Procol Harum - The Devil Came From Kansas - live 1974

[Saintpauliana]

Deagle---Amen! I saw P.H. in San Antone in 1970 the poor bastards that had to follow them were, if I am not mistaken, 10 Years After. I didn't even wait to listen to them. I went backstage and talked with Gary and Keith.

[Nonsensebwoy]

*sigh* Mick Ronson had his jaw on the floor when he heard Procol Harum just as everyone else in Britain and the rest of the developed world did. Fix up.

[dnupdnup]

It is a joy to listen to Wilson's sweeping drum fills. Hard to find such subtlety in music today.

[mrkenray]

listened to the whole thing, and I can't find anything of redeeming musical quality in this...screaming hippies playing unmelodic disjointed mathrock, and the guitar solos are just amateurish - look at contemporaries Mick Ronson, Steve Hunter, Dick Wagner...this is just crap. Might have been awesome to stoned hippies at the time, but review from here says it's junk.

[BadfingerBoogieBarb]

@mrkenray

I believe there is a photo of Mr Kenray in the latest Webster's Dictionary under the word 'opinionated'.



[bunghat]

@mrkenray Go nibble on some dung chunklets, shit-lips.

[GabrielDhalaman]

FOREVER BJ WILSON!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

he was also the drummer from various songs you heard,people,as joe cocker´s with a little help from my friends

the guy even played for ac/dc for a real small period,ahahahah

And turned down jimmy page´s ofert to join his new group led zeppelin,jimmy was an admiror

and so it goes

FOREVEEEEER BJ!!!!

[JoonasFinland]

Fucking hell! Two great guitar solos in one song and a brilliant melody. They just don't make music like this anymore.

[oliaiguambfigues76]

Fantastic! One of the best songs by one of the best rock bands:)

[dnupdnup]

MrStigAndersen. Thank you. Poor sound quality here. At first I thought Brooker may have been referring to Carlsberg beer. What threw me off was his suggestion of a location. I understand that Carlsberg is made in Copenhagen. As well, I suppose, the addition of the word 'cheese' to this very cool song never sat well with me-the word just seems to hang there. Don't ask me why. Lactose intolerance perhaps.

[mpurves98]

My favorite Procol Harum song. Thanks for posting.

[dnupdnup]

Brooker has some fun with the 'cheese' line and comes back into the second verse with 'the devil came from Jarlsberg'! Funny stuff!

[MrStigAndersen]

@dnupdnup That is "Carlsberg" - famous Danish beer.

[thewordofgord]

Mostly agreed Deagle, but on one of the five or so times I saw them, in Toronto in 1971, King Crimson opened and really did blow them away. Mind you, that line-up and that tour ("Earthbound") they would have blown away anyone.

wordofgord

[tblkcd052951]

@thewordofgord

Saw King Crimson that year as well, in Detroit, and Procol Harum as well - not together. My cup of tea by far was PH ... altho Crimson is the loudest band I ever saw, by far actually - my ears rung for days after and, I don't believe, ever fully recovered (I'm semi-ashamed to admit it was worth it). But PH's subject matter, with the magic of Trower, made the difference for me.

[Deagledrumzz]

@Michaelgeraddejong,Barrie is B.J Wilson,B.J is the initials,his real name is Barrie.And he was the soul of Procol Harum.He is GREATLY MISSED!!!

[jon1156]

Boss f*ckin' guitar sound. And can BJ actually see the snare head at that height?

[jon1156]

Boss f*ckin' guitar sound!

[MirraSyren]

It's so perfect!!! : O

[nudgler]

great performance ! .... nice vocal harmonies, guitar solos, climactic ending and of course B.J.'s drumming............. ahhhhhh the good old days of REAL music

[allennnnnn91]

Dig that sweet wallpaper!

[lancelightning]

This is one of their best songs...I've always loved the lyrics, though God knows what they were about..I liked this line-up too....I thought that Chris Copping was better on the Hammond than Matthew Fisher..I was never entirely convinced by Mick Grabham, though I must say he sounds good here....Dave Ball did a better job and gave Trower a good run for his money. I think that recent PH incarnations have been a waste of time. You can't possibly recreate this stuff..... Chris(not Copping!!)

[ega95jch]

@lancelightning I so agree with you. Grabham never really did it for me either, but Cartwright's a good bass player. Dave Ball was awesome, and should have stayed. I much prefer Copping to Fisher, and there's the immortal Barrie Wilson. All in all, a great line up. Yes the lyrics - I'd like some of what Keith Reid was on!

[chippy783]

waited along time to see this song, since

'70.  Had smoking girl, and no clue. Still where's the organist?, and there's never gonna be a trower to replace trower.

Their reunion album was a call in

[camelandu2]

You can't see the keyboardist, he didn't fit on the stage! You can see him briefly around 0:43.

[CaptainPrivate]

Saw them many times ...beginning in the Trower days......Saw them about 71-72 in Massey Hall in Toronto...W shouted out "Devil came from Kansas"...Gary looked out and said, "And he's here tonight"...which got a laugh. My favorite band at the time and at the top of my historically top groups.

[Deagledrumzz]

It's always wonderful to see Procol with Barrie on the drumzz. He was and always will be the eternal Procol drummer.This version of the band with Mick Grabham on guitar was also a very wonderful combination. I saw the Harum 22 times in the 60 's and 70's,and I can say without any hesitation,ANY BAND that had to follow the Harums amazing set (with Brooker,Trower,Fisher,and BJ) were in trouble,because their sound was like an electric symphony played by the GODS themselves.

[michaelgerarddejong]

@Deagledrumzz don't you mean B.J. Wilson my friend ???

He's the drummer I link the most with Procal

[tblkcd052951]

@Deagledrumzz ... you're one of the few who saw them more than me ... 3 times with Trower, a dozen after, all by 1974. World's Greatest Band with Robyn.

[tblkcd052951]

@Deagledrumzz - saw 'em 3 times with Trower, 12 after, all by '74 ... never though I could be beat on that - congrats! With Robyn, Best Band Ever

[Deagledrumzz]

@tblkcd052951 With Trower a force unlike any other,rock royalty without question.Robin how about you and Matthew Fischer playing a tour with the Harum?

[presto35]

One can only wonder how hard-rocking this would sound if Robin Trower was still the guitarist! All in all, though, they knew how to bring the house down in the 60s and beyond (BJ Wilson was, as always, in fine form here :))

[LittleNim]

Where's Chris????

[mongobongocat]

The devil came from Carlsberg?

[TumbrelJockey]

@mongobongocat  A very well thought of Danish beer & probably sponsor for the broadcast/performance.

[AreYouWetYet]

That is the strangest set for a band I have ever seen.

[averysensiblename]

Can't recall hearing these harmonies on any recorded performance of this in the past - BRILLIANT!

[ianwhitehead9464]

great performance, but I prefer the later live performances with Geoff on guitar

[AllanRosenberg]

Great posting

[SimoOntjah]

Awesome!!

Thanks for posting!