A Salty Dog/The Milk Of Human Kindness/Too Much Between Us/The Devil Came From Kansas/Boredom/Juicy John Pink/Wreck Of The Hesperus/All This & More/Crucifiction Lane/Pilgrim’s Progress
With its distinctive spoof cigarette packet cover, and diverse contents, A Salty Dog was considered by many Procol Harum fans to be the group’s finest moment. (US:32 UK:27)
“Considered the ultimate Procol Harum album, A Salty Dog is where it all came together for the band. Anyone back in the spring of '69 expecting to hear a typical rock album when putting needle to vinyl was in for a severe shock. The stately orchestration, and Gary Brooker's mournful vocals on the opening title track, signalled a truly unique sonic experience about to unfold. A loosely based concept album about sailors and the sea, A Salty Dog contains melancholy odes, seafaring epics and classic Procol rockers.”
“A mighty amalgam of prog, psychedelia, blues and classical elements, A Salty Dog succeeds on several levels. The title song is one of the best songs Harum ever composed. The nautical theme continues on The Wreck Of The Hesperus, while Pilgrim's Progress takes us on a different kind of journey. Robin Trower does a gritty vocal turn on the bluesy Crucifixion Lane, and the song Milk Of Human Kindness is one of those songs that fades out far too early.”
“Everything comes together on A Salty Dog. Nearly every track is a standout, with the title track being one of the most powerful rock songs ever recorded. The variety of genres (blues, rock, pop, R & B) and arrangements are very impressive. Procol Harum are often described as a prog rock band, but they were always much more versatile than that. I've always been a little surprised that A Salty Dog didn't garner more credit over the years.”
“One of the pioneers of the much maligned progressive genre, Procol Harum proved early on that it was possible to bring classical stylings and elaborate arrangements into rock without sounding bombastic or pretentious. Few other bands managed to do so, and even Procol themselves didn't always live up to their own standards after this one. But however briefly, here they proved it could be done.”
“If there's one album which proves Procol Harum were more than just prog rock, or a vehicle for Gary Brooker and Keith Reid's songs, this is it.”
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