"Bedside Manners Are Extra" by GREENSLADE (November 2018 Esoteric Recordings 'Expanded Edition' CD+DVD Reissue and Remasters) - A Review by Mark Barry...

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"...Time To Dream..."

Whilst Thin Lizzy had its duel-guitar onslaught out front from 1974 onwards – British Prog Rockers GREENSLADE (who shared the musical landscape with the Lizzies around the same time) decided to forego guitars altogether and concentrate on two Keyboardists out front with a Bass Player/Singer and Drummer bringing up the rear.

The band had a huge musical history and pedigree that's worth elaborating on – leader and namesake Dave Greenslade cut his teeth with Chris Farlowe and The Fabulous Thunderbirds on their two Columbia Records albums in 1964 and 1966 only to then join up towards the end of that mercurial decade with Jon Hiseman and his fusion-art-rock outfit Colosseum. Greenslade contributed to their Vertigo Records debut "Valentyne Suite" (the label's November 1969 first LP on Vertigo VO 1), their second album "Those Who Are About To Die Salute You" on Fontana Records (also from 1969 - the band featuring Tony Reeves at this point) and their third record "Daughter Of Time" also on Vertigo Records in 1970 (Reeves had left but Chris Farlowe guested on some vocals). Dave is also on a final hurrah before the band disbanded with the 1971 live double "Colosseum Live". Second keyboardist Dave Lawson had done stints with Geno Washington and The Ram Jam Band, Avant Garde jazzers The Web for their third album "I Spider" in 1970 (issued on Polydor Records – the first two LPs were on Deram) who then morphed into the uber-cultish Samurai that issued a self-titled rarity in 1971 on the obscure Greenwich Gramophone Company Records label. Drummer Andrew McCulloch had bashed his kit for no less than King Crimson on their 1970 LP "Lizard" and later hit the tom toms for the revered CBS act Fields on their self-titled debut in 1971.

Formed in 1972 from the ashes/exits of/from all these other bands – the foursome supergroup GREENSLADE were also riding on the wave of Progressive Rock's growing popularity - a complicated musical force that had been storming both the UK and USA in those formative years of 1970, 1971 and 1972. After signing to the prestigious Warner Brothers label – their self-titled debut was released February 1973 complete with deriguere Roger Dean logo and suitably flashy gatefold artwork (script writing akin to the inner sleeve on Yes' "Close To The Edge"). The Greenslade four-handed-man logo was in fact thought up by Dave Greenslade (drawn by Dean) to reflect the two sets of hands playing the music out front.

The stage seemed set for success too. Those other Proggy giants Emerson, Lake & Palmer (also heavily leaning towards keyboards over guitars) had put their third platter "Trilogy" up at No. 2 in August 1972 on the UK LP charts and would do the same to "Brain Salad Surgery" in December 1973 on their own record label - Manticore Records. YES would put their triple-live "Yessongs" on the No. 7 spot in May of 1973 only to replace that with the four-sided double-album studio beastie that was "Tales From Topographic Oceans" in December - both hugely ambitious and highly unlikely Top Ten entries ("Tales From Topographic Oceans" went all the way to No. 1). In other words - 1973 was a massive year for Prog Rock both artistically and commercially.

I say all of this because despite the press giving our fine-feathered newcomers loads of coverage (six clippings from Melody Maker and NME adorn the 24-page booklet of their debut "Greenslade") and despite their obvious Progressive Rock appeal and backdrop - Greenslade weren't the commercial success they should have been. Of the four albums they did in their classic period between 1973 and 1975 - it was only their third and most sophisticated work "Spyglass Guest" from August 1974 that charted and even then at a lowly No. 34 for three weeks.

In many ways, Greenslade are a footnote in chart history now. That doesn't mean they aren't remembered with huge affection (they are) and on evidence of this exemplary and comprehensive reissue series from Cherry Red's 'Esoteric Recordings' - it's easy to hear why. This issue for their second platter originally issued late 1973 also comes with fab unreleased material – including rare visuals on Disc 2 now in the public domain at last. It's Time To Dream...here are the details…

UK released Friday, 30 November 2018 (7 December 2018 in the USA) - "Bedside Manners Are Extra" by GREENSLADE on Esoteric Recordings PECLEC 22654 (Barcode 5013929475441) is an 'Expanded Edition' 2-Disc Reissue (CD and DVD) offering a new remaster of their 1973 Second Album with Previously Unreleased BBC Audio and Video Bonuses on both discs and it plays out as follows:

Disc 1 CD (55:20 minutes):

1. Bedside Manners Are Extra [Side 1]

2. Pilgrim's Progress

3. Time To Dream

4. Drum Folk [Side 2]

5. Sunkissed You're Not

6. Chalk Hill

Tracks 1 to 6 are their second studio album "Bedside Manners Are Extra" - released November 1973 in the UK on Warner Brothers K 46259 (no US release). Produced by the four members of GREENSLADE (Engineered by Mike Bobak and Trevor White) - it didn’t chart USA.

BONUS TRACKS:

7. Time To Dream

8. Bedside Manners Are Extra

9. Pilgrim's Progress

BBC Radio One "Sounds Of The Seventies" Session recorded 31Oct 1973 (first broadcast 3 Dec 1973)

Disc 2 DVD (NTSC All Regions, 28 minutes - PREVIOUSLY UNRELEASED material)

1. Drowning Man

2. Temple Song

3. Mélange

Tracks 1 to 3 are a 1973 Warner Brothers Promotional Film called "Greenslade"

4. Pilgrim's Progress

5. Bedside Manners Are Extra

Tracks 4 and 5 recorded 20 November 1973 for the BBC TV program "The Old Grey Whistle Test"

GREENSLADE was:

DAVE GREENSLADE – Organ, Fender Piano, Mellotron, Clavinet, Harmonium, ARP Synths, Glockenspiel

DAVE LAWSON – Acoustic Piano, Fender Piano, Clavinet, ARP Synths, Soprano Saxophones. Gong, Bell Tree and Lead Vocals

TONY REEVES – Bass Guitars

ANDREW McCULLOCH - Drums and Percussion

A 90s issue out of Germany on Warner Brothers with basic artwork, a 2006 Wounded Bird issue in the USA with not much better and a 2009 better shot in Japan on Arcangelo that at least had a Remaster and a SHM-CD in natty repro artwork have seen their second studio album have a potted CD reissue history. But here in 2018 the UK finally gives it a Deluxe Edition fans can enjoy and access easily.

The three-way fold out digipak is the generic packaging for all three of these Esoteric Recordings 2-Disc GREENSLADE reissues – each picture disc in this case reflecting the original cover artwork by ROGER DEAN (front cover for both CD and DVD). The inner flap has the fourhanded logo painting by Dean that became an emblem for the band (reflecting two sets of keyboard players) and the reproduction values of the gorgeous original gatefold artwork are seriously well done (front and rear) - this is a handsome looking reissue.

The 20-page booklet too (helmed by noted writer and musicologist MALCOLM DOME) comes with new interviews involving Dave Greenslade, singer Dave Lawson and input too from artist Roger Dean - whilst the whole thing is compiled, researched etc by resident Prog expert and label head honcho MARK POWELL. All the colour snaps of the four boys playing live that adorned the inner gatefold along with the lyrics in Roger Dean script that came with the original Warner Brothers inner gatefold are present and accounted for. There's discussion of the band’s progress from the March 1973 self-titled debut to the 2pm to midnight recording and mixing process in July with the LP hitting the shelves in November. On the 20th of that month Blighty got to see Greenslade on the taste-making Old Grey Whistle Test (along with Man, Bees Make Honey and Kilburn and The High Roads) and as DG explains they were still changing structures in the songs. In short the booklet is beautifully laid out - both looking and feeling substantial.

As a firm fan fave this Remaster of "Bedside Manners Are Extra" (a title apparently suggested by the keyboard player’s then girlfriend and later wife) is a HUGE improvement over what has gone before – another fabulously clean and substantive Remaster from BEN WISEMAN who along with Paschal Byrne is Esoteric's go-to tape guy. Like most I've had the two Rhino/Edsel reissues these last few years that covered their first four albums (I reviewed the "Spyglass Guest/Time And Tide" twofer they put out in May 2011) – and whilst they were good – the audio here is a morning mist lifted off a muddied lake. Rehearsed and prepared in advance (the band’s motto) – you can hear the tight rhythm section so clearly – especially Andrew McCulloch whose drums seem to hover just beside the duelling keyboard whizzes as if they were an integral part of the overall soundscape and not just a rhythmic backdrop (very King Crimson in fact). To the music...

The debut and second LPs both came in 1973 (February and November) and by the time the band hit the studio in July – they had a Sympatico sound, a well-rehearsed pre-recording routine (practice, practice) and a sophistication that comes roaring off "Bedside Manners Are Extra" – a self-produced album. Side 1 opens with dancing synths, a Fender Rhodes and a Mellotron – like a steeplechase on keyboards. But it's the audio that thrills – those delicate Andrew McCulloch taps on the high hats now so clear.

The all-regions near 28-minutes DVD offers five tracks - first up is an amazing find in a three-song promotional film made by Warner Brothers to promote the March 1973 self-titled debut album. It lasts sixteen and a half minutes and is seriously grainy to begin with but soon settles down (the boys playing in Pye Studios in London). There they are, accomplished and Prog grooving alongside their Orange Amps with their frizzy long hair and a 69 teeshirt. During "Mélange" Bassist Tony Reeves gets to show what he can do mimicking almost exactly what he played on the album track (great stuff). Second comes a twofer from November 1973 recorded for Bob Harris' taste-making show "The Old Grey Whistle Test" (Man, Bees Make Honey and Kilburn and The High Roads were featured that week). Immaculate looking and sounding great (restored footage), the keyboard spreads have expanded to all sides of the two Daves and the entire band’s playing is even more Sympatico that before – Greenslade sounding not unlike ELP letting rip. Amazing stuff to see after all these years...

To sum up - I've always loved the sophistication of "Bedside Manners…" and this five-star 2-Disc reissue of that 2nd album obscurity should make sure it gets the musical reappraisal it deserves. The packaging is great, the booklet informative and cool looking, the audio a big improvement on what went before and that second disc of unreleased footage, a no-filler winner. Cool.

No doubt the fourth platter from 1975 "Time And Tide" will follow soon after - possibly in 2019. Once again Esoteric Recordings have delivered big time. This is the version of "Bedside Manners Are Extra" to buy - nicely done boys...

GREENSLADE - 2-Disc 2018 Reissues from Esoteric Recordings of the UK:

1. "Greenslade" (February 1973 UK Debut) – reissue released 28 September 2018 on Esoteric Recordings PECLEC 22645 (Barcode 5013929474543) – 2CD Remaster with Seven Previously Unreleased BBC ‘In Concert’ performances on Disc 2 (recorded January and April 1973)

2. "Bedside Manners Are Extra" (November 1973 Second Album) – released 30 November 2018 on Esoteric Recordings PECLEC 22654 (Barcode 5013929475441) – CD & DVD Remaster with Three Previously Unreleased BBC Sessions after the album on CD1 (recorded October 1973) and a Three-Song In The Studio Warner Brothers Promotional Film Recorded 1973 for the debut album along with a further two-song slot on "The Old Grey Whistle Test" (November 1973) on the Region Free DVD

3. "Spyglass Guest" (August 1974 Third Album) – released 26 October 2018 on Esoteric Recordings PECLEC 22647 (Barcode 5013929474741) – 2CD Remaster with Eight Previously Unreleased BBC Radio Sessions on Disc 2 (recorded November 1974)