Grand Hotel [IMPORT]

Procol Harum

Product Details

• Audio CD (November 21, 1995)
• Number of Discs: 1
• Format: Import
• Label: Castle Essential
• ASIN: B00000592E
• Also Available in: Audio CD
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #137,637 in Music (See Bestsellers in Music)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description
Limited Edition Japanese pressing of this album comes housed in a miniature LP sleeve. 2008. --This text refers to the Audio CD edition.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Masterpiece!, October 29, 1999

By	Kurt Harding "bon vivant" (Boerne TX) - See all my reviews (TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

Grand Hotel shows Procol Harum breaking sharply with the past and doing so in spectacular style while retaining echoes of their glorious musical history. I've been a Procol addict from the very beginning. There is nothing in pop music like the haunting melodies and lyrics which spring from the minds of the genre's most talented songwriting duo, Gary Brooker and Keith Reid. Grand Hotel represents a turning away from the increasingly guitar-driven music of Broken Barricades and Home and back to the piano and organ oriented music of the first three albums that I think Brooker is more at home with. The songwriting on Grand Hotel is elegant and always enigmatic. The best three cuts are the title song, A Rum Tale, and Fires (which burnt brightly). Those who miss the stinging guitar of Robin Trower should like Bringing Home the Bacon and TV Caesar. If one had to pick a "best album" from the first ten, Grand Hotel would certainly rank second or third.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars As good as A Salty Dog., July 4, 1999

By A Customer

A Salty Dog gets all the credit as being the masterpiece, but this one is just as good-in fact I prefer it slightly. The title track is arguably the best classiclly inspired piece they ever did. Keith Reid writes his usual bunch of Dylan inspired lyrics that is still his own. B.J. Wilson is an amazing nimble and underrated drummmer, and in my view, one of the best in rock. Brooker's voice never sounded clearer or stronger than it did on this album. Every cut is at least good, and the sound is great. The next album, Exotic Birds and Fruit, was also good, though more rock oriented overall. Get this one, though, if you are partial to Procol's orchestrations and pop oriented material.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An outstanding effort by Procol Harum, June 18, 1999

By A Customer

This recording, along with Exotic Birds and Fruit, presents Procol Harum at the peak of their efforts as an ensemble. The band is uncannily tight in their performances, the songs are extremely strong, not a weak one in the bunch. The only flaw would be some of the chorale background voices added to the last cut. This is the only piece that sounds dated. Trower and Fischer were not missed, in fact their replacements added to the collective in a fashion that made for a more cohesive group performance. Outstanding disc, highly recommended.....Simon