Those Who Are About to Die Salute You＜限定盤＞

故Jon Hiseman(dr/per)と故Dick Heckstall-Smith(sax)を中心に'68年結成されたブリティッシュ・ジャズ・ロックシーンを代表する名バンド、英Fontanaから発表された'69年デビュー作がオランダ:Music On Vinylより180g重量盤限定アナログにて'23年再発!
Jon Hiseman(dr)を中心に当時の英国ジャズ/ロックシーンの最精鋭ともいえる辣腕メンバーを結集、タイトル曲を筆頭にパワフルかつ硬質なトーンを伴ったこれぞ英国流ジャズ・ロックサウンドとも言うべき楽曲/サウンドを提示した記念すべきデビュー作にして、この時期のジャズ・ロックを代表する秀作です!

Colosseum's debut album is a powerful one, unleashing each member's instrumental prowess at one point while consolidating each talent to form an explosive outpouring of progressive jazz-rock the next. Those Who Are About to Die Salute You is coated with the volatile saxophone playing of Dick Heckstall-Smith, the thunderous keyboard assault of Dave Greenslade, and the bewildering guitar craft of James Litherland. Together, Colosseum skitters and glides through brisk musical spectrums of freestyle ]jazz and British blues, sometimes held tightly in place by Greenslade's Hammond organ, while other times let loose by the brilliancy of the horn and string interplay. Each song sparks its own personality and its very own energy level, giving the band instant attention upon the album's release in 1969. Not only did Colosseum sound different from other jazz fusion bands of the era, but they could easily take the unconventional elements of their style and churn them into palatable and highly significant musical thoroughfares. Some of the more compelling tracks include "Walking in the Park," led by its powerful trumpet segments, and "Pretty Hard Luck," which embarks on a stylish blues excursion with colorful keyboard sections on the periphery. "Beware the Ides of March" borrows a page out of J.S. Bach's notebook and turns his classical poignancy inside out, while "Mandarin" and "Backwater Blues" are created with the perfect jazz and blues friendship in mind, representing Colosseum's fused sound spotlessly. Best of all, the album never strays from its intensity or its creativity, the very foundation that the band is built on. Their next album, Valentyne Suite, mirrors the same instrumental congruity as Those Who Are About to Die, and is equally entertaining. ~ Mike DeGagne