Bassist
Nick Greenwood is best-known today for his fiery work with
Arthur Brown in his own 1968-69 heyday. Moving on, in 1972,
Greenwood chose to record a solo album, and to that end brought together a crack band of sessionmen. Even for its time the resulting
Cold Cuts set was way out there, a mighty slab of psychedelia-laced prog rock that soared into musical recesses seldom explored. Besides showcasing
Greenwood's superb bass skills, fans are also surprisingly treated to his vocals -- surprising, because
Greenwood was not previously known as a singer. He acquits himself quite spectacularly here, his delivery as powerful on the rockier numbers as it is nuanced and introspective on the proggier songs. Yet, what really captures one's attention is the interplay between keyboardist
Dick Henningham, guitarist
Bryn Howarth, and
Bunk Gardner's woodwinds.
Henningham easily reaches the majestic peaks of the showier
Keith Emerson, but without the pomposity, however what he mostly brings to the table is a funky style that shimmers into blues and jazz and plays havoc with one's preconceptions of psych or prog. Overhead,
Gardner's various woodwinds dip and soar, while
Howarth's lead guitar strikes and sears the air and the string section sounds out.