Short Reviews [Greenslade - 2000 - "Large Afternoon"]

Esoteric Records have just released a nice pairing of Greenslade's "comeback" album along with a live show recorded on the subsequent tour. I reviewed both these albums when originally released, but I must confess to rarely playing them since as I normally go to the "classic" years, so I was somewhat surprised to hear just how well this has aged. Bassist Tony Reeves had been playing with Dave Greenslade in Colosseum, which is how talk turned to a Greenslade reunion, but with neither Dave Lawson or Andy McCulloch available they instead turned to ex-Asia keyboard player/singer John Young and drummer Chris Cozens. Only four of the nine tracks contain vocals, which allows the rhythm section to do much more than just provide foundation, while the use of two keyboard players has always been one of the elements which made Greenslade stand out so much. It is impossible for any lover of keyboard rock a la ELP not to fall in love with the opening instrumental "Cakewalk" as it drives along very nicely. John has provided far more lead vocals in recent years, but even back then his vocals were very good, and it is these along with a somewhat more commercial approach which made it sounds as if the band had moved on from those glorious early albums and were instead embracing a new era. Only four songs had vocals, with the rest being instrumentals which allowed the band to demonstrate just what two keyboard players could deliver when supported by a stunning bassist but sadly, we would never hear another album from this band as Cozens departed after the album was recorded, while after the following tour Dave again parked Greenslade to concentrate on Colosseum. It is a shame as this line-up showed real potential, and it would have been nice to have had another album after the tour. With this expanded release it is now possible to hear the "Live" 2001 - album as that has been included as a second disc. With the departure of Cozens they brought in ex-MMEB drummer John Trotter, and this album was recorded at a CRS gig in Rotherham. The gig opens with "Cakewalk", with the band having a blast. John takes centre stage for "Feathered Friends" but while the two keyboard players are having fun on the very Spanish sounding "Catalan" it is the fretless bass that steals the show as Tony proves that a few well-placed notes are worth a thousand played quickly with no thought as to context. Tracks are taken from throughout the band's career, mixed so that newcomers to the band wouldn't know which are new and which are nearly thirty years old. It is nice to hear songs such as "Bedside Manners Are Extra" again after all this time, and with "Joie de Vivre" breaking eleven minutes this shows just what could have been if they had kept going, mixing classics from the past seamlessly with the new. Along with extensive sleeve notes from Steve Pilkington, this is a nice set from Esoteric, and even if you have the originals (like me), this is well worth picking up again.

Progtector: September 2025

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Greenslade Esoteric Recordings