Colosseum ‎– Live At Ruisrock Festival LP

Colosseum ‎– Live At Ruisrock Festival, Turku, Finland 22 August 1970

Prog pioneers Colosseum emerged in the late 1960s, formed by drummer Jon Hiseman and saxophonist Dick Heckstall-Smith, expressive players that had worked together in the Graham Bond Organization and John Mayall’s band, alongside bassist Tony Reeves, an arranger at Pye. Later, keyboardist Dave Greenslade joined, as did future Humble Pie guitarist Clem Clempson, with Reeves eventually replaced by future Uriah Heap bassist, Mark Clarke. With such a wealth of talent, active in various forms of music, it is no wonder that Colosseum’s particular take on progressive rock would be steeped in blues with jazz leanings, and as revealed on this top-notch live set, recorded at the Ruisrock Festival in Finland in August 1970, they were capable of conjuring a mighty sound on stage, the extensive soloing of each member in turn spurring their comrades to perpetually raise the musical excellence, notch by notch. Comprising material from their three studio albums, we get an incredible take of “The Machine Demands A Sacrifice” with an astounding drum solo from Hiseman, while “Downhill And Shadows” highlights their competence in blues, fine solos coming here from Heckstall-Smith and Clempson.

Tracklist:
1 Rope Ladder To The Moon 10:28
2 Downhill And Shadows 12:10
3 Lost Angeles 11:29
4 Walking In The Park 6:12
5 The Machine Demands A Sacrifice 10:53

Label: Floating World Records
Released: 2020