Medusa

Trapeze | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (March 22, 1994)
• Original Release Date: 1994
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Fontana Polydor
• ASIN: B000001F72
• Also Available in: Audio CD  |  Vinyl  |  MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (37 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #15,508 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Editorial Reviews

Limited edition Japanese pressing of this album comes housed in a miniature LP sleeve. Threshold. 2006. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

17 of 18 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars BLACK CLOUD OVER MY HEAD, March 9, 2002

By 

Michael Courtney "exiled01" (San Antonio, Texas United States) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Medusa (Audio CD)

Is that my theme song or what? This was the first album and CD I ever got by Trapeze. For a three piece, they were awesome! Mel Galley[guitars], Glenn Hughes[bass/vocals], and Dave Holland[drums], played some great rock music throughout the 70's. My two favorite songs on this disc are "Black Cloud" and "Medusa". The music on this release isn't quite what you would expect from a recording in the early 70's. This is as fresh and heavy today as it was 30 years ago. If you recognize the names of the band members, you'll realize their influences lasted long after they departed Trapeze. MEDUSA is an integral part of Heavy Metal's finest. This is a great selection!

17 of 18 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars One of the 10 best Rock albums of all time!, June 2, 2000

By 

D. Tonya "the_digital_dan" (Barber-tucky, Ohio) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Medusa (Audio CD)

Trapeze, in their most popular line up, consisted of bassist/vocalist Glenn Hughes, guitarist Mel Galley, and drummer Dave Holland. Glenn Hughes is best known as "The Voice of Rock", one of the most aclaimed voices in all of music. All three would later depart to form integral parts of bands such as Deep Purple, Black Sabbath, Whitesnake and Judas Priest. So their influence was wider spread than one would first believe.

Their style of hard rock was as intelligent as it was heavy. So unique was this combination, that they were signed to the Moody Blues record label, Threshold records. Among the rockers like "Black Cloud" and "Touch My Life" were the slow burners like "Jury" and the soulful "Seaful".

This album is still among the best hard rock albums ever recorded. And given the range of influence the members have had on rock music over the last 3 decades, one would be negligant for not picking up this classic.

For many years this recording was unavailable on cd and could only be found on long out of print used LP's. The mastering to CD has been splendidly done. The recording now has the clarity and dynamic range that the LP never had. Do yourself a favor and pick up this legendary album today.

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Lost Classic, November 1, 2006

By 

G. C. Todd "GCT" (Memphis) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Medusa (Audio CD)

This is one of the best hard rock albums of the early seventies. Most people who were around in those days (like me) equate this album with the very best rock of the era. Only a tin ear can compare this with the much later, less interesting and somewhat formulaic Judas Priest or Whitesnake. I certainly don't, however, blame any of these musicians (Galley, Holland, or Hughes) for cashing in with the bands they eventually joined. But even Hughes' Deep Purple period (excepting the brilliant "Burn" lp) dims in comparison to this album which is the first lp of the mk II Trapeze lineup.
A little background helps: Trapeze first (self titled) album is a different and larger band with a sound much like "Hush" era Deep Purple-- only not as good.
The second album, "Medusa", is their first recording as a power trio (mk II lineup). Everything about it is excellent with great songwriting dynamics, superb rock riffs and terrific vocals from Hughes. The next album, also mk II, is "You are the Music...", and is almost as good as "Medusa".
The following 2, "Hotwire" and "Trapeze" (not to be confused with the first self-titled lp), are mk III and sans-Hughes but still quite good. As a foursome, Pete Wright replaces Hughes on bass, and Rob Kendrick is added on second guitar.
Those two cd's are now very difficult to obtain collectors items.
Finally, "Hold On" had yet another personnel shift (vocalist Goalby replacing second guitarist Kendrick), but with Stones producer Jimmy Miller at the helm, it's still a worthy swan song and readily available. All of these are good but a bit more pedestrian than the Hughes era.
In summary, anyone interested in the influential but little known band, Trapeze, should snap up a copy of their definitive album, "Medusa".
Free's "Fire and Water", and Humble Pie's "Smokin'" are other essential yet underappreciated classics in this style.