Periodically this month, we'll be looking at titles released in the latter part of 2018 that we either didn't cover, or only covered briefly, the first time around! We hope you enjoy this look at "some nice things we've missed"...

Cherry Red's Esoteric Recordings imprint has recently continued its ongoing series dedicated to the recordings of Procol Harum and Genesis founding member Anthony Phillips.

Procol's Ninth may well be one of the most unusual albums in the band's venerable catalogue.  The 1975 LP from the prog-rock giants was produced by the team of Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller, whose songs defined the sound of early rock-and-roll and who had moved into the arena of art-pop for artists such as Peggy Lee.  But with their production for Stealers Wheel's "Stuck in the Middle with You" in 1972, the duo was again riding high.  The band, consisting of Gary Brooker (piano/vocals), Chris Copping (organ), Mick Grabham (guitar), Alan Cartwright (bass), and B.J. Wilson (drums), selected Leiber and Stoller to replace Chris Thomas, who had produced each of Procol's albums since 1970 and felt he couldn't go any further with the band.

The match wasn't ideal between producers and band; the members chafed at the older men's structured recording schedule and business-like approach.  But they, too, were happy to be in the presence of true rock-and-roll royalty.  The teaming yielded a set of well-crafted compositions from Gary Brooker and Keith Reid plus a couple of covers  (the first time Procol had recorded outside material on an LP): The Beatles' "Eight Days a Week" and Leiber and Stoller's own "I Keep Forgetting," first recorded by soul man Chuck Jackson.  Leadoff track "Pandora's Box" became a top 20 hit on the U.K. Singles Chart and an enduring Procol Harum favorite, but the album fared less well.  It placed just out of the top 40 (No. 41) in the U.K. and at No. 52 on the U.S. Billboard Top LPs chart.

Esoteric's deluxe 3-CD set, housed in a digipak, features the remastered original album on Disc One, together with all eight of the album's Brooker/Reid songs in early, "raw" studio versions. (Five of the eight tracks are previously unissued).  These make for a fascinating comparison to the more fully "produced" Leiber and Stoller versions.  The second and third discs feature two live concerts, both of which are previously unissued save for a trio of tracks.  Live in the USA (CD 2) captures Procol's performance of October 17. 1975 at Passaic, New Jersey's late, lamented Capitol Theatre, while Live in the U.K. (CD 3) has a set from November 29, 1975 at Leicester University.  "Pandora's Box" and "I Keep Forgetting" were played at both shows, "The Unquiet Zone" was showcased at the Capitol, and "The Piper's Tune" was included in the U.K. setlist.  (Three additional covers were played at Leicester: Gene Vincent's "Be-Bop-a-Lula" and Stephen Foster's folk standard "Old Black Joe," as well as the classical Johann Strauss piece "The Blue Danube.")

A thick 28-page booklet includes comprehensive liner notes by Roland Clare drawing on new interviews with Gary Brooker, Chris Copping, and Mick Grabham.  A poster of the album artwork is also included.  Paschal Byrne has remastered all tracks.

Guitarist/multi-instrumentalist/composer/producer Anthony Phillips' 2005 album Field Day is the latest of his works to get the deluxe treatment from Esoteric.  Phillips conceived of the project in 2001 as a return to his earlier, guitar-centric music, but other professional commitments (for soundtrack and library music writing) and an admitted need for practice to get back into playing shape led Phillips (then working primarily on keyboards) to delay the potential album.  By mid-2004, he was ready to record the album that became Field Day.  While recording had to be paused for a library music project, he completed it in May 2005.

The completed double album featured an impressive 61 tracks recorded on various guitars as well as charango, mandolin, and bouzouki.  His inspirations were many, from the tragic events of 9-11 in America to his own past albums; he revisited tracks from Invisible Men and the Private Parts and Pieces series.  The breadth and variety of the guitar pieces was remarkable; Phillips considered issuing the material on two separate releases, but instead opted to release one sprawling double album.  Field Day arrived on October 17, 2005 via Voiceprint's Blueprint label; ironically, many of the compositions were used as library music following their original release.

Field Day has been expanded with a third disc, a region-free DVD, containing all 61 tracks in 5.1 surround sound.  Jonathan Dann has supplied a detailed new essay in the 16-page booklet contained within the digipak.  While no remastering credit has been given, the sound is on par with the fine work from all of Esoteric's previous Anthony Phillips reissues.  The series continues later this month with an expanded reissue on January 25 of Phillips and Andrew Skeet's 2012 orchestral album Seventh Heaven.  Watch this space for more details.

Both Procol's Ninth and Field Day are available now at the links below!

Procol Harum, Procol's Ninth (Chrysalis CHR 1080, 1975 - reissued Cherry Red/Esoteric ECLEC 32652, 2018)  (Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada)

CD 1: The Original Album and Bonus Tracks

1. Pandora's Box
2. Fool's Gold
3. Taking the Time
4. The Unquiet Zone
5. The Final Threat
6. I Keep Forgetting
7. Without a Doubt
8. The Piper's Tune
9. Typewriter Torment
10. Eight Days a Week

Bonus Raw Tracks

11. Pandora's Box (Instrumental)
12. Fool's Gold
13. Taking the Time
14. The Unquiet Zone
15. The Final Threat
16. The Poet
17. The Piper's Tune
18. Typewriter Torment

All tracks previously unreleased except Tracks 12-14 from Salvo CD SALVOCD028, 2009

CD 2: Live in the USA (October 17, 1975 - Capitol Theatre, Passaic, NJ)

1. Shine On Brightly
2. As Strong as Samson
3. Conquistador
4. Pandora's Box
5. The Unquiet Zone
6. A Salty Dog
7. A Souvenir of London
8. Cerdes (Outside the Gates of)
9. I Keep Forgetting
10. Grand Hotel
11. Power Failure
12. Simple Sister

All tracks previously unreleased except Tracks 2, 4 & 7

CD 3: Live in the U.K. (November 29, 1975 - Leicester University)

1. Shine On Brightly
2. Whaling Stories
3. Conquistador
4. Pandora's Box
5. The Piper's Tune
6. Grand Hotel
7. Beyond the Pale
8. A Salty Dog
9. I Keep Forgetting
10. The Blue Danube
11. Be Bop-a-Lula
12. Old Black Joe
13. A Whiter Shade of Pale

Anthony Phillips, Field Day (Voiceprint/Blueprint BP362CD, 2005 - reissued Cherry Red/Esoteric ECLEC 32648, 2018) (Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada)

CD 1

1. The Voyage Out
2. High Fives
3. Credo
4. Cerise
5. Runaway Horses
6. Home Sweet Home
7. Steps Retraced
8. Field Day
9. Nocturne
10. Tryst
11. Girl in the Gallery
12. Bel Ami
13. Concerto de Alvarez
14. Lifer
15. Chasing the Light
16. Parlour Suite I
17. Parlour Suite II
18. Parlour Suite III
19. Parlour Suite IV
20. Parlour Suite V
21. Parlour Suite VI
22. Parlour Suite VII
23. Parlour Suite VIII
24. Swoon
25. River of Life
26. Momento
27. Open Road
28. White Spider
29. Half Way Out

CD 2

1. Weeping Willow
2. The Love Not Shared
3. Sojourn
4. Dawn Over the Field of Eternity
5. Fallen City
6. Rain on Sag Harbour
7. Days of Grace
8. Timeline
9. Oubliette
10. Tania
11. Babbling Brook
12. Shimmering Sharon
13. Tea Room in Tierra Del Fuego
14. Mudlark
15. Tearaway
16. Midnight Blue
17. Evening Shroud
18. Rapscallion
19. Beyond the Castle Walls
20. Forgotten Pathway
21. Fairy Ring
22. Largo d'Amour
23. Whippersnapper
24. Kissing Gate
25. To the Lighthouse
26. Driftwood
27. Festoons and Billows
28. Flotsam and Jetsam
29. Sunfish Swallows
30. Smart Alec
31. Prayer for Natalie
32. Out and Beyond

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