Greenslade


Band members                             Related acts

  line up 1 (1972)

- Dave Greenslade --- keyboards

- Doug Lawson -- vocals, keyboards

- Andrew McCulloch -- drums, percussion

- Tony Reeves -- bass

 

  line up 1 (1972-76)

NEW - Martin Briley -- bass, guitar, backing vocals (replaced 

  Tony Reeves)

- Dave Greenslade --- keyboards

- Doug Lawson -- vocals, keyboards

- Andrew McCulloch -- drums, percussion

 

  line up 3 (1977)

- Dave Greenslade --- keyboards

NEW - Dave Markee -- 

NEW - Simon Phillips -- drums, percussion

NEW - Mick Rogers -- vocals, lead guitar

 

  line up 4 (1977)

- Dave Greenslade --- keyboards

NEW - Jon Hiseman -- drums, percussion

- Dave Markee -- 

NEW - Tony Reeves -- bass

 

  line up 5 (2000)

- Dave Greenslade --- keyboards

- Tony Reeves -- bass

NEW - Jon Young -- vocals. keyboards

 

  line up 6 (2001-2003)

- Dave Greenslade --- keyboards

- Tony Reeves -- bass

NEW - John Trotter -- drums, percussion

- Jon Young -- vocals. keyboards

 

  line up 7 (2003)

NEW - James Gambold, -- drums, percussion (replaced 

  John Trotter)

- Dave Greenslade --- keyboards

- Tony Reeves -- bass

- Jon Young -- vocals. keyboards

 

 

 

 

 

- The Alan Bown Set (Doug Lason)

- Martin Briley (solo efforts)

- Colosseum (Dave Greenslade and Tony Reeves)

- Colsseum II (Jon Hiseman)

- Curved Air (Tony Reeves)

- Fields (Andrew McCulloch)

- Dave Greenslade (solo efforts)

- King Crimson (Andrew McCulloch)

- Mandrake Paddle Steamer (Martin Briley)

- Manfred Mann's Earth Band (Mick Rogers)

- The Moody Marsden Band (John Trotter)

- John Mayall's Bluesbreakers (Tony Reeves)

- Samurai (Doug Lason)

- Shy Limbs (Andrew McCulloch)

- Stackridge (Doug Larrson)

- The Mick Taylor Quartet  

- The Web (Doug Lason)

 


 

Genre: progressive

Rating: 3 stars ***

Title:  Time and Tide

Company: Mercury

Catalog: SRM-1-1025
Year:
 1975

Country/State: UK

Grade (cover/record): VG+/VG+

Comments: gatefold sleeve; cut top right corner

Available: 1

Catalog ID: 2264

Price: $25.00

 

Keyboard player Dave Greenslade and bassist Tony Reeves started their musical partnership as members of Colosseum.  By 1972 the pair had decided to start their own band, recruiting former Alan Bown Set/Samarai/The Web singer/guitarist Dave Lawson and ex-Fields/King Crimson drummer Andrew McCulloch.

 

By the time the band's fourth studio release hit the street, the line-up had shifted to include former Mandrake Paddle Steamer bassist Martin Briley, keyboardist Dave Greenslade, singer/keyboardist Doug Lawson, and drummer Andrew McCulloch.  1975's "Time and Tide" was co-produced by the band, Gregg Jackman and Jeremy Ensor.  Like their earlier releases much of the focus rested on singer Dave Lawson.  I'll readily admit Lawson didn't have a voice that instantly charmed you.  Exemplified by material like the rollicking 'The Flattery Stakes', he occasionally sounded like he was choking on his own bile.  On the other hand if that wasn't a rock and roll sound, what was?  And given a bit of time it wasn't that hard to warm up to Lawson's eclectic charms.   Anyhow, if you got this far into the band's catalog you clearly didn't have a problem with the band's multiple keyboard powered progressive and occasionally jazzy moves.  The big surprise might have been how commercial much of the album was - 'The Falttery Stakes' came awfully close to conventional rocker, while 'Newsworth' recalled early Queen and 'Waltz for a Fallen Idol' even included a Martin Briley guitar solo.  I'm guessing hardcore progressive fans were appalled by most of the results, but to my ears it wasn't half bad.

Frequently mistaken for something drawn by Roger Dean, the stunning cover art was courtesy of Patrick Woodoffe.

 

"Time and Tide" track listing:
(side 1)

1.) Animal Farm    (Dave Lawson) - 3:24    rating: **** stars

Is it just my ears, or did Doug Lawson sound a bit like Freddie Mercury on this surprisingly mainstream rocker?   Paradise for anyone who needed a fix of '70s mellotron ....  

2.) Newsworth    (Dave Lawson - Dave Greenslade) - 3:03  rating: *** stars

Ever wonder what Freddie Mercury and Queen would have sounded like if they'd decided to become a true progressive band?  Probably not, but if you ever wondered, I suspect the bouncy 'Newsworth' might not have been too far from the sound.   The lyrics were certainly strange ...  I don't know a great deal about the band, but it certainly reads like a caustic barb aimed at the British music press, who don't seem to have had many nice things to say about the band.

3.) Time    (Dave Greenslade) - 1:16    rating:*** stars

Hum, how'd we end up in the middle of a renaissance festival?  Nah, it wasn't a rock tune. It wasn't a progressive tune.  It literally sounded like something off the soundtrack to a Robin Hood flick, though I loved the harpsichord.   

4.) Tide (instrumental)    (Dave Greenslade) - 2:51   rating:*** stars

Pretty and soothing mellotron-propelled instrumental.   

5.) Catalan (instrumental)    (Dave Greenslade) - 5:03   rating:**** stars

Progressive, but with a surprisingly bouncy and accessible edge - progressive for folks who didn't like the genre?  An edited version of the tune was tapped as an instantly obscure UK single:

- 1975's 'Catalan' b/w 'Animal Farm' (Warner Brothers catalog number K 16584)

 

(side 2)
1.) The Falttery Stakes
    (Dave Lawson - Dave Greenslade) - 3:30   rating:**** stars

For anyone who doubted the band's ability to actually rock out, there was 'The Falttery Stakes'.  Yeah, it sounded like they borrowed a bit of inspiration (and the melody) from the Stone, but hsow could you not like a rocker with a Hammond B-3 serving as lead instrument?

2.) Waltz for a Fallen Idol    (Dave Lawson - Dave Greenslade) - 3:18   rating:*** stars

I wasn't expecting to hear 1.) a bluesy ballad, 2.) sweet backing harmonies, 3.) a stunningly sweet Martin Briley guitar solo. 

3.) The Ass's Ears    (Dave Lawson - Dave Greenslade) - 3:19   rating:*** stars

The band at their most progressive; with echoes of Yes and plenty of Briley bass and McCulloch percussion to kick the tune along.

4.) Doldrums    (Dave Greenslade) - 3:30    rating: *** stars

Fans rate 'Doldrums' as one of their finest moments.   Frankly, I've always found it to be a mildly pretty, but deathly dull number, further burdened by pretentious lyrics and an unremarkable performance.

5.) Gangsters    (Dave Lawson - Dave Greenslade) - 2:21    rating: *** stars

The song was apparently written for a 1974 television program.  Greenslade subsequently wrote lyrics for the tune, intending to record it for a 1976 solo album.  In 1978 the song was covered by Chris Farlowe and reappeared as the theme for the BBC television series Gangsters.  And guess what ?   The bouncy Moog powered track sounded like it had been written for a British television show.  

 

 

 

 

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