There is a brooding quality to Procol Harum's music. Keith Reid's lyrics are introspective, questioning the human existence and the consequences of life's journeys, usually in negative and dark tones. The music is sometimes fuzzy, mixing the blues edge of Robin Trower's guitar with the older style Hammond organ that pervaded rock in the late 1960s. It can be maudlin stuff -- but it can also be brilliant, as "Shine on Brightly" displays. "A Whiter Shade of Pale" was an exception to their more driving, determined blend of rock; "Quite Rightly So" and "Shine on Brightly" are much better representations of their deeper talent. Everything about Procol Harum was unique, from their name to their musicality. Start with this album.