''The Well's on Fire'' is the eleventh studio album by

Procol Harum Procol Harum () were an English rock music, rock band formed in Southend-on-Sea, Essex, in 1967. Their best-known recording is the 1967 hit single "A Whiter Shade of Pale", one of the few singles to have sold more than List of best-selling si ...

, released in 2003. The album was Matthew Fisher's last studio album with the band (his last live release with them was '' Live at Union Chapel'', recorded in December 2003 and including many of the songs from the studio album). It was also their last studio album to feature lyrics from

Keith Reid Keith Stuart Brian Reid (19 October 1946 – 23 March 2023) was an English lyricist and songwriter. He was best known for being the songwriter who wrote the lyrics of every original song released by Procol Harum, with the exception of the so ...

Reception

AllMusic AllMusic (previously known as All-Music Guide and AMG) is an American online database, online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on Musical artist, musicians and Mus ...

hailed ''The Well's on Fire'' as Procol Harum's "finest album in nearly 30 years", remarking that it goes for a more rock-based sound than its predecessor '' The Prodigal Stranger'' and recaptures the worthy elements of the band's heyday without relying solely on nostalgia. Individually noting the still potent talents of core members Matthew Fisher, Gary Brooker, and Keith Reid, they concluded that Procol Harum "have demonstrated that they're capable of making relevant music again."

Track listing

All music by

Gary Brooker Gary Brooker (29 May 1945 – 19 February 2022) was an English singer and pianist, and the founder and lead singer of the rock band Procol Harum. Early life Born in Hackney Hospital, East London, on 29 May 1945, Brooker grew up in Hackney ...

and lyrics by

, except where noted. #"An Old English Dream" #"Shadow Boxed" #"A Robe of Silk" #"The Blink of an Eye" #"The VIP Room" #"The Question" ( Matthew Fisher, Keith Reid) #"This World Is Rich (For Stephen Maboe)" #"Fellow Travellers" - based on "Lascia Ch'io Pianga" by

George Frideric Handel George Frideric (or Frederick) Handel ( ; baptised , ; 23 February 1685 – 14 April 1759) was a German-British Baroque composer well-known for his operas, oratorios, anthems, concerti grossi, and organ concerti. Born in Halle, Germany, H ...

(Fisher, Reid) #"The Wall Street Blues" #"The Emperor's New Clothes" #"So Far Behind" #"Every Dog Will Have His Day" (Brooker, Fisher, Reid) #"Weisselklenzenacht (The Signature)" (Fisher)

Personnel

;Procol Harum *

– piano, vocals * Matthew Fisher – organ * Geoff Whitehorn – guitar * Matt Pegg – bass guitar * Mark Brzezicki – drums, percussion with: * Roger Taylor – backing vocals (2) ;Technical * Rafe McKenna – producer * Joshua J Macrae –

engineer Engineers, as practitioners of engineering, are professionals who Invention, invent, design, build, maintain and test machines, complex systems, structures, gadgets and materials. They aim to fulfill functional objectives and requirements while ...

References

External links

ProcolHarum.com
- ProcolHarum.com's page on this album {{DEFAULTSORT:Well's on Fire, The 2003 albums Procol Harum albums Eagle Records albums