Grand Hotel (album)

Infobox Album |
Name = Grand Hotel
Type = Album
Artist = Procol Harum


Released = April 1973
Recorded =
Genre = Progressive rock
Length = 41:09
Label = Chrysalis
Producer = Chris Thomas
Reviews =
* Allmusic Rating|4|5 [http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=10:1kq6g4kttv6z link]
*"Rolling Stone" (not rated) [http://www.rollingstone.com/artists/procolharum/albums/album/152319/review/5945210/grand_hotel link]
Last album = "Procol Harum Live with the Edmonton Symphony Orchestra" (1972)
This album = "Grand Hotel" (1973)
Next album = "Exotic Birds and Fruit" (1974)

"Grand Hotel" is an album by Procol Harum, released in 1973.

Track listing

#"Grand Hotel" - 6:10
#"Toujours l'amour" - 3:31
#"A Rum Tale" - 3:20
#"TV Caesar" - 5:52
#"A Souvenir of London" - 3:23
#"Bringing Home the Bacon" - 4:21
#"For Liquorice John" - 4:27
#"Fires (Which Burnt Brightly)" - 5:10
#"Robert's Box" - 4:45

Personnel

* Chris Copping - organ
* Alan Cartwright - bass guitar
* B.J. Wilson - drums
* Mick Grabham - guitar
* Gary Brooker - piano and vocals
* Keith Reid - lyrics
* Christiane Legrand vocals for "Fires (Which Burnt Brightly)"

Miscellanea

Douglas Adams came up with the idea for The Restaurant at the End of the Universe while listening to the title track. [cite book|last=Adams|first=Douglas|authorlink=Douglas Adams|title=The Salmon of Doubt]

"For Liquorice John", with its uneven rhythm and haunting lyrics abouth death, is an hommage to Jim Mundy, an old-time friend from the band's genesis in the early sixties. Mundy had committed suicide in 1972.

In the early 1960s, several of the musicians that would form Procol Harum were members of R&B band The Paramounts - a name given them by their manager. Mundy had objected to this name, and suggested one of his own for them, "Liquorice John Death". After Mundy's suicide, among his possessions was found a painting of a cover for a non-existent "Liquorice John Death" album.

In 1970, the members of Procol Harum had recorded a session of Paramounts numbers and R&B standards. The tapes were long lost, but when a copy was re-discovered in 1997, Mundy's ideas and cover were finally used for the release of the album "Ain't Nothin' to Get Excited About" by "Liquorice John Death".

External links

* [http://www.procolharum.com/phalbum7.htm ProcolHarum.com] - ProcolHarum.com's page on this album

References