Tag: colosseum 2

This is the third album released by this short lived variant of the jazz/rock fusion band. Gary Moore slotted this in between stints with Thin Lizzy and recording his first solo album. Gary Moore is on fire on this album and it shows how versatile he is.

The opening track Wardance was written by Don Airey, but it’s Moore’s solo that is just jaw dropping. Major Keys follows and is a seriously groovy piece with a killer funk groove and beat, and again it’s Gary’s slide solo that wins the day. Put It That Way is back to the heavy fusion chops with Moore and Airey harmonizing on the main melody. This is just a Moore masterclass. Superb playing! Castles close out Side 1 and has Gary showing his vocal skills with a very chill track.

Side 2 kicks off with Fighting Talk. That start feels a bit like a boogie and that main riff is really cool, and again Moore and Airey duelling. The Inquisition is next up and is my favourite tune on the album. I’m not sure you’ll hear Gary playing any better than this. A fast tempo fusion groove with Gary laying it DOWN both acoustically and plugged in. The next piece is split into three, Star Maiden is a bass fest with a very smooth vibe, Mysterioso has a weird time signature but Garys’s solo is wonderful, and Quasar with the keys and guitar harmonizing. Last Exit closes out the album with a big statement ending. The whole 3:30 is an ending and it’s worth buying the album just for Moore’s playing on this piece alone.

RIP Gary!

9/10 from The Grooveman.

This is the second album from a relatively short lived jazz fusion combo, who were built around the talents of drummer John Hiseman and the incredible guitar of Gary Moore. For Moore, this was sandwiched in between his stints in Thin Lizzy. Moore has always been chameleon like in following trends in rock music, and this music was made for him to show his talents. Every song is a bit of a widdle fest, and a drummer’s showcase, as chops are flying in all directions.

Opening track, Put It This Way, is an out and out jam fest with some serious playing. All Skin And Bone is more of a groovy track with a nice funk rock vibe where Hiseman shows how many different things he can hit in the shortest space of time. Rivers is a slow blues/jazz piece with a vocal by Moore, and lots of really tasty guitar. Last track on Side 1 is The Scorch, and it most certainly does. A very spacey synth intros the tune, and we go into an all most classical piece before drum and guitar savagery take over.

Lament opens up Side 2 and it has a very Celtic vibe to the piece, which Moore would revisit later in his solo career. Desperado follows and is quite a wild fusion piece with lots of mirroring from all players. Am I is a slower jazz vibe with some really nice guitar from Gary, before we get to album closer Intergalactic Strut – and it most certainly does strut. A great riff and groove and some monster playing.

There is probably more of Gary’s solos on these three albums than on most of his solo albums. If you are a Moore fan then this is for you.

8.5/10 from The Grooveman.