Procol Harum Album: “Grand Hotel [Friday Music]”

Following the huge success of their prior LP, 'LIVE WITH THE EDMONTON SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA', # 5 on the Billboard Album charts, Procol continued similiarly w/ use of orchestrations on this, their 6th release, with spellbinding results. Every track is a jewel, every word is a gem, and this one has always been one of my favorite Harum LP`s even after all these years. It`s grand on every level, magnificent perhaps, and caters to their strengths like no other. The album cover and title track remind me of the Greta Garbo movie of the same name that came out in the mid 1930`s - it reeks of a lush, languid, elegant decadence and despair, as does the film. Brooker wrote some of his most memorable melodies for this LP, and Keith Reid penned indelible lyrics to further burn the tunes to permanent memory ('Grand Hotel' and 'Fires Which Burnt Brightly' in particular). The vastly underrated B.J. Wilson (RIP) provides some of his most superlative, muscular drumming - why more people don`t acknowledge his skills as a drummer has always irked me to no end - listen to the incredible foundation he provides on 'Bringing Home The Bacon' and the powerful accents he uses to diffuse and dissect the orchestrations on the title track as proof. Unfortunately, when this LP came out in 1973, Glam-rock was all the rage, so this one slipped between the cracks for many listeners, though it did go to #21 on Billboard, but was never going to stand toe-to-toe w/ the likes of Ziggy Stardust or 'Dark Side' or Roxy Music (another fave of mine). If hindsight teaches us anything, this Lp deserves a re-examination like few others do.

One of the greatest adult classic rock albums of all times! The album is like a tour of a Grand Hotel where every room contains a demonstration of a human obsession - over-eating, drinking, love gone bad, mindless TV, drug addiction, suicide, sex and war. Classy, forbodding, sad, angry, funny and purposefully campy.

Fantasitc lyrics, music and musicianship. A wild and crazy use of orchestras, choirs, pianos, electric guitars, organs and drumming. Along with the lyrics (real poetry!)- its a roller coaster ride.The experience is greatest when the album is played loud!

Get the Repertoire or Friday Music lable only!! Repertoire's and Friday Music version have the best sound. There is no more hiss and the base sounds great. Crystal clear sound! Garry's piano can now be heard clearly and his voice is one of the best in any music anywhere.

Requires only a little patience, but numerous listenings. Analyzing the Keith Reid metaphors in the poetry is challenging but fun. Grand Hotel is an absolute must for mature thinking people who want more then the usual dribble in their rock.

The Repitoire version has the more beautful booklet with the classic photo of Ketih Reid introduing the band and bidding you enter the hotel on the inside cover.

The Friday Music version has an excelent addition of a live version of Grand Hotel with lots of Garry's piano and a diversion into Over The Rainbow!

Procol Harum is difficult to categorize in the annals of classic rock. Were they prog rock? Blues/R & B rock? It really doesn't matter, as they had a sound all of their own, that no other group of their age could duplicate. Their emphasis was on a "song format", as opposed to a "performance format", wherein the latter the song was just a vehicle for various soloists to do their instrumental break on. Keith Reid's lyrics add both elegance and humor to each composition on this outing. Grand Hotel captures the band at their best: the production is top rate, the strings and choir highlight but don't overshadow the band, the songs are magnificent; and the performances of the individual band members are enthralling, especially Brooker's dramatic vocals and elegant piano work and Mick Grabham's restrained but inspiring guitar work. Procol Harum had class, intelligence, and inspiration; qualities desperately lacking in many of their contemporaries and even more so with what is on the charts in the 21st century. There will never be anything like them again, and Grand Hotel presents them at the pinnacle of their creativity.

"Grand Hotel" was a great return to form for Procol Harum after some patchy albums in the early 70's [Broken Barricades comes to mind].Every song makes the grade with a combination of clever writing and sharp production. This was easily their most satisfying studio effort and ranges from the stately title track to powerful rock such as "Bringing Home the Bacon".Keith Reid's lean and dry lyrics add another fine layer to the songs and the musicianship of the band was of course never in doubt.Other stand out tracks are"Toujours l'amour" and sixties flavoured "Fires".Well worth the time and money even if your not a hardcore Procol Harum fan.

Most other reviewers seem to love this album, but I did not find it to be one of PH's better works. I rarely listened to it on LP and the CD hasn't made it any more appealing. This is one of those albums that was good enough not to get rid of but one that rarely got played because there was always something better to listen to.

I think this was PH's attempt at intellectual rock and I guess if you are a lyric listener, there may be some deep and interesting writing here. But the sound is my main concern. It is a huge "wall of sound" studio orchestrated work that allows little time for the great organ or guitar work or rawer sound of earlier works (or what can be found next time out on the first half of Exotic Birds and Fruit). Don't get me wrong, this album has some good stuff on it, but it just doesn't flow with the force of several other of their releases.