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COLOSSEUM ‘Daughter Of Time;’ Sanctuary CMRCD119(2004)
COLOSSEUM ‘Live’ Sanctuary CMRCD118(2004)
The acceptable end of jazz-rock, Colosseum played at the heavy end, led by drummer Jon Hiseman and pianist Dave Greenslade. Their last studio album, Daughter Of Time, featured a nod towards Cream on some of the bluesier material.
Opener ‘Three Score And Ten Amen’ is a strong almost operatic number, and further orchestrations and flute do add a progressive feel.
There is a Jack Bruce feel to Farlowe’s vocals, and plenty of jazz influences that don’t get too overbearing. Except the drum solo on the live ‘Time Machine’ which is a touch too much. ***½
With the line-up settled there was trouble afoot; newly laid tracks were considered substandard, constant gigging took time away from song writing, and guitarist Clem Clempson had just joined Humble Pie as Peter Frampton’s replacement.
So the band split, but the posthumously released live set showed how well the band came over on stage. The vocals were spot on, the guitar blistering, the organ grinding and Hiseman’s drumming as good as ever. As with such bands there’s plenty of instrumental workouts, but it’s still a damn good set. Some new material was aired live, so it wasn’t all a waste. ***½
Both CDs come with extra tracks and a plethora of sleevenotes, making for definitive editions.
Review by Joe Geesin
Album review
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