on the high seas. The instrumental section that follows the line: "A sand so white, and sea so blue, no mortal place at all" is just sublime. It is very 'classical' in style (principally piano and pizzicato strings), tranquil and a good contrast to the rest of the song. It once again returns at the end of the song, as a peaceful confirmation to the safe end of a voyage.