Radio Centraal, Antwerpen-Belgium PSYCHE VAN HET FOLK June 20th, 2001 Finland in the 70's. Love Records is the most important label here. Most important progressive products have jazz fusion influences. Many members are in the most important groups. Most of the products ask several times of listening before getting even a bit a grip on it. 1. Finnlevy Kalevala : People No Names (1972) ****' Great heavy psych bluesrock, with some more quiet pieces led by piano too. The best item from 70's Finland I heard so far. Only last short foolish folk composition is different. Track 1 "People no names" 9 min, Track 2 "Where I'm From" 5 min, Track 7 "Escape From The Storm" 5 min Scandia Kalevala : Boogie Jungle (1975)° Their second item is more boogie blues. Noting very special. 2. Love Records Wigwam : Hard'n Horney (1969)***° Two different sides : organ dominated bluesrock and a more Al Stewart like (aka Zero she flies) concept piece influenced by late 60's pop. My colleague preferred side 1, but I liked the concept too. Interesting. Hard'n' Horny/Tombstone Valentine : * Track 10, "Henry's Ghastly and astronomical mistakes" 2 min * Track 11, "Henry's holliday plans" 2 min Track 12, Henry's concentration camp brochure" first seconds 3. Love Record Wigwam : Tombstone Valentine (1970)**? * Track 18 "Dance Of The Anthropoids", 2 min * Track 19 "Frederick & Bill", 5 min) 4. Wigwam : Fairyport (1971)*** The organ bluesy psych progressed a bit with longer tracks, a bit more soft or tempered Canterbury (pop) styled / Some of it is more prog pop ballad. "Hot Mice" is almost a Zappa track. Last track is a jazz rock freak out (with tremendous guitar playing). Album is much more progressive then before. * Track 10 "One More Try" 4 min * Track 13 "Rave-Up For The Roadies" 18 min. (050-end) Love Records Wigwam , Being (1973) ? : track 7 "Planetist" (comp. Pohjola) ?????????? 5. Love Rec. Tolonen : Tolonen ! (1971) ***° Great Jazzy Fusion prog rock with incredible living creature electric guitar. One track is more relaxed. * Track 1, "Elements Earth Fire water air" 9 min 6. Love Records Tolonen : Summergames (1973) **°? Very composed fusion rock again. * Tr.8 : "Impressions of India" 6 min Love Records Tolonen : The Hook (1974) ? Again composition based jazz fusion with leaving out the rock a bit. So less my cup of tea. It will (for my taste) ask me much more time and effort to listen to. Secondly I hate compositions with too much brass (first 2 tracks). It evolves and leads more and more in more pure music without real life adventure (next album for instance). Love Records Tolonen : Hysterica (1975) 7. Tassavallan Persidentti : Same (1969)** Jazzy poprock with few more bluesrock tracks. Some great tracks. * Tr.5, "Crazy Thing nr1" 1 min 62 8. Tassavallan Presidentti : Lamberland (1972) **° ? Jazzrock fusion. I prefer side two. In its genre it's good. "Dance" is superb. Track 5 "Dance" 6 min 68 Tassavallan Presidentti : Milky Way Moses (1974) *** Good Jazzrock fusion. Recommended to the interested in the field. Although it's not particularly sung nor played energetically. Altough all are professional musicians and the compositions are good and surely above the usual that makes it worth tracing. * Track 3 "Jelly" 4 min 9. Love Rec. Pekka Pohjola : Pihkasilmä kaamakorva (1972)*** Jazzfusion prog rock and prog jazzfusion. From the moment the violin comes in at track 2 the level is higher. (That sounds like a musical combination like the second Gualberto with added organ). Mood of most tracks is tempered. Last track is the weirdest and at the same time most freaky composition with some rhythm changes and great bass lead, very advanced. * Track 2 "Virtojen Kiharat" 6 min * Track 4 "Nipistys/Valittaja" 14 min (great bass guitar impro lead this time) 10. Love Records Pekka Pohjola : Harakka Bialoipokku (1974) ***? Programming and composed elements come more to the foreground. This needs time to fully understand. Not easy. Notes notes , notes,. * Track 7 "Huono Sää/See Tanssii..." 7 min 10* Love Records Piirpauke (1975)*** Pleasant rock folk fusion. * Track 5 "Konevitsan Kirkonkellot" 6 min 11* Love Records Piirpauke 2 (1976)*** Mostly ethno fusion, sometimes more into (ethno) fusion rock. Recommended. * Track 6 "Peäldoaivi" 4 min * Track 3 "Fyssouni" 7 min : splendid eastern flavour (-East of Eden-) like ethno fusion rock track * Track 7 "Penang osat 1 & 2" (10 min.) World Fusion track 111 12 Finnlevy Pekka Pohjola : "Visitation" (1979) ? Finnforest : same (1975)**° : organ dominated instrumental prog with beautiful moments. * Tr.1, " Mikä Yö (What a night) " 6 min * Tr.2, " Sanatan Laulu (Song without words ) " 4 min 13 Laser's Edge Finnforest : Lähtö Matkalle (1976)** with Jukka Gustavson (Wigwam). Second album is a bit different because it has a more jazzy fusion approach.. More understandable after hearing most Finnish prog I played before. Tr. 9 "Alpha" 9 min (big fragment) 14 Private The Lobsters : Get lobsterized (2001)*** Great Hammond and Rhodes piano led funky prog, as if straight from the best 70's. Tr.1, "Magnum Opus" 5 min Tr.2, "Camembert" 5 min" Tr.4, "Comfort" 5 min Tr.5 "Third Eye" 5 min ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Go back to the Finnish Progressive Music page if you were there before by using the back button or by pasting http://progressive.homestead.com/FINLANDPROG.html