The Palers' Project
(This is a review of the entire album but I will concentrate on Glimpses
of Nirvana, the track recorded by Derren Brown and Amelia Wisloch)
The Palers' Project are a "a loose international collective of fans of the band Procol Harum, who record the songs of Gary Brooker, Matthew Fisher, Robin Trower and Keith Reid for their own and others' pleasure".
I have never listened to Procol Harum. I know very little of them and therefore I can't compare these covers to the original tracks. I think that may be a good thing as I came to this album with no preconceptions. I bought Lost in the Looking-Glass purely because Derren Brown was on one of the tracks. Not really a great reason for buying it, maybe, but I am glad I did.
Procol Harum was the band that outsold the Beatles in the 'Summer of Love' with their huge hit, A Whiter Shade of Pale, whose enigmatic words, as well as its churchy organ and wailing blues vocal, endeared the band immediately to fans who liked their pop music thoughtful and moving.
It was fellow musicians in particular who picked up their 1968 offering, the 17-minute suite entitled In Held 'Twas in I... it was the acknowledged inspiration for the first Rock Opera, Tommy by the Who; and Procol's later epic Whaling Stories was the model for Queen's Bohemian Rhapsody.
It's small wonder that people who love words ... and this has to include hypnotists and illusionists... are drawn to Procol Harum's work, and Derren Brown has been drawn to the most enigmatic section of all that long, influential suite, the monologue Glimpses of Nirvana - which manages simultaneously to portray the earnest questing for spiritual truth that characterised the late 60s, and to debunk it with a glorious anti-climax. Speaking as the Dalai Lama, Derren reveals the meaning of life ... and it's no surprise to learn that the late Douglas Adams was one of Procol's greatest fans, because his Hitch-Hiker's Guide to the Galaxy answer to 'life, the universe and everything', th e number 42, is no less ridiculous and challenging than the answer Derren mischievously reveals here.
Glimpses of Nirvana (see The Palers' Project for more details)is extremely strange, but somehow draws you in. There are distant noises in the background, echoes of something never really heard. Even the voices of the performers seem detached, showing little emotion for the words they speak. The two voices are very distinctive although at times they blend together as one. The tone of this piece is sombre yet not entirely serious - in a way very similar to Derren's performance style.
The main impression that I came away with after listening to the album for the first time was of how weird it was! Perhaps it's just the way that the various artists have made their interpretations, but I found it a rather strange experience. It is certainly unlike anything I have ever listened to before. I really enjoyed this double album.
Although they are enjoyable in themselves, listening to these songs has made me want to hear the original versions.
This album (and others) can be bought at www.palersproject.com where you can also find details of the artists and some of the stories behind the recording of each song. For more information on Procol Harum, please visit www.procolharum.com.
Thanks to Roland Clare at the Palers' Project, and Derren, for my little surprise. :)