VALENTYNE SUITE

I think this album could be considered a masterpiece of music and from the first driving notes of the edgy guitar on 'The Kettle', I knew I was in for a treat. As catchy as they are melodic, Colosseum deliver a bluesy but driven sound on this album. The first four songs are unique on their own and offer a little variety so as not to bore the listener. What really crowns this album is its ~17 minute self-titled track, 'The Valentyne Suite'. Here we witness a flourish of keyboards courtesy of Greenslade and Jazz/Rock passages that make this song stand out as a piece deserving of its length. From the wonderful saxophone to the rising climax at the end, from the sudden shift of sound somewhere in the middle which caught me completely off guard to the reprising melody that just bursts with the right notes, this is a song just begging to be appreciated. Easily accessible and great for practically any occasion, I'm going to give it five stars because I believe it really is a perfect album and there's nothing I do not like about it.