Got in a minty WLP copy of "Daughter of Time" recently......really nice.
VALENTYNE SUITE COLOSSEUM 21st July 21st 1969
VALENTYNE SUITE by COLOSSEUM. An ambitious and bold yet so beautifully executed progressive jazz rock classical epic from master English musicians guided by band leader drummer Jon Hiseman. He completed the sleeve notes just as Neil Armstrong took "one small step for man, but a giant leap for mankind", July 21st, 1969.
Yes indeed VALENTYNE SUITE, basically a love song, is a giant leap in epic compositions, in concept albums and an bold experiment of artistic and music freedom in rock music. It was 1969 and the album stands as a beautiful document of an era when musicians did exactly what they wanted to do, just music no compromises. Art at finest. An era that had begun in Hendrix´s Ladyland and Procol Harum´s "In Held Twas in I" in previous year. Rock`n´roll was never the same anymore and Progressive Rock changed everything.
Yes indeed VALENTYNE SUITE, basically a love song, is a giant leap in epic compositions, in concept albums and an bold experiment of artistic and music freedom in rock music. It was 1969 and the album stands as a beautiful document of an era when musicians did exactly what they wanted to do, just music no compromises. Art at finest. An era that had begun in Hendrix´s Ladyland and Procol Harum´s "In Held Twas in I" in previous year. Rock`n´roll was never the same anymore and Progressive Rock changed everything.
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Dave Greenslade's best organ solo ever is not with Colosseum or his solo lps. Its on the "Electrocuted" lp ('75) by Swede Lasse Wellander. Dick Heckstall-Smith's solo lp is very good but takes repeated listens to work-in. "The Grass Is Greener" lp has same front cover as "Valentine Suite" and is basically Valentine Suite (Butty's Blues, Machine... & Elegy). It took me a long time but a few months back I finally scored a copy. On some forum I listed the few differences between the two lps - but I can't remember just now . One difference was the same song BUT A DIFFERENT VOCALIST. And I seem to recall that the track "Bolero" exists on none of their other main lps. |
COLOSSEUM LIVE 2LP on Tiger Bay label, with "I Can´t Live Without You"
by original guitarist James Litherland, first time on vinyl. Can you dig
that man ! https://www.discogs.com/Colosseum-Live/release/13483556 A stunning reissue released this Spring, faithful to original sound and cover. With this one you can fool your friends listening to original UK Bronze. The best vinyl reissue of anything I´ve heard this far. Fabulous release does honor to these fine English musicians and this incredibly stylish music mix of rock, blues, jazz and classical influences/melody. This is heavy music. COLOSSEUM took the blues to a higher level and boldly went where no man had gone before. It was 1971, at the pinnacle of Rock´s evolution when everything came together in Prog Rock. This live double changed it all. Soon followed Deep Purple´s Made in Japan 1972, Uriah Heep Live January 1973, ELP`s triple live album 1974 ... RIP Jon and Dick, you are the greatest. Thanks for your Music. |
Valentyne Suite the Australian first press on Fontana label is just beautiful. And this Live reissue just released in spring seems to be very interesting: https://www.discogs.com/Colosseum-Live/release/13483556 Gotta get that too, the best live record in the golden age of rock, it was 1971 ... oh boy ... |
My pleasure, Mike. Well, my copy of Australian release is on the way. Couldn´t resist to buy, you know it is the very 1st Fontana edition and in stunning condition (fingers crossed) ; ) All the Greenslade albums are great, except Time and Tide, 1975 which is somewhat lame, too pop and quite commercial to my taste. No wonder bassist & producer Tony Reeves is no longer with them. |
Well, Valentyne Suite is on the way all the way from Switzerland. Thanks for this thread harold-not-the-barrel, which rekindled an old interest.. That completes my collection of the original bands output too. I did find some Greenslade on Youtube, but will need to listen some more. Which is their best album in your opinion? Mike |
Those are the ones I have twoleftears, plus The Grass Is Greener from 1970 on the ABC/Dunhill label I was pleasantly surprised by this post others knew of and enjoyed them. I never heard them mentioned anywhere before. I’ll have to break some out tonight to play. And sure enough, Valentyne Suite is still available on Amazon in both CD and vinyl. A copy shall soon be mine. Mike |
Saw then performing at Keitele Jazz, Finland, July 2011 in a small venue, a remote little village in the middle of nowhere ! Last time they were here was Ruisrock Festival Turku, August 1970 ! You know, COLOSSEUM were those legendary classic rock bands that practically never visited our remote country. I almost missed them, my buddy had noticed the ad and immediately bought tickets. How fortunate we were. Polite and silent and luckily small audience only music lovers. Barbara Thompson wearing big boots of Dick Heckstall-Smith, doing a great job and actually bringing a lightly different reed sound to the mix, a new kinda feminine aspect to the already fantastic mixture of blues, jazz, rock and classical. To my great delight she wasn´t worse than Heckstall-Smith, just a lightly different yet powerful approach to the music. Stunnig performance, the 2nd best concert I have had a pleasure to witness in my entire life. Just music, no BS hype of any kind. And of course, we got a drum solo, musical with intense drive and power, well as always. And not a single dull moment. And Chris Farlowe was as good as ever, really. All these guys were nearly 70 ! |