The Prodigal Stranger is the tenth studio album by Procol Harum, released in 1991. Recorded after a 14-year break, it met with an underwhelming response from listeners but served to kick off a largely successful reunion for the band.
Background
The album is dedicated to the memory of B. J. Wilson, who had been the drummer on all of the group's previous albums, but not on The Prodigal Stranger. The Procol Harum reformation began with just Gary Brooker and Keith Reid working together to write songs, only later giving serious consideration to involving other members of Procol Harum.
Although Matthew Fisher hadn't played with the band since 1969's A Salty Dog, he stated at the time "I felt that I just sort of slotted back into it, like it had only been like the day before ... so it's not so much déjà vu as just carrying on where we left off." but just number 95 in Canada.
Reception
The review at Allmusic stated that the absence of original drummer B. J. Wilson severely hurt the vitality of the band and that while Brooker was in fine voice, lyricist Keith Reid was "in a mundane, conventional mode" and that the frequent use of synthesizers in place of Matthew Fisher's Hammond organ made the band often sound like a generic AOR group.
Track listing
Personnel
;Procol Harum
- Gary Brooker - piano and vocals
- Matthew Fisher - organ
- Robin Trower - guitar
- Mark Brzezicki - drums
- Dave Bronze - bass guitar
- Keith Reid - lyrics
;Additional personnel
- Jerry Stevenson - guitar, mandolin
- Henry Spinetti - drums on "The Truth Won't Fade Away"
- Steve Lange, Maggie Ryder, Miriam Stockley – backing vocals on "Holding On"
;Production
- Ted Jensen at Sterling Sound, NYC - mastering