Grand Hotel [Import] [Limited Edition]

Track Listings
1. Grand Hotel    
2. Toujours l'Amour    
3. Rum Tale    
4. T.V. Caesar    
5. Souvenir of London    
6. Bringing Home the Bacon    
7. For Liquorice John    
8. Fires (Which Burnt Brightly)    
9. Robert's Box    

Editorial Reviews
Album Description
Japanese 20-bit K2 digitally remastered reissue of 1973 album. Packaged in a gatefold miniature LP sleeve. Victor. 2003.

Grand Hotel, Music, Procol Harum, Pop, Prog-Rock/Art Rock, Rock, Rock/Pop
Grand Hotel: The Musical - Broadway Cast Recording
Average customer rating: 4 out of 5 stars
  • Grand Hotel
  • Mr. Jeter
  • "Grand Hotel" ain't anywhere near grand.
  • stunning, fabulous musical
  • A really unusual show
 Grand Hotel: The Musical - Broadway Cast Recording
George Forrest , and Maury Yeston
Manufacturer: RCA Victor Broadway
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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  1. City of Angels (1990 Original Broadway Cast)
  2. The Drowsy Chaperone (2006 Original Broadway Cast)
  3. Grand Hotel: New Complete Edition
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ASIN: B000003FBP
Release Date: 1992-06-23

Tracks:

  1. The Grand Parade/Some Have, Some Have Not - Henry Grossman/William Ryall/David Elledge/Walter Willison/Kathi Moss/Brent Barrett/Bob Stillman
  2. Dialogue (Look at Him) - John Wylie
  3. At The Grand Hotel/Table With A View - Michael Jeter/Brent Barrett
  4. Maybe My Baby Loves Me - David Jackson/Danny Strayhorn/Jane Krakowski
  5. Fire and Ice/Twenty-two Years/Villa On A Hill - Liliane Montevecchi/Karen Akers
  6. I Want To Go To Hollywood - Jane Krakowski
  7. Dialogue (Sorry to Repout) - John Wylie
  8. The Crooked Path/Some Have, Some Have Not - Timothy Jerome/Henry Grossman/William Ryall/David Elledge/Walter Willison
  9. Who Couldn't Dance With You - Jane Krakowski/Brent Barrett/Michael Jeter
  10. Dialouge (So Tell Me Baron...) - Liliane Montevecchi
  11. Love Can't Happen - Brent Barrett
  12. What You Need - Karen Akers
  13. Bonjour Amour - Liliane Montevecchi
  14. H-a-p-p-y/We'll Take A Glass Together - David Jackson/Danny Strayhorn/Michael Jeter/Brent Barrett
  15. I Waltz Alone - John Wylie/Brent Barrett/Michael Jeter
  16. Dialogue (No Creature on this Planet...) - John Wylie
  17. Roses At The Station - Brent Barrett
  18. Dialogue (Two Scary Enemies...) - John Wylie
  19. Bolero - Orchestra
  20. How Can I Tell Her? - Karen Akers
  21. Trial Score - Bob Stillman/The Company
  22. The Grand Waltz - Entire Company/Henry Grossman/William Ryall/David Elledge/Walter Willison/Jack Lee
  23. Love Can't Happen (Live At Steve Mc Graw's) - David Carroll

Amazon.com

OK, so it's not exactly The Threepenny Opera. Still, Grand Hotel has plenty of the atmosphere of prewar Berlin in this Broadway production, directed and choreographed by Tommy Tune. Based on the 1932 star-studded, Oscar-winning film, the show takes place in Europe's most luxurious hotel and follows the intertwining lives and shattered dreams of both regular and once-in-a-lifetime guests. Leading the ensemble cast are Parisian follies star Liliane Montevecchi as the aging ballerina, and strong tenor Brent Barrett as the dashing but debt-saddled baron. Also appearing are Ally McBeal's Jane Krakowski as the would-be movie star, cabaret artist Karen Akers as Montevecchi's confidante, and Michael Jeter as the dying bookkeeper. The score was written by Robert Wright and George Forrest (who brought Borodin to Broadway with Kismet), with additional material by Maury Yeston (Titanic), and the highlights include the soaring romantic ballad "Love Can't Happen," the jazzy scat of "Maybe My Baby Loves Me," and the sassy Charleston number "H-A-P-P-Y." Plenty of dialogue helps capture the flow of the show, and the CD also includes a live cabaret performance of "Love Can't Happen" by the late David Carroll, who originated the baron role on Broadway. --David Horiuchi

Customer Reviews:

4 out of 5 stars Grand Hotel.......2006-07-24

"Grand Hotel" is a fine musical with songs by George Forrest and Robert Wright and some additional material by Maury Yeston. What stole the show in this musical, however, was Mr. Tommy Tune's inventive staging. That doesn't mean audiences went out humming the staging, though. The songs are excellet as well. Some standouts include the opening number, "Grand Hotel" or "The Grand Parade" as it is officially titled written by Mr. Yeston is a wonderfully jaunty opening number. "At The Grand Hotel\Table With a View", performed by the incomparable Michael Jeter is a lovely selection. "Maybe My Baby Loves Me" is tuneful fun. "Love Can't Happen" is a very romantic ballad and "What You Need" is a wonderful Weill-esque number performed with conviciton by one my favorite performers, Karen Akers. "We'll Take a Glass Together" is also a great showstopper performed by Mr. Jeter and Brent Barret.
The performances are excellent. Ms. Akers and Mr. Jeter steal the show. Thinking about the performances of their songs "What You Need" and "We'll Take a Glass Together" performed by Akers and Jeter respectively sends chills through my body. Brent Barret is fine as the Baron and Liliane Montevecchi as the retiring balerina is excellent, although her role in "Nine" was better suited for her. Jane Krawkowski is also great as a young wannabe movie star.
The orchestrations by Peter Matz are excellent. The original cast album includes a bonus track of David Carroll performing "Love Can't Happen" at a cabaret. Mr. Carroll starred as the Baron durring the beginning of the run, but was diagnosed with HIV and was replaced by Brent Barrett. Because of legal issues, the cast album was recorded late in the run. The creative team thought that it'd be a good idea to have the still living, if very ill Mr. Carroll perform his songs. Alas, he died of AIDS in the studio before his tracks could be recorded. The bonus track is nice for people who enjoy the vocalizing of Mr. Carroll. I don't particulary like his voice and prefer Mr. Barrett's performance of the song. However, his passing was very unfortunate and he is missed.

4 out of 5 stars Mr. Jeter.......2005-12-06

Traveled from AZ. to NYC specifically to see Michael Jeter perform live in "Grand Hotel". A man of remarkable talent who went way too soon. He is the only reason I went and the only reason I have this cd. For him I give it 4 stars.

2 out of 5 stars "Grand Hotel" ain't anywhere near grand........2005-08-23

I saw the original Broadway cast and I have never heard such praise for such a worthless piece of fluff in all my years as a Broadway performer and fan. But being a Broadway fan, I bought the album to give the show a second chance. Sitting through this mismatch of Yeston mediocre and Wright and Forest dregs, I sadly had to throw the recording away. I didn't even want it in my extensive collection. The only saving grace was "Let's Lift a Glass" with a haunting Michael Jeeter. Otherwise not one performance by any of the actor/singers came close to their previous work or their work to come. I was so disappointed because I had loved the original cast of "Nine" and was so excited about a new Yeston musical. And there in lies the tale--Tommy Tune, who I consider the last great director/choreographer of the Golden Age of Broadway, should have taken the idea that Wright and Forest had presented him and said "Thank you but go back to preserving the original concept of 'Anya' and let me hire Maury Yeston to write a completely new score. I'll make sure that he doesn't listen to one shred of your original score." Then we might have really had a smashing show based on a marvelously grand soap opera.

4 out of 5 stars stunning, fabulous musical.......2004-01-31

GRAND HOTEL is still one of the most ambitious Broadway musicals ever written. The lovely score by Maury Yeston (NINE, TITANIC) as well as Robert Wright and George Forrest is simply sublime. One of the best 'ensemble' musicals ever written.

The story concerns the various guests and employees at a well-to-do hotel in Berlin: the ageing ballerine Elizaveta (Liliane Montevecchi - NINE) and her lesbian companion Raffaela (Karen Akers - NINE); the dashing Baron Felix (Brent Barrett); the ambitious hotel typist Miss Flaemmchen (Jane Krakowski); Mr Kringelein (Michael Jeter), the dying clerk looking for one last fling; and the Doctor (John Wylie) who guides us through these various stories and relationships.

Standout numbers include the manic "Fire and Ice", the Baron's beautiful ballad "Love Can't Happen", Flaemmchen's jaunty-yet bittersweet "I Want to Go to Hollywood", "Who Couldn't Dance with You" and "Bonjour Amour".

David Carroll originated the role of Baron Felix in the Broadway production, though he was very ill, suffering from the ravages of AIDS. Carroll left the production before the cast album was recorded and died shortly after. Brent Barrett from the national tour was brought in to record the role for the cast album. Added as a bonus here is David Carroll's rendition of "Love Can't Happen", recorded live at Steve McGraw's with Wally Harper at the piano.

Highly-recommended. [RCA 09026-61327-2]

3 out of 5 stars A really unusual show.......2002-01-27

It is hard to sumerise exactly what Grand Hotel is about. It concerns the lives of the guests who stay at this famous Berlin hotel during the 1930's. While this is fascinating, it does mean that the score often has a tendancy to drift from character to character without much focus on them. This is undoubtedly not helped by the fact that it was written by a number of people and does feel as though it has been cobbled together in parts.

However, despite this, there is something quite compelling about the recording. The music fits with the period when it has to, but also takes a Broadway approach to ballads and chorus numbers. All of the performers are faultless from the biting cynical doctor, the hopelessly in love couple, and the fading actress.

It's not a CD that I listen to over and over again because it is quite hard to get in to, and very easy to turn off. However, with some concentration, it is possible to understand what is going on, and only then does the full scope of the score become apparent.
Grand Hotel
Average customer rating: 5 out of 5 stars
  • Perfection
  • A "Grand" album!!
  • Top Classic Rock Album - 30 later years - still the best
 Grand Hotel
Procol Harum
Manufacturer: Friday Music
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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ASIN: B0002VEW3I
Release Date: 2004-09-28

Tracks:

  1. Grand Hotel
  2. Toujours l'Amour
  3. Rum Tale
  4. T.V. Caesar
  5. Souvenir of London
  6. Bringing Home the Bacon
  7. For Liquorice John
  8. Fires (Which Burnt Brightly)
  9. Robert's Box
  10. Grand Hotel/Over the Rainbow [Live][*]

Album Description

After a long run of significant radio and chart activity with classic songs like Whiter Shade of Pale and Conquistador, in 1973 Procol Harum delivered which many fans believe is their strongest effort of all time, Grand Hotel. Founders Gary Brooker and Keith Reid wrote this stunning masterpiece on the heels of their platinum effort Live with the Edmonton Symphony Orchestra. From the opening piano chords on the classic title track, "Grand Hotel", the listener knows they are truly in store for a fantastic excursion that only Procol Harum can offer.

This hit album continues in the fine tradition of their previous classic recordings with the wonderful "Toujours L'Amour." This tale of unrequited love was a concert staple for years and has become one of their most treasured songs from this fine album. Featuring the ever present Mick Grabham on lead guitar, this track along with other rockers like "Bringing Home The Bacon" and "Robert's Box" keep a guitar drenched approach throughout these exciting recordings.

With some help from the legendary classical vocalist The Swingle Singers' Christianne Legrand, "Fires (Which Burnt Brightly)" has gone on to become one of their most loved songs in their long recording history.

Complete with lush orchestrations and skillful instrumentation by members Brooker, Reid, Chris Copping, the late B.J. Wilson, Alan Cartwright and Mick Grabham, Procol Harum's Grand Hotel was truly a highly artistic achievement for this popular classic rock act.

As an added treat for the fans, Gary Brooker has given Friday Music a bonus track for this newly remastered CD, a very rare live version of "Grand Hotel" from a 1973 performance at The Rainbow Theatre in London.

Grand Hotel has gone on to stand the test of time over the years, however, it hasn't been available in North America for over two decades. Thanks to Procol Harum, they have teamed up with Friday Music to deliver this monumental effort along with a bunch of newly re-mastered versions of their all time classic recordings- The Procol Harum Remasters series.

Customer Reviews:

5 out of 5 stars Perfection.......2007-05-08

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.

5 out of 5 stars A "Grand" album!!.......2006-08-28

Procol Harum was not your run of the mill 60's band. One listen to "Whiter Shade of Pale" and you knew you were hearing something different. Grand Hotel, while not as well known as other hit albums in the early 70's, contained some very amazing songs done in an unusual style. The signature tune, Grand Hotel, makes one feel that they have been transported to Europe in song, while Bringing Home The Bacon and Roberts Box show a muscular side to this group that some listners might not have ever experi-
enced. Aside from the amazing American group, The Band, probably no other group so strongly and tastefully used both organ and piano in their band format. Take a trip on a most wonderous musical journey and vist Procol Harum's, Grand Hotel.

5 out of 5 stars Top Classic Rock Album - 30 later years - still the best.......2005-12-18

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!

The record sounds fantastic. There is almost no hiss and the base sounds great. Crystal clear sound! Brookers piano can 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 and his bidding you enter the hotel on the inside cover is classic. Grand Hotel is an absolute must for mature thinking people who want more then the usual dribble in their rock.

Friday Music's booklet has all the lyrics. The CD includes the wonderful addition of a live version of Grand Hotel with lots of Garry's piano and his diversion into Over The Rainbow!
The Maury Yeston Songbook
Average customer rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • a wonderful surprise
  • What!? How is this possible?
  • Beauty and grace, charm and wit - Maury's got it all
  • A perfect marriage of music and lyrics
  • The Maury Yeston Songbook
 The Maury Yeston Songbook
Maury Yeston , Christine Andreas , Brent Barrett , Betty Buckley , Liz Callaway , Alice Ripley , Sutton Foster , Brian d'Arcy James , and Philip Chaffin
Manufacturer: P.S. Classics
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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ASIN: B00008H2LJ
Release Date: 2003-04-08

Tracks:

  1. Please Let's Not Even Say Hello - Alice Ripley
  2. Only with You - Brent Barrett
  3. I Want to Go to Hollywood - Sutton Foster
  4. Danglin' - Johnny Rodgers
  5. I Had a Dream About You - Betty Buckley
  6. My True Love - Philip Chaffin
  7. A Call from the Vatican - Alice Ripley
  8. Now and Then - Laura Benanti
  9. You're There Too - Christopher Fitzgerald
  10. Is Someone Out There? - Eden Espinosa
  11. New Words - Brent Barrett
  12. My Grandmother's Love Letters - Christine Ebersole
  13. By the River - Christine Andreas
  14. I Am Longing - Philip Chaffin
  15. Home - Laura Benanti & Robert Cuccioli
  16. Another Day in the Modern World - Michael Holland
  17. Simple - Liz Callaway
  18. Unusual Way - Brian d'Arcy James
  19. Be On Your Own - Betty Buckley
  20. No Moon - Howard McGillin

Amazon.com

Despite racking up Tony nominations and/or box-office success with Nine, Grand Hotel, and Titanic, Maury Yeston remains a relatively unknown Broadway auteur. And yet, what a fabulous songwriter he is. Listen to "Home," for instance: This excerpt from Phantom (the other adaptation of Phantom of the Opera) has great melodic hooks, along with natural sweep and unrestrained emotion. Like every song on this CD, it also has such dramatic drive that it easily stands on its own outside of its regular narrative frame. This collection of new recordings provides an excellent overview of Yeston's talent, juxtaposing numbers from his three best-known scores (though there's only one from Titanic) with rarities and a generous selection from his 1991 song cycle December Songs. Christine Ebersole, Liz Callaway, and Betty Buckley turn in expectedly strong performances, but watch also for Laura Benanti (the star of the 2003 revival of Nine), Christine Andreas, and Foster Sutton, who completely make the material theirs. --Elisabeth Vincentelli

Description

The Tony Award-winning composer/lyricist -- who's given us the smash hit musicals Titanic, Phantom and Grand Hotel, and whose first stage show, Nine, is currently being revived in New York with Antonio Banderas -- is celebrated in song by the best stars o

Customer Reviews:

4 out of 5 stars a wonderful surprise.......2007-07-22

Like others, I bought this CD primarily for Sutton Foster's rendition of "I Want to Go to Hollywood." And while that's wonderful, the real surprises here are the songs from Yeston's song cycle "December Songs." Christine Ebersole and Christine Andreas give absolutely lovely, technically proficient, completely heartfelt renditions of "My Grandmother's Love Letters" and "By the River", respectively. I'd heard Andrea Marcovicci's recording of "December Songs" and was seriously underwhelmed. These two tracks just prove that Yeston might have over-estimated Marcovicci's range and technical ability. "By the River" is a revelation in the right hands, and Ms. Andreas's rendition is just four minutes of wonderful. I also want to mention Howard McGillin's "No Moon". This little song from "Titanic" is just so moving. Pulled out of context, it becomes a little jewel of metaphor.

The CD as a whole is beautifully recorded, with an intimacy and clarity that makes you feel like you're in the first row of a very small theatre. If you come across this and you're on the fence, take a chance. I bet that you'll be as pleasantly surprised and deeply moved as I've been.

3 out of 5 stars What!? How is this possible?.......2007-01-20

How could one put together a Maury Yeston Songbook cd without a track from Andrea Marcovicci? He wrote a song cycle for her. Granted there are some great singers here but a grave oversight to not include Ms Marcovicci.

5 out of 5 stars Beauty and grace, charm and wit - Maury's got it all.......2006-11-14

Maury Yeston may be musical theatre's unsung genius to the public at large, but I've heard his praises sung many times. A friend convinced me to buy the original Broadway cast of "Nine", and while there were some fantastic songs and an undeniable melodic gift throughout, it left me lukewarm. The same with "Grand Hotel". And I couldn't stand "Titanic" - too big, too self-important, too reliant on booming low brass and bombastic orchestral swells.

"Phantom" was the only one of his scores that touched something other than distanced admiration in me. It was everything Sir Lloyd Webber's popera travesty could never quite aspire to - epic yet human, beautiful and touching, with songs that showed actual details and emotions. So it was with that in mind that I purchased this, figuring that maybe Maury could prove me wrong, shorn from the restrictions of a book musical format.

And by God, did he prove me right and then some.

Maybe it's the singers. Maybe it's the perfect orchestrations. Maybe it's just the absence of a plot to follow. More than likely, it's all three, but this is one of the most gorgeous, enjoyable, heartbreaking albums I've ever purchased. Yeston has assembled an impressive cast to give voice to his music - such heavy Broadway hitters as Alice Ripley, Brent Barrett, Betty Buckley, Christine Ebersole and Howard McGillin mix with up-and-comers like Eden Espinosa, Sutton Foster, and Brian d'Arcy James. But the most impressive turns are given by people I'd never heard of before - Johnny Rodgers (who?) has a voice spun from gold, and he's absolutely perfect in "Danglin'", a simple and powerful song despite some odd lyric choices by Yeston. Likewise Philip Chaffin in "My True Love" and "I Am Longing", and Michael Holland displays a warm and untrained performance of "Another Day in the Modern World". These three men, who I'd never heard of before, absolutely stole the show. It doesn't hurt that they're given some of the best songs from the album.

Of course, the rest of the ensemble uniformly turns in worthwhile performances. The professionalism of Broadway is gloriously evident here, each singer making their song uniquely theirs. Brent Barrett made me hear "Only With You" as if for the first time. Betty Buckley is surprisingly vulnerable in "I Had A Dream About You". Alice Ripley is her usual bundle of raw emotion in "Please Let's Not Even Say Hello", and turns in a rare comic performance in "Call From The Vatican" to great effect (listen to that surprise high note near the end! Wow, Alice!). Christine Ebersole is heartbroken, elated, vulnerable, and tough all in the course of "Grandmother's Love Letters"' 4 minutes.

There are some weak spots - Eden Espinosa is mostly one-note during her song, and while it's certainly a high note, it's nothing you haven't heard her do better elsewhere. Laura Benanti's "Now and Then" goes by without much notice, which is a shame for this talented actress. And Betty Buckley goes back to her usual high-volume stridence in "Be On Your Own", which despite its chilling music deserves a more nuanced performance than Buckley gives here. But these songs would be standouts on any other album, and it's only the company they keep that prevent them from being excellent.

Oh, and "Unusual Way", possibly Yeston's best-known song, is so beautifully performed here by Brian d'Arcy James and a three-piece band that I nearly cried hearing it. And that's quite a feat for a song that I swore never to listen to again after the seventeenth girl in a day auditioned with it (badly). But the gender swap works perfectly, and d'Arcy James' golden Irish tenor swings through the music effortlessly.

As for the band - there are no missteps here. Each song is given exactly what it needs, from the Romantic-with-a-capital-R string section on "Home", to the jazzy saxophone on "Letter From the Vatican", to "Be On Your Own", which is given a Herrmann-esque string section. Some particular touches stand out - that lovely acoustic guitar on "Danglin'", the simple piano line on "Modern World", and the sublime cello/piano outro in "Unusual Way" really stuck with me after the album stopped playing. And the recording is without fault - crisp, encompassing, personable and expansive as the mood requires. The whole album sounds fantastic.

There is such a wide range of style and substance here that each song would deserve purchasing individually. As a collection? It's bliss. If you're a fan of theater music, appreciate great vocals, or just need something to keep you company on long nights, this is required purchase.

5 out of 5 stars A perfect marriage of music and lyrics.......2006-09-07

I think Yeston must be the most underrated talent in music theatre. And not just music theatre ... for as far as I know, "Danglin'" is not from a show - a jewel of a song ... and a disarmingly honest rendition from Johnny Rogers (what a beautiful voice! Why hasn't he made more CD's?) Some other favourites are "New Words" (not enough parent-child love songs out there ... and I can't imagine it could be sung any better than this), "You're there too" (with a charming and unexpected twist), "Simple" (Callaway is superb), "Only With You" (loveable rogue!) ... to name but a few. Inspired music theatre writing. A must for any musical buff, composer or singer seeking repertoire that will help them stand out from the crowd.

3 out of 5 stars The Maury Yeston Songbook.......2006-08-30

A good album sung by good singers. I have been an admirer of Maury Yeston for a number of years . I am a great fan of "Nine"
which I consider his best work.(If possible try to listen to the
Australian Cast Recording with John Diedrich) I enjoy listening to artists like Alice Ripley, Brent Barrett, Sutton Foster,and my very favourite singer Liz Callaway. All in all a great CD to just sit back ,relax and enjoy Les Breen
Grand Hotel
Average customer rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • Grand Hotel: delighting listeners since 1973
  • Good, But Not Their Best
  • Excelent - after 30 years - still great
  • Taking themselves a bit less seriously
  • B.J.'s Finest Hour
 Grand Hotel
Procol Harum
Manufacturer: Repertoire
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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ASIN: B000058B2V
Release Date: 2001-01-22

Tracks:

  1. Grand Hotel
  2. Toujours l'Amour
  3. Rum Tale
  4. T.V. Caesar
  5. Souvenir of London
  6. Bringing Home the Bacon
  7. For Liquorice John
  8. Fires (Which Burnt Brightly)
  9. Robert's Box
  10. Grand Hotel [Single Version][*]
  11. Robert's Box [Single Version][*]

Album Description

Digipak reissue of the British rock group's 1973 album with two bonus tracks, single versions of 'Grand Hotel' and 'Robert's Box'. 2000 release.

Album Details

Digitally remastered reissue with 2 bonus tracks: 'Grand Hotel' (single version) and 'Robert's Box' (single version).

Customer Reviews:

4 out of 5 stars Grand Hotel: delighting listeners since 1973.......2006-09-30

Despite their strong fan base and cult following, Procol Harum still remains a somewhat forgotten band from an era of great progressive, folk, and blues based artists and bands. Despite being widely known for their single "Whiter Shade of Pale", the band went from possible future super group to underground phenomena in the course of a few short years. "Pale" reached #1 in Europe and #5 in the United States after its release in 1967, and was the highest charting song the band would ever have. The band underwent several changes in lineup and musical style during its long tenure, which included a reunion of sorts after a new studio album in 1991. The bands name, which is an oddity itself, is actually Latin for "Beyond these things" and was suggested by manager Guy Stevens after the name of a friend's cat. Fitting for a progressive rock band, don't you think?

Okay, enough of the history lesson, and on with the album. Grand Hotel was released in 1973 and featured a lineup that included Gary Brooker on piano and vocals, B.J. Wilson on drums, and Cartwright and Grabham on bass and electric guitar, respectively. I won't cover all the tracks but a few that stand out to me. Track six is "Bringing home the bacon" and that it does, as the song has some ethereal organ sounds in it that interchange with a great groovy beat. The lyrics and vocal efforts on this song are sometimes a tad dire while at the same time extremely hopeful feeling. With this track, Procol Harum shows us (as they do on so much of their music) how creative and diverse they can be without stretching over the edge into some long lost 20 minute overture as was the norm at that time for progressive style rock bands. "TV Caesar" is a shifting of gears as it has some pop influence that mixes it up with some elegant vocals. Layered in with that are some funky grooves to top it off. "Fires" is a track that has a lot of instrumentals on it and is atmospheric but again, staying closer to a folk and even jazz sound instead of crossing over into space rock territory. Other bands that I think Procol's music remind me of here and there are Supertramp and Thin Lizzy.

The track "For Liquorice John" is a masterpiece as it uses some great piano in it from Brooker that would give Coldplay a run for their money. Melodic and strong, the tune has all the elements of vision, rhythm, and harmony to evoke a feeling of hope within the listener. Procol's "Grand Hotel" is not one of their most popular albums with fans, but I find it to be good enough to warrant repeated listens. My hat goes off to Brooker and the gang for producing an artistic record that is easy listening and becomes sweeter over time.

3 out of 5 stars Good, But Not Their Best.......2006-05-19

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.

5 out of 5 stars Excelent - after 30 years - still great.......2005-11-28

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!

5 out of 5 stars Taking themselves a bit less seriously.......2005-10-28

The cover photo might have you expecting a wonderfully bomastic album - and there is some of that. I mean "wonderfully bombastic" literally: even more than usual, Gary Brooker and friends reached for some of the most grandiose sounds of the rock era here, and they did a terrific job in the process. But they also thew in a few goofy moments here and there. This was also their first work after a couple of big personnel changes, but if you liked their earlier albums, you'll probably like this one as well.

The title track is art-rock splendor at its very best, replete with chorus and violins against a tale of a night at the ultimate 19th century upper-crust resort. It's the very epitome of what some people love to hate about bands like Procol Harum - but if you're one of them, chances are you're not really thinking of buying this CD anyway! For the rest of us, it's right up there with "A Salty Dog" and "A Whiter Shade of Pale".

The tempo picks up a bit on most of the other songs. "Toujours L'Amour" is a uniquely British rocker about unrequited love, in which Gary discovers he's lost not only his girl but his cat. Ever the ray of sunshine, the last verse finds him torn between suicide and moving to France. "A Rum Tale" is a similarly themed slow waltz, yet more optimistic than its predecessor. While it's a somewhat melancholy song, it somehow conjures cozy images of whiling away the hours in a London pub and planning to escape to warmer climates.

And then come those lighter moments. "TV Caesar" is an amusing and catchy slam on television talk shows (and this was 1973 - if only they knew what was coming!) while "A Souvenir of London" is the only Procol Harum song ever banned from the radio. In the liner notes, Gary says it's not really about an STD as the lyrics suggest - see if you agree! "Bringing Home the Bacon" is one of their concert staples, and the loudest this album gets.

"For Liquorice John" is a eulogy for a friend of the band - but if you don't know that, it might sound like it's about an epidemic of something or other. Either way, it's one of their more macabre numbers. As such, it's a pretty good lead in to "Fires (Which Burnt Brightly)," which is second only to the title track as the album's best song. Either an anti-war song or a paean to a failed relationship (both interpretations make equal sense), it's wonderfully complex musically and the lyrics are spare but powerful. But what really makes it terrific are the backing scat-vocals by French chanteuse Christianne Legrand, who sounds almost like a choir in her own right as the song builds in intensity.

What's left after that - the just for fun song "Robert's Box" and abridged "single" versions of that and "Grand Hotel" - feels more than a bit anticlimactic. But given how high they take you on the rest of the album, that's okay.

5 out of 5 stars B.J.'s Finest Hour.......2005-07-17

"Grand Hotel" is the best album by the reconstituted Procol Harum--the band with Mick Grabham and Alan Cartright, on the Chrysalis label instead of A&M.

The cover photographs for this album show a band that's getting a little 'thick in the middle'--the cummerbunds tightening on their tuxedos. Indeed, Procol Harum was a successful band, and they seemed with this album to be celebrating their success. The sound of the band is lush and fat (but, very tight, mind you.) Mick Grabham (guitar) and Chris Copping (organ) are no match for their earlier counterparts, Robin Trower and Matthew Fisher, and they are not featured as prominently. But Grabham provides some snarling fills and grand-sounding solos, and Copping has some good flourishes. The real revelation is B.J. Wilson on drums. Always a great drummer, B.J. only got stronger in the band's "Live in Edmonton" to "Exotic Birds and Fruit" phase. Listen to the thundering cascades of the title track of "Grand Hotel", or the tricky rhythms of "Bringing Home the Bacon"--was there ever a better drummer in Rock?

Keith Reid's lyrics are at their most spare, as he describes the fatuous absorptions of the rich. And, too, the band is parodying its own pretensions--sending up high culture, the Germanic ideal, a lifestyle too caloric for its own good.

Highly polished, and not too pompous, "Grand Hotel" was a second peak for Procol. " A Salty Dog" remains the Mt. Everest.

Favorite track: "Fires Which Burnt Brightly", where a saucy scat solo by Christiane Legrand comes in just where you would expect a shopworn, heavy guitar workout.
Grand Life Soho New York
Average customer rating: Not rated
    		Grand Life Soho New York

    Manufacturer: 5 Points Records
    ProductGroup: Music
    Binding: Audio CD
    ASIN: B000GGFXUU
    The Sheltering Sky: Music From The Original Motion Picture Soundtrack
    Average customer rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    • For Fans of the Film, or Sakamoto, a Worthwhile Purchase
    • Absolutely Beautiful
    • Stunning Sky
    • The one and only!
    		 The Sheltering Sky: Music From The Original Motion Picture Soundtrack

    Manufacturer: Virgin Records Us
    ProductGroup: Music
    Binding: Audio CD

    Sakamoto, RyuichiSakamoto, Ryuichi | ( S ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music
    GeneralGeneral | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music
    ElectronicaElectronica | Dance & DJ | Styles | Music
    Movie ScoresMovie Scores | Soundtracks | Styles | Music
    Movie SoundtracksMovie Soundtracks | Soundtracks | Styles | Music
    GeneralGeneral | Soundtracks | Styles | Music
    GeneralGeneral | Vocal Pop | Pop | Styles | Music
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    1. The Last Emperor
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    4. Bricolages
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    ASIN: B00000DR6L
    Release Date: 1992-06-29

    Tracks:

    1. The Sacred Koran - The Sacred Koran
    2. The Sheltering Sky Theme
    3. Belly
    4. Port's Composition
    5. On The Bed (Dream)
    6. Loneliness
    7. On The Hill
    8. Kyoto
    9. Cemetery
    10. Dying
    11. Market
    12. Grand Hotel
    13. The Sheltering Sky Theme (Piano Version)
    14. Je Chante - Charles Trenet
    15. Midnight Sun - Lionel Hampton
    16. Fever Ride - Richard Horowitz
    17. Chant Avec Cithare - Chaba Zahouania
    18. Marinia's Tent - Richard Horowitz
    19. Goulov Limma - Various Artists
    20. Happy Bus Ride - Various Artists
    21. Night Train - Richard Horowitz

    Customer Reviews:

    5 out of 5 stars For Fans of the Film, or Sakamoto, a Worthwhile Purchase.......2006-11-13

    As with most soundtrack albums, you'll buy it because you really liked the film and want an aural souvenir of it. "The Sheltering Sky" certainly works in that regard. It even has the Lionel Hampton number used over the opening credits. Unfortunately, the tracks are not sequential, which lessens the souvenir value a bit, but it's still a good buy for lovers of the film or for fans of Ryuichi Sakamoto's music.

    5 out of 5 stars Absolutely Beautiful.......2005-11-14

    This is a timeless, haunting soundtrack. One of Sakamoto's best, and thanks to a supporting cast of great music - this is truly a soundscape best heard in totality. Any fans of Sakamoto's work or even those who love movie soundtracks - you absolutely have to get this. Penetrating and atmospheric.

    5 out of 5 stars Stunning Sky.......2004-10-25

    The Sheltering Sky is one of my favorite scores. The film itself is flawed but fascinating, and its score is one of its highlights. The Sheltering Sky Theme is so moving and haunting that it ranks up there with "Once Upon A Time In America" and "The Mission" as a brilliant theme music.

    This soundtrack is hard to find but worth seeking if you love score music.

    5 out of 5 stars The one and only!.......2000-01-05

    this Bertolucci movie was really beautiful and so is the soundtrack. It is simply brilliant & in my opinion Sakamoto's very best! A mixture of ancient sounds, slow strings, islamic chants and heartbreaking melodies, just BEAUTIFUL !

    Buy it, it's a must! Rik
    Lost in Boston II Unsung Musicals
    Average customer rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    • A wonderful collection of show tunes .
    		 Lost in Boston II Unsung Musicals

    Manufacturer: Varese Sarabande
    ProductGroup: Music
    Binding: Audio CD

    All Works by BernsteinAll Works by Bernstein | Bernstein, Leonard | ( B ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music
    All Works by WeillAll Works by Weill | Weill, Kurt | ( W ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music
    Chamber MusicChamber Music | Forms & Genres | Modern, 20th, & 21st Century | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music
    Vocal & SongVocal & Song | Modern, 20th, & 21st Century | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music
    GeneralGeneral | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music
    Modern & 20th CenturyModern & 20th Century | Historical Periods | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music
    GeneralGeneral | Musicals | Broadway & Vocalists | Styles | Music
    GeneralGeneral | Soundtracks | Styles | Music
    1990s1990s | By Decade | Soundtracks | Styles | Music
    1950s1950s | By Decade | Pop | Styles | Music
    1960s1960s | By Decade | Pop | Styles | Music
    GeneralGeneral | Vocal Pop | Pop | Styles | Music
    1960-19691960-1969 | Decades | Compilations | Miscellaneous | Styles | Music
    1950-19591950-1959 | Decades | Compilations | Miscellaneous | Styles | Music
    Similar Items:
    1. Lost in Boston: Songs You Never Heard From
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    3. Unsung Musicals II (Studio Cast)
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    ASIN: B0000014UB
    Release Date: 1994-10-25

    Tracks:

    1. Man And Wife - Liz Larsen/Sal Viviano
    2. Guess We May As Well Stay Married Now - Glory Crampton/Guy Haines
    3. Thousands Of Flowers - Rita Gardner/Ron Raines
    4. Throw It Away - Karen Ziemba/Harry Groener
    5. What Am I Doing Here? - Liz Callaway
    6. Italy In Technicolor - Judy Kaye/Buddy Crutchfield
    7. I Have Acted Like A Fool - Debbie Pavelka/Richard Roland
    8. When Messiah Comes - Lee Wilkof
    9. Just A Map - Meg Bussert
    10. I'm Lost - Walter Willison
    11. Say When - Kaye Ballard
    12. It Was Always You - Gregg Edelman
    13. Flaemmchen (The Flame Girl) - Lynnette Perry
    14. The Only Game In Town - Karen Mason

    Customer Reviews:

    5 out of 5 stars A wonderful collection of show tunes ........1998-12-06

    Lost in Boston II is the second group of songs that have been put on an album that were cut from well known musicals. It is better than the first Lost in Boston- only because the songs collected here have nary a loser(okay,"It Was Always You" from Applause sounds like a theme from a 70's Tv show- but it's still tuneful and endearing).Some listeners may be familair with some of these songs from the Ben Bagley compilations, but for me many were complete revelations. For example, I had heard only negative things about the score to Grand Hotel- then I played the showstopper cut from the show called" Flaemmchen the Flame Girl" - and I now would like to hear what was not cut! The same applies to the team of Jones and Schmidt. When I heard the gorgeous song, "Thousands of Flowers" I immediately went to buy the final score of "I Do I Do"... The first two Lost in Bostons confirmed how underrated this song team truly is. The liner notes are informative and to the point but as with all good stuff, they leave you wanting more.Don't miss this CD. It is better than many complete Broadway musical scores!
    Grand Hotel
    Average customer rating: Not rated
      		Grand Hotel
      Roadstar
      Manufacturer: Magic Hat
      ProductGroup: Music
      Binding: Audio CD

      GeneralGeneral | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music
      GeneralGeneral | Rock | Styles | Music
      GeneralGeneral | Hard Rock & Metal | Styles | Music
      Hard Rock & MetalHard Rock & Metal | Imports | Stores | Music
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      ASIN: B000MMLMY4
      Release Date: 2007-02-05

      Tracks:

      1. Ready To Go
      2. Roadstar
      3. Get This
      4. Out Of The Blue
      5. Let's Get It Started
      6. Stone
      7. Magic Hat
      8. Misplaced Paradise
      9. All I Want
      10. Liar
      11. Stolen My Pride
      12. Keep It Alive

      Album Description

      2007 debut album from the new Hard Rock act, recipients of Classic Rock Magazine's Best New Band award for 2006. Produced by Kevin Shirley of Aerosmith and Iron Maiden fame, the band have toured Europe with the Darkness and Thunde. Magic Hat.

      Album Details

      Grand Hotel is Roadstar's Debut Album and Produced by Manager/Producer Laurie Mansworth and Mixed by Aerosmith, Led ZEP, Iron Maiden Producer Kevin Shirley.
      On Broadway
      Average customer rating: 5 out of 5 stars
      • A masterpiece
      		 On Broadway

      Manufacturer: Telarc
      ProductGroup: Music
      Binding: Audio CD

      GeneralGeneral | Symphonies | Classical | Styles | Music
      GeneralGeneral | Classical | Styles | Music
      GeneralGeneral | Pop | Styles | Music
      GeneralGeneral | Easy Listening | Pop | Styles | Music
      Orchestral PopOrchestral Pop | Easy Listening | Pop | Styles | Music
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      3. That's Entertainment: Pops on Broadway
      4. Broadway's Greatest Hits
      5. From the Heart

      ASIN: B00000ILWX
      Release Date: 1999-04-27

      Tracks:

      1. On Broadway From Smokey Joe's Cafe
      2. Suite From Miss Saigon: The Heat Is On In Saigon - Why God, Why? - The Last Night Of The World - Bui Doi - This Is The Hour
      3. He Lives In You From The Lion King
      4. Lily's Eyes From The Secret Garden
      5. You're Nothing Without Me From City Of Angels
      6. Children Will Listen From Into The Woods
      7. Gimme Love From Kiss Of The Spider Woman
      8. Suite From Les Miserables: At The End Of The Day - I Dreamed A Dream - Master Of The House - Bring Him Home - Do You Hear The People Sing?
      9. Seasons of Love From Rent
      10. Ragtime From Ragtime
      11. This Is The Moment From Jekyll And Hyde
      12. Into The Fire From The Scarlet Pimpernel
      13. The Grand Waltz From Grand Hotel
      14. Cross The Line From Big
      15. Hooker's Ball From The Life
      16. Give A Man Enough Rope From Will Rogers' Follies
      17. The Latest Rag From Titanic
      18. Godspeed From Titanic

      Customer Reviews:

      5 out of 5 stars A masterpiece.......2004-02-03

      The melody that gives the title to this cd, "On Broadway" is a masterpiece of arrangement: every instrument is on the very right key and it truly makes you live that very special feeling that you only get every once in a while with very special music. Listen to it, you will buy it instantly.
      Showtime At the Grand
      Average customer rating: Not rated
        		Showtime At the Grand
        Bob Snyder & the Grand Hotel Orchestra
        Manufacturer: saxy records
        ProductGroup: Music
        Binding: Audio CD

        GeneralGeneral | Jazz | Styles | Music
        ASIN: B000MG75C8

        Music Review:

        1. Greatest Hits Live [Live]
        2. Here [Live]
        3. Hibernated [Box set]
        4. Last Concert In Japan (Japan)
        5. Live at Club Go-Go [Live]
        6. Live at Knebworth 1980
        7. Live in Detroit [Import] [Live]
        8. Machine Head (Japan)
        9. Mardi Gras [Import] [Limited Edition]
        10. Maximum Beatles [Import]

        Music Review

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        Cortinaland [EP]

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