Valentyne Suite is the second album by the English band Colosseum. It was released in November 1969 and is regarded by many as the finest work of Colosseum's career. The album blends progressive jazz, blues, and rock in an exciting and innovative way. It marked the first time a rock band made extensive use of a brass section.
The album had commercial success, reaching number 15 in the UK Albums Chart. Its name, Valentyne Suite, comes from the three-part suite that occupies the entire second side of the vinyl record. This was the first album released by Vertigo Records, a division of Philips/Phonogram, and its swirl label design is a collectors' item.
Colosseum, the band responsible for Valentyne Suite, was a pioneering English progressive jazz-rock band, mixing blues, rock and jazz-based improvisation. They were active from 1968 to 1971, and then they reunited a few times over the years. The band was formed by drummer Jon Hiseman, tenor sax player Dick Heckstall-Smith and bass player Tony Reeves, with the later additions of Jim Roche, James Litherland, and then his eventual replacement, singer/guitarist/songwriter, Dave "Clem" Clempson.
The album´s main suite was composed by keyboardist Dave Greenslade with lyrics by James Litherland, and it's widely considered a high point in the band's work and in early progressive rock.
Valentyne Suite consists of two sections. The first section is a reworking of three shorter pieces the band had been playing live, while the second section, "The Grass is Always Greener," is a contiguous, three-part suite. The music moves through multiple moods, paces, and music styles and has been praised for demonstrating the band's musical range and individual members' technical abilities.
