RESTORATION

I'm particularly biased when it comes to name of the great band of Colosseum. It's virtually impossible for me to express any opinion in neutral way, free of emotions, sensible to the point of good reason. Not sure whether to apologize for that. I tend to think it's acceptable to lean to one side or another when it comes to musical taste. If you disagree, you'd do better if ignored my review.

Cover says "Colosseum" in recognized lettering, and there is even a silhouette of a guy we recognize from the best live album there is. Now, I'm looking at the album of the band that declared retirement honorably seven years ago. Well, even the name of this album suggests what we have around: shaping up what's declared over & out a while ago.

Two of the three good ghosts of Colosseum ? Jon Hiseman and Dick Heckstall-Smith ? paid their toll to the boatman and left the scene. The third one, Dave Greenslade, retired and I guess there is no one who could persuade him to join resurrected band just like Hiseman did back in 1994 (and not without quite some effort, if I remember hat story well). Guys that gathered are good and honorable musicians, there's nothing wrong with them being in action ? but hey, using renown brand made them pull the pistol first.

I listened to this album last night. And I'd only recognize this a Colosseum album if threatened my life.

The only guy trying to make it up is Clem Clempson. And that is not enough. And those... female backing vocals... Female backing vocals? What the heck? Wh$%^^!@#%!!!! Come on! It's sold as Colosseum, not as a Eurovision contest candidate! Whoever produced this album wasn't thinking too much about all those who respect Colosseum as one of a kind. This music is not one of a kind and that makes it odd to think about it as a Colosseum album. I'm not sure what it's all about. Second to last number, "Home by Dawn", gets a bit closer to Colosseum blend, but that's not enough. If I'd want to listen to this once again, I'll need to persuade myself with more effort than pushing myself to dentist.

Don't get me wrong: this is a decent album and one can hear some decent musicianship on it. But it would be immature to rate any music by capacity of participants. This seems to be a contextual miss: we are suggested to measure the value of it by the same people who decided to pull up a retired brand we loved so dearly and stick it on the cover beside that silhouette taken form the album we all have in our collections and know the last bit of a sound from it. In other words: if I shoot them down, that's because they drew first at me, I had no other choice.

Old bands seem not disappear, although their founding members die. Rolling Stones is continuing after Charlie Watt's death, so does ZZ Top after Dusty Hill's death. I really thought Colosseum will end after Jon Hiseman's death and it was big surprise to me when someone told they're coming to Finland again. Before this album I was glad about it, not sure anymore. There are three new members: Kim Nishikawara in sax, Nick Steed in keyboards and Malcom Mortimore in drums. The latter two are longtime musicians and played with many artists. Didn't find any information, why Barbara Thompson and Dave Greenslade aren't in Colosseum anymore. Really it can be heard in this album that Dave's absence is big loss.

'First In Line' is promising beginning! It reminds slightly 'Lost Angeles'. But where's sax? It comes into last minutes and then everything's fine! But mood changes into 'Hesitation', it's hardrock piece with too heavy guitarsound. Really don't like modern synths in the middle of it, luckily they're not on the top. But again direction changes: 'Need Somebody' is really good feeling bluesballad. 'Tonight' is even slower ballad, where Clem & Chris are singing together. Not bad, but little bit mediocre. 'A Cowboys`s Song' is another highlight in this album. It mix together hard rock riff and beautiful melodies. 'Innocence' is again little bit mediocre funky blues-piece. 'If Only Dreams Were Like This' is more Colosseum II-track in it's guitar and synth dominate fusionjazz.'I'll Shown You Mine' is a heavy-blues piece sung by Clempson. I think Cream could have made this kind of song if they had recorded new material in their reunion. 'Home By Dawn' is standard blues song with slight jazz flavor. 'Story Of the Blues' ends album quite the same way as previous piece, except tempo is faster.

Absolutely this is the weakest Colosseum album. Not sure why they made it, because bands haven't needed new album as excuse to go on tour in last decades. I don't hear that joy of playing anymore, that is those 3 former after reunion albums. But the weakest part is songmaterial. It's obvious when Greenslade made over half of the songmaterial and also mostly the best of them, the rest just can't make enough good stuff. One thing also seems often be wrong in these old bands new albums today. When recording has become very easy with the new digital equipment, it often seems to make fast and cheap. In this album as some others specially drums are sounding very awful in many songs. I believe Hiseman had standards how he's drums had to sound in Colosseum album, but new drummer Mortimore seemed not care about that. I believe me and also other in the fortcoming Colosseum concert will not be sad, if they're not playing anything from this album. But this album is not poor, it deserves two stars.