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Toka 
Forum Newbie 
Joined: January 20 2006 Location: United States Status: Offline Points: 16 |
 Topic: Colosseum IIPosted: January 20 2006 at 15:07 |
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Anyone? Personally, I can't think of a finer instrumental outfit, ever (thats right...give me your ELP's, your Yes's, whatever you got, and this will stand strong). Strange New Flesh just got a fantastic special edition treatment from Castle, however Electric Savage and Wardance are still out of print...the former being their best. Seriously, "The Scorch" and "Intergalactic Strut" are just mind-bending, especially when you consider it was performed/recorded live. It is easy to find the OOP albums on vinyl, and anyone looking for something old/new should put them at the top of their list. Edited by Toka |
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salmacis
Forum Senior Member 
Content Addition Joined: April 10 2005 Status: Offline Points: 3928 |
Posted: January 20 2006 at 16:07 |
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Wouldn't put them up there with Yes or ELP myself, but Colosseum II are one of my favourite fusion acts, no question. They had terrific musical interplay, and Gary Moore especially proves himself to be incredible. Moore's solo album 'Back On The Streets' also has a great deal of Colosseum II workouts such as 'Flight Of The Snow Moose' and 'What Would You Rather Bee Or A Wasp'. However, that is a very incoherent album with first class, jazz fusion amidst some rather humdrum heavy rock tracks. Parts of the MCA Colosseum II albums are on CD; a budget Gary Moore best of called 'Streets And Walkways' have most of the songs contained on their MCA albums. |
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erik neuteboom
Prog Reviewer 
Joined: July 27 2005 Location: Netherlands Status: Offline Points: 7659 |
Posted: January 21 2006 at 11:34 |
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I love their albums Electric Savage and Wardance, excellent vintage keyboard sound (Hammond, Moog, string-ensemble) from Don Airey (now Deep Purple) and splendid, harder-edged guitar work from Gary Moore, for sure his most symphonic rock excertition!
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Toka
Forum Newbie
Joined: January 20 2006 Location: United States Status: Offline Points: 16 |
Posted: January 23 2006 at 11:32 |
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Good call on the "Streets And Walkways" comp...a fine choice to get your feet wet without spending a ton of money or hunting around for ages. Too bad it neglects "Intergalactic Strut", but I guess if Gary didn't write something it can't be included. I find it worth noting that this group was the best any of its members ever played/sounded...Gary Moore, in particular, has been on a slow, steady roll downhill ever since. Also gotta mention "Variations" from Andrew Lloyd Webber, which is essentially a Colosseum II outing. Never get tired of this stuff.
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richardh
Prog Reviewer
Joined: February 18 2004 Location: United Kingdom Status: Offline Points: 26108 |
Posted: January 23 2006 at 18:05 |
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I've got Electric Savage.Some of its great but some of it isn't so great.There isn't really a valid comparison to be made with either ELP or Yes as both of those bands had a lead vocalist.'Gazza' did try his hand at singing on 'Rivers'
 ..but generally they stuck to instrumental peices. 'Intergalctic Strut' kicks serious butt,Hiseman is a monster talent on the skins
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Toka
Forum Newbie
Joined: January 20 2006 Location: United States Status: Offline Points: 16 |
Posted: January 24 2006 at 14:52 |
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Yea, I wasn't really trying to compare them to ELP, etc. in terms of style, just purely as players...but point taken.
 I really don't understand why in the world Gary Moore was allowed to sing on the last two records...contract stipulation? I mean, both songs ("Rivers" and "Castles") are clearly the turds in their respective bathtubs. "Rivers", at least, has some good guitar work when the mouth is shut. But "Castles"...man oh man. Still, when they were 'on', I'd take them over anybody else.
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Toka
Forum Newbie
Joined: January 20 2006 Location: United States Status: Offline Points: 16 |
Posted: May 15 2006 at 12:08 |
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For those who may be interested, both Electric Savage and Wardance were re-issued/remastered in Japan, and the results are incredible. They both easily trounce the prior CD's in sonic range and clarity, making them a fine alternative to the vinyl if said format is not available to someone.
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Sean Trane
Special Collaborator 
Prog Folk Joined: April 29 2004 Location: Heart of Europe Status: Offline Points: 19597 |
Posted: May 15 2006 at 12:16 |
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All three of their albums are quite even (even if the third one is a bit less inspired)
The edge Colosseum II had compared to most other Jr/F group was their much harder sound. They were halfway to hard rock and of course Gary Moore was no stranger to this. This set them apart from the mass or shuffle of group from those years
BTW, as incredible as it may sound, I have never heard of his early Skid row group
 : How does iot sound??? |
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let's just stay above the moral melee
prefer the sink to the gutter keep our sand-castle virtues content to be a doer as well as a thinker, prefer lifting our pen rather than un-sheath our sword |
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Raff
Special Collaborator
Honorary Collaborator Joined: July 29 2005 Location: None Status: Offline Points: 24391 |
Posted: May 15 2006 at 12:34 |
On the band's first album, "Strange New Flesh" (the one recently reissued as a double CD), there is indeed a lead vocalist, namely Mike Starrs, who would then go on to join Lucifer's Friend. He sings quite a lot there, and his voice is very good too. He reminded me at times of James LaBrie, only miles better. The instrumentals are fantastic, especially the above-mentioned "Intergalactic Strut' (originally 'Interplanetary Slut') and "The Dark Side of the Moog". Gary Moore is one of my favourite guitarists, who should have stuck to playing this great stuff. Pity he didn't, though I've heard his blues record are not half bad.
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salmacis
Forum Senior Member
Content Addition Joined: April 10 2005 Status: Offline Points: 3928 |
Posted: May 15 2006 at 15:20 |
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I always find Gary Moore's blues output to be quite disappointing- that's no slight on his playing or, really, the music itself, as it's well played and delivered- because he's basically done only that for about 16 years and he's capable of far more. He's just done ANOTHER blues album and he really doesn't seem to be stretching himself.
I haven't heard 'Electric Savage' or 'War Dance' for about 5 years, but I remember both being better than 'Strange New Flesh'. I've never been a fan of vocals in jazz rock/fusion and this is no exception. I personally find Starrs' voice a bit overbearing at times. Despite that though, it's a very fine album with great music. The 2 cd is one of Sanctuary's best. Pity the other albums are OOP at the mo...
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crimson thing
Forum Senior Member
Joined: April 28 2006 Location: United Kingdom Status: Offline Points: 848 |
Posted: May 15 2006 at 17:48 |
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Electric savage was an album I used to have on cassette 20 yrs ago & I loved it. It's frustrating that its not now available on CD, like many other of the weirdities I used to enjoy. I'm sure there was a much wider variety of music on cassette 20-30 yrs ago than there is now on CD; only the volume sellers ever make it these days.
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Tony R
Special Collaborator
Honorary Collaborator / Retired Admin Joined: July 16 2004 Location: UK Status: Offline Points: 11979 |
Posted: May 15 2006 at 18:00 |
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I first discovered Colosseum II around 1977 when they played on the BBCs "Sight and Sound In Concert" series. I thought they were awesome then and I still love them now. Moore has always been one of my favourite guitarists and I love his "jousts" with Don Airey (Keys) on such tracks as Fighting Talk,Wardance and Desperado.
"Fighting Talk", which highlights Moore's blistering technique can be found on the Streaming Media Player on the band's BIO page here on the archives as can "All Skin and Bone" which is a lovely vehicle for Hiseman's talents. http://www.progarchives.com/Progressive_rock_discography_BAND.asp?band_id=785 Edited by Tony R - May 15 2006 at 18:00 |
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richardh
Prog Reviewer
Joined: February 18 2004 Location: United Kingdom Status: Offline Points: 26108 |
Posted: May 15 2006 at 18:34 |
I remember that concert very well.They were also heavily advertised on Radio Luxemburg,something that also sticks in my mind.Gary Moore later disowned much of his Colosseum II work as being too flashy and just showing off the instrument.
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bsurmano
Forum Senior Member
Joined: July 13 2005 Location: Croatia Status: Offline Points: 448 |
Posted: June 23 2006 at 17:10 |
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I possess firstl vinyl pressings of all three of Colosseum II albums. At the time of their appearrance I was very excited for I expected to hear the tune of genuine Colosseum a bit more developed and updated. It turned out to be a real disappointment for what I heard was the hard 'updated' sound which had nothing in common with their primal period (the same thing goes for their precedeing 'Tempest' incarnation).Even today when I'm listening to these albums I must say that feeling is the same as thirty years ago - good but not impressive music material; the main reason why I'm putting these vinyls on my turntable is musicianship of the highest quality.
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'Sundown,yellow moon, I replay the past
I know every scene by heart, they all went by so fast..... Either I'm too sensitive or else I'm gettin' soft.' Bob Dylan |
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salmacis
Forum Senior Member
Content Addition Joined: April 10 2005 Status: Offline Points: 3928 |
Posted: June 23 2006 at 17:59 |
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Yeah I'd agree that neither Tempest or Colosseum II are a patch on the original Colosseum- one of the greatest bands featured on this site, imo. Yet, both acts have much to commend them anyway. The 2cd remastered set of Tempest called 'Under The Blossom', has a superb Radio 1 concert from 1973 with Allan Holdsworth and Ollie Halsall (of Timebox and Patto) playing seriously astonishing solos throughout. That gig actually betters their albums, imo.
There is a similarly extensive 2cd edition of Colosseum II's 'Strange New Flesh'. I find the vocal element here to be way too overbearing and intrusive, but musically it's great stuff. Edited by salmacis - June 23 2006 at 18:00 |
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Raff
Special Collaborator
Honorary Collaborator Joined: July 29 2005 Location: None Status: Offline Points: 24391 |
Posted: June 24 2006 at 10:17 |
I haven't heard their other two albums yet (I'm planning to get them ASAP), but I also think there's a bit too much singing on SNF. Mike Starrs has got a good voice, but I feel the band's main strength was their instrumental prowess. Gary Moore couldn't sing to save his life at the time, though he improved steadily with time and now has got quite a respectable voice. |
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JAUM
Forum Newbie
Joined: December 15 2007 Location: Spain Status: Offline Points: 1 |
Posted: January 04 2008 at 12:05 |
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COLOSSEUM II ES UNA MUY BUENA BANDA DE JAZZ-PROG, LÁSTIMA QUE SU MÚSICA SEA DIFÍCIL DE ESCONTRAR EN VALENCIA. COLOSSEUM Y TEMPEST TAMBIÉN SON MUY BUENOS GRUPOS. |
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Colosseum II
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richardh wrote: