Greenslade

After a 25-year hiatus, English prog-rockers Greenslade recorded another album back in 2000. Yes, we are talking the much-acclaimed ‘Large Afternoon’. Angel Air has just re-released it, and this time with informative sleeve notes by John Tucker and his interview with Dave Greenslade.

Most of a certain age will remember Dave Greenslade from the early 70’s. Dave had his own band, Greenslade, but was also a member of Colosseum. As Dave explains in the interview, the band were forced to break up due to contractual problems in the mid-70’s. After the break up, however, Dave’s career with Colosseum continued, as did his solo career.

Not so long ago, yours truly mentioned Greenslade to an acquaintance, and he replied, “Greenslade? Well, it doesn’t ring any bells… Oh hold on, weren’t they a bit like Gryphon, except for the fact that Greenslade never messed around with medieval instruments.”

In 1975, Dave was commissioned by the BBC to write the theme music for madcap crimes series Gangsters, and amongst others, for the 1980 TV-Production of Dr. Jekyll & Mr. Hyde, starring the late David Hemmings.

Now on to the album: it feels more like a ‘Gesamtkunstwerk’ (total work of art), rather than individual tracks. The emphasis here is more on instrumentation rather than John Young’s minimal vocal works on four tracks (‘Hallelujah Anyway’, ‘No Room-But A View’, ‘In The Night’, ‘On Suite’).

The rest of the tracks, all instrumental, are dominated by a psychedelic chill-out vibe (as indicated by the sleeve), courtesy of two keyboardists (Greenslade and Young respectively). This gives the compositions an altogether bigger, more orchestral sound.