Colosseum

Colosseum

COLLECTOR'S COLOSSEUM BRONZE DE 85815 IT

LP 1971 8 TRK Collection

COLOSSEUM LIVE SEQUEL US 1006.2

CD 1971 7 TRKS Live

COLOSSEUM LIVE ISLAND/BRO UK ICD 1

LPx2 1971 6 TRKS Live

DAUGHTER OF TIME SEQUEL UK NEXCD 256

CD 1970 8 TRKS Vertigo

DAUGHTER OF TIME DUNHILL US DSX 50101

LP 1970 8 TRKS

GRASS IS GREENER, THE DUNHILL US DS 50079

LP 1969 8 TRKS

THOSE WHO ARE ABOUT TO DIE SALUTE YOU DUNHILL US DS 50062

LP 1969 6 TRKS

THOSE WHO ARE ABOUT TO DIE SALUTE YOU FONTANA UK STL 5510

LP 1969 8 TRKS UK original aka “Morituri Te Salutant”

THOSE WHO ARE ABOUT... / VALENTYNE SUITE SEQUEL UK NEXCD 161

CD 1969 13 TRKS, 2 on 1

VALENTYNE SUITE VERTIGO UK VO 1

LP 1969 7 TRKS UK original

I have been a fan of Colosseum for years and years. As a very young fan of Cream, Colosseum were one of the few other British bands of the day that seemed interesting. Remember, this is before the 70’s – you had pop music, then electric blues, then rock bands, jazz bands that became rock…etc. Colosseum is basically a bunch of jazz guys presented as a rock band, at just the right time.

Colosseum’s drummer Jon Hiseman and sax player Dick Heckstall-Smith had been in the famous Graham Bond Organization (which also included future members of Cream Jack Bruce and Terry “Ginger” Baker, as well as the mighty Graham Bond).

I tried Colosseum because I could see that Jack Bruce had a song on their second U.S. album “The Grass Is Greener” (“Rope Ladder To The Moon”) – however, my favorite song there would have to be the original recording of “Jumping Off The Sun” – which got re-recorded for “Collector’s Colosseum”. I also noted that Colosseum were utilizing the services of Cream’s lyricist, Pete Brown.

So, I managed to obtain both “Daughter of Time” and “Colosseum Live” as new releases – better late than never. I didn’t like vocalist Chris Farlowe as well as whoever had been singing for Colosseum, but…

After the end of Colosseum, easily my favorite album is Dick Heckstall-Smith’s “A Story Ended”, with great Pete Brown songs, Graham Bond etc. I met Mr. Heckstall-Smith when his book “Safest Place In The World” was published in England, in 1990 – and got to tell him how much I liked his LP. And I’m friendly with Pete Brown.

So, let’s just say I am a big Colosseum fan, and remain so after 30+ years of fandom. I saw a video of the reformed band playing in the 90’s, and they were great – and you can’t say that about every 60’s band!