Andrew Lloyd Webber - Colosseum II / Gary̤ Moore - Variations - Full Album Vinyl Rip (1978)

Andrew Lloyd Webber's interpretation of Paganini's 24th Caprice for his brother Julian Lloyd Webber.
Andrew Lloyd Webber - of Phantom of the Opera, Jesus Christ Superstar, etc. fame - wanted to make his unknown cellist brother Julian feel good, so he conceived this musical piece - obviously destined for obscurity. He enlisted the help of mad but unknown virtuosos Colosseum II (Jon Hiseman, Gary Moore, Don Airey, & John Mole) to perform for cheap or free. Rod Argent of The Zombies and Barbara Thompson (Hiseman's wife) also participated.
The result is a hidden gem, a black diamond if you will, that is of little interest outisde of Gary Moore's ardent fans and maybe a handful of people who appreciate insane Fusion/Prog music infused with classical elements, a musical style that was never fashionable nor popular.
A stellar album that did nothing to bolster Julian Lloyd Webber's career, but only Andrew knows whether this was intentional or not.
Gary is unfortunately too low in the mix in most places, but his genius shines through nonetheless. Mole and Hiseman's rhythm section steals the show, and any Return to Forever, DiMeola, or McLaughlin fan worth their salt should revel in this album like pigs in s**t.
I'd give it 8 out of 10 because I bought the album only to complete the entire Gary Moore catalog and was pleasantly surprise by the overall quality and of course Gary's shredding before the notion even existed.