Aside from
Roger Dean's iconic cover illustrations,
Greenslade weren't like most prog brands of the 1970s. Keyboardist
Dave Greenslade and bassist
Tony Reeves formed the quartet in 1972 after leaving jazz-rock outfit
Colosseum. Eschewing guitars, they hired
Samurai's
Dave Lawson as a second keyboardist, and former
Manfred Mann drummer
Andrew McCulloch (he also played on
King Crimson's
Lizard) . The band's approach utilized typical knotty, stop-and-start cadences, and key and tempo changes, but those are only a few elements in their complex soundscape. The rest of
Greenslade's sound reflected a penchant for catchy melodies derived from pop, jazz, classical, and folk. Keyboardist
Lawson spent years backing singers including
Bing Crosby and
Peggy Lee.
Greenslade,
Reeves, and
McCulloch came up in the British blues and jump R&B bands of the early 1960s. The remastered albums in this box mark their four studio outings: 1973's
Greenslade and
Bedside Manners Are Extra, 1974's
Spyglass Guest, and 1975's
Time & Tide.
1973's
Greenslade still reflects the jazz-fusion influence of
Colosseum. The textural and tonal juxtapositions of organ, Mellotrons, synth, and acoustic and electric pianos frame the gorgeous "Feathered Friends," while instrumental "An English Western" weds Morris Dance rhythms to boogie woogie piano, and set showcase "Sundance" delivers a dazzling prog exercise. Released a few months later,
Bedside Manners Are Extra's title track makes use of
the Beatles "Here Comes the Sun King'' in the intro and bassline before moving toward jazz. "Pilgrim's Progress" is a seven-minute adventure in layered cadences and key changes; the rhythm section counters with a punchy R&B shuffle. "Chalk Hill" is sumptuous prog-jazz fusion with fantastic keyboard soloing and swinging drums. A cover photo in lieu of a
Dean illustration on 1974's
Spyglass Guest hinted at something different. Due to practical circumstances,
Lawson and
Greenslade composed separately for the first time. Opener "Spirit of the Dance" is a wily, lighthearted prog instrumental. "Rainbow" offers some of the band's most elegant pop songwriting.
Reeves' "Siam Seesaw" -- with guitarist
Clem Clempson and violinist
Graham Smith -- initially sounds like an anime interlude but is transformed into a bluesy jazz groove. The set closes with a cover of "Theme from an Imaginary Western" that sounds more like
Procol Harum than
Greenslade.
Reeves left after its release and was replaced by guitarist/bassist
Martin Briley.
Time & Tide (with a
Dean cover illustration) reflects the more commercially viable prog of the day and somewhat marginalizes jazz and classical.
Lawson's vocals on "Animal Farm" and "Newsworth" are jarring in the midst of hooky garage prog. "Waltz for a Fallen Idol" sounds like
Supertramp backed by
Steely Dan. (It's great.) "The Ass's Ears" offers grandly majestic prog, while closer "Gangsters" gloriously returns
Greenslade to swinging jazz fusion.
All four albums have been remastered from analog source tapes. There is no dodgy, distracting, subpar bonus material. They are packaged in LP reproduction sleeves in a handsome box. Journalist and historian
Malcom Dome contributed an exhaustive liner essay for the photo-illustrated booklet; it also includes a poster. Highly recommended. ~ Thom Jurek
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