LIVE 2001 - THE FULL EDITION

Recorded in 2001, this is the reformed Greenslade showing that they were very much back in business. With Dave on keyboards and original bassist Tony Reeves in tow, they brought in John Young (keys/vocals) and John Trotter (drums) to resurrect the band that had made such an impact in the mid Seventies. Greenslade were always unusual in that they had two keyboard players and no guitarist ? this gave their music a distinctive sound, often more ethereal and laid back than ELP, for example. This albums opens with "Cakewalk", with the band having a blast. John takes centre stage for "Feathered Friends" but while the two keyboard players are having fun on the very Spanish sounding "Catalan" it is the fretless bass that steals the show as Tony proves that a few well-placed notes are worth a thousand played quickly with no thought as to context. Tracks are taken from throughout the band's career, mixed so that newcomers to the band wouldn't know which are new and which are nearly thirty years old. It is nice to hear songs such as "Bedside Manners Are Extra" again after all this time, and with "Joie de Vivre" breaking eleven minutes it is safe to say that Greenslade are back and even though they may not be creating chart albums anymore there is definitely an audience of proggers that will want this CD.

Originally appeared in Feedback #79, June 2004