Thoughts on Colosseum II?

[ThomasKDye]

They were doing that fusion meets hard rock thing that old Journey(Pre-Steve Perry), and Tommy Bolin did

It's funny to read this; a lot of this reminds me of the general atmosphere of Journey's "Kohoutek" and "Topaz," particularly "Fighting Talk" from War Dance.

[Rand Kelly]

It's funny to read this; a lot of this reminds me of the general atmosphere of Journey's "Kohoutek" and "Topaz," particularly "Fighting Talk" from War Dance.

Never would have thought of this on my own,but,now that you mention it...I can see it. Schon/Hammer Untold Passion is in the same mold(I really wish I would have found one of these on cd.)

[Hyfi]

If you guys are Gary Moore fans, you should check out Jeff Kollman's album, Silence In The Corridor.

Just picked this up after Guitar Screams Live and with Chad Smith and The Meatbats.

Jeff is a killer player and the Silence disk showcases about 8 different styles including one that sounds just like Acoustic Alchemy.

Good call!

[rapidfirerob]

Just picked this up after Guitar Screams Live and with Chad Smith and The Meatbats.

Jeff is a killer player and the Silence disk showcases about 8 different styles including one that sounds just like Acoustic Alchemy.

Good call!

Silence In The Corridor is excellent.

[Heepster69]

[QUOTE=Progbear;10696]I may have heard a song or two in passing; they’ve sort of always been on my back burner but I never got around to buying them for whatever reason. Weirdly, I know their singer (Mike Starrs) better via his work with Lucifer’s Friend.

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http://www.travellersintime.com/Univ...tarrs2014.html

[grego]

Liked them back in the days, when the grass was greener) "On Second Thoughts", "Winds", "Castles"..lots of good stuff on 3 albums. BTW, on Webber's "Variations" album you can hear this band too.

[yoyiceu]

I also like Strange New Flesh the most... seems more original , mainly because of the vocals, than the later kind of generic fusion offerings. Of course, I prefer both Tempest albums that Hiseman recorded between Colosseum I and II, with Holdsworth and (later) Halsall on guitar. Holdsworth work on Tempest I, in a rockier somewhat Claptonian mode, is my favorite of his whole career, at least that I've heard.

[MYSTERIOUS TRAVELLER]

on Webber's "Variations" album you can hear this band too.

that album is a must have for C2 fans

[Rarebird]

that album is a must have for C2 fans

Perhaps the best thing Andrew Lloyd Webber ever did.

[Heepster69]

Electric Savage and War Dance are excellent rock/jazz mostly instrumental albums.

They had a lead vocalist on the first album, there is some good stuff there but more uneven.

http://www.travellersintime.com/Univ...tarrs2014.html

[TheH]

Some funny stuff from Mike Starrs

[Rand Kelly]

I was lucky one day about 15 years ago and happened to score a Japanese copy of Electric Savage on cd. I love that album and I love War Dance. Hell,in 1979 in my first band Meltdown(3 Mile Island had just almost had one) we played Fighting Talk and of course,nobody knew what that was or had heard of Gary Moore. I agree with whoever above said the bonus tracks on Strange New Flesh were good,but I think that live stuff on disc 2 is superior to all the tunes on there mainly because I am not a fan of Mike Starrs,sorry his voice grates on me bad. The one saving grace on there is Don Airey's Dark Side Of The Moog,wow! that's a cool tune. I didn't know that it was Gerry Bron that wanted them to go with C2 though,that was news to me. Jon Hiseman is fantastic on all 3 of these albums and of course,Gary is just amazing and I really miss that guy.

[Rand Kelly]

[yesstiles]

"Strange New Flesh" has grown on me big time. I love that album now.

"Down To You" is one of the greatest cover tunes ever done. Just beautiful. I'm not too big a fan of the bookend tracks on Side 1, but everything else is really fantastic.

[Steve983]

I first saw them on Sight & Sound in about '77 at the tender age of 14, I was blown away. Wardance and Electric Savage were two of the first albums I ever owned. RIP Gary Moore and John Mole. Great to see Don Airey still rocking all these years.

PS Gary Moore's Back On The Streets has some leftover Colloseum II track's on it too:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ifHh2LzibK4

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HARBco0n2oA

[JJ88]

I don't think I cared for Strange New Flesh beyond 'Dark Side Of The Moog'. Not crazy about the vocals and there are a lot of them.

I like what I've heard from the following two albums a litrle more, and it's a shame that they are not easy to get on CD. This budget collection has about 75% of each album (and the Moore MCA solo album), which is something:

https://www.discogs.com/Gary-Moore-C...elease/6854852

Having said that I don't think Colosseum II was as consistently strong as its predecessor by any means.

[yesstiles]

I don't think I cared for Strange New Flesh beyond 'Dark Side Of The Moog'. Not crazy about the vocals and there are a lot of them.

There are a couple songs on Strange New Flesh where the vocals are a bit over the top and not the best I agree. However, the way his vocals blend with the music on "Down To You" and "On Second Thoughts" is just intoxicating imo.

[Mascodagama]

I had these on cassette tape as a teenager in the eighties and thought they were pretty good. Re-listened recently and it sounded very much second rate - not much going on but chops, and the vocals were never a highlight.

[Camelogue]

All good except "Strange New Flesh."

[arturs]

I have only ever heard Strange New Flesh before today; at least with Starrs C2 was distinctive. This show, while technically very good, sounds like it could be any one of 100 fusion bands.

[MYSTERIOUS TRAVELLER]

There's a 4th album with C2 as the main musicians and it's pretty good too

Andrew Lloyd Weber - Variations

[MYSTERIOUS TRAVELLER]

All good except "Strange New Flesh."

heh... there may have been 2 good tracks on SNF though IIRC

[grego]

Strange New Flesh is nice one, I have 2CD version, which includes outtakes, most of them quite fine. I like Electric Savage. War Dance as I recall is a bit repeatable. ALW's Variations features great performances from the band, Gary Moore's playing is outstanding.

[Steve983]

For fans of Colosseum II, Cozy Powell's album Over The Top is well worth checking out too. Features Moore & Airey on some tracks.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O6SH901lbMc

[Thomas]

I got into Colosseum II during my late teens, when Gary Moore was my favourite guitarist. I bought every album he played on that I could find, which led to me expanding my musical horizons. Therefore, the Colosseum II albums, including Variations, have a special place in my musical shrine. Having said that, I preferred the music without vocals, especially Mike Starrs vocals that I really didn't appreciate.