We Sail For Parts Unknown To Man

Sad news yesterday: Gary Brooker, the singer, composer, and pianist of the English band Procol Harum, has died of cancer at the age of 76. This was a particularly poignant passing for me; I’ve been haunted by his masterpiece A Salty Dog since the first time I heard it, more than half a century ago, and even after all these years I still think it is perhaps the most beautiful song ever written.

You can read Mr. Brooker’s obituary, at the Procol Harum website, here.

2 Comments

  1. Bill Turgeon says

    Sad news this, MP.

    For me, the single live song of theirs that stands out in every thrilling regard …and one that I have enjoyed a million+ times, is this single one:

    December 27, 1971:

    YT: Quite Rightly So

    This is thirty-nine days after their mighty musical achievement with the Edmonton Symphony Orchestra.

    – Bill Turgeon

    Posted February 24, 2022 at 10:17 am | Permalink
  2. Whitewall says

    Malcolm, I wondered if Brooker’s passing would come to your attention. “A Salty Dog” has excellent arrangement to accompany the vocals. I had no idea Brooker’s resume was so extensive. Guess some people play large parts in other walks of life. I looked over the various band members and only one was familiar to me–Robin Trower.

    I have always been partial to the song “Conquistador”. It seemed to get quite a bit of air play.

    Posted February 24, 2022 at 10:49 am | Permalink

Post a Comment

Your email is never shared. Required fields are marked *

*
*