Trapeze - Medusa [Expanded Edition 3CD] [WEB] (2020)

Formed from two bands from the midlands – Finders Keepers, featuring Mel Galley (guitar/vocals), Dave Holland (drums) and Glenn Hughes (bass/vocals), plus the Montanas’ John Jones (vocals/trumpet) and Terry Rowley (keyboards/guitar/flute) – Trapeze were discovered by The Moody Blues, and snapped up for their own label, Threshold Records.

Trapeze would record three albums for Threshold. As per their self-titled debut, “Medusa” was produced by The Moody Blues’ John Lodge at Morgan Studios in London, and released in November 1970, a mere six months after their first LP.

For their second record, Trapeze had scaled down to the power trio of Mel Galley, Dave Holland and Glenn Hughes, finally finding their definitive sound, with a mixture of blues, soul and hard rock, wrapped around seven, classic original songs. Kicking off with the Mel Galley / Tom Galley penned ‘Black Cloud’, the track was also issued as a single, and soon became a live favourite too. Mel Galley and his brother Tom Galley would co-write four of the album’s tracks, with the band sharing writing credits on ‘Your Love Is Alright’ and Glenn Hughes bringing ‘Seafull’ and the title track, ‘Medusa’.

This classic has been expanded with two bonus discs, packed with extras. It kicks off with a stereo edit and then a mono edit of the ‘Black Cloud’ single, followed by radio session versions of ‘Makes You Wanna Cry’ and ‘Medusa’. Disc Two finishes with an unreleased live show from the United States in March 1971, where the band had a growing following, thanks in part to the opportunity to tour America with mentors, The Moody Blues.

Disc Three features a second complete unreleased show from 1971, featuring all but two tracks from the “Medusa” LP.