Getting better all the time. Procol Harum: Grand Hotel.

[BarryLI]

EBAF does it for me, my favorite PH album by far.

"Is it on, Tommy?"

[zombywoof]

“A Souvenir of London,” which is one long cringe. They might have lost a bit of the grandeur with Exotic Birds and Fruit, but I thought it was an improvement overall.

Still haven’t heard Procol’s Ninth. I listened to Something Magic exactly once: “The Worm and the Tree” has to be the worst 70s side-long epic ever (spoken-word tracks SUCK!).

I love Souvenir of London! Can't resist those jangly mandos.

[bRETT]

You haven't missed much with Ninth...

I love it myself-- Just think of it as Procol finally getting a chance to make an R&B album. Some of GB's best vocals ever, the band is furious (drumming on "Unquiet Zone" = wow) and sonically it's amazing. Even the much maligned Beatles cover is a lot of fun.

[bob_32_116]

Just think of it as Procol finally getting a chance to make an R&B album..

You just summarised very well why I don't like this album much.

R&B is still R&B, even if it is Procol Harum doing it.

[StevegSr]

Ok, I've made peace with Grand Hotel but have been spinning Home and Exotic Birds and Fruit almost non stop since yesterday! Some PH albums are just more of a peacemaker than others!

[bob_32_116]

I was just listening again to "Fires". It's one of their most progressive songs, if progressiveness is indicated by the number of unexpected and unorthodox chord sequences. In some ways it reminds me a lot of Genesis; there is a portion of the melody that is similar to part of The Chamber of 32 Doors, off The Lamb. Yet PH are also subtly different from Genesis. It's something to do with the very dramatic, almost operatic, style of delivery.

They definitely should have closed the album with this song.

[StevegSr]

I was just listening again to "Fires". It's one of their most progressive songs, if progressiveness is indicated by the number of unexpected and unorthodox chord sequences. In some ways it reminds me a lot of Genesis; there is a portion of the melody that is similar to part of The Chamber of 32 Doors, off The Lamb. Yet PH are also subtly different from Genesis. It's something to do with the very dramatic, almost operatic, style of delivery.

They definitely should have closed the album with this song.

My thoughts exactly Bob. In fact, I think "Fires" is as close as we'll ever get to Genesis accompanied by Annie Haslam!

[undergroundrailroad]

Gary Brooker's approach to harmony is very close to Tony Banks'. I think that's because Banks was DIRECTLY influenced by early Procol Harum and might not have arrived at his beautiful way with harmonies if he hadn't had that influence.

Compare "Nothing But the Truth" with something like "Behind the Lines".

[Fracktured]

I love all of them up through exotic birds and fruit. A few dud songs here and there but grande hotel doesn't have any duds.


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[Jacob Holm-Lupo]

Gary Brooker's approach to harmony is very close to Tony Banks'. I think that's because Banks was DIRECTLY influenced by early Procol Harum and might not have arrived at his beautiful way with harmonies if he hadn't had that influence.

Compare "Nothing But the Truth" with something like "Behind the Lines".

I agree, and it's something to do with keyboard players and composers with some classical training and an affinity for the romantic and/or baroque, I think. If you listen to Kayak, you will also find similarities both to Brooker's and Banks' harmonic styles in Scherpenzeel's material. Long, shifting progressions with a lot of tension/release tricks up their sleeves.

[TheH]

A cover Version of Robert's Box that I find more interesting than the original

https://mellowrecords.bandcamp.com/track/roberts-box

[Nijinsky Hind]

Grand Hotel is the epitome of Procol Harum (...in the closest / most correct definition of epitome...) Just wish they'd release it in 5.1

I agree that it was Procol Harums high point for me too. I was also surprised by the later album "The Wells on Fire"... Great tunes and vocals but sadly lacks the young energy of 60s and 70s procol harum.

[BarryLI]

A cover Version of Robert's Box that I find more interesting than the original

https://mellowrecords.bandcamp.com/track/roberts-box

Different strokes I guess, bloody awful.

[Progbear]

EBAF does it for me, my favorite PH album by far.

"Is it on, Tommy?"

I was disappointed by it at first but have grown to really like it a lot. “Fresh Fruit” is worthless, and I always stop my CD before it gets to the dreadful bonus track, “Drunk Again.” Other than that, first-rate stuff. I really love the drive and energy of “Nothing but the Truth,” “The Idol” is up there with anything from the Mk. 1 band and I really get into the intensity of “Thin End of the Wedge.” The rest doesn’t stand out as much to me as those three superb songs, but it’s all good.

[StevegSr]

EBAF does it for me, my favorite PH album by far.

"Is it on, Tommy?"

There is something very infectious about EBAF. Not a "classic" album, but it's got some great songs!

[JJ88]

I haven't played EBAF in years. From memory I liked 'Nothing But The Truth', 'As Strong As Samson' and 'The Idol' best.

[StevegSr]

I haven't played EBAF in years. From memory I liked 'Nothing But The Truth', 'As Strong As Samson' and 'The Idol' best.

Yes, my top three also!

[rcarlberg]

Different strokes I guess, bloody awful.

You made me look. I agree!

[bob_32_116]

Is the Robert of Robert's Box the same Dr Robert that the Beatles sang about?

[Lopez]

Procol's Ninth had Leiber and Stoller as producers. Something of a mismatch, to say the least.

Not quite so far-fetched when you think of it. Procol Harum started out in the early 60s as the Paramounts doing mostly covers of old RnB numbers like "Poison Ivy" a Leiber and Stoller tune.

[Nijinsky Hind]

Procol Harum fans might want to give "The wells on fire" a chance... Some great songs on it.

[StevegSr]

Not quite so far-fetched when you think of it. Procol Harum started out in the early 60s as the Paramounts doing mostly covers of old RnB numbers like "Poison Ivy" a Leiber and Stoller tune.

True. Also, and I've been saying this a lot lately in these forum discussions, 60's artists were quite enamored with 50's artists and as a song writing duo, Brooker and Reid would probably have been trilled to work with such a proficient and successful songwriting partnership as Lieber and Stoller from the 50's.

Heroes of sixties artists were very much of their time.

[Mister Triscuits]

True. Also, and I've been saying this a lot lately in these forum discussions, 60's artists were quite enamored with 50's artists and as a song writing duo, Brooker and Reid would probably have been trilled to work with such a proficient and successful songwriting partnership as Lieber and Stoller from the 50's.

It's also worth noting that around the same time they made Home, Procol recorded a session of old rock 'n' roll numbers, heavy on the Little Richard (and including a Coasters number that wasn't a Lieber-Stoller composition). This was released many years later under the pseudonym Liquorice John Death.

[JJ88]

Not quite so far-fetched when you think of it. Procol Harum started out in the early 60s as the Paramounts doing mostly covers of old RnB numbers like "Poison Ivy" a Leiber and Stoller tune.

I'm aware of that...but that was many years previously. They'd moved on since, on their proper albums at least.