Greenslade - Live


Year of Release: 1999
Label: Mystic Records
Catalog Number: n/a
Format: CD
Total Time: 59:35:00

It's as if it was yesterday. Like every evening, I listened to the pirate station Radio Caroline and for the very first time I heard the wonderful, magical sounds of the band Greenslade, the project of ex-Coliseum keyboard player Dave Greenslade. A little later I went on holiday to Spain and my dad let me buy an album so I chose Greenslade's Spyglass Guest. The Spanish pressing didn't have the foldout cover, yet the music was all that mattered. Thanks again dad, wherever you may be now (my dad passed away on July 24th, 1997).

In fact the band Greenslade only released four albums: Greenslade, Bedside Manners Are Extra, Spyglass Guest and Time And Tide, each one of them, of course, highlighting the many talents of Dave Greenslade. Some of them even sported sleeves designed by the great Roger Dean!

We have to situate the highlight of this band around 1973-1975 with, next to Greenslade, the superb Andrew McCullogh on drums, Tony Reeves on bass, and Dave Lawson on vocals and keyboards. After no fewer than 25 years, those loving people at Mystic Records have succeeded in releasing a live album of the foursome. Live contains nine Greenslade classics recorded in super quality. Most of the songs come from the Greenslade (1973) album and the Spyglass Guest (1975) album. If we bear in mind that this period is known for the amount of improvisation, then it will not surprise you that most of the songs featured here do contain a fair share of "new" elements so as to make Live the missing link in order to fully enjoy the music of Greenslade, the band. Tons of clavinet, Hammond, Fender Rhodes (just listen to the wonderful "Joie De Vivre"), and Mellotron interspersed with banging Rickenbacker sounds and very inventive drumming create one of the absolute highlights of the analogue prog rock from the seventies.

The spontaneous reactions about this new release have made it possible for the band to re-emerge after all this time. Soon (probably the end of February) the band will start recording a brand new studio album and the band will also go touring again. Unfortunately Dave Lawson has prior commitments with his career in the film music industry, but he will probably be replaced by John Young. So Greenslade Anno 2000 will be Dave Greenslade (keyboards), Tony Reeves (bass), Andy McCulloch (drums) and John Young (lead vocals, keyboards). Check the Mystic website for more news in the future!


Tracklisting:
Sundance (8:10) / Drowning Man (5:50) / Feathered Friends (6:15) / M?lange (7:35) / Jie De Vivre (8:55) / Bedside Manners Are Extra (5:10) / Sundance (13:15) / Red Light (2:40) / Spirit Of The Dance (3:05)

Musicians:
Dave Greenslade - keyboards
Dave Lawson - keyboards, lead vocals
Tony Reeves - bass
Andrew McCullogh - drums, percussion

Discography:
Greenslade (1973)
Bedside Manners Are Extra (1973)
Spyglass Guest (1974)
Time And Tide (1975)
Live (1999)
Large Afternoon (2000)
Live 2001 - The Full Edition (2002)

Genre: Progressive Rock

Origin UK

Added: January 1st 2000
Reviewer: John "Bobo" Bollenberg

Artist website: www.greenslademusic.com
Hits: 2909
Language: english

  

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