Colosseum US debut album question

[JJ88]

I was well aware of the US album The Grass Is Greener featuring over half an album of material which never saw the light of day in the UK, and it has been released on CD. However, I did not know that the debut US album of the same title was similarly very different.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Those_...Die_Salute_You

Some of these songs had yet to appear in the UK and have different time lengths. The most startling thing here, though, is that 'Valentyne Sweet' (different spelling) ends with 'Beware The Ides Of March' instead of 'The Grass Is Always Greener'. And here's where the query comes in. Is the version of '...Ides Of March' different to the one which is on their UK debut? And indeed, is 'Valentyne Sweet' itself a different version to the one which came out as 'Valentyne Suite' in the UK?

This is like the speed differences in the US/UK versions of Rare Bird's debut I've read about on here...something which has entirely passed reissue companies by.

[arturs]

For reasons such as these US/UK discrepancies, I am totally kicking myself for not getting the 4 cd box while that was actually affordable. I believe pretty much everything is on there, US and UK.

[Scrotum Scissor]

'Valentyne Sweet' (different spelling) ends with 'Beware The Ides Of March' instead of 'The Grass Is Always Greener'. And here's where the query comes in. Is the version of '...Ides Of March' different to the one which is on their UK debut? And indeed, is 'Valentyne Sweet' itself a different version to the one which came out as 'Valentyne Suite' in the UK?

JJ, I seem to remember a buddy of mine had that US version back in the very early 90s - a completely soiled and wornout old thing he got cheaply. And I'm pretty convinced that these were all aschewed misprints of the original song titles, nothing more. IOW I don't think there's much lost material to be missed there.

[Mister Triscuits]

Yes, the way the suite appeared on the American album, with "Ides" as the last movement, is the way it was intended to be and the way it was played live. The last movement was changed for the British LP release because "Ides" had already been included on the first LP.

[JJ88]

^Thanks a lot. You were also the member that alerted me to the mess made of the UK Rare Bird album, as opposed to the US version.

Do you have the US version, and can confirm whether anything is a different take from the now-standard UK version?

[Scrotum Scissor]

The last movement was changed for the British LP release because "Ides" had already been included on the first LP.

Yup, I recall this now! And I think we've touched upon this very topic in some earlier thread as well.

Have to say that although I'm terribly fond of the British VS rendition of the piece, this version might sound "objectively" better.

[Zeuhlmate]

Valentyne Suite / The Grass Is Always Greener

https://www.discogs.com/Colosseum-Va...elease/6157326

[strawberrybrick]

The US version came out later (March vs July) , and had some tracks from Valentyne Suite on it.

https://www.discogs.com/Colosseum-Th...elease/1687578

Grass is Greener, was US only, after Litherland left - Clem Clempson re-recorded most everything.

https://www.discogs.com/Colosseum-Th...elease/1271392

All was reconciled on the Sanctuary reissues, as they added the bonus tracks to the first album, and included the GIG as a bonus disc to Valentyne Suite.
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[Mister Triscuits]

^Thanks a lot. You were also the member that alerted me to the mess made of the UK Rare Bird album, as opposed to the US version.

Do you have the US version, and can confirm whether anything is a different take from the now-standard UK version?

I no longer have the US LP, but I think the recordings were the same takes that appeared on the British albums. I'm really not positive about "Ides" though.