The three-part "The Worm & the Tree" is equally inexcusable. While The Clash, The Sex Pistols and The Damned were shouting about the here and now, Gary Brooker was acting like an aged poet, still reciting his ancient lines at a cobweb-infested beat club. It was pitiful.

Granted, the playing is still stellar. The emotional "Strangers in Space" hints at what Something Magic could have been. Yet there aren't a whole lot of exciting new sounds to hold onto.

This reissue includes a couple of previously unreleased cuts. One, "You'd Better Wait", should have been on the original release. It's a quiet one, but it's good. It's simple and pure, unlike the complicated drivel originally put under the Procol Harum banner. "This Old Dog" is also nice and lively. It has a bit of a country groove going for it with its nice fiddle work.

You hate to see your favorite musicians when they're not at the top of their game. It's a little like watching Brett Favre carry on a year after he should have retired. Something Magic is simply not very tricky. It's easy to sack.

Procol Harum - Something Magic
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