Customer Reviews

Colosseum Lives: Reunion Concerts 1994

5 star:		(6)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

From the opening bars of the first track to the end of the last track this recording jumps out at you. A very clear recording with incredible performances of well constructed and engrossing compositions. Just as good as, if not better than the double live LP from 1972.

This could possibly be Colosseum's best album. That is amazing for a reunion album. Most reunion concerts of the nineties have been an attempt for a group to cash in on old glories and to promote an inferior new album. A group would play their hits so that they were a near perfect copy of the studio versions,and maybe open up on one or two songs.

This reunion group consists of Clemson, Hiseman, Heckstall-Smith, Greenslade, Farlowe and Clarke, the same line up as the 1971 Live album and Daughter of Time. They play with an intensity that almost matches that on the 1971 Live album, which may be the most energetic and frenetic live album of all time. Each member gets several solos where they really break out. It sounds as if they never took a 25 year break, but at the same time, the material still sounds fresh.

Colosseum was a blues/rock band with heavy jazz and progressive influences that lasted from 1969 to 1971. At times they were most reminiscent of Blood, Sweat and Tears before they went pop. The band later evolved into a jazz band called Colosseum II (similar to what happend with Gong). This album goes back to the blues/progressive roots.

Well, Colosseum was a group which made me to miss music. Colosseum with the amazing Chris Farlowe on vocals, Clam Clampson on guitar and the marvellous Greenslade on keyboards. This was simply a kick, aspecially on their live dubble lp from the 70s which I easilly choose as best live performance on record.After being away from the scene for more then 20 years, to find this cd and to realize that colosseum are still alive and still able to bring me the feelings I hade in the seventies is simply MAGIC. Is there anybody there to tell me how to get their video ?

This album is really a surprise. This is a 90's reunion concert with the members from the "Live" and "Daughter In Time" albums (Clemson, Hiseman, Heckstall-Smith, Clarke, Greenslade, and Farlowe).

A number of groups from the sixties and seventies had reunion tours in the nineties. Most of these were fairly mediocre. These groups would be trying to cash in on old glories and promote an inferior new album. The old material would be played just like the original, studio versions and without much life.

On this album, Colesseum really opens up and plays with alot of energy. All of the songs are stretched out and there are great solos from everyone. They sound as if they have been playing together forever. Farlowe can still sing the blues. This is an excellent companion piece to their live album from 1971. Too bad it is only one CD. You wonder if there was more to this reunion concert and if the rest was this good.

Colosseum was an early "progressive" band, but were more heavily blues influenced than most. They were actually closer to Blood, Sweat and Tears (before they went pop) and Farlowe even sounds a little like David Clayton Thomas at his bluesy best. They had four good studio albums, but their live album from 1971, is one of the most energetic, manic blues albums of all time. The band broke up after that, but the drummer, Hiseman carried on with a jazz group called Colesseum II (very similar to what happened with Gong).

This Cd is in your face from the opening bars and remains there throughout. My only regret is that there was not more of this. I'm not sure if it was a full concert or extracts from the set list but whatever, it is well worth the asking price. I actually prefer this to the 1972 Live album, mainly because it approaches the music with more circumspection and it is taken at a slower and more measured pace.

It is as if they have never been apart and what's more the vitality is there too. These guys really do gel.

From the opening bars of the first track to the end of the last track this recording jumps out at you. A very clear recording with incredible performances of well constructed and engrossing compositions. Just as good as, if not better than the double live LP from 1972.

Reunion of the Daughter of Time lineup. Starts strong with For those about too and ends strong with Stormy Monday. In between tries to recapture the magic of theValentyne Suite cd, and while these excellant musicians have a great go of it (although there is a bit too much squawky sax for me) they just don't really improve on the studio versions.