Consumer Guide Album

Procol Harum: The Best of Procol Harum [A&M, 1973]
Not bad for profit taking. The melodies are at their ingratiating schlock-classical best, the tempos up enough to render the lyrics extraneous. Among the four never-on-LP inducements are "Lime Street Blues," a jolly barrelhouse that mentions underpants, and "Homburg," which introduces their "multilingual business friend." But the old stuff reminds us that Keith Reid once knew writing can be a goof--even his "commercial" lyrics from the '70s ("Simple Sister," "Whiskey Train") are self-servingly arrogant. And the Gary-Brooker's-greatest format demonstrates conclusively that he learned his oft-praised blues mannerisms from the constipated guy in the next toilet stall. B+