"...The Grass Is Greener..."
Having
prized-open the commercial jaws of the burgeoning Jazz-Rock beast with their
March 1969 Gladiatorial debut "Those Who Are About To Die Salute You"
on Fontana Records - it seemed the British five-piece supergroup had enough
material in them for two albums come release number two. And that's kind of
what happened.
As most Prog
Rock/Jazz Rock aficionados know (off by heart) - Colosseum got to launch the
Vertigo label in the UK with their second album "Valentyne Suite" in
November 1969 - their Vertigo VO 1 being the first album released on that most
iconic of (spiral) labels.
But in the USA,
the March 1969 UK debut of eight tracks ("Those Who Are About To Die
Salute You") was released on Dunhill Records in July 1969 with the same
name but sporting only six tracks, two of which were different. Included was a
song called "The Kettle" and a long piece of music called "Valentyne
Suite" (confusingly the name of their second British album not released
until November 1969 in Blighty). As is to muddy the release-number waters even
more, further re-recordings of the 22-minute "Valentyne Suite" track
were issued Stateside in March 1970 – that US-only LP entitled "The Grass
Is Greener".
So on this
exemplary 2CD Expanded Edition Remaster - Esoteric Recordings of the UK (part
of Cherry Red) have decided to include both. The machine demands a sacrifice,
so let's give it two. Here are the dancing daddies…
UK released 28
July 2017 - "Valentyne Suite" by COLOSSEUM on Esoteric Recordings
ECLEC 22599 (Barcode 5013929469945) is a 2CD Expanded Edition Reissue and
Remaster containing both the UK and American versions of the 1969 album with
One Bonus Track. It plays out as follows...
CD1
"Valentyne Suite" (39:00 minutes):
1. The Kettle
[Side 1]
2. Elegy
3. Butty's Blues
4. The Machine
Demands A Sacrifice
5. The Valentyne
Suite [Side 2]
(i) Theme One -
January’s Search
(ii) Theme Two -
February’s Search
(iii) Theme Three
– The Grass Is Always Greener...
Tracks 1 to 5 are
their second UK LP "Valentyne Suite" - released November 1969 on
Vertigo VO 1.
BONUS TRACK:
6. Tell Me Now
CD2 "The
Grass Is Greener" (38:49 minutes):
1. Jumping Off
The Sun [Side 1]
2. Lost Angeles
3. Elegy
4. Butty's Blues
5. Rope Ladder To
The Moon [Side 2]
6. Bolero
7. The Machine
Demands A Sacrifice
8. The Grass Is
Greener
Tracks 1 to 8 are
their second US LP ("Valentyne Suite" renamed as) "The Grass Is
Greener" - released March 1970 on ABC/Dunhill Records DS 50079 with
slightly altered artwork to the UK issue.
When James
Litherland left, Dave 'Clem' Clempson of Bakerloo (one album on Harvest Records
from 1969) was drafted in to replace him on guitar and some new songs along
with re-recordings of "Valentyne Suite" material took place. This
alternative or rejiggered US variant of "Valentyne Suite" called
"The Grass Is Greener" on ABC/Dunhill Records DS 50079 and in
slightly altered artwork (as you can see from the list above) contained three
new songs unknown to UK fans. "Jumping Off The Sun" was by Dave
Tomlin and Mike Taylor (not the Stones Mick Taylor) - "Lost Angeles"
by Dave Greenslade, Dick Heckstall-Smith and Chris Farlowe and finally a cover
version of a Jack Bruce (of Cream) and Pete Brown (of Battered Ornaments) song
called "Rope Ladder To The Moon". The last two are mentioned because
they turned up on "Colosseum Live" in June 1971 and of course were
new to fans in England who bought that specially priced double album (the first
release on Bronze Records in the UK). Colosseum then unleashed their third
studio album (fourth overall) in December 1970 - "Daughter Of Time" –
another Jazz Rock, Prog Rock beast on Vertigo Records. While they made no real
inroads in the USA – the three British LPs had charted and done well – No. 15,
No. 15 and No. 23 respectively. But back to the UK and their second record and
Vertigo debut…
The 20-page
booklet with new MALCOLM DOME liner notes does a good job of untangled the
'variant' mess that surrounded not just "Valentyne Suite", but the US
variant of their debut "Those Who Are About To Die Salute You". You
get repro's of both LP artwork, a Montreaux Jazz Festival poster from June
1969, live photos, Hiseman's original LP liner notes and the usual reissue
credits - Mark and Vicky Powell coordinating with new BEN WISEMAN Remasters. A
return to the master tapes for both variants of the VS LP has really lifted the
Audio - punchy and vibrant - Wiseman having handled all the reissues (to my
knowledge) in the Esoteric Colosseum reissues. You can hear Dick
Heckstall-Smith on those Saxophones, Dave Greenslade on the keyboards, Tony
Reeves on that punchy Bass, Jon Hiseman on Drums and wonder axe-boy Dave 'Clem'
Clempson on all things geetar.
Things open with
the rather doomy guitar-and-drum battle that is "The Kettle" and
while it sounds great, it also sounds a tad dated 51 years on. Things go
positively jaunty with the baby-don't-you-leave-me "Elegy" - a
chipper little shuffle from the pen of James Litherland with Neil Ardley
arrangements - Heckstall-Smith soloing to its three-minute close. That's
cleverly followed by the near seven-minutes of "Butty's Blues" - a
slow Blues Rock crawl done a la Organ - Dave Greenslade perfectly catching the
groove as the brass builds and builds and Clempson begs her not to do him wrong
(fat chance) - properly great Blood, Sweat & Tears stuff. Flutes ahoy for
"The Machine Demands A Sacrifice" - a band co-write with Pete Brown
of Battered Ornaments. Musically its interesting but some criminally dated
animal reference lyrics kind of drag it down. The album's centerpiece -
seventeen minutes of "Valentyne Suite" is split into three parts -
all vibes and Jazz syncopations and cool guitar complimenting those big fat
chunky organ notes. You can't help feel that this piece is Colosseum shining.
Unfortunately hammy lyrics and a plodding feel to the 'it's all your fault'
vocals doom "Tell Me Now".
The American
album is probably not that well known to the less committed but as a listen
it's just as good as the English LP. Church Bells are the lead-in to
"Jumping Off The Sun" - a summer of cigarettes and flowers and too
many pies with more mushrooms than steak (good rocking guitar towards the end).
The second new cut is better - "Lost Angeles" - most British fans
hearing it for the first time on the June 1971 "Colosseum Live"
double. The rat-at-tat
"Bolero" (a cover of Ravel's most famous ditty) is played with guitar
gusto that quickly feels like its overstaying its welcome, but "Rope
Ladder To The Moon" is very cool and could be Cream circa 1968 or 1969.
For sure recordings
by Colosseum in 1969 is fifty-year-old Avant Jazz Rock seriously showing its
age in 2020. But those moments of playing brilliance still thrill and this
Remaster has only lifted these innovative recordings onto another rung. If you
have any love for them and that seminal album, then this is the 2CD one to own.
Well done to all involved...
