Procol Harum Grand Hotel. - Progressive Rock Music Forum

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Love Procol Harum, they were one of our local bands (along with Genesis and Camel) around Guildford, UK and rehearsed in a barn on a chicken farm where my friend's mum worked.

Agree that their output is patchy, but when they're good, they're very good. Whaling Stories hasn't had a mention, so I thought I'd add that to the list of great tracks along with Magdalene (My Regal Zonophone) and She Wandered Through The Garden Fence. Live with The Edmonton Symphony Orchestra is a perfect album (IMHO)

Overall a pretty good album. The title track keeps par with the masterpieces of the period.

After Fisher and Trower left Procol Harum still managed to release some decent albums and imo Grand Hotel being the most consistent.

Exotic Birds And Fruit didn't have the excitement Grand Hotel had. Some of the ideas were the same as Grand Hotel..for example.."Nothing But The Truth" and "Beyond The Pale" revealed a similar approach in composition to "Bringing Home The Bacon" so they were still sounding the same but without choir. The addition of choir on the Grand Hotel album was so dynamic and the voices soared through the speakers...not unlike they did on the Shine On Brightly album and all of that was great..however Exotic Birds And Fruit was more stripped down . They even re-recorded a song originally written during the recording sessions for the first album. Several songs are interesting and it's a decent album..but to me it doesn't compare to the energy on Grand Hotel.

In the late 70s I saw them on their Something Magic tour. It seemed rather bland and felt like a fuse burned out. I noticed how people were disappointed in Procol's Ninth and Something Magic. I never bought those albums. One day I will give them a listen . Perhaps they had a different style..idk? I recall people saying that the band lost their inspiration, ( so to speak), and that concerned me. I neglected checking anything out after Exotic Birds And Fruit.

An excellent album. I had an 8-track of this as a teen as well as the album. Right up there with 'Live With The Edmonton Symphony' IMHO.

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I haven't listened to it in a really long time. I hope I find some time for it. Smile

I can't say that I love Grand Hotel. Procol is one of my favorite groups but they took themselves too seriously on this album. Their albums were always spotty but I prefer Home above all the others. I think that on Grand Hotel title track, they were looking for another knockout single like "A Salty Dog" but just went over the top.

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"The well is on fire" is an excellent album.

Many great songs but no great album apart from Live With The Edmonton Symphony and maybe Shine On Brightly which is an important proto prog album.

Procol top ten

1. White Shade Of Pale

2. A Salty Dog

3. ~~Homberg~~ All This and More

4. Pandora's Box

5. In Held Twas in I

6. Simple Sister

7. Conquistador

8. Luskus Delph

9. Repent Walpurgis

10. The Worm and The Tree

Edited by richardh - February 15 2024 at 08:30

Re-Visiting this album and it really had/has the juice. I've always loved Procol Harum and Gary Brookers voice was amazing. One or two lackluster songs on this LP, but when they nailed it... they really nailed it.

Glad I've got an original very clean pressing on vinyl because youtube doesn't do it justice. Really, MOST of their discography is withstanding the test of time beautifully. 50 some odd years later.

Everyone knows Whiter Shade of Pale. I started digging deeper in 1972 or 73 while in High School (Thats what we did then!) A band I will never let go. Never saw them live but there is a lot of footage out there.

Excellence. The lyrics in 'Fires (which burnt brightly)' are relevant at this moment in time... they always have been. The addition of backing vocals by "The Swingle Sisters" was genius.

Back in the day they always kind of seemed in the background of bands like Moody Blues, YES, Genesis, King Crimson. A hit song here and there, and never quite stood above at the time.

Edited by Valdez1 - February 14 2024 at 11:40