Those Who Are About To Die Salute You – COLOSSEUM***

Walking In The Park/Plenty Hard Luck/Mandarin/Debut/Beware The Ides Of March/The Road She Walked Before/Backwater Blues/Those About To Die

Those Who Are About To Die was the debut album from the British blues/jazz group Colosseum, who enjoyed a relatively short lived success at the turn of the decade. (UK:15)

"This one is an early example of prog jazz/rock fusion, and features some blues driven tracks and extended instrumental improvisation, though not much period flavour. This is not necessarily a bad thing, but it sounds ahead of it's time."

"Heckstall-Smith always knew how to keep a tight horn unit, and the Hammond organ adds to the unique quality. My only beef are the meandering blues vocals." "One of the quintessential prog bands and for instrumental ability they spread themselves a little thinly across albums."

"By Colosseum's standards, this record is quite poor. The melodies are weaker than usual, and the performance seems less intense, although the album has its moments. The closing track, Those About To Die, is exciting, and the same thing could be said about Beware The Ides Of March. The record as a whole, however, is inessential."

"Your basic British blues/jazz acid rock mix, with lots of honking sax and Hammond buzz, but little in the way of real songs. Plenty Hard Luck and Debut are both blues based noodlers, while Those About To Die uses a jazzy/R & B base to squeeze out some more solos, none of these being very attention holding. Sixties freaks might find something to salvage in these ruins, others might want to pass it by."

"This debut album is all you would expect from a band featuring musicians, most of whom had served their apprenticeships with the likes of Graham Bond and John Mayall. Colosseum used this grounding to create a fusion of blues, rock and jazz which was often copied but never bettered. From the opener, Walking In The Park to Those About To Die which closes the album, Hiseman and co. deliver a top quality set which, while tight, allows individuals room to experiment."

"The band is a modestly significant slice of rock history, though hardly revelatory."