Medusa

I hesitated about buying the 3CD versions of this and You Are The Music having bought them both before on LP and CD. Did I really want 2CDS of potentially dodgy live bonus material as I already have the Way Back To The Bone live disc from Dallas 72. Well when the price dropped to £15 I weakened and am glad I did. Both packages are great and the bonus material is much better than I expected it to be.The Medusa studio album doesn't sound any better than the last version I bought on the ORK label (which was better than my previous CD on Threshold) but that doesn't matter as I didn't buy it for that. The second disc has a couple of fairly pointless edits of Black Cloud followed by a couple of nice tracks from Pop Workshop in 1970 introduced by Brian Matthews then some live tracks from Flushing NY 1971. Not perfect quality but very listenable indeed. There is a presence to them that makes you almost feel like you are in what I guess was a small hall. The audience is quiet and the instruments are all clear. Great to hear Glenn introducing the songs in his thick Cannock accent. The third disc is more live tracks form 71. The source isn't credited but I know that at least one track is from Austin. For its age the recording is again very decent. There is a bit of distortion but where else are you going to hear Trapeze live in 1971?The bonus discs are probably not for the casual listener but if you are a fan of Trapeze then this is well worth your money. I'm very happy with it. It's as close as I will ever get to being back in the Forum in Cannock in 1971/72 listening to one of my favourite bands.

If you find yourself in this Amazon back water, then you might find a few well chosen words of comment on this Trapeze album helpful. If you rate albums such as Judas Priest's Sad Wings of Destiny, or early Black Sabbath, then this will appeal. Comparison with Sad Wing's is very apt indeed to my mind, Trapeze must have been an inspiration for a young Judas Priest, the two bands sound very similar indeed here. Let's not forget also that Dave Holland, Trapeze's drummer, ended up filling the drum stool for the very same band many years later. Hughes went on, as you will certainly know, to join a certain Deep Purple for Burn, Made in Europe etc. and certainly revived their sound no end. Medusa is a little gem that deserves respect. Buy it. I am certain that if you can relate to the music above and have yet to discover Trapeze, then you won't have any regrets.

I do not know why but this is an album I have never heard. (gasp) well boy I sure missed a corker! I remember buying `You are the music` in the early seventies and I loved it from the bus journey home to the second my hand eased the record arm into the shiny black plastic groove,( I still have the album).knowing what the third album ( you are the music )was like all those years ago. I thought I would treat myself to the second and its almost a continuation, again Im over the moon. Funky rocky souly class! Glenn, Mel,(RIP)and Dave. well done chaps ..

Amazing change from the first Trapeze album. Slimmed down to a three piece power trio incorporating soul & funk into a heavy rock setting. Great vocals from Glenn Hughes. Galley on guitar and Holland on drums cannot be faulted. Perhaps some of the songs are a little stretched. The track "Medusa" is a rock classic. This album and the next "You Are The Music" are gems from an underrated band. Later versions of Trapeze (with/without Hughes) would unfortunately never get near this level again

This is my favourite Trapeze album, as they were local lads they used to perform at the Forum hall in Cannock a few miles away, me and my mates used to walk there and back to watch them every time they were in town, when I saw this cd for sale I was over the moon, they don't make real music like this these days, brilliant.

Shows promise. Just a bit of magic missing.

What a great CD! Some absolute classic tracks on there, with fantastic guitar riffs!

Superb album. Great to have it again.