Released 1969 Length 4:41 | Format 7" single Label Chrysalis | |
Genre Progressive rock, symphonic rock Writer(s) Gary Brooker, Keith Reid | ||
"A Salty Dog" is a song by the British progressive rock band Procol Harum. Written by Gary Brooker and Keith Reid, it was released as the lead single off the band's 1969 album A Salty Dog.
Contents
Background and composition
The song's lyrics were written by Keith Reid and its music was written by Gary Brooker, who also sang. It was featured on the band's 1969 album, A Salty Dog. Reid's lyrics describe sailors crossing the unknown seas. The string arrangement recalls Frédéric Chopin. The song is reportedly one of Reid's favourites.
Release and reception
"A Salty Dog" peaked at #44 on the UK Singles Chart. BBC Radio DJ John Peel explained the lack of chart success:
... and, er, that was A Salty Dog, which was once released as a single, and should have done, er, a lot better in fact as a single than it did; unfortunately, um, seeing as it was longer than two-and-a-half minutes long and isn't exactly a bright tempo, a lot of my colleagues won't play it because they feel that, er, more than two-and-a-half minutes without some, er, feeble quip from them, er, is going to make the world a sadder place ...
The song was generally well received by music critics. Matthew Greenwald of Allmusic praised the narrative as "brilliant" and carried by "an expansive melody and epic performance from the entire band." The string arrangement was "fabulous" and "only adds grandeur to the song and recording, making this one of the group's most fully realized moments." Perhaps the greatest praise came from Melody Maker's Chris Welch, who called it "their finest hour" and "one of the greatest pop singles to emerge in recent years." He added, "The tune is beautiful, the arrangement brilliant, the performance perfect."
Cover versions
The song was covered by Transatlantic and was featured on the two-disc Special Edition of The Whirlwind. It is sung by drummer Mike Portnoy. Styx covered the song on their cover album Big Bang Theory (2005) with Lawrence Gowan on lead vocals.