Colosseum - Live 1971

Format: flac + cue + log

Genre: Progressive Rock

Release Date: 1971

Label: Castle Records

Gordian Knot - Gordian Knot (1999)

Format: flac + cue + log

Genre: Progressive Rock, Metal, Instrumental

Release Date: 1999

Label: Sensory

AMG Review
Star-studded projects often add up to very little, but Gordian Knot's eponymous debut turns out to be one of the best progressive rock albums released in the last years of the second millennium. And that's thanks to the fact that Sean Malone held on to the reins, guiding the project to its goal of finely crafted guitar-driven instrumental songs. Malone has a prog metal background, so do most of his guests (Cynic drummer Sean Reinert, King Crimson guitarist Trey Gunn, Dream Theater bassist John Myung, along with Ron Jarzombek and Glenn Snelwar). And yet the album only has a couple of tracks that can be qualified as "metal" ("Rivers Dancing," "Singularity"). Everything else falls into the guitar craft of the likes of David Torn and Robert Fripp. "Galois" opens the set with a seductive soundscape. "Code/Anticode" is the album's main showcase, an intelligent prog rocker with a solid rhythm section and a catchy modal melody. "Reflections" manages to make a menacing metal verse and a classical guitar chorus walk hand in hand like two lovers. "Srikara Tal" and "Redemption's Way" work as a soloing frame over a slightly North African percussion backdrop. They feel a bit overstretched, but the guitar work adorning them is worth the extended durations. The album ends with "Grace," a delicate ballad played on the Chapman stick that dissolves into soundscapes to take listeners back to where they started. If it weren't for a couple of overlong or self-indulgent tracks, this album would be a masterpiece. As it is, it still deserves the attention of any guitar fan.

David Cross – Memos From Purgatory (1989)

Format: flac + cue + log

Genre: Progressive Rock, Jazz Rock/Fusion

Release Date: 1989

Label: KING Records

(Review from progarchives.com, scaruffi.com)

This is the first album David Cross released under his own name. Like on his later albums, Cross is supported by several other musicians, but more than his other albums, “Memos From Purgatory” sounds like a solo album, even though three of the eight songs were written by Sheila Maloney. The album is completely instrumental.

David Cross also directed the staging of “Memos From Purgatory” at the Half Moon Theatre and other venues using dancers, musicians, lights, slides, etc.

David Cross - violin

Pete McPhail - saxophone

Sheila Maloney - keyboards

Simon Murrell - bass

Dan Maurer - drum

Biography by Geoff Orens

The violinist for King Crimson from 1972 to 1974, David Cross later launched a solo career with the David Cross Band, which featured an interesting sound comprised of violin, bass, keyboards, drums, and saxophones.

David Cross was born in Turnchapel, England, near Plymouth. After leaving King Crimson, Cross formed the improvisational rock group Ascend, and spent the better part of the 1970s and 1980s composing for and working with theater groups in a variety of capacities. His first solo release was Memos from Purgatory (1989), which was later staged by Cross. With the David Cross Band, Cross moved between improvisational pieces and more composed ones. While the music bears some similarity to 1970s King Crimson, it is slower-paced with musical phrases and ideas that appear out of nowhere and disappear as quickly, leading some to call his music underdeveloped. 1998's Exiles was more song-oriented and featured guest appearances by Crimson alumni Robert Fripp, Peter Hammill, John Wetton, and Peter Sinfield. In 1999, Cross formed Noisy Records.

Planet X - Universe 2000

Format: flac + cue + log

Genre: Progressive Metal/Rock

Release Date: 2000

Label: Inside Out

Derek Sherinian - Keyboards

Virgil Donati - Drums

Tony MacAlpine - Guitar

Tom Kennedy (guest) - Bass

After a little bit of confusion whether if Derek Sherinian's "Planet X" was the first album, Universe made it clear that Planet X (the band) was to be a trio. With Derek and Virgil Donati already on the list, they just needed a rip-roaring guitarist - Tony MacAlpine answered the call! Tom Kennedy guest starred on bass on some of the tracks of the album. Tony also layed down a couple of bass tracks while working on Universe.

Vega - Andaluza (1978)

Year: 1978 (reissue — 2003, Dro East West)

Label: Fonomusic

Style: Progressive rock

Genre: Prog-folk / Flamenco-rock

Format: APE (image) +CUE+LOG

1. Triana
2. Zona rosa
3. Origen
4. Arco Iris
5. Andaluza
6. Lamentos

Tomas Vega - guitars

Guty Lopez - bass

Larry Martin - drums

Pedro Ample - percussion

Rafael Guillermo - piano, organ, mini-Moog

Enrique Carmona - guitar

Julian Llinas - string arrangements

ProgArchives, erik neuteboom:
In the early Nineties I bought some Spanish progrock magazines (Sirius) in order to improve my ‘one-year-Spanish’ and to discover more of the exciting world of Spanish progressive rock. In one Sirius I noticed an add in which Angel Romero (a known Spanish proghead from Madrid who later moved to the USA) offered his entire progrock LP collection because of a dust-allergy. I felt like a vulture but it was no problem to him, he was happy with my appreciation for the socalled Rock Andaluz, the wonderful blend of Spanish flamenco and progrock. I asked him for advise and bought albums from Cai, Azahar and Vega. On this debut LP guitarplayer Tomas Vega delivers a pleasant progressive blend of flamenco and rock.

1. Triana (3:55): This track is a transition from Spanish composer Isaac Albeniz his work. It contains a cheerful climate and a swinging rhythm-section featuring jazzy inspired flamenco guitar runs, a bit polished string-arrangements and an exciting duel between flowing electric guitar and fast flamenco guitar.
2. Zona rosa (5:53): The first and final part sounds romantic with warm flamenco guitar and tender acoustic piano runs. In between a swinging rhythm and splendid flamenco guitar work, great electric guitar overdubs (howling with echoes from early Triana), propulsive conga percussion and a dynamic rhythm-section.
3. Origen (5:07): This song delivers the most obvious Morish atmosphere (for many years Andalusia was occupied by the Arabs in medieval times): a mid-tempo with an adventurous rhythm-section, exciting flamenco guitar and fiery electric guitar (again some great overdubs), evoking bands like Triana, Mezquita and Iceberg (also Rock Andaluz).
4. Arco Iris (3:30): It starts with warm and sensitive flamenco guitar and soaring strings. Then an accellaration delivering a mid-tempo with powerful electric guitar, sparkling Fender Rhodes piano and again exciting flamenco guitar play.
5. Andaluza (5:32): The titletrack (a transition from Spanish composer Enrique Granados) has a romantic undertone due to the romantic string- arrangements, bringing Alameda to my mind. The jazz inspired flamenco guitar work reminds me strongly of the pivotal and innovative flamenco guitarist Paco De Lucia, outstanding!
6. Lamentos (6:06): The final song delivers great interplay, sensational electric guitar overdubs and alternates between mellow with romantic piano and sensitive flamenco guitar and swinging with fiery electric guitar (an Andalusian undertone).

ESSENTIAL SPANISH PROGROCK!!

Colosseum - Daughter of Time (1970) /1998 Castle Remaster/

Genre: Progressive Rock

Format: APE (image + .cue)

Released: 1970

Label: CASTLE

1. Three Score And Ten, Amen
2. Time Lament
3. Take Me Back To Doomsday
4. The Daughter Of Time
5. Theme For An Imaginary Western
6. Bring Out Your Dead
7. Downhill And Shadows
8. The Time Machine

Jon Hiseman: Drums, producer

Dave "Clem" Clempson: Guitars, Vocals

Dave Greenslade: Organ, Keyboards, vibraphone

Mark Clarke: Bass, vocals

Chris Farlowe: Vocals

Dick Heckstall-Smith: Saxophones

Barbara Thompson: Flute , Saxophones

Louis Cennamo: Bass

This band had potential. This band had good players. This band really knew how to merge art-rock with jazz so that it would preserve both the emotionality of the former and the colourfulness of the latter. This band lost James Litherland on guitar/vocals and replaced him with equally nimble guitarist Dave Clempson.
And then this band went ahead and replaced its lead singer. And lo and behold, here we have the 'King Midas In Reverse' principle. It's a good thing I've never heard any of Chris Farlowe's solo stuff; if he sounds just as shitty on his regular releases, it spared me a couple of really bad dreams, and if it wasn't until his short stint in Colosseum that he began to sound like that, I would have managed to tolerate a severe disappointment. Anyway, Farlowe's vocals on this album are dreadful. They are pretty powerful, yes, he's belting as if he's trying to get out of his skin, but you can never tell, never ever tell if the guy's primary wish is to sing like (a) a pretentious operatic crooner, (b) a passionate soulster, (c) a hoarse grizzly jazzman, or (d) a dumb rip-roaring cock-rocker. He milks all four of these emplois, as it seems to me, at absolute random choice; the song can begin as an art-rock aria and then transform into a metal rocker or a jazz-pop throwaway, all at a single wave of Mr Farlowe's vocal cords. Don't get me wrong, he's got a good pair, but it's been long proved that it's not the vocal capacities that matter, it's your ability to make the best of 'em that does. And this guy is simply horrendous in this respect. Yuck, I've never been so let down by anybody's vocals since I last listened to Mr Coverdale. Minus one point to Mick Jagger who had the nerve to ever promote this guy, much less giving him 'Out Of Time' to cover. Mick, how could you? There's only one track on the entire album that I can tolerate vocalwise, that would be 'Downhill And Shadows'; not sure if it's Farlowe on vocals there, but if it's him, that's one example of a nicely done, laid-back bluesy work. That's the problem, though: it's the only straightforward blues number on the entire record, and while it's excellently done and features dazzling and highly expressive guitarwork from Clempson, it's still little more than a well-done blues number. With some Really Good Guitar Playing. In the Clapton tradition. Or, maybe a bit sharper than Clapton's usual style. Let's say, "in the Jimmy Page tradition, but without the Jimmy Page gimmickry". The other six songs all represent Colosseum's "typical" art-jazz-rock brand, well-aranged and well-played but, unfortunately, spoilt by the vocals. One of the tracks is a Jack Bruce cover ('Theme For An Imaginary Western'), that, for some reason, was a real favourite of every band that was in some way associated with Jack at the time (I already mentioned the Cream-Colosseum connections, and it was also done by Mountain, one of the members of which was Cream's producer). But I must say that I actually find the Colosseum originals more inventive and less monotonous. Thus, 'Three Score And Ten, Amen' nicely vibrates from funky verses to all-out "epic" choruses pinned upon Greenslade's ominous organ pounding that brings the so much desired medieval notes into focus. Don't be put off by Heisman's drumming, either - he's using his set in a creative way, which means he's bashing all over the place, but he really knows what he's doing. Plus, the rabid wah-wah licks on the tracks can't be disqualified, either. 'Time Lament' is pretty depressing... er, could be pretty depressing. Why didn't they bring out a Peter Hammill to do the vocals on that track? It would be right up the guy's alley; a radical, blistering theatrical delivery would set the scene quite right. The title track slowly rises from humble beginnings to a magnificent climax, just like an art-rock is supposed to (but NEVER like a jazz-rock is supposed to, and yet it is jazzy in its own way). 'Take Me Back To Doomsday' never impressed me that much, but the instrumental 'Bring Out Your Dead' ROOOLES. First, it ain't got no Chris Farlowe. Second, Chris Farlowe doesn't sing on it. Third, Chris Farlowe doesn't do ANYTHING on it. And... oh yeah, it's pretty energetic too. Kinda. Sorta. Nice little instrumental, soon to be forgotten. Anyway, I'd gladly give the album a high 11, low 12, were it not for the fact that (a) I have just added another person to my - very very short - list of intolerable vocalists, and (b) the last track, called, 'The Time Machine' and recorded live at the Royal Albert Hall, is an eight-minute drum solo. These guys were sure taking their Cream legacy a bit too hard. For such a short album, eight minutes of a drum solo is, er, well, you get my drift. The most curious thing is that no review of this album you'll ever find on the Web, so far, at least, won't mention that 'The Time Machine' is just a drum solo. In fact, I may be mistaken, but I think that in one review or short bio of the band, I heard 'Time Machine' being called an 'epic highlight' of the album or something like that. Score for those who insist that reviewers rarely listen to the records they review, especially if nobody's ever heard of these records. Why bother, indeed? It's one chance in a million that somebody will discover their arrogance and set them straight. AND THAT CHANCE HAS ARRIVED! But wait, did I yet tell you about the cool album cover? Look at it. Ain't that a really cool album cover? And yeah, Colosseum took their Roman name very seriously. Too bad they didn't have the brilliant idea to throw Chris Farlowe to the lions on their first live date. Just imagine the popularity!

Jon Lord - Windows (1974)

Genre: Jon Lord Music
Format: ape + cue + log
Released: 1974
Label: Purple Records

1. Continuo on B.A.C.H

2. Window - 1st Movement - Renga

3. Window - 2nd Movement - Gemini

4. Window - 3rd Movement - Alla Marcia Allegro

Glenn Hughes

-- Bass and vocals

JON LORD

-- Keyboards

Tony Ashton

-- Vocals

David Coverdale

-- Vocals

Pete York

-- Drums

Ray Fenwick

-- Guitar

Orchestra Opera conducted by Eberhard Schoener

Review by purple records

"Windows" was Jon's fourth experiment at merging elements of rock and classical music, and was recorded live during June 1974. Jon had been asked by German festival organisers to perform a special concert in Munich, and got together with conductor Eberhard Schoener to compose a new piece especially for the evening. In fact, two works were performed. WINDOW comprised three movements, including a reworked section from his earlier album GEMINI SUITE. The second piece, CONTINUO ON BACH, saw Jon and Eberhard having his stab at finishing a composition which had been left uncompleted upon Bach's death. The piece had been put together for a German show the previous year, but this was the first time it had been recorded.

The Munich Chamber Opera Orchestra performed alongside Jon Lord, fellow Deep Purple players David Coverdale (vocals) and Glenn Hughes (bass), and a host of rock luminaries including Ray Fenwick, Pete York, Tony Ashton, and others - with Eberhard Schoener on moog.

Windows is at times a demanding listen, but the ever-changing musical textures, and the sheer quality of the performances, have delighted and intrigued listeners for twenty five years now.

The original gatefold album was deleted back in the late seventies, and is now a very collectable artifact. This exclusive 25th anniversary reissue will be welcomed by fans everywhere, especially in the UK where it has never been issued on CD. The CD has been cut from the original quarter inch Abbey Road masters for the best possible sound quality while the 12 page colour booklet carries detailed notes, plus contemporary cuttings and memorabilia.

California Guitar Trio with Tony Levin and Pat Mastelotto - CG3+2 (2002)

Genre: Progressive Rock
Format: flac + cue + log
Released: 2002
Label: Inside Out Music

Allmusic Review: Review by Franзois Couture Since 1998, the California Guitar Trio has regularly toured with expanded versions of the band. The fan favorite is no doubt the quintet form with King Crimson members Tony Levin and Pat Mastelotto. A live album, Live at the Key Club, was made available in 2001 through the CGT Direct Collectors' Series. CG3+2 takes the quintet in the studio to record their repertoire. The track list includes a couple new CGT compositions, jams and studio constructions credited to the whole group, a few more of those incredible covers the band is known for, and a few old favorites revisited. Granted, "Melrose Avenue," "Blockhead," and "Train to Lamy," all dating back to the trio's first two albums (Yamanashi Blues in 1994; Invitation in 1995), suffer a bit from overexposure, but having a rhythm section to back them up is a whole new thing — "Melrose Avenue" turns into a splendidly driving album opener. The group compositions, in which engineer Bill Munyon also had a word, are not as satisfying as the trio's own songs. Somewhat looser, they don't pack as much energy or beauty as "Skyline" and "Eve," the two new pieces co-written by the team of Bert Lams, Paul Richards, and Hideyo Moriya. The highlights are provided by the covers: Yes' "Heart of the Sunrise," the Mahavishnu Orchestra's "Dance of Maya" (did someone mention virtuosity?), and two delightful Japanese traditional tunes rearranged by Moriya — "Zundoko-Bushi" even includes bits of King Crimson's "21st Century Schizoid Man" and "Vrooom." CG3+2 is only half new to the fans and constitutes a meager offering composition-wise. But if the idea of the guitar trio being backed by such a skilled rhythm section makes you salivate, then by all means grab it. You won't be disappointed!

I love these guys and I may like this cover of Heart of the Sunrise evenbetter than I like hearing Yes perform it.

01. Melrose Ave

02. Skyline

03. Dancing Anne

04. Heart Of The Sunrise

05. Hanagasa

06. Zundoko Bushi

07. Blockhead

08. Dance Of Maya

09. Swampy Space

10. Swampy Return

11. Train To Lamy

12. Eve

13. What I Am

14. The Chase

Bert Lams: guitar, tenor guitar

Paul Richards: guitar, slide guitar

Hideyo Moriya: guitar, mando-cello

Tony Levin: bass, Chapman stick

Pat Mastelotto: traps and buttons

Produced by Bill Munyon & Pat Mastelotto with the CGT and Tony Levin

Recorded at Wire, Austin TX, 2-5 Sep 2001

Engineering by Bill Munyon, assisted by Todd Dillon

Additional mixing and assistance: Paul Richards, Bert Lams

Mastered by David Singleton, Alex Mundy; additional mastering by Jim Wilson

Art direction and design by Ioannis, Alan Chappell

Digital paintings & photography: Ioannis

Band photos by Tony Levin, Pat Mastelotto

Notes: (****)

The California Guitar Trio were all once students of Robert Fripp's and have a long association with King Crimson and Tony Levin, for example guesting on Levin's Pieces of the Sun. Levin had toured before with the CGT when he and Mastelotto joined them to make this CG3+2 quintet for touring in 2001. After touring (and a live album, Live at the Key Club), they went into the studio and made this. (The initial plan had been for a tour and album had been with Terry Bozzio rather than Mastelotto on drums, but Bozzio dropped out shortly before touring began.)

Release was originally planned on Discipline Global Mobile, but cutbacks at DGM meant CG3+2 emerged on InsideOut.

CGT's Paul Richards described the album as "very different from any previously released CGT studio album. It features more of the electric/improvisational style of the CGT and has some amazing playing by Pat and Tony." "Heart of the Sunrise", "Dance of Maya", "Eve", "Melrose Avenue", "Zundoko-Bushi" and "Train to Lamy" were all heard on that earlier touring, while tracks (9), (10), (13) and (14) represent the sort of improvisation that had been going on. Pieces like "Melrose Avenue", "Blockhead", "Eve" and the cover of "Dance of Maya" date back further still. The cover of "Heart of the Sunrise" (which, of course, Levin played while in ABWH) is very nice: Howe's, Wakeman's and even many of Anderson's parts are covered by the CGT on guitars, while Levin and Mastelotto add their own flavours to the rhythm section.

VA - A Special Tribute To Pink Floyd 2005 [SIS 4158-2]

Genre: Progressive Rock
Format: ape + cue + log
Released: 2005
Label: Silver Star

01. Tommy Shaw, Ritchie Kotzen, Tony Levin, Mike Beard, Edgar Winter - Money
02. Doug Pinnick, Gary Hoey, Mike Porcaro, Greg Bissonette, Derek Sherinian - Welcome To The Machi
03. Chris Squire, Alan White and Billy Sherwood (Yes) - Comfortably Numb
04. Steve Lukather, Marco Mendoza, Vinnie Colaiuta - Shine On You Crazy Diamond
05. Bob Kulik, Jimmy Haslip, Scotty Page, Pat Torpey, Jeff Scott Soto - Us And Them
06. Glenn Hughes, Elliot Easton, Tony Franklin, Aynsley Dunbar - Young Lust
07. Jason Sheff, Dweezil Zappa, Tony Franklin, Aynsley Dunbar - Run Like Hell
08. Robben Ford, Tony Franklin, Aynsley Dunbar, Steve Porcaro - Any Colour You Like
09. Fee Waybill, Ronnie Montrose, Mike Porcaro, Gregg Bissonette - Another Brick In The Wall
10. Bob and Bruce Kulick, Bobby Kimball, Mike Porcaro, Gregg Bissonette - Have A Cigar
11. Rick McAuley, Jeff 'Skunk' Baxter, Phil Soussan, Eric Singer - Breathe (In The Air)

Robin McAuley - Vocals
Doug Pinnick - Vocals
Steve Porcaro - Keyboards
Mike Porcaro - Bass
Jason Scheff - Vocals
Billy Sherwood - Guitar, Producer, Engineer, Vocals
Jeff Scott Soto - Vocals
Philip Soussan - Bass
Pat Torpey - Drums
Derek Sherinian - Keyboards
Marco Mendoza - Bass
Kris Solem - Mastering
Richie Kotzen - Guitar
Tommy Shaw - Vocals
Fee Waybill - Vocals
Elliot Easton - Guitar
Aynsley Dunbar - Drums
Jimmy Haslip - Bass
Gary Hoey - Guitar
Mike Baird - Drums
Gregg Bissonette - Drums
Vinnie Colaiuta - Drums
Edgar Winter - Saxophone
Tony Franklin - Bass
Bobby Kimball - Vocals
Bob Kulick - Guitar, Producer
Bruce Kulick - Guitar
Tony Levin - Bass
Steve Lukather - Guitar, Vocals
Ronnie Montrose - Guitar
Chris Squire - Bass, Vocals
Dweezil Zappa - Guitar
Robben Ford - Guitar

Having listened to their albums and live recordings a zillion times, I'm always looking for fresh interpretations of Pink Floyd. Most tributes phonographically copy the original band or fall embarrassingly short in the attempt. Both types are dull. "A Special Tribute to Pink Floyd" falls into the first category. That written, there is nothing wrong with this recording. The musicians perform well and the production is excellent. Unlike the Easy Star All-Stars that did a reggae tribute, this is just straight rock. The esteemed Australian Pink Floyd Show also plays literal versions, but it's a live experience. The Aussies appreciate the futility of making such an audio recording. The listener is better off passing this one by and enjoying the originals.

Colosseum - Those Who Are About to Die Salute You (1969)

Genre: Progressive Rock, Jazz-Rock, Blues
Format: flac + cue + log
Released: 1969
Label: Castle Records

While Colosseum lasted only a little more than three years, producing five albums in that time, they made a great impression on the blooming subgenre of progressive rock, first with the energetic jazz- and blues-influenced "Those Who Are About to Die Salute You", with its unusual
chord progressions and variant song structures, and then with the epic "Valentyne Suite". The
title track of Valentyne Suite, a 17-minute composition, pushed keyboardist Dave Greenslade to the forefront of the band and into the spotlight of progressive music, a position he was increasingly uneasy with over the years. Drummer Jon Hiseman, on the other hand, gradually moved towards the jazz fusion area. Colosseum began to undergo personnel shifts with their third album, Grass Is Greener, with everyone calling it quits upon the departure of Greenslade in 1971. In 1975, Hiseman formed Colosseum II, but this time the mandate was firmly jazz fusion. ( Allmusic )

*** Colosseum's debut album is a powerful one, unleashing each member's instrumental prowess at one point while consolidating each talent to form an explosive outpouring of progressive jazz/rock the next. Those Who Are About to Die Salute You is coated with the volatile saxophone playing of Dick Heckstall-Smith, the thunderous keyboard assault of David Greenslade, and the bewildering guitar craft of James Litherland. Together, Colosseum skitters and glides through brisk musical spectrums of freestyle jazz and British blues, sometimes held tightly in place by Greenslade's Hammond organ, while other times let loose by the brilliancy of the horn and string interplay. Each song sparks its own personality and its very own energy level, giving the band instant notoriety upon the album's release in 1969. Not only did Colosseum sound different from other jazz fusion bands of the era, but they could easily take the unconventional elements of their style and churn them into palatable and highly significant musical thoroughfares. Some of the more compelling tracks include "Walking in the Park," led by its powerful trumpet segments, and "Pretty Hard Luck," which embarks on a stylish blues excursion with colorful keyboard sections on the periphery. "Beware the Ides of March" borrows a page out of J.S. Bach's notebook and turns his classical poignancy inside out, while "Mandarin" and "Backwater Blues" are created with the perfect jazz and blues friendship in mind, representing Colosseum's fused sound spotlessly. Best of all, the album never strays from its intensity or its creativity, the very foundation that the band is built on. Their next album, Valentyne Suite, mirrors the same instrumental congruity as Those Who Are About to Die, and is equally entertaining. ( Allmusic )

01. Walking in the Park

02. Plenty Hard Luck

03. Mandarin

04. Debut

05. Beware the Ides of March

06. The Road She Walked Before

07. Backwater Blues

08. Those About to Die

Dave Greenslade: Organ, Keyboards, Vocals

Dick Heckstall-Smith: Saxophone, Sax (Soprano), Sax (Tenor)

Jon Hiseman: Drums, Liner Notes

James Litherland: Guitar, Vocals

Tony Reeves: Bass, Guitar (Bass), Producer

*** Strong debut of one of the most popular jazz-rock groups.The album comprises jazz- rock,
blues and symphonic rock tunes, reflecting musical background and aspirations of band members. It opens with rhytmically furious cover of Graham Bond's 'Walking In The Park' leading us to more jazzier 'Plenty Hard Of Luck' ; 'Mandarin' shows all the skill of Tony Reeves, a bass guitarist extraordinaire , while closing track of the A side of the record is literally their debut, origins of which are coming from John Mayall's superb 'Bare Wires' album. Side B of the record beginns with the proof of how inspirational can one classic piece be for the rock performers; following two numbers show band's blues affinities and closing track is jazz-rock at it's utmost. All in all, this 'Morituri Te Salutant' album has shown Colosseum's enormous potential which will fully explode on their masterpiece follower. ( Progarchives )

The Robert Frip String Quintet - The Bridge Between (1993)

Genre: Prog-Rock/ Art Rock
Format: flac + cue + log
Released: 1993
Label: Discipline

1. Kan-Non Power

2. Yamanashi Blues

3. Hope

4. Chromatic Fantasy

5. Contrapunctus

6. Bicycling to Afghanistan

7. Blue

8. Blockhead

9. Passacaglia

10. Threnody for Souls in Torment

Robert Fripp (guitar, Frippertronics)
Bert Lams, Hideyo Moriya (acoustic guitar)
Paul Richards (acoustic guitar, Fuzz E-bow guitar)
Trey Gunn (Chapman Stick)

Producers: David Singleton, The Robert Fripp String Quartet

THE BRIDGE BETWEEN's charismatic wonders evolve right out of your speakers like prog's bastard offspring. After the staid acoustic concerns of the League of Crafty Guitarists, Fripp's latest ensemble indulges, thankfully, in both electric and electronic applications. Fripp is accompanied here by longtime associate Trey Gunn (on grand stick) and by The California Guitar Trio. His choice of material--some traditional Bach pieces in addition to original works--is cogent, breathtaking, and absolutely absorbing.

THE BRIDGE BETWEEN contains excellent performances from the Quintet proper as well as a number of compelling Frippertronic passages and Crimson-soaked guitarritude. With eyes closed, one can almost visualize Fripp, Eno, and Summers all trading licks in capricious delight. The darkly pulsing "Blue" realizes that hallucinatory collaboration. Fripp's ideals push both him and the Quintet to their artistic limits. He challenges both his own earnest reputation and an illustrious catalog of sounds in a precognition of 21st century classical music.