Valentyne Suite is the second album released by the band Colosseum. It was Vertigo Records' first album release,[2] and reached number 15 in the UK Albums Chart in 1969.[3] The album peaked at number 18 in Australia in 1970.[4]
| Valentyne Suite | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | November 1969[1] | |||
| Recorded | Spring and Summer 1969 | |||
| Genre | Psychedelic rock, progressive rock, jazz rock | |||
| Length | 35:00 | |||
| Label | Vertigo (UK) | |||
| Producer | Tony Reeves, Gerry Bron | |||
| Colosseum chronology | ||||
| ||||
Though the song "The Kettle" is officially listed as having been written by Dick Heckstall-Smith and Jon Hiseman, a credit which is confirmed by Hiseman's liner notes for the album, bassist and producer Tony Reeves later claimed that it was written by guitarist and vocalist James Litherland.[5] The song's riff was later interpolated in three songs, notably "Ya Mama" by Fatboy Slim.[6]
Reception
edit| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |   [7] |
AllMusic derided the first three tracks, referring to "The Kettle" and "Butty's Blues" as, "tarted-up 12-bar blues", and claiming that "Elegy" was beyond James Litherland's abilities as a vocalist. They were more approving of the rest of the album, and described Dave Greenslade's solo on "The Valentyne Suite" as, "something to offer a challenge to vintage Keith Emerson, but with swing." They were critical of Litherland and Reeves's playing on the song, however, and concluded, "In retrospect this might not quite the classic it seemed at the time, but it remains listenable..."[7]
Track listing
editValentyne Suite was originally written with "Beware the Ides of March" as the final movement, but since "Beware the Ides of March" had already been released in the UK on Those Who Are About to Die Salute You, "The Grass is Always Greener" was substituted for the final movement in the UK release. Compact Disc issues of the suite follow the track listing of the UK release.
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "The Kettle" | Dick Heckstall-Smith, Jon Hiseman | 4:25 |
| 2. | "Elegy" | James Litherland | 3:10 |
| 3. | "Butty's Blues" | Litherland | 6:44 |
| 4. | "The Machine Demands a Sacrifice" | Litherland, Heckstall-Smith, Pete Brown, Hiseman | 3:52 |
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 5. | "The Valentyne Suite"
| Dave Greenslade, Heckstall-Smith, Hiseman | 16:49 |
Personnel
editColosseum
edit- Dave Greenslade – Hammond organ, vibraphone, piano, backing vocal on "The Machine Demands a Sacrifice"
- Dick Heckstall-Smith – saxophones, flute on "The Machine Demands a Sacrifice"
- Jon Hiseman – drums, machine on "The Machine Demands a Sacrifice"
- James Litherland – guitars, lead vocals
- Tony Reeves – bass guitars
Guest musicians
edit- Neil Ardley – conductor on "Butty's Blues", string arrangement on "Elegy"
References
edit- ^ "Album Reviews" (PDF). Melody Maker. 22 November 1969. p. 22. Retrieved 15 September 2021.
- ^ Stump, Paul (1997). The Music's All that Matters: A History of Progressive Rock. Quartet Books Limited. p. 80. ISBN 0 7043 8036 6.
- ^ Colosseum chart history, The Official Charts. Retrieved July 29, 2011.
- ^ Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970–1992 (illustrated ed.). St Ives, N.S.W.: Australian Chart Book. p. 71. ISBN 0-646-11917-6.
- ^ "Interview with Tony Reeves". Let it Rock. July 2003. Retrieved 2 September 2023.
- ^ WhoSampled entry for "The Kettle"
- ^ a b Valentyne Suite at AllMusic