Procol Harum - Shine On Brightly [Japan Edition] (1968)

Procol Harum is a hard group to review, if only because they have chosen stylistically to place themselves in competition with middle-late (Blonde on Blonde) Dylan and the Band (Music From Big Pink); thus Keith Reid can write uncannily like a certain period Dylan (as Rambling On on Shine On Brightly) and BJ Wilson often sounds like Levon Helm taught him how to play drums.
It has been remarked how much the Band album showed the influence of the first Procol Harum album; it might also be remarked how much the second Procol Harum album shows the influence of the Band album. Perhaps this juxtaposition is unfair – it must be admitted Procol Harum suffers in these comparisons – but Gary Brooker, in spite of his unique style, just cannot match Richard Manuel's vocals, and Robin Trower can't begin to touch Robbie Robertson's guitar playing.
In spite of these limitations Procol Harum is nevertheless quite capable of powerful music when not being wantonly eclectic (note the absurd quote from Rodrigo's Concierto de Aranjuez in the middle section of Skip Softly). The dilemma of the group is illustrated quite bluntly by In Held 'Twas In I, a seventeen-minute sonic blitz that ranges from an anecdote concerning a koan the Dalai Lama presumably once delivered, to an electric mass of sorts.
Sandwiched in the midst of all this often patent nonsense is a very moving song decidedly (and effectively) schizoid, about the 'autumn of my madness'. Shine On Brightly is also a beautifully constructed little song, an effective wedding of lyrics and music.
Quite Rightly So and Rambling On are nice tracks, while Magdalene is certainly pleasant enough. Having said this however, it must be noted that Shine On Brightly is not the album one might have hoped for. The Procol Harum's first release was generally more satisfying, especially since this new album displays little in the way of startling growth – the group has apparently chosen to refine their old approach and the musical result, while usually listenable, is not consistently interesting.
One question the album does raise is whether the Procol Harum have the imaginative and musical potential to creatively evolve, and on this score Shine On Brightly must remain an ambiguous statement.
(Jim Miller in Rolling Stone, 7 December 1968) (procolharum.com/sob_rev_rs.htm)