Show notes
THIS WEEK ON THE PROGRAM…
Downhill?
Hardly.
Chaz Charles and the Voluptuary of Sonic Discernment, Dr. Glund, continue their excavation of Colosseum's Daughter of Time with “Downhill and Shadows.”
What begins as an examination of a bluesy, hard-rocking Colosseum track quickly becomes a full-blown investigation into Jon Hiseman's drumming, Clem Clempson's guitar playing, and whether these musicians were actually listening to one another.
Chaz has a theory.
The Doctor disagrees.
Naturally, the only reasonable solution is to listen to approximately 25 more minutes of Colosseum.
TRACK UNDER THE MICROSCOPE
“Downhill and Shadows” — Colosseum
Clem Clempson's guitar takes center stage, Dick Heckstall-Smith brings the brass, and Jon Hiseman apparently believes that a guitar solo is an excellent opportunity to demonstrate everything a drummer can do simultaneously.
Chaz wonders whether Hiseman might occasionally consider getting out of Clempson's way.
The Doctor is having none of it.
And so begins a spirited examination of the relationship between the guitar and drums, the art of musical restraint, and the peculiar genius of musicians who seem determined to play several songs at once.
Then come the live recordings.
And things get considerably more interesting.
TRACKS LISTENED TO / DIGRESSION ZONE
Colosseum — “Downhill and Shadows”
→ The original Daughter of Time recording.
→ An August 1970 live performance with Clem Clempson handling the vocals.
→ A later John Peel session featuring Chris Farlowe.
→ One composition evolving through different lineups, arrangements, and increasingly ferocious performances.
The August recording finds the band stretching the song into an extraordinary instrumental workout.
Hiseman attacks the drums.
Clempson attacks the guitar.
Heckstall-Smith attacks whatever remains.
At one point, Chaz wonders whether they've accidentally discovered thrash metal approximately a decade before anybody thought to call it that.
Lars Ulrich?
Jon Hiseman?
Discuss.
Then Chris Farlowe arrives.
The November performance brings a different kind of intensity, and the Doctor and Chaz find themselves debating whether Colosseum is getting tighter, getting better, or simply becoming an entirely different animal every time somebody presses RECORD.
And somewhere in the proceedings, the John Peel engineers appear to have encountered a band considerably louder than their equipment was prepared to accommodate.
HIGHLIGHTS YOU DID NOT ASK FOR BUT ARE GETTING ANYWAY
Jon Hiseman being accused of playing too much.
Dr. Glund defending the indefensible.
Clem Clempson apparently requiring his own airspace.
A Scandinavian pronunciation incident.
The discovery that Colosseum could, under certain circumstances, actually make people dance.
A comparison to Metallica that nobody saw coming.
Chris Farlowe attempting to overwhelm the BBC's recording equipment.
The Doctor and Chaz disagreeing about what constitutes a tighter band.
And the realization that spending 25 minutes listening to two performances of the same song might actually be the most sensible thing they've done all week.
YOUR PRESCRIPTION
Administer one dose of Colosseum's “Downhill and Shadows.”
Follow immediately with the August 1970 performance.
Then the November John Peel session.
Recommended conditions:
A proper stereo.
Considerable volume.
An appreciation for Clem Clempson's guitar tone.
And enough patience to allow Jon Hiseman to finish whatever the hell he's doing.
Possible side effects include:
Arguing with drummers.
Defending drummers.
Questioning whether thrash metal existed in 1970.
Developing an unreasonable fascination with Colosseum's changing lineups.
And discovering that the same song, played three months apart, can sound like three different bands.
The guitar rocks.
The mind expands.
Nobody sells out.
The Blade of Judgment remains sheathed.
And after that much Colosseum?
The Doctor may not even need a visky.
The Doctor is in.
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