Over the Top [Import]

Cozy Powell | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (December 16, 1998)
• Original Release Date: 2007
• Number of Discs: 1
• Format: Import
• Label: Universal
• ASIN: B00000JA94
• Also Available in: Audio CD  |  Vinyl
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,303,060 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Track Listings

1. Theme 1

2. Killer

3. Heidi Goes To Town

4. El Sid

5. Sweet Poison

6. The Loner

7. Over The Top

Editorial Reviews

Digitally remastered Japanese reissue of the late rockdrummer's solo debut, originally released on Ariola in 1979& in a miniaturized LP sleeve limited to the initialpressing only. Seven tracks. 1998 Polydor Records release.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Gargantuan, August 25, 2001

By 

El Kabong - See all my reviews

This review is from: Over the Top (Audio CD)

Talk about overlooking the obvious. This has been one of my alltime favorites for two decades but it never dawned on me to submit a review for it. Though the late Cozy Powell drummed with half the known world -to the point where his very name had taken on a Spinal Tap connotation- THIS is his crowning moment. (Subsequent Cozy solo jobs were more or less pedestrian efforts that never aimed half as high as OVER THE TOP.) The lineup is a menu to make a 70s rivethead's mouth water: Jack Bruce, Don Airey, Clem Clempson, Max Middleton, Gary Moore, Bernie Marsden. We are most assuredly NOT talking phoned-in efforts here. These guys showed up wearing their jammin' shoes, all of 'em playing at the peak of their powers, spread over seven tracks that take stylistic cues from ELP ('Theme One'), Colosseum II ('Killer' - featuring Gary Moore's best solo EVER, hands down), Jeff Beck ('The Loner', a blues which has achieved near-classic status), and much, much more. The album moves from thundering symphonic to scalding metal fusion to prog to blues to the closing bombast of Cozy's signature Beethoven-pastiche title track - and you're joyously stunned by not just the compositions and brilliant musicianship, but the clean, powerful Cinemascope-audio of Martin Birch's production as well, epic without being overwhelming. Further note to bassplayers: take a good long listen to the clinic conducted by Mr Bruce on this outing, and then tell me there's ever been a better bass player in rock. His solo at the end of 'El Sid' is alone worth the price of the cd, were it not for the fact that he's just as inspired on the other six tracks. OVER THE TOP is the kind of back-catalog title that only seems to be sporadically available, so if you happen to see a copy, leap on it like nobody's business. Given the nature of his passing, you'll find the cover (Cozy on a Yamaha leaping over a drum kit, bathed in a ghostly bluish tint) to be both eerily prophetic and enduringly definitive.

7 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A highly recommended showcase of famous hard rock artists, October 10, 2000

By 

electricphase (Mexico City) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Over the Top (Audio CD)

This CD is a rare opportunity to enjoy the combined talents of the late great Cozy Powell (drums), Jack Bruce (bass), Don Airey (keyboards) and Gary Moore (lead guitar on "Killer"). An instrumental effort, Over the Top showcases Cozy's drumming from his heyday (circa 1978), at the time he was with Ritchie Blackmore's Rainbow. The music is straight forward and used as a release for Cozy to expand on the growingly commercial music from Rainbow. The bass guitar and keyboards are also worth getting this CD. Highlights are Theme One, Heidi Comes to Town, bluesy The Loner (dedicated to Jeff Beck) and Over the Top. Hard rock DRUMMERS SHOULD OWN THIS CD.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars overlooked super session, August 22, 2005

By 

Richard Rollo "Richreverb" (New York, USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Over the Top (Audio CD)

I had looked for this CD for years.
I had an old worn out cassette tape a friend had made for me, and To have it now on CD is such a treat.
Bassist extrodinaire Jack Bruce, keyboard great Don Airey, Jeff Beck's Max Middleton, Humble Pie's Dave Clemson along with the Mighty Cozy Powell and Gary Moore Tear into a mix of Hard Rock/Fussion instrumental trax that will move, inspire and yeah Rock yer Socks off.
Don't miss this one.