Upon Tomorrow REPERTOIRE
Fusion masters’ scrapped 1971 studio album finally sees light of day.
The last few years have seen a welcome surge of live recordings capturing Colosseum’s lashing together of blues and rock within the progressive milieu of the late 1960s and early 1970s. The latest two-CD set showcases the band’s pioneering spirit during that time. The first disc has audio-only from a 1969 TV show just days before their debut album, Those Who Are About To Die Salute You, hit the shops, with co-founders guitarist James Litherland and bassist Tony Reeves still present. It’s joined by another set from 1970, originally filmed for cinematic release. This includes a truncated rendition of The Valentyne Suite from their celebrated second album of the same name, and an extended version of the mean and moody workout, Downhill And Shadows. While known for their jazzy prowess, it’s a forceful reminder that they could give Led Zeppelin a good run for their money in the smokey blues department with Clem Clempson holding his own as a guitarist of considerable distinction.
Yet the most important reason to invest in this set can be found on the second CD, dedicated to a set of tracks that could have comprised Colosseum’s fourth studio album had the band not imploded after 1970’s Daughter Of Time. Recorded during the summer of 1971, with personal frustrations and musical differences sapping the band’s spirits, these studio demos were shelved and ultimately forgotten. Martyn Hanson’s informative notes in the accompanying booklet make the point that one
