Wishbone Ash

1969–1973

Wishbone Ash ble grunnlagt i 1969 av bassist Martin Turner og trommeslager Steve Upton. Etter en intensiv jakt etter en gitarist hadde bandet igjen kandidater i Andy Powell og Ted Turner. Powell foreslo at bandet burde prøve begge gitaristene for å teste hvordan det ville høres ut. Dette skulle senere komme til å bli bandets varemerke og til Powells uvisshet var han blitt en pioner med en ny unik teknikk i rocken kalt «doble gitarharmonier». Omtrent på samme tid i USA anvendte Dickie Betts og Duane Allman den samme teknikken i The Allman Brothers Band, som ble grunnlagt i Macon, Georgia. Til tross for at begge disse bandene hadde markante røtter i blues, så var lydbildet til Wishbone Ash influert av sterke elementer som folk-rock, progressiv rock, og klassisk musikk.

Tidlig i 1970 da bandet var oppvarmingsband for rockelegendene Deep Purple, som da var på vei til å bli en av verdens mest populære band, gikk en modig Andy Powell opp på scenen til Purplegitaristen Ritchie Blackmore som alene foretok en lydsjekk. Powell plugget inn gitaren sin og spilte sammen med han. Etter dette kontaktet Blackmore den legendariske plateprodusenten Derek Lawrence og hjalp dem å sikre platekontrakt med Decca/MCA Records.

Bandets første utgivelse i 1970, med samme navn, var en stor suksess. Fansen og kritikerne hyllet albumet som inneholdt et uslipt lydbilde med elementer fra blues og rock, samt omfattende dobbelte gitarsoloer som viste bandets imponerende musikalske ferdigheter. Låten «Phoenix» som varer i nesten 13 minutter avsluttet albumet og er av mange betraktet som den definitive Wishbone Ash-melodien. Gruppen viste også tidlige tegn på heavy metal med de karakteristiske riffene på «Queen of Torture» og «Lady Whiskey».

Et år senere utga bandet albumet Pilgrimage. Tilbakemeldingene var av variert karakter, og det var et stort press over bandet på å overgå deres debututgivelse. Til tross for dette var Pilgrimage en sterk prestasjon og er et av bandets bedre studioinnspillinger. Imidlertid er flesteparten av låtene på albumet instrumentale.

Gruppen solgte til gull i 1972 med albumet Argus og ble samtidig kåret til årets beste rockealbum av leserne til musikkmagasinet Sounds. Utgivelsen inneholder episke kjenningsmelodier, god vokalharmoni, instrumental presisjon og noen av de beste låtene til Wishbone Ash. Innflytelsen av utgivelsen var enorm og hadde en blanding av folk-rock, progrock og klassisk musikk som hjalp bandet fremover mot stjernestatus. Bandet ble etter denne utgivelsen et av verdens mest populære rockeband og fikk positiv kritikk for deres liveforestillinger.

Fra nå av var bandet øverst på listene blant band på større arrangementer og startet å få stor innflytelse i USA. Men, et feilsteg som Wishbone Ash kom til å repetere igjen og igjen var å utgi middelmådige etterkommere som bremset veien til toppen. Og det var dette gruppen gjorde etter utgivelsen av Argus. Wishbone Four var bandets første utgivelse uten produsenten Derek Lawrence siden bandet bestemte seg for å egenprodusere album uten innblanding. Denne utgivelsen var innholdmessig ikke i nærheten av Argus og et av bandets varemerke, «doble gitarharmonier», var ikke tilstede. Til tross for dette har utgivelsen noen klassiske ballader, inkludert «Ballad of the Beacon» og den undervurderte stilmessige låten «Doctor».

1974–1976

Selv om Wishbone Four ikke fenget fansen, hadde bandet et rykte på seg for å være et veldig intenst liveband. Så derfor utga de i 1973 det dobbelte livealbumet Live Dates, som fanget bandet på toppen av deres liveforestilling. Til tross for populariteten og de flere livealbumene som ble utgitt av andre band på samme tid, fikk ikke utgivelsen den umiddelbare suksessen og oppmerksomheten den var ventet å få umiddelbart.

Akkurat da bandets popularitet begynte å øke etter kraftanstrengelsen av Live Dates og den legendariske statusen av Argus fikk gruppen et stort tilbakeslag ved at Ted Turner pensjonerte seg og flyttet til den engelske landsbygden. Bandet erstattet da Turner med den nye gitaristen Laurie Wisefield og bandet flyttet til USA hvor de spilte inn og utga den kritikerroste utgivelsen There's the Rub.

There's the Rub er vurdert som et av bandets sterkeste utgivelser og inneholder flere klassikere som den instrumentale FUBB (Fucked Up Beyond Belief), som referer til bandets tilstand ved høy narkotisk rus under innspilling, og den fredløse balladen «Persephone», som av fansen blir sett på som en av gruppens mest populære låter. Amerikansk innflytelse begynte å gjøre seg gjeldene i bandets lydbilde og albumet inneholdt de første hintene av en moden og mykere side av gruppen, som ville gjøre seg gjeldene i de kommende årene.

Til tross for dette holdt den neste utgivelsen Locked In på å ødelegge bandets karriere. Utgivelsen var et overprodusert album av produsenten Tom Dowd og ble møtt med mye kritikk samt ble en kommersiell katastrofe. Utgivelsen var fra et Wishbone Ash-ståsted et ugjenkjennelig album og fansen nærmest protesterte mot den nye retningen bandet tok. Gruppen tok ikke signalene og begynte på en omfattende turné selv med en keyboardspiller, noe som også gjorde liveforestillingene skuffende også. Erfaringene gjort fra Locked In ble sett på som en total katastrofe for bandet.

1977–1980

Bandet returnerte med et nytt fokus på utgivelsen New England sent 1976 og amerikaniseringen av Wishbone Ash hadde nå gått inn for full effekt. Bandet hadde nå gått et steg videre med den myke stilen. Til tross for enkelte harde låter var mesteparten av albumet beroligende og ga en rolig flyt. Dette ble gjort ved å fronte gode vokalharmonier. Denne rolige stilmessige trenden fortsatte med utgivelsen Front Page News i 1977. Flere fans har hevdet at gruppens vokale harmonisering aldri har vært så realisert som på dette albumet. Denne utgivelsen har elementer som gjør at den rolige flyten går gjennom helheten uten de helt spesielle harde skiftene som har kjennetegnet de forrige utgivelsene. Et høydepunkt fra denne utgivelsen er den instrumentale «714» som inkluderer den første akustiske delen fra bandet.

Til tross for gjennoppstandelsen fra Locked In med to gode utgivelser gikk platesalget treigt. Dette må sees i sammenheng med at to nye stilarter innen musikk, punk og disco, var i ferd med ta over for de tradisjonelle hardrockbandene på slutten av 1970-årene. Likevel ble redningen at gruppen fortsatt hadde et stødig rykte på å være et godt liveband, noe som også gjorde det mulig å fylle større arrangementer.

I 1978, etter flere år med eksperimentelle album, bestemte bandet seg for å gå tilbake til sine røtter med utgivelsen No Smoke Without Fire, som blir betegnet som en av de hardeste utgivelsene fra gruppen. Dette albumet ble produsert av Derek Lawrence, arkitekten bak den suksessfulle utgivelsen Argus. Albumet inneholdt flere låter skrevet alene av Laurie Wisefield, inkludert «Way of the World» og den harmoniske balladen «Ships in the Sky». Likevel hadde ikke albumet det som skulle til for å klatre høyt på albumlistene, da musikkstilen allerede ble sett på som utdatert da utgivelsen ble sluppet.

Til tross for dette gikk bandet inn i seg selv og tilbrakte over et år i studio for å spille inn deres neste album Just Testing. Dette albumet ble utgitt i februar 1980 og ble et av de sterkeste Wishbone-utgivelsene på flere år. Innholdet var mer eller mindre materiale fra Martin Turner og bidro til at bandet kunne prøve ut nye musikalske trender og fortsatt ha det distinkte lydbildet bandet hadde. Utgivelsen inneholder mindre musikalsk «gitarkrøll» og har et sterkere preg av vokaler og kor, som kommer til syne på sanger som «Insomnia» og den klassiske åpningssangen «Living Proof», som av fansen blir sett på som en av de beste sangene fra bandet. Den episke melodien «Lifeline» avslutter albumet, og eraen.

Bandet ble etter denne utgivelsen presset av MCA Records til å utgi kommersiell musikk, og bandet vurderte å skaffe en ledende vokalist slik at Martin Turner kun kunne konsentrere seg om bassen alene. Etter 11 år forlot bandets frontmann og medgrunnlegger bandet for å konsentrere seg om jobben som plateprodusent.

1981–1985

Denne perioden var preget av hyppige utskiftninger av besetningen, og det første skiftet skjedde ved at Turner ble erstattet av den legendariske musikeren John Wetton, (tidligere medlem av King Crimson, UK, Roxy Music, Uriah Heep, Family og Mogul Thrash). Mesteparten av utgivelsen Number the Brave som ble utgitt 10. april 1981, var skrevet før John Wetton ble medlem av bandet og derfor sang han bare på en låt på albumet.

Wetton ble desillusjonert over det han oppfattet som en status som studiomusiker, spesielt med tanke på at han er vurdert som en av de mest respekterte blant bassister, sangere og låtskrivere. Utgivelsen bærer preg av Martin Turners fravær, selv om kvaliteten til albumet er den samme. Rett før turnéen startet forlot han Wishbone Ash og grunnla gruppen Asia. MCA Records avbrøt samarbeidet med gruppen som et resultat av dette, og albumet havnet på 61. plass på de britiske albumlistene.

Wetton ble under turnéen den 14. april 1981 erstattet av tidligere David Bowie- og Uriah Heep-bassist Trevor Bolder. Wishbone Ash fikk også en kvinnelig bakgrunnsvokalist med Claire Hamill som også hadde sunget på albumene Just Testing og Number the Brave. Den nye medlemsrekken fikk blandede kritikker, men ble likevel lagt merke til ved turnéen i USA og ved at bandet ble det tredje vestlige bandet til å opptre i India i desember 1981, bare slått av Kraftwerk og The Police.

I september 1982 ga de ut albumet Twin Barrels Burning som førte bandet tilbake til røttene med heavy rock. Utgivelsen klatret opp på de britiske albumlistene og havnet til slutt på en 22. plass, og den høyeste plasseringen siden New England. Bandet gikk så på en omfattende turné fra desember til høsten 1983, inkludert en andre tur til India, og flere festivaler rundt omkring i Europa.

Trevor Bolder forlot gruppen for å starte opp igjen Uriah Heep i midten av april etter en konsert i Nederland. Han ble raskt erstattet av den 25 år gamle bassisten, vokalisten og låtskriveren Mervyn «Spam» Spence. Spence var kapabel som ledende vokalist (med likheter til Jon Anderson fra Yes) og var bandets aktive frontmann i perioden mellom 1984–1986. Wishbone Ash fortsatte med den harde metalstilen på utgivelsen Raw to the Bone, som også ble den første utgivelsen som ikke klarte å nå opp på albumlistene. Bandet foretok en kort turné i Storbritannia og signaliserte de siste forestillingene fra Laurie Wisefield som medlem av bandet.

1986–1990

Laurie Wisefield ble erstattet av tidligere Suzi Quatro-gitarist Jamie Crompton. Noen måneder senere sluttet også Mervyn Spence og ble erstattet av bassisten Andy Pyle (fra tidligere band som Rod Stewart, Kinks, Gary Moore). Denne perioden bandet var inne i er betraktet som den mørkeste perioden i bandets karriere, men den varte ikke lenge. I februar/mars 1986 dro den nye besetningen ut på turné i USA. På senhøsten holdt de spredte konserter i Storbritannia, hvor Phil Palmer (tidligere bandmedlem av Eric Clapton) vikarierte som gitarist for Jamie Crompton.

I januar 1987 startet den tidligere manageren og plateprodusenten Miles Copeland prosjektet og senere platemerket «No Speak», som kun skulle ha instrumental musikk i sin katalog. For å starte opp dette merket måtte han ha et stort navn som ville bringe publisitet rundt prosjektet. Copeland gikk til Andy Powell, Steve Upton, Martin Turner og Ted Turner med forslaget om å få Wishbone Ash til å spille inn og utgi et instrumentalt album. Imidlertid kom Copeland med kravet om å markere en gjennoppstandelse av bandets originalbesetning. De fire originalmedlemmene takket ja på forespørselen mens Wishbone Ash undergikk en omfattende turné i Europa og USA.

Den 11. mai 1987 begynte Martin Turner, Steve Upton og Andy Powell å skrive samt spille inn sammen, for første gang siden 1980, i studioet til Martin Turner i London. Ted Turner bodde i Los Angeles og var på vei med å flytte til Chicago slik at han ikke rakk å bli involvert i prosjektet før senere på sommeren. Den 24. mai spilte den daværende besetningen en konsert i casinoet Sun City ved Rustenburg i Sør-Afrika. Bandet hadde blitt tilrådet å spille for et jevnt rasegrunnlag, men i realiteten skjedde ikke dette. De returnerte til England og skrev et offisielt brev til FN hvor de uttrykte sin beklagelse for at de spilte konserten, og at de støttet arbeidet mot apartheid.

I desember ble Wishbone Ash en av de første vestlige rockebandene til å turnere i

Sovjetunionen og i mellomtiden blir Nouveau Calls – det første albumet fra originalbesetningen på 14 år – utgitt i Europa. Tilhengerskaren var hinsides da de fikk høre at originalbesetningen skulle spille sammen igjen. Utgivelsen tok for seg flere innflytelser som da ikke hadde blitt hørt på flere år. Spesielt Martin Turners stramme basspill, Ted Turners lap steel-gitar og Andy Powells folkelige gitarriff. Disse klassiske kjennetegnene smeltet sammen med teknologien fra denne eraen på låtene «Real Guitars Have Wings» and «In the Skin». Besetningsmedlemmene ble enige om å turnere med det nye materialet i 1988.

Turnéen i 1988 var en stor suksess og bandet spilte på flere store arrangementer for første gang siden slutten av 1970-tallet. I 1989 fikk fansen viljen sin da bandet utga gjensynsalbumet Here to Hear med vokaler. Denne utgivelsen er betraktet som det beste albumet siden Just Testing og ble godt likt av både fansen og kritikerne. Perioden 1988-1990 var suksessfulle år for bandet, hvor de spilte flere konserter i Europa, USA og Sør-Amerika for stadig flere tilskuere.

1991–1995

Etter å ha brukt mesteparten av 1990 på turné, gikk bandet tilbake til studio for å spille inn deres oppfølger til Here to Hear. Gruppen ble overrasket over at medgrunnleggeren og trommeslageren Steve Upton kunngjorde sin avgjørelse om å forlate bandet og musikkbransjen. Rystet, men bestemt, kontaktet bandet studiomusikeren Robbie France for å hjelpe bandet på noen innspillinger samt noen liveforestillinger. Likevel ble trommeslageren Ray Weston kontaktet av Andy Powell og tatt opp som full medlem i 1991. Etter nesten et helt år i studio ble albumet Strange Affair gitt ut på slutten av året. Denne utgivelsen hadde med de nye låtene Wings of Desire, Strange Affair og Standing in the Rain.

Martin Turner fikk så en telefon på hans 44-årsdag om at hans tjenester ikke lenger var ønsket. Turner forlot deretter bandet igjen for å vie sin tid til egne prosjekter og ble erstattet av Andy Pyle, som hadde vært medlem av bandet tidligere. Denne medlemsrekken holdt stand og turnerte helt til 1994, som resulterte i liveutgivelsen The Ash Live in Chicago utgitt i 1992. I januar 1994 annonserte Ted Turner sin avgang og hele bandet ble midlertidig oppløst fordi alle medlemmene forsvant til sine respektive prosjekter. Grunnen til dette var uenigheter mellom Turner og Powell over driften av bandet og gruppens musikalske retninger. Trommeslageren Ray Weston forlot gruppen på grunn av mangel på nye prosjekter samt liveopptredener, og begynte på nye soloprosjekter.

Likevel lovet Andy Powell, som var den eneste som var igjen av orginalmedlemmene å fortsette bandet med nye medlemmer i det som kom til å bli et helt ny versjon av gruppen. Gitarist og låtskriver Roger Filgate erstattet Ted Turner, bassist og vokalist Tony Kishman ville bli frontmann og trommeslager Mike Sturgis (tidligere Asia, Scott Gorham, Phil Manzanera og A-ha) erstattet Ray Weston. Andy Powell lovet også å levere et kvalitetsalbum lignende Argus og fandonasjoner samt donasjoner utenfra hjalp bandet i å finansiere det nye prosjektet.

Riktignok var Tony Kishman i gang med et turnéprosjekt i USA og måtte fullføre dette rett før bandets 1995-turné, som også var Wishbone Ash' 25-års jubileumsturné. Som et resultat av dette returnerte Martin Turner for tredje gang og deltok på den omfattende bandturnéen, til fansens store fornøyelse.

Den 24. mai 1994 ble den aller første Wishbone Ash fankonvensjonen holdt i Solihull, West Midlands. Fans fra hele Storbritannia samlet seg for en ettermiddag med Wishbone Ash-relatert aktivitet – inkludert skjermvisning av skjeldne videoklipp, utstillinger av diverse samleobjekter og en konsert med et band som spilte Wishbone Ash-låter. Tidligere medlem Mervyn Spence holdt en spesiell konsert og spilte låter fra hans nye soloalbum. Denne konvensjonen har blitt en årlig begivenhet siden, og går under navnet AshCon. På den samme konvensjonen året etter, arrangert ved universitetet i Leicester, var samtlige bandmedlemmer tilstede, og kvelden ble også avsluttet med en hel konsert fra bandet.

1996–2000

Liveutgivelsen Live in Geneva ble gitt ut i gjennom Hengest Records i mars 1996 og innholder konsertinnspillingen fra våren 1995. Et tilhørende konsertopptak ble filmet, men har til dags dato ikke blitt gitt ut. Andy Powell, Roger Filgate, Tony Kishman og Mike Sturgis jobbet hele den påfølgende sommeren i studio i Connecticut, med et nytt studioalbum. Utgivelsen Illuminations kom ut i oktober og ble betegnet som Andy Powells eget prosjekt. Av markante låter er «Top of the World», «Mountainside» de som skiller deg mest ut.

Albumet fikk gode kritikker og ble regnet som en av de bedre Wishbone-utgivelsene på flere år. Rett etter utgivelsen dro bandet ut på en større turné i Storbritannia og Europa, fulgt av den tredje årlige AshCon-festivalen holdt i Mansfield, Nottinghamshire den 17. november.

I 1997 ble bassist Bob Skeat og gitarist/vokalist Mark Birch kontaktet, og sammen med den tidligere trommeslageren Ray Weston ble disse tatt opp som medlemmer av bandet. Under dette besetningsskiftet ga Andy Powell ut to elektroniske album under bandets navn.

Albumene Psychic Terrorism og Trance Visionary var ambisiøse prosjekter som inneholdt elektroniske rytmer sammenblandet med typiske gitarriff. Dette materialet ble også dristig nok spilt i noen konserter av den nye medlemsrekken. Gruppen turnerte store deler av 1998 og 1999 med omfattende spillejobber både i Europa og USA.

I 2000 ga bandet i stillhet ut den akustiske utgivelsen Bare Bones, som inneholdt flere klassiske låter i en ny akustisk versjon. Etter utgivelsen dro bandet ut på en turné i Europa og USA for å markere bandets 30-års jubileum. En spesiel forestilling ble holdt ved «Shepherds Bush Emprire» i London, hvor bandet tok i mot gjester som de blant andre tidligere bandmedlemene Laurie Wisefield og Claire Hamill. Konserten resulterte i liveutgivelsen Live Dates 3 og en konsertfilm som ble gitt ut på DVD.

2001–2006

I 2001 ble Mark Birch erstattet av den tidligere Leningrad Cowboys-gitaristen Ben Granfelt, som allerede var en etablert sologitarist med sin egen gruppe i Europa. Wishbone Ash dro så på en av deres mest omfattende turné på flere år, og flere eldre tilhengere ble lokket tilbake til konsertene for å høre tradisjonell Wishbone-lyd. Denne sterke medlemsrekken returnerte så til studioet og spilte inn albumet Bona Fide. Denne utgivelsen ble vurdert som et fullverdig Wishbonealbum og fikk gode skussmål fra såvel fans som kritikere. I 2003 dro bandet nok en gang ut på verdensturné, og denne gang med det britiske bluesbandet Savoy Brown, som sammen spilte rekordmange konserter i USA.

Ben Granfelt hadde en stor innflytelse på det nye bandet, men da de var på vei mot enda en opptur forlot han bandet for å prøve lykken som soloartist igjen. Granfelts mentor, Muddy Manninen, ble i starten av 2004 hans erstatter og ble med bandet på turné i Nederland, Spania, Tyskland og USA. Samme året kom også utgivelsen Lost Pearls, som var en samling med arkivert materiale fra innspillingene No Smoke Without Fire (1978) og Just Testing (1980). På grunn av tidsbegrensning på vinylplater kom ikke disse låtene med på utgivelsene på den tiden, men ble nå hentet frem igjen og samlet på en ny utgivelse. Claire Hamill, tidligere vokalist i bandet, var med på innspillingene og setter sitt særpreg på utgivelsen.

Høsten 2005 startet Wishbone Ash sin 35-årsjubileumsturné i Europa før de så spiller i Storbritannia og til slutt Nord-Amerika, som avslutter turnéen i Vancouver på slutten av mai 2006.

Hjemmeside: http://www.wishboneash.com/

Stilmessig vil Wishbone Ash falle i kategorien prog relatert musikk. Med årene har dessverre elementene av prog blitt betydelig nedtonet.

Utgivelser:

Cover arten til Wishbone Ash finner du her :

 http://www.wishboneash.com/albums.asp

Waterclime

The Astral Factor

When an artist’s promotional materials tell you that he’s inspired by both Yes and Uriah Heep, you can surmise that you might be in for a weird experience. I’m a huge fan of both of those bands, however, so I was up for the challenge of Waterclime’s The Astral Factor. But even on a first listening, I realized what should have been obvious from the description – nobody can really sound, in any significant way, like both Yes and Heep. Those are touchstones and inspirations; but what Mr V has created here is unlike anything I’ve heard.

Who’s Mr V? He’s Waterclime, and Waterclime is him – with the exception of a few guest performances, this is a solo album in the strictest sense. Most fans of metal will know him as Vintersong, also the name of his best-known band – though he has many other projects (Borknagar, for one, and Fission, and the delightfully named Cosmic Death and Masticator), but the Lion Music site refers to him as Mr V in connection with this project. But this album goes in a different direction. I’m still on the fence about that direction, to be honest, even after multiple listenings. On the one side are the album’s many virtues: interesting vocals, superbly clear multi-layered production, keyboard-heavy melodic (and ambitious) songs. On the other side –

I guess my main worry is what I perceive (perhaps incorrectly) as a lack of direction. And maybe for a man with such widespread talents, a new side project exists merely to express a yet another facet of his musical interests and abilities: maybe that’s its own justification. But check out the cover of Uriah Heep’s Midnight Flyer that appears two-thirds of the way through the album and see if you agree with me: it disrupts the continuity of Mr V’s own compositions, I think, which are much more complex (and, frankly, more interesting – and that judgement comes from a huge fan of Uriah Heep). But it’s meant as an homage to a band that inspired him, and V’s not the first artist to cover another’s work, goodness knows – so maybe I’m worrying too much about that perceived intrusion of another’s work into his own vision.

His own songs I like a lot. The Yes influence is distant and buried – if it’s audible anywhere, it’s in the length and ambitiousness of many of the songs – but Heep’s legacy of gorgeous layered vocals and similarly layered keyboard parts of all kinds (oh yeah, you bet – Mellotron included!) is apparent throughout. The very best thing about this CD, though, is the almost-constant presence of chimey, well-recorded acoustic guitar in the background and, often enough, the foreground of the songs. The Heepiness provided by the keyboards and nice lurking bass is offset by the brightness of those guitars – a lovely balance.

I suppose my favourite song of the lot is the title track, which features, in addition to those elements I’ve just mentioned, soaring electric guitar leads and particularly inventive, though not showy, percussion. Another highlight is the album-ending Timewind, which begins with a surprisingly effective pairing of organ and violin (!) – if you can imagine that. All the songs are strong individually, though, even if I persist in hearing the cover of Midnight Flyer, however well intentioned, as a bit of a misstep – which is not to say that the cover isn’t a creditable one, because it is. And I’ll say again, the production on this album is superb – clear, both deep and bright, and with a spaciousness that gives each instrument its place.

I think I’ve talked (and listened) myself into a DPRP Recommended rating for this album. You know, it’s probably not for all tastes, but if all my references to Uriah Heep haven’t put you off, then V’s certainly won’t, and The Astral Factor is undeniably the work of a talented and versatile musician.

Tracklist: Mountains (5:41), Floating (4:09), The Astral Factor (5:37), Diamond Moon (4:09), Painting Without Colours (5:50), Midnight Flyer (5:17), Scarytale (6:17), Timewind (6:19)

White Willow

Signal To Noise

I certainly haven’t been badly-off for promo CDs to review in recent months. Normally that would mean that the arrival of an album from a band like White Willow, would mean it simply getting passed on to be reviewed by someone who knows a lot more about this sort of thing than me.

However the cover provoked my curiosity and so I slipped the promo into the CD player just to see exactly what White willow sounded like before I pooped them into the post. Almost an hour later, I was still there listening to the fantastic music that was coming out of the speakers!

On that basis, the album never made it into another envelope and Signal To Noise has been a favourite selection for my quieter moments of musical endeavour ever since. What follows therefore is a review from someone who has next to no reference points for this sort of music and someone who has never before heard a single track of White Willow's music. I hope therefore, that my recommendation at the end, holds even greater weight.

To set this in some sort of context for existing fans, according to the band:

‘The album was recorded in three weeks, in contrast to our usual one-year-of-recording policy. This is reflected in a leaner, more band-oriented sound, and more focused song-writing. The band foregoes some of the hard rock elements of the previous record, while still retaining the force and intensity typical of the band's current incarnation, and blending distinct symphonic arrangements with a contemporary, direct attitude.’

Signal To Noise is White Willow's fifth studio album and the first to feature new singer Trude Eidtang. She is the first big attraction to this album for me. Her voice and especially the use of harmonies is absolutely fantastic. The musical love-child of Tori Amos and Kate Bush, her command of the melodies on the first two tracks in particular, provides an awesomely beautiful listening pleasure.

The keyboard work from Lars Fredrik Frøislie will be the reason to buy this for progressive fans. He certainly uses the full repertoire of atmospheres, tones and textures from (according to the notes) a Mellotron M400S, Hammond C3, Mini-Moog, ARP Pro-soloist, Fender Rhodes and Hohner Clavinet, as well as some modern pieces of kit.

The constant presence of flute and other woodwind instruments gives an intermittent folky feel to the album. The sound is as clear as a Norwegian winter’s sky and producer Tommy Hansen has really given a lovely warm feel to this disc.

Song-wise there really is a huge variety on offer. The fantastic Night Surf starts off all mysterious, before twin harmonies and flute builds the song slowly but very surely, sucking the listener into a powerful and addictive chorus. Track two opens with a Marillion-esque guitar run and continues to offer neo-prog guitars and keys around another beautiful melody. In sharp contrast Ghosts is an oddball instrumental that, from all the electronica present within, must have a few reference points to King Crimson.

Another highlight is to be found within Joy Ride where one moves from a jolty verse (think Björk) to a smooth chorus (think The Corrs) and onto a beautiful bridge (think Kate Bush). The whole thing is wrapped in a plethora of moods but with a consistently happy vibe.

There’s another beautifully brilliant vocal melody and exquisite harmonic bursts as you liger through The Lingering, alongside some very tasty guitar work from Jacob Holm-Lupo. Then continuing the rich variety, you are taken along The Dark Road, which is a actually a pretty straight English folk song done in a singer/songwriter style. This touch of predictability adds a nice bit of stability to the album, being a clever piece of track ordering.

The only time my dislike of widdly prog makes a visit to the 'skip' button a possibility, is on the guitar-led instrumental Chrome Dawn. Combined with Dusk City, which follows, the album does go out with a bit of a whimper. The vocal melody here isn’t anything like as good as on the opening few tracks, and the short outro piece, Ararat, is a disappointing way to close what has until then been an amazingly high-quality product.

That apart, this is a hugely fulfilling album that will keep the progheads content, whilst having the potential to appeal to music lovers from a very wide field. This really is the sort of album that should be appearing somewhere in the end of year DPRP Top 10 – it’s that good.

If like me, you’ve never given this band a go before, then after a few spins of Signal To Noise, you’ll be wondering what else you may have missed from this White Willow back catalogue. Superb female-fronted modern Prog.

Tracklist: Night Surf (4:12), Splinters (8:36), Ghosts (5:49), Joyride (4:19), The Lingering (9:25), The Dark Road (4:17), Chrome Dawn (7:13), Dusk City (6:06), Ararat (1:35)

 Wolverine

Fervent Dream

Wolverine's biography that came along with the CD is even more complex than that of Yes, even though this is their first release. Since all group members are born in the late '70s/early '80s (oh, I'm feeling old suddenly!) this normally means a musically immature album. Well, this is certainly very mature music, combining true prog elements like complex rhythms, long compositions and even the classical instruments like cello/violins, with true metal elements, like the death grunts that appear on every song. The combination of these things is very intense and the length of the album is an advantage here, since I think that 60+ minutes of this intense music is very hard to be handled by any listenter and would degrade rather than upgrade the music. I must admit it took me several listenings to really get into the music and I think most people will have this experience, but then it grows on you. The packaging and artwork, by Mattias Nóren, is beautiful and the cover is an example of how Genesis' Calling all Stations (of which it reminds me) should have looked like.

A didjeridoo opens the album and a Rush-like intro starts, where immediately the drumming quality becomes clear. Alternating clean and death vocals follow. They themselves claim that by combining the two they have created a new genre, but I wouldn't go that far. The quality of the death vocals is not really up to standards, they could be more melodic, less staccato. The song is very varied, with metal parts, Rush-like parts, Fates Warning comes to mind... a wild and rich blend of influences speak in this song. The guitar solo is a bit thin, unfortunately, since they guitar player seems quite good. Overall the mixing is "fat", creating a rich sound.

Echoes is my favourite song on the album, opening with an acoustic guitar and a string quartet (the real thing, not keyboards). This creates a mellow atmoshpere agains which the vocals of Stefan Zell come to live. Then, suddenly, a speed/death metal part starts, dark and gothic. A part that, in its rhythm, seems to originate from IQ's The Wake follows. Subsequently a slow, more mainstraim part is played. The previous parts return, ending the song. Great piece of work.

More Than Grief is more uptempo, and hints to Iron Maiden in the intro. This too is a varied song, trying to create an athmosphere like the previous two, although in general it leans more to metal than to prog and Fates Warning is audible agian.

An acoustic guitar opens Again, an a death/clean duet sets in (on the band page, one can download an mp3 of this part, which give a good impression of the album). The middle section of this song has some Dream Theatre/Queensryche elements. Especially Operation:Mindcrime appears to have left its marks, not only on this but also on some of the other songs.

Last Words is an acoustic, strongly reminding me of the intro of Metallica's Nothing Else Matters.

The overall conclusion can only be: positive surprise. If these guys can keep up being this original, they will be one of the important players in the field in the next millennium. Having proved at ProgPower that they can live up to the live expectations, they only thing vital for future success seems to be consistency: the next 10 years the only info that should have to be added to their bio should be:"After release of their debut album, no line-up changes occured for the next decade."

Tracklist: Whispers on the Wind (8:16), Echoes (7:55), More Than Grief (6:30), Again? (7:48), Last Words (1:33)

The Wilde Flowers

A Brief History

Whenever one reads about the Canterbury musical scene from the late Sixties / early Seventies, one is bound to come across the name of a group called The Wilde Flowers. From within the ranks of this group there would emerge a core of musicians that would lead a number of bands that would be considered the cream of progressive rock such as Soft Machine, Caravan and Matching Mole just to mention a few. To add further to the myth of this infamous band, they never got down to recording an album! Finally in 1995, Voiceprint Records managed to get together a collection of recordings and demos that the group had made throughout their short history and release them on a single CD. Some other demos have been released on a series of compilations by the same record company.

The origins of the band date to June 1963, lasting for about four years. In that time the number of musicians that went in and out of the band was numerous,but the original line-up consisted of Brian Hopper (guitar,saxophone,flute, vocals), Hugh Hopper (bass), Robert Wyatt (drums, vocals), Richard Sinclair (guitar, vocals) and Kevin Ayers (vocals).

The roots of this group lay within a trio that had been formed at the Simon Langton School, attended by Wyatt, Hopper and Mike Ratledge. As Ian McDonald, then editor of the NME, said about the school in 1975, "an exclusive, private establishment for the sons of local intellectuals and artists. Very free, emphatically geared to the uninhibited development of self-expression. A hot-bed to teenage avant-garderie".

The three were jazz lovers and their idols included Cecil Taylor, Ornette Coleman and John Coltrane. However it had to be an Australian beatnik by the name of Daevid Alllen who would lay the foundations for the formation of The Wilde Flowers.

A patron of The Beat Hotel which had residents as William Borroughs, Alan Ginsberg and Gregory Corso, Allen befriended Wyatt at Wellington House and together with Hugh Hopper formed the Daevid Allen Trio, with Hopper on bass and Wyatt on drums. Wellington House was a Georgian mansion owned by Wyatt's mother and was a form of converging point for musicians and artists in the area who dug avant-garde jazz, Dadaist art and poetry. He arrived at the house with 200 jazz records and a guitar having travelled via Melbourne, Paris and London. The first session he played with Wyatt, had Wyatt accompanying blues improvisations on the piano. But as friends Ayers and the Hopper brothers arrived, this developed further and Wyatt took over percussion. The percussion consisted of a broken typewriter, an old ammunitions box as well as a trumpet.

Though not a Canterbury resident, Allen would initiate these students in the excesses of sex, drugs and experimental music. Of further importance to Wyatt is the fact that his family sent him to recover from these excesses to family friend, poet Robert Blake in Deia (Majorca). There was also present American drummer George Niedorf who gave him his first drumming lessons.

The trio played together, often on Allen's houseboat and debuted at London's Establishment Club in 1963. This can be considered to be the first elements of free jazz that would become dominant in the Canterbury musical scene. In all honesty the musical scene at that time was too innocent to be able to welcome such a style which included free jazz improvisations coupled with beat poetry, and it is no surprise that the trio met little success. That year Allen left for Paris shortly after and continue experimenting with music, especially with Terry Riley (one of the pioneers of "musique concrete") and school friend Mike Ratledge (who had often jammed with the trio), helped forming The Wilde Flowers.

Many recordings from this era have been grouped together in a 4-series compilation called Canterburied Sounds, released on the Voiceprint label. These compilations include a series of sessions and demo recordings made by the various instigators of the Canterbury musical scene, in their early years. The tracks that will be mentioned here will just be those pertinent to The Wilde Flowers, though the compilation also includes various tracks by Wyatt, Ratledge and the Daevid Allen Trio prior to the formation of The Wilde Flowers.

As already mentioned the first lineup consisted of Wyatt, Hopper, Richard Sinclair, Brian Hopper and Kevin Ayers. Ayers is said to have been chosen due to his appearance and because he was the only youth in Canterbury with long hair! What is definite is that he also was instrumental in giving the group its name. Born in Malaysia, the son of a diplomat, he brought to the group a certain exotic flavour and added the "e" to Wild, in honour of the irreverent Oscar Wilde. Furthermore, Ayers did not play any instrument in the studio or on stage, but had started to learn to play the guitar and he wrote some basic tracks, some of which ended up in The Wilde Flowers repertoire, and some were used later on with Soft Machine (eg: Love Makes Sweet Music).

Initially the group played soul music with covers of bands such as Booker T And The M.G.'s as well of standards by Ray Charles and Chuck Berry (a cover of Almost Grown appears on the album). However the group slowly moved towards a jazz leaning introducing that Elvin Jones and John Coltrane touch into their music. Their first gig was at the Bear and Key Hotel and in Hugh Hopper's words "we played Chuck Berry, Beatles and a few originals." Their first recording was a demo made at Wout Steenhuls Studio, Broadstaris, Kent, on 16 March 1965.

The group's short history can de divided into five distinctive phases, characterised by the various line-ups that made the group. The first phase (and line-up) lasted till March of 1965, when Kevin Ayers left the band, fleeing to Ibiza (a movement that would be repeated often throughout his career!) with none other than Daevid Allen! Ayers would form part of the first incarnation of Soft Machine later on.

However, the first available recordings of the band come from a rehearsal in the summer of 1964 where the group play Your Really Got Me (The Kinks) and Thinking Of You Baby (Dave Clark). The line-up here consists of the initial line-up minus Richard Sinclair and was the first recording session with Kevin Ayers. Both tracks appear on the compilation album Canterburied Sounds Volume 1 (Voiceprint VP201 CD). Canterburied Sounds Volume 1V (Voiceprint VP 204 CD) has a recording from the same session of Johnny B Goode (Chuck Berry), though I have been unable to find any official confirmation of this recording having taken place.

The Broadstairs session has the group recording Parchman's Farm (Booker White), Memories (instrumental) (Hugh Hopper), She's Gone (Ayers) and the Chuck Berry track, Almost Grown, this time with Sinclair joining in.

Another session at Broadstairs, whose recordings are yet to be released, took place in April that year, with another recording of Memories and A Certain Kind. By this time, Ayers had already left the band and the vocals are sung by Wyatt.

For a short while, vocal duties would be taken up by Graham Flight. With Flight in the line-up, the band recorded at Selindge, Kent between June and July of 1965. The tracks recorded were Slow Walkin' Talk (Brian Hopper), He's Bad For You (Wyatt), Don't Try To Change Me (Hugh Hopper) and It's What I Feel (A Certain Kind) (Hugh Hopper). Even though Flight was the band's vocalist, Wyatt sings on his own composition. Graham Flight, however, would only last five months with the band before going onto form The Polite Force and The Music Doctors.

September 1965 also saw Sinclair leave for college. In time he would form Caravan. Meanwhile, Wyatt, who by now had also taken up vocal duties, was also toying with the idea of leaving the band and left a short while later to join Soft Machine. In came Richard Coughlan from the Stour Side Stompers on drums, together with Pye Hastings on guitars and vocals.

However, recordings exist from the time where Richard Coughlan played drums and Wyatt dedicated himself solely to vocal duties. The sessions took place in Spring 1966, and the following tracks were laid down: Memories (Hugh Hopper), Never Leave Me (Hugh Hopper), Time After Time (Hugh Hopper), Just Where I Want (Hugh Hopper), No Game When You Lose (Hugh Hopper), Those Words They Say (Brian Hopper) and Impotence (Hugh Hopper).

By mid-1966, it was Hugh Hopper who left the fold to join Soft Machine. Dave Lawrence took his place. The end of the official Wilde Flowers was nigh and by September / October 1967, the group had Brian Hopper, the last remaining original member, leaving to join Soft Machine while Coughlan, Hastings and Sinclair would move onto Caravan.

The CD pertaining to The Wilde Flowers also lists a number of tracks recorded at a session at Regent Sound Studios on the 6 August 1969, though by the time of their recording, the careers of Soft Machine and Caravan were already underway. However, they are of interest as they feature tracks recorded by Wyatt, Hugh Hopper and Pye Hastings: Impotence (Hopper / Wyatt), She Loves To Hurt (Hopper), and Memories (Hopper). A fourth track, The Big Show (Brian Hopper), also sees Brian Hopper joining in.

Thus one of progressive rock's most important bands came to an end with the formation of the Canterbury scene's most popular groups, Soft Machine and Caravan. However, not all the memebrs that passed through the ranks of The Wilde Flowers ended up in these two bands. Brian Hopper also formed the short-lived band Zobe, some of whose recordings also appear on The Wilde Flowers album released by Voiceprint. Interestingly, one of the band members who has taken long to surface, in musical terms, has been Graham Flight. In 1998, together with his group Happy Accidents, they released their first studio release, also on Voiceprint.

The Wilde Flowers - The Wilde Flowers

Tracklist: 1 Impotence (2:10), 2 Those Words They Say (2:40), 3 Memories (1:35), 4 Don't Try To Change Me (2:26), 5 Parchman Farm (2:18), 6 Almost Grown (2:50), 7 She's Gone (2:13), 8 Slow Walkin' Talk (2:26), 9 He's Bad For You (2:49), 10 It's What I Feel (A Certain Kind) (2:19), 11 Memories (Instrumental ) (2:08), 12 Never Leave Me (2:36), 13 Time After Time (2:45), 14 Just Where I Want (2:10), 15 No Game When You Lose (2:53), 16 Impotence (1:16), 17 Why Do You Care (Zobe) (3:13), 18 The Pieman Cometh (Zobe) (3:15), 19 Summer Spirit (Zobe) (3:28), 20 She Loves To Hurt (3:12), 21 The Big Show (4:12), 22 Memories (3:03)

Line-up The Wilde Flowers: Robert Wyatt (drums, voice) (tracks 1-16, 20-22), Hugh Hopper (bass) (tracks 1-16, 20-22), Brian Hopper (guitar, backing vocals) (tracks 2-19, 21), Kevin Ayers (vocals) (tracks 5-7), Richard Coughlan (drums) (tracks 2, 3, 12-16), Graham Flight (vocals) (tracks 1, 9), Richard Sinclair (guitar) (tracks 4, 5, 7-11), Pye Hastings (guitar) (tracks 1, 20); line-up Zobe (tracks 17-19): Dave Lawrence (voice, bass), Bob Gilleson (drums), John Lawrence (guitar, backing vocals)

All tracks were composed by Hugh Hopper, except for Impotence (music Hugh Hopper, lyrics Robert Wyatt), Those Words They Say (Brian Hoper), Parchman Farm (Booker White), Almost Grown (Chuck Berry), She's Gone (Kevin Ayers), Slow Walkin' Talk (Brian Hopper), He's Bad For You (Robert Wyatt), The Big Show (Brian Hopper); all Zobe tracks composed by Brian Hopper.

The only commercially available collection of recordings from this seminal band are gathered on this compilation. The CD features tracks from all the phases of the band's short history, as well as a couple of recordings that former members made together following the demise of the group, and three recordings from Brian Hopper's band Zobe (another Forgotten Sons tale!). There are a couple of tracks available on the compilations called Canterburied Sounds (Volumes I - IV) (also available from Voiceprint), that are not included on this CD.

The best way to approach the album is by separating the tracks into different contexts, according to the phase in the band's history in which they were recorded. The first set of recordings presented on this album are taken from a session on 16 March 1965, which took place at Wout Steenhuls Studio, Broadstairs, Kent. There are four tracks from that session present here: Parchman Farm, Almost Grown, She's Gone and Memories (Instrumental). Of these tracks, two are cover versions (Parchman Farm by Booker White and Almost Grown by Chuck Berry), She's Gone is a Kevin Ayers composition while the instrumental version of Impotence allows an insight into one of the most curious tracks on the album. Impotence appears in no less than three versions, each taken from a different phase of The Wilde Flowers' history and each has been treated differently.

The inclusion of these two particular cover versions is a clear example that although the band members had a love for jazz music, their musical roots lay well within that of other similar sixties beat groups with Chuck Berry being the notable influence. Though the cover versions are pretty straight forward, one cannot but sense that the group still approached the tracks in a different method than routine cover bands. Even the Beatles-esque She's Gone, penned by Kevin Ayers, is interesting when one looks at how he developed musically. Especially when compared to the first tracks he wrote with Soft Machine, which possess a somewhat similar musical style to this particular track.

The instrumental version of Memories, in my opinion, should have opened the album. Throughout the album we are regaled with three versions of this song, which at this stage still had no lyrics and shows the jazz influences slowly creeping into the band's music.

The second batch of recordings comes from a session in Summer / Autumn of 1965, once again at Wout Steenhuls Studios. By this time the line-up of the band had changed. Kevin Ayers had left the band to be replaced by Graham Flight. The tracks from that session are Don't Try To Change Me, Slow Wakin' Talk, He's Bad For You and It's What I Feel (A Certain Kind). Flight's voice is slightly higher pitched than Wyatt's and has more strength in it, resulting in the tracks he sings having a harder and harsher sound. Don't Try To Change Me has that Sixties beat feel to it, while Slow Walkin' Talk has more of a blues influence.
Penned by Robert Wyatt, He's Bad For You has Wyatt joining in with Flight for the vocals. The two duet on a track that shows Wyatt's different musical approach to the Hopper brothers, who composed the majority of The Wilde Flowers' tracks. Rhythmically, the track is more complex with the saxophone playing a prominent role in the musical structure while the guitars are relegated to a rhythmic backing.

It's What I Feel (A Certain Kind) has Richard Sinclair taking over lead vocals, a glimpse of the future Caravan founder taking the limelight. Once again, the track though not commercial in terms of being ear-friendly, still lacks the quirkiness that Wyatt manages to infuse into the tracks he penned.

The last official Wilde Flowers recording session that is represented on this collection comes from a session in Spring 1966, again at Wout Steenhuls Studios. Graham Flight had left the band by now with Robert Wyatt taking over the vocals and Richard Coughlan replacing Wyatt on the drums. This recording session has the group at its most prolific stage, as no less than seven tracks from this compilation are from that very session. The tracks are: Those Words They Say, Memories, Never Leave Me, Time After Time, Just Where I Want, No Game When You Lose, and Impotence. Wyatt's percussive background is evident even though he was not playing the drums. He was unable to contain himself from lending a percussive hand. The majority of these tracks has the added sound of a tambourine, played by Wyatt.

Musically, the band seemed to have remained in a rut. Their musical dimension don't seem to have progressed too much, as the tracks retain a similar style and structure to much of what was played on previously recorded tracks. Having heard these tracks, one can imagine the frustration of a creative mind as Wyatt's, who was deeply in love with jazz music. With these tracks he was being limited in the ways he could express himself and it is no wonder that shortly after these recordings he left the band.

Of interest are the recordings of Memories and Impotence. Memories has lyrics added to it, while Impotence is another track that would be re-recorded a few years later. Also worth noting about these recordings is that in the previous session's recordings the band utilised Brian Hopper's saxophone playing, which added another dimension to the band's music. This time around, the saxophone is conspicuously absent. The end result is a bland sound with the group only really managing to shine on Impotence.

No recordings exist (as yet) of the lineup of The Wilde Flowers that had Dave Lawrence joining instead of Hugh Hopper. In fact, one could say that The Wilde Flowers were effectively over by mid-1966. The CD offers two batches of added recordings that have a link to The Wilde Flowers.

The first set of recordings are three tracks laid down in 1968 by Zobe, the band that Brian Hopper had formed. Also involved in the band was Dave Lawrence, a member of the final line-up of The Wilde Flowers. Zobe never released an album though these demo-tracks show that the group had a sound and style that was very similar to The Wilde Flowers. On the other hand, the sound is slightly more folk-orientated, especially with the clean guitar strumming, coupled with the occasional flute playing by Brian Hopper (Summer Spirit).

On 6 August 1969, Hugh Hopper and Robert Wyatt got together for a recording session at the Regent Sound Studios in London. Together they laid down four tracks, aided by Pye Hastings, Brian Hopper and Mike Ratledge. She Loves To Hurt and The Big Show are the only "new" tracks. (Whether they are new tracks or simply old tracks from the Wilde Flowers repertoire is unknown. One also wonders if these recordings where just done for the fun of reviving old memories or whether there was renewed interest in The Wilde Flowers recordings.

She Loves To Hurt has Pye Hastings singing while The Big Show has Wyatt on vocals. What is definite is that the maturity of these musicians, as well as their progression in the world of music with Caravan and Soft Machine, shines through these two tracks. The tracks show a broader musical diversity and complexity than all of what The Wilde Flowers had perviously accomplished. Impotence and Memories are revived and revamped giving them that more "modern" and progressive touch, something they lacked on their previous recordings.
Of note is the inclusion of Mike Ratledge in this last set of recordings. Ratledge was never a member of The Wilde Flowers, but his influence on Wyatt and Hopper was instrumental in kick-starting their musical careers and it is only fitting that the earliest recording of the band, Memories, is also included in this 1969 recording with just the trio of Robert Wyatt, Hugh Hopper and Mike Ratledge playing.

Related Websites

There is no official The Wilde Flowers website, but the most authorative site (in my opinion!) related to the Canterbury Progressive rock scene is the Calyx Website.

Should you have any further information regarding The Wilde Flowers that could be added to the site, do not hesitate to contact me.

 Wigwam

A Brief History

Without a shadow of doubt, the most popular band in the progressive rock scene to emerge from Finland in the seventies, was the group Wigwam. One of the most important features of this band was their ability to condense music of high progressive quality coupled with pop hooks into "short" tracks, a feat that the majority of bands from that time and of the same genre, were unable to do. Unfortunately, as happens to many bands that do not hail from either the U.K. or the U.S.A., they were always on the brink of breaking through internationally, but for some reason or another they never quite cut it. The history of Wigwam can be subdivided into two separate eras: 1969 - 1974 and 1974 - 1977. The nineties, however, has seen Wigwam with a new lineup playing and recording under the same moniker.

The band has its origins in another group, namely Blues Section, a group that has its place within Finnish rock history as being one of the pioneering jazz-rock bands. Inspired by John Mayall's Bluesbreakers this band had only lasted a year and a half, but in that period released a number of recordings, as well as made a name for itself on the local circuit. The split up of Blues Section led to the formation of Wigwam.

Thus the first Wigwam line-up was formed in 1968 and consisted of former Blues Section drummer Ronnie Österberg, bassist Mats Hulden, guitarist Nikke (Vladimir) Nikamo and English expatriate singer Jim Pembroke who had also had a stint as a vocalist with Blues Section. The Blues Section influence was still tangible when the band recorded their first single in 1969 on Love Records (the same company who had released the Blues Section material), which was Must Be The Devil / Greasy Kids' Stuff (Love Records LRS 1021).

The band's creativity would be further augmented by the arrival of Jukka Gustavson, a seventeen year old classically trained pianist and composer. Thus the band had the luxury of having amongst its ranks two distinctively different composers and organists, a factor that would characterise the sound of the band (at least initially). 1969 also saw the band release two further singles, one of which is an obscure release and a valuable collector's item. In December 1969, Luulosairas / Highway Code (Love Records, LRS 1028) was released and reached number 14 in the Finnish charts while a single was also released in America on the Imperial label as True Confession / Helsinki (Imperial 66400). What makes this single peculiar is the fact that the tracks laid down were Blues Section tracks, that were originally titled End Of The Poem and East Is Red. Strangely enough, Luulosairas was the single released to promote the band's first album, yet while had garnered a certain amount of success in Finland, it was left off the album. It seems that the Procol Harum virus also affected Wigwam!

The band released their first album Hard And Horny (Love Records LRLP 9) and the schizophrenic compositional material there was within the band, was immediately apparent. The first side was entirely devoted to compositions by Jukka Gustavson, who sung in both Finnish and English, featuring a progressive blues style. The second side was a concept devised by Pembroke, which dealt with the life of a certain Henry. One of the problems that the band faced when recording the album, was the fact that they had overrun the budget allocated to them by Love Records and had no money left for the cover. So the first pressing of the album involved hand painted covers by the members of the band themselves! Needless to say they are now valuable items for collectors.

Few people heard the debut album outside of Finland, but the band were making a name for themselves on the live circuit, as their concerts consisted of one long jam session that incorporated material from groups as The Band and The Beatles, together with their original stuff. The band caught the attention of veteran producer Kim Fowley, who also agreed to produce the band's second album, Tombstone Valentine. Fowley was convinced that the band's ability to condense so many musical ideas into a short time span, as well as clever hooks would make them the next Beatles. When he approached the band, they were working out with the production of the musical Hair to make ends meet, and his association with the band also brought about the first casualty. Guitarist Nikamo fell out with Fowley, resulting in Nikamo's departure from the fold. Furthermore, bassist Mats Huldén also left the band (to further pursue his studies) and his place was taken by another brilliant composer and bassist, Pekka Pohjola.

Tombstone Valentine (Love Records,LRLP) was released in 1970 and has the distinction as being the first ever Finnish rock record to be released in the USA (Verve Forecast FTS 3089). In the USA, it was released as a double album in 1971 with added tracks taken from the band's first album plus some Blues Section songs and material from other Love Records artists. One of the important factors to appear on the album was Pohjola's contribution, showing that he was equally adept at coming up with a jazz-flavoured track (1936 Lost In the Snow) as well as a more pop-orientated piece (Frederick & Bill). With the loss of Nikamo during the recording of the album, the band resorted to Jukka Tolonen, guitarist with fellow Finn prog-rockers Tasavallan Presidentti to help out on the album. Further to the release of the album, a promotional single was also released in the USA called Wishful Thinker / Call Me On Your Telephone (Verve Forecast KF5114).

Back home, the band were a household name, helped nonetheless by the fact that their second album was being released in the States. However, when one would analyse the material the band was playing, one could sense that the three composers within Wigwam were all pulling in three different directions. This became even more apparent when they came to record their third album, Fairyport (Love Records, LRLP 44/45). Fairyport nowadays is considered a classic within progressive rock circles and it has a number of features that make it stand out as one of the great progressive albums of the seventies. Opener Losing Hold is the only track that features a collaboration from all three of the band songwriters (Pohjola, Pembroke and Gustavson), while the rest of the album is divided into Pembroke's shorter "pop" tunes, Gustavson's complex brass-laden tracks and Pohjola's avant-garde, Zappa-esque tunes. Gustavson was not only maturing as a songwriter, but also as a lyricist with various references on his part to his Joined To Conscience theme which was featured in no less than four of the album tracks. When the band came to record the album they realised that they only had material that could occupy one and a half records, so the last side of the second vinyl disc is taken up by a live jam session (very typical of Wigwam concerts) with the help of Jukka Tolonen once again. Tolonen would join the group unofficially for many concerts and recording sessions.

However, there friction was brewing within the ranks of the band. It was obvious that the creative nature of the band needed to be released elsewhere. And so Pohjola and Pembroke set about recording solo albums. Furthermore, the band were having difficulty in playing much of their material live as it was too complex, especially the Gustavson penned tracks. This surely must have irked Gustavson, making his days in the band numbered. However, he would not leave without leaving his masterpiece as a legacy.

Pohjola released an all instrumental album, Pihkasilmä Kaarnakorva (Love Records LRLP 71), which immediately showed Wigwam fans that this musician was being somewhat stifled within the constraints of the band and that his best material would be reserved for his solo outings.

On the other hand, Pembroke's solo outing was a very different kettle of fish to what he was known for composing with Wigwam. The album was released under the pseudonym of Hot Thumb's O'Reilly and titled Wicked Ivory (Love Records LRLP 52), with the other members of Wigwam acting as backing band. The album saw complex arrangements and obscurity being the order of the day, very different to the commercial material he would produce with Wigwam. The aim of the album was to mimic a Battle Of The Bands recorded live in a pub, and so fake crowd noises were used together with various fragments of tunes. One important composition to find its way on the album would be Grass For Blades, a track that would become a live favourite with Wigwam and which was recorded one verse short on the album, because the engineer ran out of tape during the recording of the track! Of interest is the fact that this album was also released in England on the Charisma label (Charisma CAS 1071) in 1973. However, the history of Jim Pembroke's solo output is a Forgotten Sons tale in itself and will be dealt with as such!

While Pohjola and Pembroke were busy recording their solo albums, Gustavson was set at working on the new Wigwam album, a feat which took him two years. Today, this is considered as being the Wigwam masterpiece. Though the album does have small contributions from Pohjola and Pembroke, one can sense that the brunt of the material can be attributed to Gustavson. The album Being was released in 1974 (Love Records LRLP 92) and immediately began to receive rave reviews, not just in Finland but also overseas. Ian MacDonald of the NME wrote "...Gustavson's compositions happen to be the most technically elliptical outside those of Henry Cow [with] bizarre 'free-verse' lyrics... giving way to outrageous electric piano/VCS 3 solos, delightful in their sheer fluency alone". The buzz brewing about the band also brought the attention of Virgin Records who brokered a licensing deal with Love Records and planned a tour of the UK for Wigwam and Tasavallan Presidentti, whose last album Milky Way Moses was co-written with the help of Pembroke. The future for the band was looking bright and they enlisted multi-instrumentalist Pekka Rechardt on guitar and cello for the tour.

Furthermore, Pembroke released his second solo album, Pigworm (Love Records LRLP 103) in Spring of 1974, once again with the help of his Wigwam band mates (except for Gustavson!). The album featured My Situation, a song which would become a live favourite for the band in years to come. However, for some time it seemed that the end of Wigwam had come, as Gustavson and Pohjola gave in their notice a few months after the release of Being.

With the band on a high, Love Records decided to record the last gigs of the band and release them as a double live album, Live Music From The Twilight Zone (Love Records LXlP 517/518). Once again, the whole track listing is evidence of the band's reluctance to play any Gustavson material due to his critical nature, and the album consists of cover versions, new material from Rechardt, and one song each from Pohjola's and Pembroke's solo albums.

Pohjola would go onto record one more album for Love Records, B The Magpie, which was also licensed to Virgin and released in the UK. Following the release of his album, he would team up with the first touring band of Mike Oldfield and also appear on the live album Exposed.

Less than a year after Wigwam had been officially disbanded, Jim Pembroke and Ronnie decided to get the band back together again. They re-enlisted Rekku Rechardt on guitar and cello together with bassist Måns "Mosse" Groundstroem. Groundstroem knew Wigwam, having played in Blues Section, Tasvallan Presidentti as well as having been the producer for Pembroke's solo albums and Wigwam's Being.

In 1975, the "new" Wigwam released Nuclear Nightclub (Love Records, LRLP 129). For the recordings of the album, the band brought in Esa Kotilainen on keyboards and electronics, but since he was already a member of Jukka Tolonen's latest band, he could not join the band. Heikki "Pedro" Hietanen was brought on instead. The album was released to rave reviews and became the band's biggest commercial success, receiving accolades not just from the Finnish music press. The release of the album in the UK (under license to Virgin) was promoted by a free concert in Hyde Park as well as the release of a single from the album Freddie Are You Ready / Kite (LRS 2028). Whilst in England, the band also recorded a new single, Tramdriver / Wardance (LRS 2100). However, the record label wanted a different B-side and so the English single was changed to Tramdriver / Nuclear Nightclub (Virgin VS 128).

The follow-up to Nuclear Nightclub was eagerly anticipated and the band relocated to England to record the album at Manor Studios. However, as often happens when pressure is placed on a band expected to deliver, the result is somewhat disappointing. Unlike Nuclear Nightclub, Lucky Golden Stripes And Starpose (Love Records, LRLP 166) did not have the necessary number of tracks to make the album memorable and, more importantly, commercially successful. On the other hand, the group made up for their deficiencies in the studio when they went out on tour. The early months of 1976 saw the band touring with their label mates Gong throughout the UK, as well as performing in Scandinavia and other European countries. Their live shows kept getting better and better as time went by and they soon began to make a name for themselves oversea as an excellent live band.

In the Autumn of 1976, Jim Pembroke released his third solo album Corporal Cauliflower's Mental Function (Love Records LRLP 214), once again with the help of his Wigwam buddies. However, trouble was on the horizon and the band realised that the musical world was being taken over by corporations. Punk was in and any band not commercially successful, especially progressive rock bands, was going to have a hard time to release any material. Virgin refused to release Pembroke's solo album in the UK until Wigwam had finished their new album. The demo versions of the album, to be titled Daemon Duncetan's Request, were ready. However, when Virgin heard the album they immediately dissolved the contract they had with the band saying that the album was "too low key and non-commercial". The fact that the British Press had for some time been promoting the imminent release of the new Wigwam single, Wardance, did not have any affect on the record company. Love Records, on their part, postponed the release of the album and sent the band back into the studio to re-record the album.

When the now titled Dark Album (Love Records LRLP 227) was released in late 1977, Wigwam had ceased to exist. This was a pity, as the album in itself was a great improvement from Lucky Golden Stripes And Starpose and, more important to the fans, featured Jukka Gustavson as a guest musician. Unfortunately, Love Records were facing bankruptcy by 1978, and had no means of supporting Wigwam, which also meant that the band dissolved. An (un)official Wigwam Farewell Show took place at Punkarock festival in the summer of 1978.

The ironic part about all of this was that Wardance, the proposed single off the album, was a funky number that would have surely been a hit and made stars out of this band. To rub salt into the wound, Virgin Records released a double album of Wigwam material called Rumours On The Rebound (VGD 3503) that featured a whole album's worth of material from the Dark Album which the label had previously rejected.

Following the disband of Wigwam, Pembroke kept on recording as a solo artist and eventually moved to Kansas, USA.

Unfortunately, founder member and drummer Ronnie Osterberg died suddenly in 1981 putting an end to any notion that the original lineup could ever reform.

Nikke Nikamo has been collaborating with Senegalese musicians, while Mats Huldén, Rekku Rechardt and Mosse Groundstroem have been involved in several bands and special individual projects. Jukka Gustavson has recorded a number of solo albums since his departure from Wigwam, something he does till this day.

In 1991, reformation was on the cards with a one-off gig at the Provinssirock festival. The reception was thunderous and resulted in a number of mini-tours. In 1993, the band released Light Ages on the small Polarvox label together with a single, Borders To Be Crossed / Planetstar (Polarvox HOPE-71). The line-up for this album included Pembroke, Rechardt, Groundstroem and new boy, keyboardist Mikko Rintanen. Reviews of the album were good as the band seemed to pick up and play the style with which they had left off in 1978.

The last few years have been relatively quiet on the Wigwam front, but there are strong rumours that they will be releasing a new album in early 2002, while EMI's Harvest label has released a double live album entitled Wigwam Plays Wigwam Live. Somehow it seems that the Wigwam story is still not yet over, and thank God for that!

Hard & Horny (1969)

Tombstone Valentine (1970)

Hard N' Horny/Tombstone Valentine (1990)

Fairyport (1971)

Wigwam (1972)(compilation)

Being (1974)

Live Music From The Twilight Zone (1974)

Nuclear Nightclub (1975)

The Lucky Golden Stripes And Starpose (1976)

Dark Album (1977)

Rumours On The Rebound (1979)(compilation)

Classics - The Rarest (1990)(compilation)

Light Ages (1993)

Highlights (2000)(compilation)

Fresh Garbage Rarities 1969-1977 (2000)

Wigwam Plays Wigwam Live (2001)

Tracklist:633 Jesu Fåglar (0:07), Pidän Sinusta (5:38), En Aio Paeta (3:01), Neron Muistolle; Hyvää Yötä (3:08), Guardian Angel, The Future (4:56), No Pens, El Karsinoita (4:51), Henry's...Mountain Range Or Thereabouts (3:11), Geographical And Astronomical Mistakes (2:02), Highway Code (2:53), ...Ghastly And Diabolical Mistakes (1:17), ...Cancelled Holiday Planes (1:39), ...Concentration Camp Brochure (2:58), ...Ears, Eyes, Girlfriends And Feet (1:34), ...Hard And Horny All-Niter (1:12), ...Milk Round In The Morning (2:29)

Musicians: Jukka Gustavson (vocal, organ, piano), Mats Húlden (bass), Nikke Nikamo (guitar), Jim Pembroke (vocal), Ronnie Österberg (drums)

Track 1 composed by Mats Húlden, Tracks 2 - 6 by Jukka Gustavson, Tracks 7 - 15 by Jim Pembroke

Production and additional arrangements by Otto Donner

Recording by Erkki Hyvönen/Finnvox

The first album from Wigwam is perhaps the album from the whole of the band's repertoire that most clearly demonstrates the divergence in both musical quality as well as influence that there existed between Jukka Gustavson and Jim Pembroke. The first half of the album would be entirely dedicated to Gustavson compositions while the second half would consist of Pembroke compositions. Furthermore it would the last album for a number of years that would include a permanent guitarist within the band framework.

Bassist Mats Huldén would provide his only contribution to the band in the opening piece 633 Jesu Fåglar, though this track would not be presented in its original context on the album. The original track ran for a longer period of time and only the first seven seconds were used for the album. The original version of this song, which sounds as if it is a pastiche of sounds in the musique concrete vein still has to see the light of day.

The remainder of the album would consist of compositions by Gustavson and Pembroke. The first half (ie: the next five tracks) are all Gustavson compositions. 633 Jesu Fåglar merges into Pidän Sinusta, a bluesy instrumental that has the keyboards providing the brunt of the musical element.

En Aio Paeta, has the first set of vocals to be heard by the band, and as oft happens on this first album, the lyrics are in Finish. The opening section reminded me of a Ford Theatre intro with the Hammond organ providing its characteristic drone. One of the first things to strike the listener is the fact that the band are rather direct in their musical approach preferring to deliver the goods immediately rather than beat around the bush before reaching the main focal point of the theme, a feature that results in the band having relatively "short" tracks especially when compared to other bands of a similar style to theirs from the same period.

Neron Muistolle; Hyvää Yötä shows the more complex side to Gustavson's musical character, something that would be expanded on in albums to come. The track consists of narration backed by a jazzed up piano playing to uncharacteristic drum patterns. Unfortunately to the non-Finnish listener, much of the dramatic effect of this track is lost in the Finnish narration. Guardian Angel, The Future has the band using English lyrics for the first time and has Gustavson toying a style very similar to what Traffic exploited, that of expanding their musical ideas based on a Rhythm & Blues rhythm. In fact listening to this track reminded of Dear Mr Fantasy, both in style and even in the way the vocals are presented in a Winwood-like way.

When one looks at Gustavson's contributions on this album one must note that very little of his complex musical arrangements come to the fore, except for Neron Muistolle; Hyvää Yötä, and No Pens, El Karsinoita is not different from most of the album. Once again the R&B influence pervades this instrumental track though there is the occasional hint at a jazz touch.

The second side is dedicated to Jim Pembroke's compositions which are a form of concept based loosely on the life of one Henry. ...Mountain Range Of Thereabouts immediately shows off Pembroke's rather more commercial style of composing. Starting off with a rhythmic bass line the track progresses into a great jazzy piece of music. Possibly his obviously greater command of the English language allowed Pembroke to use lyrics with much more liberty. Furthermore the fact that he was the vocalist in the band also meant that he would be less intent in creating complex instrumental sections. Another striking feature of Pembroke's compositions is the difference in the way the music is distributed amongst musical instruments. The keyboards no longer remain the dominant force of the band and both bass and guitar get their spots in the musical structure, as happens in ...Geographical And Astronomical Mistakes which has the first proper guitar solo on the album.

...Highway Code retain the upbeat nature of Pembroke's compositions while ...Cancelled Holiday Plans has the band sounding like one of the numerous British beat groups that existed on the scene in those days. The rhythm is extremely captivating with a rumba feel to it though this then dies down to give way to a rather similar style to the previous tracks.

..Concentration Camp Brochure picks up the main theme of the second side, though performed at a much slower pace than previously. ...Ears, Eyes, Girlfriends And Feet re-evokes the very British feel that Pembroke introduces into the band's music, though the final percussive notes lead one to sense that the next track ..Hard And Horny All-Niter and the closer ...Milk Round In The Morning would be different to most of what this album presented. ..Hard And Horny All-Niter makes use of strings in an almost Burt Bacarach fashion and introduces sights and sounds with a Dixieland feel that one would expect to find on albums by groups such as The Kinks or The Small Faces. On the other hand ...Milk Round In The Morning has Pembroke at his most commercial on the whole of the album with the type of chorus one would expect at the end of a musical or as in this case, a concept album.

Tracklist: Tombstone Valentine (3:03), In Gratitude (3:44), Dance Of The Anthropoids (1:08), Frederick And Bill (4:24), Wishful Thinker (3:43), Autograph (2:36), 1936 Lost In The Snow (2:08), Let The World Ramble On (3:19), For America (4:21), Captain Supernatural (3:01), End (3:35)

Tracklist on American album version: ( Verve Forecast FTS 3089) Dance Of Anthropoids; Frederick & Bill (Song of the Skinhead); Wishful Thinker; For America; Autograph; In Gratitude; Let The World Ramble On; Tombstone Valentine; Captain Supernatural; 1936 Lost In The Snow; Happy Waste (End); Call Me On Your Telephone; I Like You; Bird Of Paradise; Wolf At The Door; The Gang Called The Vegetable Men (Answer To Life); Anna Sukko Vain; Mountain Range; Astronomical; Only Dreaming; Cherry Cup Cake; Semi-circle Solitude; End Of The Party (Apt. 51)

Musicians: Jukka Gustavson (vocal, organ, piano), Jim Pembroke (vocals), Pekka Pohjola (bass, violin), Ronnie Österberg (drums)

Additional Musicians: Heikki Laurila (guitar, banjo), Jukka Tolonen (guitar), Kalevi Nyqvist (accordion)

Tracks 1, 5, 8, and 10 composed by Jim Pembroke. Tracks 2, 9 and 11 by Jukka Gustavson. Track 4 by Pekka Pohjola/Jim Pembroke. Track 6 by Kim Fowley/Jim Pembroke. Track 7 by Pekka Pohjola.

Electronic music for Dance Of The Anthropoids by Erkki Kurenniemei

Produced by Kim Fowley

Recording by Erkki Hyvönen/Finnvox

The second album from the Wigwam repertoire was released in two distinctively different versions. The European release saw a single album released composed solely of new material while the American release consisted of a double album which also included tracks from Hard N' Horny as well as Blues Section material. One of the things to strike the listener when listening to the album, and running through the credits is the relative lack of material penned by Gustavson, who had contributed to half of the band's debut album. The reason for this was the fact that producer Kim Fowley was keen on the band exploiting the more commercial aspect of their music. As has oft been mentioned the more commercial of the band composers was Pembroke, and thus this resulted in his material being chosen in favour of the more complex material form the other members.

The album opens with the title track which also has the distinction as being one of the few English-sung Wigwam tracks to be translated into, and sung in, Finnish by Vesa-Matti Loiri. In itself the track possesses a folk feeling with the use of the accordion as well as the inclusion of the banjo during the solo section. On the other hand the grandiose feeling that Wigwam music possesses is retained with the full use of keyboards especially with the feeling of a string section accompanying the chorus.

In Gratitude! has a soul feeling to it, both in terms of the rhythm as well as the bass line that runs throughout the whole of the track. In fact it could well pass as a track from one of the many R&B influenced bands that were around in those times. However, on closer inspection one notes the occasional shifts in key that prevent the track from becoming overtly commercial and give it that trademark Wigwam stamp.

Erkki Kurenniemi is considered one of the pioneers of Finnish electronic music and one of his more well known experimental compositions is Dance Of The Antropoids, of which an excerpt was used on this Wigwam album. Frederick & Bill is one of the stand out tracks on the album with its jazz touch comnfined within the regimen of a "pop' tune. In fact it is no wonder that the main contributor to the track was Pekka Pohjola. Of further note is the free utilisation of the guitar on this track, not a characteristic sound on early Wigwam material who tended to have the organ dominate musical proceedings.

Wishful Thinker brings us back to the more soulful Pembroke nature of composing. At times the music almost verges on the Procol Harum, themselves a group heavily influenced by R&B music. Autograph sees producer Kim Fowley credited, though rumours from within the band suggest that his contribution was rather minimal and most of the track was a Pembroke composition. Once again there is a slight folk feeling introduced within the music, this time courtesy of Pohjola's violin licks with Keikki Laurila's banjo playing along.

The instrumental 1936 Lost In the Snow is ample proof of how Pekka Pohjola was able to broaden the musical spectrum of the band. The dominant instrument is the violin which plays along in a lament fashion while the rest of the band create somewhat of a slow back beat though this does tend to pick up as the track progresses. The short duration of the track is perfect as it does not overstay its presence but acts as the perfect breaker between the R&B drenched material that is manifest throughout the whole of the album. The fade out of the track also suggests that the original material was actually a longer piece of music. A perfect example of the soulful music on the album would be Let The World Ramble On. The tempo is decisively slow with once again Tolonen's guitar playing helping out the proceedings in creating the right atmosphere.

For America, as its name implies has a very American feel to it with the jazzy piano introduction. The track in itself has a very free feeling to it and acts as the perfect showcase to Gustavson's free flowing piano playing, something which does not really shine through on most of the album. Captain Supernatural, on the other hand, as befits a Pembroke composition, is one of the most commercial of the tracks on the album with his vocals a close rival to Gary Brooker (Procol Harum).

End, as its name implies is a the perfect closer to this album. Another Gustavson composition, it shows the complexity of this man's musical mind. Opening with a solo on the Hammond organ, this track shows the dangerous musical balance Wigwam thrived on. On one hand there were the strong blues principles that show up regularly, especially on this early album, whilst on the other hand there was the more experimental nature of musicians such as Gustavson and Pohjola that wanted to take the band to another dimension. Though not a classic album, Tombstone Valentine is the first Wigwam album that seems to show the band members getting to grips with each ones individual musical desires.

Nowadays the first two Wigwam albums can be purchased as one on a single CD release from Love Records.

Tracklist:Losing Hold (7:06), Lost Without A Trace (2:29), Fairyport (6:53), Gray Traitors (2:48), Caffkaff, The Country Psychologist (5:22), May Your Will Be Done Dear Lord (5:28), How To Make It Big In Hospital (3:01), Hot Mice (3:19), P.K:S Supermarket (2:20), One More Try (3:26), Rockin' Ol' Galway (2:27), Every Fold (3:07), Rave-Up For The Roadies (17:20)

Musicians: Ronnie Österberg (drums, congas, percussion, backing vocals on Fairyport), Jukka Gustavson (vocals, piano, organ, electric piano), Jim Pembroke (vocals, harmonica, piano on Lost Without A Trace and Every Fold), Pekka Pohjola (bass, violins; ac. guitar on One More Try; piano on Hot Mice; piano, celeste, harpsichord on P.K:s Supermarket; backing voacls on Fairyport)

Additional Musicians: Jukka Tolonen (guitar on Lost Without A Trace, How To Make It Big In Hospital and Rave-Up For The Roadies), Ilmari Varila (oboe), Tapio Louhensalo (bassoon), Mannu Saxelin (clarinet), Rista Pensola (clarinet), Unto Haapa-aho (bass clarinet), Eero Loivistoinen (spo. sax), Pekka Pöyry (sop. sax)

Tracks 3, 4, and 6 composed by Jukka Gustavson. Tracks 2, 5, 7, 11 and 12 by Jim Pembroke. Tracks 8 and 9 by Pekka Pohjola. Track 1 by Pojola/Gustavson/Pembroke. Tracks 13 by Tolonen/Gustavson/Pohjola/Österberg.

 Produced by Wigwam

Recorded at Finnvox studios Helsinki and music Network, Sweden

Engineered by Erkki Hyvönen, Thomas KLarsson, Roger Wallis

The Jam (Rave-Up For The Roadies) recorded live at Hämis Club Helsinki by Seppo Kytöniemi and Reino Iso-aho

Cover art work by Jorma Auersalo; Photography by Peter Widén

The mark up in musical quality between the first two albums and Fairyport is impressive. Even the band seemed to be at a creative peak as they composed enough material for one and a half albums. Of more importance to us is that this could be considered to be the first truly progressive rock record that the band recorded. Those days albums, unlike todays albums, had to be of a certain length and the duration of the material they had recorded was only enough for three sides of a double album. Unwilling to compromise on the material they had recorded, the band opted to include a fourth side which was taken up by a live jam called Rave-Up For The Raodies rather than discard the third side of recorded material.

The album opens with Losing Hold, long considered a live Wigwam favourite, which has a great organ-led introduction. This, the longest studio track on the album is a masterpiece of progressive rock music. The fusion of the piano and organ creates a sound unique to this band as they romp through this track with the rhythm section creating a fantastic backing. The only lull in the romp comes with the inclusion of vocals, for a short period, that allows the whole track to take a breather, though this is not for long. Lost Without A Trace comes in as a perfect contrast to Losing Hold. The instruments are completely stripped down to Jukka Tolonen's acoustic guitar work accompanying Jim Pembroke on vocals and piano.

One of the features to really come to the fore on this album is the complex musical character of Jukka Gustavson. Before this album, his compositions, though complex were limited to just the band members and possibly one or two guest musicians. This time round help is enlisted in the form of a number of wind instruments who though uncharacteristic for a rock album, manage to carry out the desired effect to perfection. Add to that the continuous shifts in time signature and minor chord progressions, and one practically has described the title track, Fairyport. The jazz influence really permeates this particular track though one does also sense a rock n' roll element at times. The highlight of the track must be the entrance of the brass and woodwinds playing out the theme of the song midway through the track.

The shorter Gray Traitors maintains the uncommercial style of Gustavson compositions. However, one must admit that all Gustavson compositions have an unexpected twist in them. Just as the track seems to be winding up into another quirky tune, it takes off, picking up in tempo, progressing into a great instrumental section and merging with Caffkaff, The Country Psychologist. Possibly the most unconventional track on the album, the chord sequences are totally uncharacteristic, in true Gustavson fashion, with Pembroke's mournful vocals accompanying the piano. Suddenly the track seems to break down with the electric piano indulged in some jazzy runs while Ronnie Österberg makes full use of his congas and percussion. The last of Gustavson penned tracks on the album is May Your Will Be Done Dear Lord. One of the masterpieces on this album, the track manages to show Gustavson in a different light. Here he manages to combine his complex nature with a relatively more straight forward and accessible feel. However he cannot resist including sudden twists, and at the first chance, in come the woodwinds and brass instruments to take over the reins of the track albeit for a short while.

With How To Make It Big In Hospital one sees the return to the Pembroke penned tracks. One immediately senses the simplification of the presentation as well as the accessibility of the music. Pekka Pohjola's could be best described as standing somewhere between those of Gustavson and Pembroke. With a predilection for instrumental tracks, his music is strong in the jazz approach yet at the same time manages to retain a certain amount of ear friendly characteristics. Both Hot Mice and P.K:S Supermarket are instrumentals with the latter having an Eastern European touch to it both in terms of beat as well as style. In fact another characteristic of Pohjola is his predilection in introducing a certain amount of traditional themes into his music. The inability to conceive lyrics led Pohjola to collaborate with Jim Pembroke on those tracks he felt required them. Such is the case with One More Try which has the Pohjola touch written all over it with its clever shifts in time signature pausing only for the occasional vocal interlude.

Rockin' Ol' Galway is the typical Pembroke composition. Direct, concise and more importantly extremely pleasing to the ear with catchy hooks yet at the same time retaining just the right amount of zaniness to make it stand out from any other run of the mill "pop" composition. Every Fold, with Pembroke playing the piano is one of the most moving tracks in the Wigwam repertoire.

As mentioned before, the final track on the album is a seventeen minute plus jam that was recorded live just for the sake of filling up the final side on the record. Called Rave Up For The Roadies, the track also features Jukka Tolonen on guitar, who by then was almost a regular member for Wigwam live performances. The track also allows an insight into what a Wigwam concert must have been like. Unlike their carefully calculated and structured studio material, the Wigwam live performances were very free and improvisational. One could consider them as the Grateful Dead of progressive rock as they would merge tracks and play on for lengthy periods of time. Suffice to say that this particular track was an improvised jam session. Another interesting note is the fact that Pembroke is not listed on the credits, a sign that he had not yet started to play the organ/electric piano onstage, which also meant that he spent a large part of the Wigwam concerts waiting in the wings!

Tracklist:Tombstone Valentine(3:03), Captain Supernatural (3:01), Lost Without A Trace (2:29), Fairyport (6:53), Highway Code (2:53), Mountain Range (3:11), Geographical And Astronomical Mistakes (2:02), Rockin' Ol' Galway (2:27), Wishful Thinker (3:43), Losing Hold (7:06)

Musicians: Ronnie Österberg (drums), Jukka Gustavson (vocals, piano, organ), Jim Pembroke (vocals, harmonica, piano), Pekka Pohjola (bass, violins), Mats Huldén (bass Tracks 5-7), Jukka Tolonen (guitar), Nikke Nikamo (guitar Tracks 5-7)

All tracks were composed by Jim Pembroke except Track 4 (Jukka Gustavson), Track 10 (Pohjola, Gustavson-Pembroke)

Compiled by Ronnie Österberg

Produced by Wigwam, Kim Fowley (Tracks 1, 2, 9)

Recorded at Finnvox Studios, Helsinki and Music Network, Vaxholm, Sweden

Engineered by Erkki Hyvönen, Thomas Larsson and Roger Wallis

Photography by Olli Perttula

The first Wigwam compilation to be released by Love Records, and only available on vinyl. It culls tracks from the band's first three albums with the focus being placed on the more commercial tracks on the albums. In fact eight of the ten tracks on the compilation are Pembroke compositions, another detail in Wigwam history which proves the pint that the main "commercial" factor within the band was indeed Pembroke with Gustavson, and to a lesser extent Pohjola, composing material that was deemed too complex for mass commercial appeal.

Tracklist:Proletarian (2:10), Inspired Machine (1:25), Petty-Bourgeois (2:58), Pride Of The Biosphere (3:15), Pedagogue (9:11), Crisader (4:47), Planetist (3:08), Maestro Mercy (2:32), Prophet (6:11), Marvelry Skimmer (2:32)

Musicians: Pekka Pohjola (bass, violin, piano (Pride Of The Biosphere), mini-moog (Planetist)), Jukka Gustavson (vocals, piano, organ, mini-moog and VCS3 synthesizers), Ronnie Österberg (drums, percussion, backing vocals (Sunny Disaster), Jim Pembroke (vocals, sermon, piano (Sunny Disaster and Friend From The Fields) Additional Musicians: Pekka Pöyry (sop. sax, flute), Pentti Lsanen (clarinet, flute), Paavo Honkanen (clarinet), Imari Varila and Aale Lindgren (oboes), Juhani Tapaninen (bassoon), Unto Haapa-aho (bass clarinet), Juhani Aaaltonen (solo flute), Seppo Paakkunainen, Erik Dannholm, Pentti Lahti, Kai Vesterä (flutes), Taisto Weslin (acoustic guitar), Erkki Kurenniemi, Jukka Ruohämaki (VCS 3 assistance)

Tracks 1, 2, 5, 6 and 9 composed by Jukka Gustavson. Tracks 3, 8 and 10 by Jim Pembroke. Track 7 by Pekka Pohjola. Track 4 by Pohjola/Gustavson.

Recorded at Finnvox and Finnlevy studios, Helsinki, Finland through November 1973.

Produced by Måns Grondstroem and Paul Jyrälä

Engineers: Erkki Hyvönen, Harry Gergman, Måns Grondstroem and Paul Jyrälä

Cover Art: Jukka Gustavson (directions), Jorma Auersalo (design)

Being is the last studio album of the first phase of Wigwam history. It is also the last studio album that featured Jukka Gustavson as a permanent member within the line-up. Moreover the album is considered as the most creative album that emerged from this line-up with the album developed as a concept and most of the creative work being the fruit of Jukka Gustavson's labours. One of the main reasons for this is that both Jim Pembroke and Pekka Pohjola were more interested in their solo album releases than in the more collective band release. The concept of the album features both a religious and a political theme, a concept that Gustavsn was also developing and had used in his contributions to Fairyport. The album went on to win the "Album of the year" award both in the reader's and in the critic's poll of the Finnish rock magazine "Soundi" and gathered rave reviews in the English music press as well. The interest that ensued would result in the band being given a recording deal with Virgin Records in the U.K.

From the opening track Proletarian, one can sense that this album would be remarkably different from most of what the band had already produced till now. The organ and piano sound was augmented by the sound of synthesizers, something which Gustavson had been experimenting with in the interim period between albums. The opening track shows a complete lack of the commercial streak that most Wigwam material seems to possess and instead verges on the RIO in style. This merges with the playful clownesque rhythm of Inspired Machine whose message has a deep political slant.

Petty-Bourgeois is one of the more complex Wigwam tunes though its catchy pop hook immediately give away Pembroke as being the composer of the track. However, this once again showcases the remarkable nature of this band who with something so zany, which in most bands would sound banal, is instead turned into a great track. The coupling of tracks is maintained with Petty-Bourgeois moving into Pride Of The Biosphere. The track has an almost pulpit-like touch with Pembroke's narration alongside some booming organ playing. The return of Gustavson in penning the lyrics also sees a return to the pessimistic tones.

With Pedagogue, Wigwam created what is possibly their most complex track to date. Awkward chords, abrupt time changes and strange vocal applications abound as does Gustavson's ability to create that ensemble effect by using wind and brass instruments instead of string instruments. A special mention should be made to the flute and clarinet solos that are simply stunning on this piece of music. Crisader retains that marked jazz influence, but much more of an easy listen relying on Gustavson's organ solo and doing away with the complexity of the brass and wind instruments. However, the vocals still sound in complete contrast to the structuring that Pembroke usually adopts on his tracks.

When a track only has Pekka Pohjola credited, one expects an instrumental track and that particular track on this album is Planetist. Furthermore one expects a strong influx of jazz ideas in Pohjola's music, yet even this time when placed alongside Gustavson's compositions, they pale in comparison in terms of complexity. Instead Planetist sounds almost commercial though it should not be underestimated as an individual track especially with the incorporation into the framework, once again, of wind and brass instruments, which bolster the already tight and string rhythm of Wigwam. Thus alongside a Pohjola composition, a balance could only be achieved by the introduction of a Pembroke number, Maestro Mercy, which with its laid back sound allows the listener to come to his senses following the pounding and complexity of all of the previous tracks.

The final couplet of tracks, Prophet and Marvelry Skimmer, bring this marvellous album to a close. Prophet is as quirky as the album goes, being a Gustavson penned track while Marvelry Skimmer allows the album to closed off of a rather more optimistic note. The track itself, being a Pembroke composition, allows the listener to sit back and literally enjoy the harmonies unweave without the complexity of the music being too much of a concern!

This would be the last studio album from the first phase of Wigwam's history and is indeed a fitting album with which the Gustavson/Pohjola chapter could be closed. Definitely the most complex and demanding album that the band have in their repertoire, it also gives an insight into the complicated mind of Jukka Gustavson whose music also reflects the pessimistic political and religious themes that seem to dominate his music.

Tracklist:The Moon Struck One (17:20), Let It be (7:49), Groundswell (6:38), Pig Storm (3:31), Nipistys (8:34), Imagine (3:32), Help Me/ Checkin' Up On My Baby (7:58), Grass For Blades (15:19)

Musicians: Ronnie Österberg (drums), Jukka Gustavson (vocals, organ), Jim Pembroke (vocals, electric piano), Pekka Pohjola (bass), Pekka Rechardt (guitar)

Track 1 composed by Jamie Robbie Robertson. Track 2 by Lennon/McCartney, Tracks 3 and 4 by Pekka Rechardt, Track 5 by Pekka Pohjola, Tracks 6 by John lennon, Track 7 by Sonny Boy Williamson and Willie Dickson, Track 8 by Jim Pembroke

Recorded at N-Club, Aluibi and Tavastia Club, June 1974

Engineers: Tommi Liuhala and Mäns Groundstroem

Production: Tommi Liuhala and Wigwam

Album Design: Jukka Gustavson and Mats Hulden; Photography: Reijo Porkka

One could easily state that this double live album was conceived due to contractual obligations. Its also marks the end of the first Wigwam era and the album highlights most of the musical problems that had beset this band resulting in its implosion when it was at its seemingly creative peak. The recordings where undertaken on the last dates that Wigwam were understood to have played, at least for then! The decision by Gustavson and subsequently Pohjola to leave the band had been taken months before the concerts and the band felt that they owed it to their faithful audience to undertake one last tour whioch could also be recorded and released as a live album.

Even by just looking at the album track list one easily notices that there is absolutely no Wigwam material present in the set list as well as no Gustavson material present. The reasons for a lack of Gustavson material are twofold. First of all the material was often deemed too complex by the band members to attempt on stage and secondly Gustavson was too self critical and would not allow any of his material be played live unless it was a faithful rendition of how it was originally conceived in the studio, something which was practically impossible to achieve. Furthermore, Wigwam material is also missing on the final product, though some Wigwam tracks were actually performed during the tour. >The first side of the album is dominated by The Moon Struck One, a cover of the track that appeared on The Band's Cahoots 1971 album. Of particular note is the fact that the original track runs at only 4 minutes twenty seconds and the fact that it runs in at over seventeen minutes is in itself an explanation as to what most of Wigwam in concert were like. The majority of this track is taken up by lengthy solos including guitar solos, almost unheard of on studio albums, courtesy of new recruit Pekka Rechardt. Many a time, Wigwam have been considered as The Grateful Dead of progressive rock as they were able to jam on for an endless amount of time, irrespective of the original duration of the track.

Apart from The Band, another perennial favourite amongst Wigwam live tracks would be cover versions of The Beatles. Let It Be would be played alongside Gustavson's organ playing allowing him to develop the track into a creative solo and for this concert, the band decided to resurrect this track which had become a permanent fixture in the band's repertoire. Following two cover versions, the band then play two new songs, both of which are Pekka Rechardt compositions. The two tracks are almost opposites in both style and tempo though both are instrumentals, possibly due to the fact that Rechardt had only been in the band for six months and had not yet developed the lyrical aspect of his songwriting skills. Groundswell is much more of a slow number while Pig Storm is a heavier rocking number making full use of the now permanently acquired guitar sound within the group. One notes the importance given to the bass guitar on Groundswell, a theme that possibly Rechardt actually composed envisaging the violoncello, an instrument he was accomplished on yet which he never got to utilise within Wigwam.

Pekka Phojola's songwriting abilities are demonstrated on Nipistys, a track culled from his solo album Pihkasilmä Kaarnakorva. As always there is a strong jazz-rock factor that permeates throughout Pohjola's works which are almost always instrumental in nature though this version is augmented into a larger arrangement than it was originally recorded. Another musician to be of great influence and whose music would often appear in Wigwam concerts was John Lennon and the band play a very faithful rendition of his Imagine with the piano substituted by the sound of the organ with Jukka Gustavson sounding very much like Stevie Wonder!

The recording of Help Me/Checkin' Up On My Baby is actually the last encore that the band played on their final gig and was possibly played as a token of appreciation to the original musical influences that the band had. One must not forget that the origins of Wigwam in fact lay within a Rhythm & Blues band, Blues Section. However, the final number on the album is a Jim Pembroke solo number, Grass for Blades, that had appeared on his Wicked Ivory album yet was instantly adopted by Wigwam and played regularly as an encore track. The track in itself allowed all the positive points that Wigwam possessed to come to the fore. On this track Pembroke could demonstrate his vocal capabilities within a more commercial ambience whilst at the same time the track allowed the other band members space in which they could; demonstrate their individual capabilities as accomplished musicians. One of the saddest aspects of Wigwam is that they were never able to translate their studio magic onto the stage. So late into their career they still relied on playing cover versions and material from solo albums rather than material from their excellent studio albums. This is a pity and in fact their is little or no recorded documentation of their material played live except from excerpts appearing on the Fresh Garbage - Rarities 1969-1977 album.

Tracklist: Nuclear Nightclub (2:42), Freddie Are You Ready (5:34), Bless Your Lucky Stars (6:00), Kite (4:14), Do Or Die (5:03), Simple Human Kindness (4:02), Save My Money And Name (4:07), Pigstorm (4:42)

Bonus Tracks: Do Or Die (5:40), Simple Human Kindness (4:08), Freddie Are You Ready (5:47), Bless your Lucky Stars (6:11)

Bonus tracks recorded live by YLE/Radio 2 at Töölönrannan kesäteatterei, Helsinki 18th June 1975

Musicians: Jim Pembroke (vocals, electric and grand piano), Pekka Rechardt (guitar), Mäns Groundstroem (bass), Paavo Maijanen (backing vocals) Ronnie Österberg (drums, marimba), Esa Kotilainen (keyboards tracks 1-8), Pedro Hietanen (keyboards (tracks 9-12),

Tracks 1, 4, 6 and 10 composed by Jim Pembroke, Track 8 by Pekka Rechardt, Tracks 2, 3, 5, 7, 9, 11 and 12 by Rechardt/Pembroke.

Recorded at Marcus Music, Stockholm 1975.

Produced by Paavo Maijanen

The second era of Wigwam history saw the band receiving some of the recognition that they deserved from major labels and this was the first album that they released with Virgin records. The loss of Jukka Gustavson and Pekka Pohjola allowed Jim Pembroke to grab a firm hold over the band reins with the music on this album being considerably different from much of their previous work, most notably their previous studio album, Being.

The title track, Nuclear Nightclub immediately laid the foundations for the "new" Wigwam sound which would be rather more direct and accessible to the first time listener. However one can also pick out various influences to Jim Pembroke ranging from blues to psychedelia, an effect evoked by Rechardt's airy Gilmour-like guitar work. Freddie Are You Ready, the first single released from the album features some lush harmonies accompanying an extremely upbeat and ear-friendly piece of music. Never before had Wigwam sounded so commercial!

However, with Bless Your Lucky Stars the band showed that they still could manage to create with a degree of excellence tracks that featured an amount of creativity. This particular track features distorted vocals alongside some nifty electronic work, proving that the face of rock music was indeed changing by now with synthesizers taking prominent role. At times there are touches of Alan Parsons Project whilst at others one can sense hints of early Genesis. Nevertheless, for progressive rock lovers, this track is surely one of the highlights of the album. Kite on the other hand is a more traditional Pembroke tune with less experimentalisation involved in it. One of the striking features of this track, apart form the dreamy guitar solo, is the full utilisation of the keyboards merely as an atmospheric backdrop, something that would have been unheard of with Gustavson in the band.

Do Or Die has the band returning to their progressive rock style, though Pembroke manages to show his uncanny ability in making a complex piece of music still sound commercial, something which it definitely is not! Once again one must note Rechardt's guitar playing which really added a new dimension to the Wigwam sound in the studio playing out some fantastic duets with Kotilainen's keyboard work. Seeing that Simple Human Kindness is a sole Pembroke composition, one can immediately deduce that it falls within the commercial aspect of Wigwam, though it is one of his more entertaining tracks with some swift changes in structure and time signature.

Save My Money & Name is slightly uncharacteristic sounding for Wigwam with a strong bluesy feeling to it though on the instrumental Pigstorm the band seem to really get things going once again albeit in more of a rockier vein. This track had also appeared in a live version on the band's previous outing, Live In The Twilight Zone.

The remastered version of this album comes with four bonus live tracks which appeared in studio version on this particular album. Thankfully, unlike on many remastered CD bonus tracks, the sound quality is excellent and Wigwam show that they could really deliver the goods when playing live.

As an album, Nuclear Nightclub is a worthy introduction to the band for those listeners who like a band to grow on them. On the other hand, the material is rather more diluted and lacks the technical qualities that the Wigwam Mark I lineup offered on its studio albums.

Tracklist:Sane Again (2:37), International Disaster (2:41), Timedance (1:07), Colossus (6:43), Eddie And The Boys (4:03), Lucky Golden Stripes And Starpose (6:34), June May Be Too Late (3:35), Never Turn You In (5:06), In A Nutshell (3:45)

Musicians: Jim Pembroke (vocals, piano), Pekka Rechardt (guitar), Ronnie Österberg (drums, percussion), Hessu Hietanen (keyboards), Masse Groundstroem (bass)

Background vocals on tracks 2, 7 and 8 by Paavo Maijanen

Tracks 1, 2 and 7 composed by Jim Pembroke, Tracks 4-6 and 9 by Pekka Rechardt, Track 3 by Groundstroem/Hietanen/Österberg/Pembroke/Rechardt, Track 8 by Rechardt/Pembroke

All lyrics by Pembroke except Track 8, by Rechardt/Pembroke

 Recorded at the Manor, January 1976

Producer: Ronnie Leahy; Engineer: John Eden

Cover by Mats Huldén Many people expected the follow up to the more commercial Nuclear Nightclub to be the album that would catapult Wigwam onto the international scene. Unfortunately, though still an excellent album, Lucky Golden Stripes And Starpose failed to meet the desired targets, being dismissed by many of the musical critics. Having said that, the album has withstood the test of time well and still sounds as fresh as it did twenty five years ago.

As always, the more commercial tracks on the album are those penned by Jim Pembroke and the album starts off with two of his tracks, Sane Again and International Disaster. Furthermore the music is less complex than much of what the band had previously released with a strong soul current flowing beneath these tracks, especially on the opener Sane Again. International Disaster, on the other hand is a relatively more upbeat track with a strong feel good factor. The short Timedance is the only group collaboration on the album and somehow seems to be an excerpt of what was originally a longer track. As can be expected, the fact that it is a group collaboration probably means that it is a sort of jam session that had been recorded and part of which was utilised for the album. On the other hand Colossus , a Rechardt track, combines a series of features that seem to sum up the music of Wigwam during this period. The track starts off at a relatively languid pace to then progress into an organ rich piece of music. One could mention bands such as Greenslade and Colosseum as a comparison, however one must also admit that such a style was prevalent throughout those progressive rock bands who preserved a deep admiration for the rhythm and blues.

Eddie And The Boys could be considered the album highlight, if one had to look at the album from a commercial angle. This track is one of the brighter moments on what is a rather disappointing album and possibly what is more surprising is that this time round, the more pop aspect of the album did not come from the pen of Pembroke but rather from Rechardt. However, with Lucky Golden Stripes And Starpose, Rechardt showed that his compositions apart from possessing a rockier edge also had their fair share of complex arrangements especially during the short abstract guitar solo.

June May Be Too Late is a typical Pembroke track that features a strong dose of soul influences, though after repeated listens there is a sense of certain rhythms and backbeats that resemble in no small way any of the riffs one would find on compositions by disco artists such as the Bee Gees. Admittedly this musical genre was garnering popularity during the years when this album was composed.

As in Nuclear Nightclub, it seems that the best tracks are the fruit of collaboration between Pembroke and Rechardt, something which unfortunately only happens on Never Turn You In on this particular album. However both this track and In A Nutshell seem to lack that killer punch that was so necessary on this album to enable the band to break it beyond the shores of Finland. Describing Lucky Golden Stripes And Starpose as a mediocre album, could be a tad bit too harsh. On the other hand one cannot but feel that the band just did not live up to expectations when they really had to deliver.

Tracklist:Oh Marlene! (4:52), Cheap Evening Return (5:29), The Item Is The Totem (4:49), The Silver Jubilee (3:07), Horace's Aborted Rip-Off Scheme (4:07), The Big Farewell (6:28), The Vegetable Rumble (5:02), Helsinki Nights (4:02)

Bonus Tracks: Grass For Blades (9:13), Daemon Duncetan's Request (aka Turn Stone To Bread)(5:01)

Musicians: Jim Pembroke (vocals, piano), Pekka Rechardt (guitar), Mäns Groundstroem (bass), Ronnie Österberg (drums)

Additional Musicians: Hessu Hietanen (keyboards Tracks 2, 5, 6, 7), Jukka Gustavson (organs Tracks 1, 4), Paavo Maijanen (backing vocals Tracks 1, 2, 4, 8), Timo Kojo (backing vocals Track 1)

All tracks were composed by Jim Pembroke except for Tracks 2, 6, 7 by Rechardt/Pembroke, Track 3 by Rechardt/Huldén and Track 4 by Pembroke/Gerard Manley Hopkins

Recorded at Finnlevy and Love Studios Winter-Summer 1977

Produced by Wigwam

Engineered at Finnlevy by Mick Glossop and at Love Studios by Wigwam

Remixed at Love Studio

Cover by Timo Kelaranta/SAFTRA

The final album that Wigwam recorded at the end of their long association with Love Records was to be the Dark Album, an album that was involved in a series of upheavals for the band ending in their ultimate demise. The original title for the album as meant to be Daemon Duncans' Request, yet executives at Virgin Records on hearing the finished product refused to release it on the grounds that it was too "low-key and non-commercial". One must realise that the period of 1977 was when punk music was at its zenith and most major labels, including Virgin, were more willing to back a punk band rather than a classic/progressive rock band. Thus Wigwam were sent back to the studio and the album, re-titled as Dark Album, was released in late 1977. By this time the band had already split up for a second time. Surprisingly, considering the circumstances, the album is a strong one and definitely more cohesive than their previous outing, Lucky Golden Stripes and Starpose.

From the opening track, Oh Marlene!, one can immediately sense that the album would feature less of the complex arrangements that the band would normally have included in their repertoire and instead what one does get on the album is more of a watered down Wigwam. The pressure of Virgin Records on the band to come up with more commercial material seems to have had an effect on the band's creative output, something which is also visible when one looks at the songwriting credits where Jim Pembroke, the band's more commercial songwriter has a hand in all bar one of the album tracks.

Notwithstanding the pressure, the band still managed to come up with a piece of work that in my opinion surpasses Lucky Golden Stripes And Starpose in terms of quality. Cheap Evening Return has an incredibly moving chorus and is considered as one of the album's masterpieces though the most popular number was The Silver Jubilee which saw the return of Jukka Gustavson, albeit as a guest musician, to the Wigwam fold.

Once again the guitar work of Pekka Rechardt stands out on various tracks. The almost hard rock riff of The Item Is The Totem is a sure sign that the times in the musical world were changing, a factor that also appears on The Vegetable Rumble that features a riff comparable to Thin Lizzy. While tracks such as Horace's Aborted Rip-Off Scheme showed that Pembroke had lost none of his English humour that he translated so ably into music, somehow though, the band must have felt that the end was nigh for Wigwam. On no other album is there such a large number of slow heavy paced tracks. The Big Farewell, sounds as if the band were singing their own demise while the album closer Helsinki Nights, another uncharacteristic Wigwam track, has the band bidding a definite farewell to their faithful. On the whole the Wigwam on Dark Album are a very different band that appeared on any of their previous albums. Something had changed within the members, especially Pembroke and Rechardt, that affected their musical approach. The end of progressive rock as a popular format seems to have hit the band hard without allowing them chance to recover. That coupled with the rejection by Virgin Records and the bankruptcy of Love Records laid the ground for the band splitting up. The CD version of the album also includes two bonus tracks one of which, Grass For Blades originally was on Jim Pembroke's Wicked Ivory album, and the original title track Daemon Duncetan's Request.

Tracklist: Freddie Are You Ready, International Disaster, Nuclear Nightclub, Eddie And The Boys, June May Be Too Late, Wardance, Tramdriver, Colossus, Lucky Golden Stripes And Starpose, Never Turn You In, Bertha Come Back, Cheap Evening Return, A Better Hold (And A Little View), The Big Farewell, Goddammaddog (The Horse), Helsinki Nights, Horace's Aborted Rip-Off Scheme, All Over Too Soon, Masquerade At The White Palace, The Item Is The Totem, Daemon Duncetan's Request

Musicians: Jim Pembroke (vocals, piano), Pekka Rechardt (guitars), Måns Groundstroem (bass except Tracks 11, 13, 15, 18, 19), Ronnie Österberg (drums, marimba)

Additional Musicians: Hessu Hietanen (keyboards Tracks 2, 4-10, 12, 14, 17, 21, accordion Tracks 15, 21), Esa Kotilainen (keyboards Tracks 1, 3), Paavo Maijanen (bass Tracks 11, 13, 15, 18, 19, backing vocals), Costa Apetrea (guitars Tracks 11, 13, 15, 18, 19) Eero Koivistoinen (sax & horn arrangements Track 19)

Re-mastering and re-cutting by Chris Blake (at The Townhouse and Utopia Studios, June 1979)

Cover illustration by Mats Huldén

Compilation & agony by Angus MacKinnon

Co-ordination & ecstasy by Al Clark

Though Virgin Records deemed it fit to terminate Wigwam's contract following the issue of Dark Album, they still felt that the band was worth the production of a compilation album. This double album was released with tracks included from the three albums recorded with Virgin, Nuclear Nightclub, Lucky Golden Stripes And Starpose and Dark Album as well as singles such as Tramdriver and unreleased B-sides such as Wardance. Furthermore there are three tracks included that are actually from Jim Pembroke's solo album Corporal Cauliflowers Mental Function.

Tracklist: 633 Jesu Fåglar (0:07), Pidän Sinusta (5:38), En Aio Paeta (3:01), Neron Muistolle; Hyvää Yötä (3:08), No Pens, Ei Karsinoita (4:51), Henry's Highway Code (2:53), Freddie Are You Ready (5:34), Kite (4:14), Wardance (3:42), Helsinki Nights (4:02), Tombstone Valentine (3:03), Frederick & Bill (4:24), 1936 Lost In The Snow (2:08), Let It Be (7:49), Help Me/Checkin' Up On My Baby (7:58), The Moonstruck One (17:20), Imagine (3:32), Luulosairas (4:07)

Castle Records are a record company known for their release of "unofficial" and strangely gathered compilations which usually present a set of tracks from a band that are not exactly the most popular of tracks that the band has within its repertoire. In this case the majority of tracks are taken from three albums, namely Hard N' Horny, Tombstone Valentine and Live Music From The Twilight Zone, hardly albums indicative of a great Wigwam compilation! Also included was the B-side Wardance as well as their single Luulosairas.

Tracklist: Borders To Be Crossed, Talking Brought Me Here, Hard Top Lincoln, Absalom, The Next Breakfast, No New Games, False Alarm, Crystal Ball, Skyscraper, Tombstone Valentine, Planetstar, Pleasure Street, Friend From The Fields

All tracks composed by Rechardt/Pembroke except for Tracks 1, 3, 4, 6, 7, 10, 12 13 by Pembroke and Track 2 by Huldén/Pembroke)

Musicians: Måns Groundstroem (bass), Jan Noponen (drums), Mikko Rintanen (organ, keyboards), Pekka Rechardt (electric guitar), Jim Pembroke (vocals, piano)

Additional musicians: Heikki Keskinen, saxophone - Mikko-Ville Luolajan-Mikkola, violin - Maarit Hurmerinta, backing vocals - Heikki "Pedro" Hietanen, accordion - Stiina Tarvonen, backing vocals - T T Oksala, F#

Produced by Wigwam and T.T. Oksala

Recorded, mixed and mastered at Finnvox Studios, Helsinki (FIN)

Album design and collages by Space Riipinen Fortunately this particular Wigwam album is very hard to come by because the original label it was issued on (Polarvox) seems to have discontinued its production. I had the pleasure to hear it once and though a pleasant sounding album, it is a very different style of music to the original Wigwam. The music is very much in AOR style with very little to write home about. The sound of the recording is low on bass with a trebly quirky feeling to the music which makes the band, and resultant album sound quite amateurish. Admittedly it has been some time since I heard the album and thus cannot be absolutely certain on how this album would sound today!

Tracklist: Eddie And The Boys (4:01), Tramdriver (3:44), Freddie Are You Ready (3:59), Kite (4:13), Nuclear Nightclub (2:41), Autograph (2:36), Just My Situation (5:40), Cheap Evening Return (5:30), Frederick & Bill (4:23), Tombstone Valentine (3:04), Do or Die (5:03), June May Be Too late (3:38), Losing Hold (7:05), Lost Without A Trace (2:29), Henry's Highway Code (2:52), Silver Jubilee (3:07), Grass For Blades (3:54), Prophet (6:10), Marvelry Skimmer (Friend From The Fields ) (2:28)

Credits: All tracks written by Jim Pembroke except for Track 1 (Rekku Rechardt), Track 3, 8, 11 (Rechardt/Pembroke), Track 6 (Fowley/Pembroke), Track 9 (Pohjola/Pembroke), Track 13 (Pohjola/Gustavson/Pembroke), Track 16 (Pembroke/Hopkins), Track 18 (Gustavson)

Possibly the best introduction to Wigwam is this compilation album that features highlights from their albums on the Love Records label. Moreover this album also features a number of gems that are not available on any of the Wigwam albums, yet are considered an integral part of their repertoire.

The Wigwam tracks on the album are as follows

From Hard 'N' Horny (1969): Henry's Highway Code

From Tombstone Valentine (1970): Autograph, Frederick & Bill, Tombstone Valentine

From Fairyport (1971): Losing Hold, Lost Without A Trace

From Being (1973): Prophet, Marvelry Skimmer (Friend From The Fields)

From Nuclear Nightclub (1975): Freddie Are You Ready, Kite, Nuclear Nightclub, Do Or Die

From Lucky Golden Stripes And Starpose (1976): Eddie And The Boys, June May Be Too Late

From Dark Album (1977): Cheap Evening Return, Silver Jubilee

Also included on this compilation are Tramdriver, a single only release from Wigwam in 1976 and two tracks from Jim Pembroke's solo repertoire: Grass For Blades from Wicked Ivory (1972) credited to Hot Thumbs O'Reilly and Just My Situation from Pigworm (1974)

However one must remark that the compilation is not entirely indicative of Wigwam's repertoire, especially the pieces related to the first phase of the band's history. If one had to look at the songwriting credits, one would immediately notice that they are mainly Pembroke compositions and thus only draw from the relatively commercial aspect of the band. Jukka Gustavson is only represented on 2 tracks (one of which is a collaboratio with Pohjola and Pembroke) and thus the more quirkier side of the band seems to be unfortunately omitted.

 Tracklist:CD1 1969-1973: Must Be The Devil (4:25), Greasy Kids' Stuff (2:58), Luulosairas (4:07), Pedagogi (3:28), Häätö (4:08), Chest fever (5:52), Fresh Garbage (5:36), King Harvest (Has Surely Come) (2:57), Losing Hold (6:36), Nothing Shows (2:51), Captain Supernatural (3:49), Imagine (3:42), Nipistys (8:06), Marvelry Skimmer (Friend From The Fields (3:35), Fairyport (13:46)

CD2: 1974-1977 Do The Pigworm (9:30), Just My Situation/Sweet Marie (9:17), A Better Hold (And A Little View) (3:52), Never Turn You In (6:46), No New Games (6:39), Tramdriver (3:48), Wardance (3:42), No New Games/Grass For Blades (18:15), In And Out (8:00), Looking For Eddie And The Boys (Jam session) (7:54)

Musicians: Mats Huldén (Bass CD1 Tracks 1-7),

Nikke Nikamo (Guitar CD1 Tracks 1-7)

Jim Pembroke (Vocals; Keyboards CD1 Tracks 1, 2, 5-15 CD2 Tracks 1-10)

Ronnie Österberg (Drums; CD1 Tracks 1-15, CD2 Tracks 1-10)

Jukka Gustavson (Keyboards; Vocals Tracks CD1 3-15 CD2 Tracks 1, 2, 8, 9)

Pekka Pohjola (Bass, Fiddle Cd1 Tracks 4, 8-15, Cd2 Tracks 1, 2)

Rekku Rehcardt (Guitar CD2 Tracks 1-7, 10)

Måsse Groundstroem (Bass CD2 3-10)

Hessu Hietanen (Keyboards CD2 Tracks 3-7)

Esa Kotilainen (CD2 Tracks 8-10)

Heikki Silvennoinen (Guitar CD2 Track 9)

All tracks composed by Pembroke except for: CD 1 Tracks 3, 15 (Gustavson), CD1 Track 5 (Huldén), CD1 Track 6, 8 (Robertson), CD1 Track 7 (Ferguson), CD1 Track 9 (Pohjola/Guustavson/Pembroke), CD1 Track 12 (Lennon), CD1 Track 13 (Pohjola), CD2 Track 4, 7 (Rechardt/Pembroke), CD 2 Track 9 (Ferguson), CD2 Track 10 (Rechardt)

CD1: Tracks 1-3 recorded at Finnvox studios, Helsinki March 1969

Tracks 4, 5 recorded at Finnvox studios, Helsinki March 1969

Tracks 6,7 recorded live by YLE at Kulttuuritalo, Helsinkin 27-2-1970

Tracks 8-11 recorded live by YLE at N-Club (Natsa), Helsinki for "Poppop" on 10-2-1971

Tracks 12-15 recorded live by YLE at the Liisankadun studio, Helsinki for "Pop-Studio" on 7-11-1973

CD2: Tracks 1,2 recorded live by YLE at N-Club (Natsa), Helsinki for "Poppop" on 3-6-1974 Tracks 3-5 recorded live by YLE at the Töölönrannan kesäteatteri, Helsinki 18-6-1975 Tracks 6,7 recorded November, 1975 Tracks 8-10 recorded live by Tapio Korjus at the Yippolistaio, Tampere 24-11-1977

Without any shadow of doubt this is the album that all serious musos of Wigwam have been waiting for in the barren years since their last outing. This double CD encompasses material recorded between 1969 and 1977 and includes a number of live tracks as well as single tracks that were previously unavailable on any album or CD.

In fact the first five tracks available on the album were only available as singles, issued in 1969/1970, and thus very difficult to trace. Must Be The Devil/Greasy Kid's Stuff was the very single that Wigwam released in 1969 with production by Hasse Walli, a member of Blues Section. One can also note that the inspiration for these tracks came about when Pembroke was still within the ranks of Blues section and the tracks themselves have a very bluesy feel though there is also that psychedelic air about them, so indicative of the times. Greasy kid's Stuff has a playful nature to it with many a reference to many of the garage bands that dominated the airwaves and of whom many were one hit wonders.

Luulosairas (Hypochondria) was the second A-side to be released by the band with Henry's Highway Code as a B-side. Since Henry's Highway Code was also included on the band's debut album, Hard N' Horny, it was not included on this compilation. The Gustavson touch becomes more apparent with the playful nature of the first two tracks shifting to a more serious style with the organ taking on a more prominent role within the musical setup. Much as the first tracks on the first single came from a pre-Wigwam era, so did this track as it formed part of the live repertoire of the band, Roosters, Gustavson's pre-Wigwam band. More importantly, this track is one of the first examples of Suomi-rock. The third single form Wigwam was Pedagogi/Häätö (Ejection) and was the last recording that the band would make with Finnish lyrics. Released in 1970, Pedagogi also features Pohjola playing the violin, before he had actually joined the band on a full-time basis.With this track one can see Gustavson's direction taking on an increasingly less commercial direction , moving more towards the Zappaesque. Few tracks within the Wigwam repertoire have a more unusual sound than Häätö. The track flits between Finnish and English lyrics fusing both the psychedelic and the acoustic with narration interspersed creating somewhat of an almost erotic touch! This track was the only Huldén contribution apart from 633 Jesu Fåglar from Hard N' Horny.

Yleisradio (YLE) is the name of the Finnish Broadcasting Company and is thanks to their recordings of Wigwam concerts that so much of Wigwam's live repertoire's still exist. The first set of live recordings come from 1970 and feature two cover versions. First up is Chest Fever, originally of The Band, one of the groups favourite all-time bands, followed by a Spirit cover, Fresh Garbage. Both tracks have Huldên and Kikamo in the line-up and so allow the listener to sample that band playing live with a guitar player, something they would lack for Nikamo's departure, The difference between the two tracks is also characterised by the disparity in styles between the original versions. The group much more at ease in their interpretation of Spirit who in themselves were music more inclined to the jazzier progressive style of rock, similar in many ways to what Wigwam were trying to promote.

The 1971 recordings see Pohjola joining the line-up and thus the sound of the band has been modified as they lose out on a guitarist to gain a bassist/fiddler. Once again we have a cover of a Band song, King Harvest (Has Surely Come), together with three originals. from the onset of King Harvest one can immediately note that the band have matured considerably and their sound has become tighter. With Losing Hold the band have firmly established their musical place amongst the great seventies bands who dominated rock music with their timeless keyboard solos such as ELP, Greenslade and Colosseum. The fact that they no longer had a fixed guitarist in their line-up only allowed the keyboards to come to the fore and create the sound that wigwam have always been associated with. Of particular interest on this set of recordings is the fact that the band are playing material from their own repertoire, something relatively rare for Wigwam. Amongst the recordings from this set are Nothing Shows, a track which has never cropped as a studio recording and Captain Supernatural. Nothing Shows has the trademark soul influence that appears on most Pembroke penned material while Captain Supernatural shows more of the early seventies influence drawn mainly from the David Bowie style of presenting music. The final tracks on CD1 are taken for a session recorded for a live broadcast show, "Pop-Studio", shortly before Rekku Rechardt joined the band and just prior to the official release of the Being album. First up is a cover version of Imagine by John Lennon, performed in a rather faithful manner when compared to the original and which was often played be the band during live performances. Next up are three compositions, each composed by the individual composers of the band. Nipistys is taken from Pekka Pohjola's solo album and is very indicative of what his music is about. This instrumental track starts off at a relatively placid pace but half way through the track the music picks up in rhythm as well as stylistically. Gustavson's playing really comes to the fore as does Österberg's playing which is often not given its due credit. Listening to his solid playing, one realises that he is a relatively undiscovered gem in progressive drummer territory being able to fill in complex rolls and rhythms and at the same time maintain a solid backbeat to the music that was very often overshadowed by the virtuosistic performances of the other musicians. Another mention regarding this track should be made about Pohjola's bass playing which flits between duetting with the keyboards in some delightful runs as well as various spots in which he solos.

Marvelry Skimmer (Friend From The Fields) was a track that would later appear on the Being album, and is one of the few Pembroke compositions to appear on that album. As can be expected from a Pembroke composition, the track is much more commercial than most of the tracks from this concert and is drenched in various Rhythm & Blues influences. Furthermore the instrumental sections are kept to a minimum with most of the track taken up by vocals, some of which feature great harmonies from Pembroke and Gustavson. The final track from this concert is the lengthy Fairyport. Whereas the original version had its share of brass and woodwind incorporated in it, this live version is a stripped down version of the track but nevertheless the group manage to overcome this hurdle and manage to play a blistering version. This is one of the rare events where the group played a Gustavson penned track during their concerts and hearing this track one can understand how difficult it was to play such complex tracks faithfully, especially when one considers the fact that Gustavson was a perfectionist who wanted faithful executions of his album tracks.

CD 2 starts with the end of the first phase in the history of Wigwam. The last album released with Gustavson in the line-up was the live album live From The Twilight Zone, which was recorded in June 1974. The first two tracks on the CD were also recorded during the same concert from which the recordings for the album were taken. These are two Pembroke tracks that originally appeared on his second solo album, Pigworm and which had become incorporated into the Wigwam repertoire. These are Do The Pigworm and Just My Situation/Sweet Marie. Do The Pigworm is a warm track that starts off with a delightful Hammond organ solo accompanied by a soulful backing. This lasts for the first half of the track that then has Pembroke joining in on vocals though this changes in a very small fashion the outcome of the music. On other hand Just My Situation/Sweet Marie is one of Pembroke's finer compositions and it is no wonder that it became a Wigwam live standard and was also included in it's studio format on the Highlights album. The track is presented as in the studio version with Just My Situation merging into Sweet Marie and once again has that late sixties soul, much like Joe Cocker loved to infuse into his music. Even the usually hyperactive organ of Jukka Gustavson is relegated to just a filler as Pembroke belts out his soulful vocals.

Thus the remainder of the tracks on this CD deal with the post-Gstavson era in Wigwam and the first set of recordings from a gig recorded during the sessions for the recordings of Nuclear Nightclub. The three tracks on this compilation do not hail from Nuclear nightclub, but the same tracks from the album that were played on that night were included in the remastered edition of the album. Thus we have here A Better Hold (And A Little View) which would not be released in studio format as a Wigwam track but rather on Pembroke's solo album two years later. Admittedly the version present here sounds much fuller and somehow complete than the studio version. Never Turn You In would eventually end up on Lucky Golden Stripes And Starpose while No New Games To Play was also a Pembroke solo track, this time taken from the album Pigworm. Both tracks are, in true Pembroke style, rather commercial especially when compared to the earlier Wigwam tracks and the polished sound that the band were creating while playing live was a very good indication of how their future material would be. Unfortunately, this excellent version of No New Games is not complete, due to some technical error on YLE's part and so has a fade out at the end. The next two tracks consist of the single only release Tramdriver with its B-side, Wardance. the single was recorded in the UK as part of Virgin's drive to promote the band internationally, but unfortunately the single failed to chart. Admittedly this is one of the cruelties of the musical world, as one has to admit that this single is by far one of the best tracks composed by Jim Pembroke and is by far superior than most of the singles that made it into the charts at the same time as its release. Its has all the ingredients of a top single with a catchy chorus, mellow backing music without any overdone solos. Wardance was the B-side to the single issued by Love Records, as the Virgin release had Nuclear Nightclub on the B-Side. Wardance has a very mid-seventies feel to it with the recurrent off-beat almost giving the track a dance/funk feel. Though the track would be later used by the band during their reformation period in the nineties, it is a very uncharacteristic Wigwam track devoid of the original sound the band possessed.

Unfortunately this compilation fails to chronicle any live material from the Nuclear Nightclub/Lucky Golden stripes And Starpose days, the reason given being that there are no technically satisfactory recordings from this period available. Thus the story comes to a conclusion with a set of recordings from 1977 when the band played a two day concert that had Gustavson back in the fold as a temporary replacement together with Esa Kotilainen on keyboards. First up is a medley of No New Games and the solo Pembroke track Grass For Blades which could be considered a Wigwam track, as it was a staple feature of the band's live concerts. In And Out, a Wes Montgomery classic was one particular track that the band used to play often during the early stages of their career while the lengthy closing number is actually a jam session, aptly named looking For Eddie And The Boys by Rekku Rechardt.

As I mentioned earlier, this album is a gem of a compilation offering previously hard to find tracks as well as some interesting live renditions of Wigwam classics and is a definite must for anyone who considers himself a Wigwam fan.

Tracklist: CD1: Friend From The Fields (2:38), Absalom (9:22), Kite (4:22), Tramdriver (4:50), Save My Money & Name (4:27), Colossus (7:57), Simple Human Kindness (4:07), Lucky Golden Stripes And Starpose (8:48), Do Or Die (12:19)

CD2: Nuclear Nightclub (2:57), Bless Your Lucky Stars (8:30), Bertha Come Back (3:20), No New Games (8:01), Freddie Are You Ready (5:50), Eddie And The Boys (6:59), The Vegetable Rumble (5:59) Grass For Blades (12:34)

All tracks composed by Rechardt/Pembroke except for tracks CD1: 1, 3, 4, 7, CD2: 1, 3, 4, 8 composed by Pembroke

 Musicians: Måns "Måsse" Groundstroem (bass, backing vocals), Jari Kettunen (drums), Esa Kotilainen (keyboards), Pekka "Rekku" Rechardt (guitar), Jim Pembroke (vocals, keyboards)

Recorded by Tommy Eriksson at Tavastia Club, Helsinki, 18th April & 7th July 2001

Co-produced by Rekku & Måsse

Mixed & mastered by Hannu Leiden at Seawolf Studios, Helsinki

Photos by Vesa Heino, layout by Neogeo

 A new live album from Wigwam recorded while on tour earlier this year (2001). Interestingly the lineup consisted of the three stalwarts of the second incarnation of the band, namely Jim Pembroke and Pekka Rechardt together with Måns "Måsse" Groundstroem. Also present were Esa Kotilainen, who had recorded with the band on Nuclear Nightclub and "new" member Jari Kettunen.

Once again the same old problem seems to crop up during the Wigwam live concerts. The material from the first phase of their history is often deemed too complex and is omitted from their repertoire with the brunt of material played culled from two albums. Nuclear Nightclub is played out in its entirety, with just Pigstorm omitted whilst on the other hand only Friend From The Fields, from Being, appears from the band's early years. (Friend From The Fields is also known as Marvelry Skimmer). Later albums such as Dark Album and Light Ages are also represented on this double album. Furthermore, two tracks from Jim Pembroke's solo career, Bertha Come Back and Grass For Blades. Unfortunately I do not possess the album to be able to conduct a review

Related Websites

There are various websites dedicated to Wigwam, many of whom are written in Finnish. Hoever the most informative site that I came across is the Nuclear Nightclub website which features extensive information about Wigwam and its individual band members both in Finnish and in English.

Watertouch

We Never Went To The Moon

This new Swedish band introduces themselves on their website as follows: "If you imagine the scenario that Ritchie Blackmore was raised in the Swedish woods listening to Focus and Frank Zappa albums, you get a little hint of what the music sounds like - Come taste the band , Cheers !" (Too) Often the promotional lines are mainly just commercial sales talk and lack a considerable touch with reality, but in this case there's something to it!

There are indeed some noticeable Zappa and Focus influences in there, and surely the last line also refers to the Deep Purple album of the same name? But it's not automatically guaranteed that Zappa, Focus and Deep Purple fans will instantly like this album, since Watertouch does offer much originality and a specific sound of their own! The comparison with Zappa does however apply not only musically, but also for the sense of humour that is poured over the album beginning with the title, referring of course to the rumours that the whole moon landing of Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin was just staged in some high tech studio in California. On a more serious note Watertouch' singer Patrick Salin mentions on the inner sleeve: "everybody can play and sing but not everyone wants to listen". It's a nice statement to debate about between music addicts; any Internet forum that wants to take it up?

The band consists of Peter Holmstedt on bass, Eiron Johansson on drums and percussion, Patrick Salin on guitar and vocals and Per Wiberg on organ and piano and the album features several additional musicians.

But back to the humour with the first track of the album Maybe I'm A Muslim, a song title that seems to broach a very actual theme. But actually it does not since it's an instrumental song, but it does start with the sounds of a Kasbah or so and has a very oriental sound all over due to the use of a sitar and the oriental melody lines. The song is a nice up-tempo tune dominated by the sitar, a Hammond organ and guitar and later on the organ and guitar get into a more jazzy mood. Funeral Procession From Aselby is another instrumental which is not remarkable since 5 of the 7 songs on this album are one! Considering the title one should expect a sombre song, but although it's a simple tune eloquently played starting with a beautiful guitar solo, it's still an uplifting and bright song to listen to and not gloomy at all.

The far out longest song on the album The Burning of My Ashes, strangely another title associated with death, is the first vocal song. The song handles about a prostitute's ("a nightingale of the night") sorrowed life filled with regrets. The vocals, that are more spoken than sung, vary from a sort of intoxicated whispering to a tormented shouting and are not exactly premium quality but suit the song quite fine, even though it's not much to my liking. All the better there's also enough instrumental bits in this song to make it still enjoyable. Another touch of humour is the line "I chopped off my head now I am completely, completely dead" 'sung' in a way only count Dracula would speak like. It starts with a plain piano solo after which the other instruments, among which the sax that takes a prominent role, join in. The song has a bluesy feeling relieved by the bass that brings a more funky tune until the vocals kick in.  The song structure is a bit chaotic and also therefore certainly not my favourite, but the organ solo in the instrumental part is great and reminds me of Jon Lord.

Foxhunt is very Seventies styled reminding of Deep Purple and also Uriah Heep, mostly due to the excellent interaction between guitar and organ. Focus elements are indeed sufficiently present and it also reminds a bit of Rainbow. Waltz For Backtax begins in the same style as Foxhunt then the piano slows down the tempo, but it are mostly the guitar and organ who give this song shape and tune, alternating between up-tempo and a bit bluesier slowed down pace. Just Before Cleavage Hill is a mellow tune starting with a deadened sax and evokes images of a dark, smoky nightclub. A powerful organ sometimes adds to the volume of the song and interacts with the moody sax. It's not a traditional song with a start, middle section and end, it actually just flows along in a bluesy and jazzy way. The title song is the most powerful song of the album and a good closer; it's the other vocal song and of course takes on the alleged big scam of the lunar landing: "Well T-minus two, Neil was puking in the loo", "We are stuck with this lunar curse. Greetings and medallions from the Man. He didn't notice our absence of moontan".

It does not matter if you support or oppose to this theory, the music of this song is great! It starts off in a standard prog way with all instruments adding to the bombastic full sound. The lyrics are at first somewhat mysteriously sung, again more spoken than sung, and come through a vocoder, but later on a additional vocalist Tommy Andersson proves to be a better singer than Watertouch' own Patrick Salin and gives the song a more accessible and traditional prog sound. What follows are some nice instrumental parts and a good full sound enjoyable for every prog lover.

All in all this is a very interesting and enjoyable album, musically especially interesting for people who love that seventies organ sound and who prefer instrumental stuff over vocal based songs. It has several unique edges to it, certainly a style of its own although the mentioned influences are among others clearly there! It has found a good balance between 'not too complicated' and 'still enough to discover' to avoid it quickly becoming boring. It's not brilliant, but still innovative and sparkling enough to become recommended. I hesitated long if I was to give this album the minimum score that entitles it to a 'DPRP recommended' mention, but I did so in the end.

Tracklist: Maybe I'm a Muslim (7:17), Funeral Procession From Aselby (4:39), The Burning of My Ashes (10:47), Foxhunt (4:13), Waltz For Backtax (4:16), Just Before Cleavage Hill (5:26), We Never Went To The Moon (7:24)

Wakeman, Rick

Sea Airs (1989) contains the type of music that represents the good side or best of what is called "New Age" music. It is part of a piano trilogy (Country Airs, Sea Airs, Night Airs), and is very pleasant, almost soothing stuff. You can relax or study to it or whatever... Nothing spectacular, just an imaginative and musically successful disc from The Rick Wakeman New Age Collection. Unfortunately, the same cannot be said about the release A Suite of Gods (1988?), also part of Rick's New Age recordings. This almost intolerable music is a Tenor Opera sung in English (badly) by a Ramon or Remedios or somebody. At any rate, I just can't find much of any redeeming quality in this album. For me, it ranks (reeks) at the bottom of all of Rick's vast output. Perhaps if you "dig" this type of music especially, you might not rate it as Rick's worst (but again, it's not that good within the genre, either). I love Rick's work (even many "undervalued" ones like the recent Classic Tracks (1993). I just can't stomach A Suite of Gods, and wanted to warn Rick fans: BEWARE!

Rick Wakeman, keyboardist extraordinare, has had a quite prolific and varied solo career. Most are familiar with his first, and possibly best, the Six Wives of Henry VIII. Recorded when he was in Yes, it showcases his ability as a keyboardist, writer, and arranger. His second and third releases are also considered classics of his repetoire, but denounced by some as being too "pretentious," since they use full orchestra and choir. Journey to the Center of the Earth is based on the Jules Verne novel of the same name, and was recorded live. It mixes instrumental tracks, vocals, and narration to form a grand concept album. One weakness felt by some is Wakeman's poor choice of vocalists. Arthur, while similiar in scope, is a studio recording. It is musically strong, recounting tales of knights and such. Some great keyboards here. Lisztomania is the soundtrack to a film by Kurt Russel, starring Roger Daltry. It is a rock opera about Liszt. White Rock is the soundtrack to a film about the 1976 winter olympics. This is one of his stronger efforts, made up of all instrumental keyboard type pieces. Great minimoog jamming on the title cut. In '76, his group was called the English Rock ensemble, and was pared down from a full orchestra to standard rock instrumentation plus a few horns. No Earthly Connection is a strange album. It is supposed to be about the universality of music, or something like that. It's kind of strange, and musically kind of cheesy. However, in '77 saw him return to Yes and return to form. Criminal Record is one of his best releases, helped by Alan White and Chris Squire. Six pieces having to do with criminal justice, it showcases Wakeman at his best. A great keyboard album [this is the album in which he uses the Birotron, a Mellotron substitute he co-invented with David Biro -Ed.]. His swansong with A&M records, Rhapsodies, is a mixed bag. It has some great uptempo keyboard songs (including his version of "Rhapsody in Blue"), and a couple nice piano ballades, but also included are some cheesy/goofy pieces that you'll want to skip over. Since it is a two album set, he should have put the best cuts onto one record. Would have made it much better. Throughout the '80s and '90s, he has put out many things ranging from concept albums, modern rock, new age keyboards, and solo piano. Here are descriptions of most of these albums, by a few different people:

 1984: This is a conceptual album based on the novel of the same name. One of the tracks features vocals by Jon Anderson, and the lyrics are, as below, by Tim Rice. The music has a "rockier" edge than Cost Of Living, but there is no shortage of Wakeman's lead and chord work on keyboards. Features full orchestra on some cuts. Vocals provided by Chaka Khan and Jon Anderson, a few instrumental. One of his better '80s output.

Cost Of Living: This effort seems to somehow bridge the gap between the earlier symphonic, conceptual works, and the later, keyboard-rock releases. The music contains snatches of vintage Wakeman, with dramatic keyboard passages, and wall-of-chords. The lyrics are by Tim Rice, and reflect his background in composition for theatre/musicals. The CD concludes with a narration of Thomas Gray's "Elegy - Written In A Country Churchyard" over a keyboard background, and makes for a compelling ending. In conclusion, anyone who enjoys Wakeman's work will probably enjoy this CD.

Black Knights At The Court Of Ferdinand IV: Featuring the operatic Italian vocals of Mario Fasciano and the multi-keyboards of Wakeman, this work is quite reminiscent of much of the Italian progressive music of the seventies. The keyboards are much in the forefront, with echoes of Wakeman's work on Six Wives ... and ... King Arthur... coming to mind, with a more digital sound, on certain tracks. Parts of the CD also sound like PFM-meets-Tangerine Dream (I kid you not!). An excellent piece of work that should not disappoint Wakeman-philes.

Night Airs: The final work in his trilogy of solo piano excursions, providing conclusive evidence of Wakeman's virtuosity on the piano. All the tracks are very well developed, with a strong nod to classical composition techniques, mixed in with melodic rock influences.

Family Album is a simple, new age album. The pieces are named after all the members of his family (wife, mom, dad, kids, pets). They are based around piano, with simple synth orchestration. One piece (NIna) would later be re-done with lyrics as "The Meeting" from the AWBH album.

Phantom Power "The music on this CD was composed and recorded especially for a 1990's relaunch of the 1925 Universal Screen version of "Phantom Of The Opera"...operatic rock to fearful ballads, covering the spectrum of moods that encompassed the 90 minute epic," (quoted from the liner notes) describes the music on this CD quite well. There are tracks with vocalists, and short instrumental tracks, all of which are dominated by the melodic keyboard work of Wakeman. It is similar in spirit to the recent Freudiana soundtrack by Eric Woolfson and the Alan Parsons Project, and at times is reminiscent of mid-to-late-period Mike Oldfield, a la Five Miles Out and Islands.

The Classical Connection: Fusing the concepts of his piano solo trilogy with his past, Wakeman presents virtuosic piano arangements of many of his classics, augmented by the spare guitarwork of David Paton. Including many of his "hits," such as "Catherine Of Aragon," "Merlin The Magician," and a couple that I cannot recall seeing on earlier releases, such as "Elgin," this is the latest offering from Wakeman on the UK Ambient label.

Aspirant Sunrise/Aspirant Sunset/Aspirant Sunshadows/Classical Connection II/African Bach: the "Aspirant" series consist of more ... er ... meditative music, gentle compositions featuring keyboards and piano. Classical Connection II is a follow-up to the first one, and features piano with minimal accompaniments, except on a couple of fully orchestrated tracks and also includes a version of "Birdman Of Alcatraz" from Criminal Record. African Bach features vocal-fronted keyboard rock, similar in style to the 1984 and Cost Of Living releases, but seemingly more aggressive.

The Private Collection: As the title implies this is a collection of Wakeman's music. However, only two of the titles are from releases that I know, while the remaining seven are new to this CD. The music varies between fully orchestrated and symphonic pieces, such as "The Battle" from Journey To The Centre Of The Earth, to solo piano pieces, a couple of which are in excess of 10 minutes apiece. This collection sums up much of what Wakeman has been involved in during the eighties, and is a fine addition to the collection of anyone who enjoys high-quality, technically brilliant, keyboard music.

2000 A.D. Into The Future: Features a Roger-Dean'ish cover. To quote the liner notes "...is a collection of virtuoso digital and analogue keyboard playing...and was originally conceived for a series of futuristic films...." The music does convey that theme fairly well, and is at times similar to others in the genre, such as Yanni, without the latter's tendency towards sameness. One of the tracks even sounds as if it were inspired by Mark Shreeve!

Softsword (King John & The Magna Charter): Based on music composed for the grand finale of a UK Dickens Festival. This CD features regulars Chrissie Hammond, Stuart Sawney, and David Paton. The music, as usual, features the keyboard pyrotechincs of Wakeman, and combines the symphonic aspects of his earlier works with dramatic vocals. Five of the eleven tracks are instrumental.

Wakeman With Wakeman/A World Of Wisdom: The collaboration with son Adam is well crafted keyboard rock along the lines of 2000 A.D., while World Of Wisdom features tunes sung by comedian Norman Wisdom set to the music of Rick Wakeman, perhaps of most significance to Wakeman- collectors.

Crimes Of Passion: A somewhat obscure 1986 soundtrack. Most of the tracks are instrumental, and have Wakeman accompanied by Tony Fernandez and Rick Fenn (of Mason/Fenn fame). Musically, this release is not one to blaze new trails in the jungle of keyboard rock, but is, ultimately, listenable, comparable in style to 1984, Cost Of Living, etc.

Rock 'N' Roll Prophet: "It takes an album of music such as this to really know who your friends are...," an appropriate observation under the circumstances. The combination of a steady beat, bass, and vocals seem to indicate an attempt to make a dance album, and on that basis, this is a reasonable piece of work, I suppose. However, coming as it does from Wakeman, this is more of a curiosity, or to be less charitable, an aberration. The music has its moments, but I would personally recommend this only to inveterate Wakeman-philes. The CD reissue has four bonus tracks, all instrumental, recorded in 1993, which are more along the lines of the recent works such as 2000 A.D. and the like, and do rescue this CD to some extent.

Classic Tracks: This is a German release featuring a re-recording of three prime Wakeman tracks from the seventies. They are "Journey To The Center Of The Earth" (just under 32 minutes in length), "Catherine Howard," and "Merlin The Magician." Wakeman plays keyboards with all the flourishes and solos that harken back to his glory days, accompanied by four, relatively unknown, American musicians. The contemporary interpretations are pretty energetic, and manage to maintain the spirit of the older compositions, and should be quite acceptable to anyone who enjoyed the originals.

Suite of Gods: A bit of Wakeman new age stuff with a pretty good opera singer. It took me a while to get used to the bombastic singing on this, but other than that, it's pretty good, although not one of my most listened to Wakeman discs.

No Expense Spared: A weak follow up to his first album with his son Adam, who is a decent keysman in his own right. Basically Rick let his son write most of the stuff, and it tends to be a bit more in the straight pop/rock type vein, although Rick does grace the disc with many of the solos. Personally, I'd say get this one near the end of your collection unless you've heard and liked Adam Wakeman's solo stuff (Soliloquy I think his album is). It is NOT like the first WwW disc which in my opinion kicks serious ass.

Greatest Hits is a two disc recording, basically re-recordings of older tunes. They differ from Classic Tracks in that everything is instrumental. Disc one is his versions of various Yes tunes, while disc two are some of his best known works, like "Journey," etc. Great, lush, keyboard album, IMO. It blurrs the line between progressive and new age, so if you don't like that, stay away, but a definite must for all Wakeman fans.

Time Machine is a slick rock production. It features a few different vocalists. The tracks with Ashley Holt can be unlistenable (why does Rick keep using this guy?), but three of the tracks feature Tracey Ackerman, a great female vocalist. Modern, uptempo rock with some good keyboard action sums this one up.

Silent Nights is another more accessable album. Features mostly uptempo rock vocal tracks, with a few new agey instrumentals to balance things out. Not bad for this type of thing, but a couple of tracks are on the cheesy side.

Live at Hammersmith is obviously a live recording, from 1985, with the same bandmembers as on Silent Nights. However, all the pieces are from Six Wives, Journey, and Arthur. I think it's a great live recording, with updated renditions of his classic pieces.

The Official Bootleg is a two disc recording of the tour. It features selections from Journey, Arthur, Six Wives, a couple from the WwW studio albums, and a couple rock covers. Great keyboard artistry from father and son, backed up by Tony Fernandez and Alan Thompson. Solos galore.

Zodiaque is a simple new age album, with 12 pieces based on the signs of the zodiaque. I really like this disc to relax to. It is made up of simple synthesizer arrangements, with electronic percussion ably provided by Tony Fernandez. All instrumental.

Heritage Suite: The prolific keyboardist emerges again, with a collection of piano compositions, in the style of Country Airs and Classical Connection. The pieces herein vary from the upbeat to the introspective, with scattered riffs that recall passages from his solo works from the seventies. The concept underlying this release is the inspiration that Wakeman has drawn from the natural splendour and cultural heritage of the Isle Of Man, a place which he calls home.

Light up the Sky is a four song EP. The first two are vocal tracks, which are nice and upbeat. The third and fourth are instrumental, and I like the fourth one in particular, "The Bear." Shows echoes of his glory days, and shows he's still got it. -- Alan Mallery, Ranjit Padmanabhan, John Santore

was around when Wakeman was with Yes the first time, and it was during this time that he released The Six Wives of Henry VIII. I played that album to death, learning every note, every nuance of the album. I even tried to play some of it (badly) on piano by ear. If I had met Wakeman in those days, I would have fallen on my knees and grovelled before him, like Wayne and Garth before Alice Cooper: "We're not worthy!". I waited with bated breath the release of his follow-up album Journey to the Center of the Earth. I heard he was going to use a symphony orchestra to go along with his multi-keyboard setup, and I just couldn't imagine anything cooler than that.

To say I was disappointed would be perhaps a bit too strong. But it certainly didn't meet up with my expectations. The songs were a bit boring and simplified compared to Henry VIII to accomodate the vocals, the synthesizers too "live" sounding and buzzy, the lyrics were cheezy beyond pardon, and that vocalist made me want to barf every time I heard him. I thought "nice try, Rick, but no cigar". My grovelling days ended.

After this, Rick did Myths and Legends of King Arthur, which I thought was sort of OK, and then several more which I found to be very boring. Rick sort of fell off my radar screen, and I hadn't bothered to listen to anything he'd done in the last 20 years or so. But recently I read a review in a gamer's magazine (of all places!) extolling the virtues of playing the new Rick Wakeman album while playing Dungeons and Dragons. The new album was named Return to the Center of the Earth. The reviewer talked about the original Journey album and obviously felt the same way I did about it, so I figured that if he disliked the old one for the same reasons I did, I might enjoy the new one as he did. So I "hinted" to my wife and got it for a birthday present.

The bottom line is: it's actually pretty cool. It's more new-agey than the original, not as progressive to be sure. But, the narrator is Patrick Stewart of Star Trek The Next Generation fame, and he can make even the most silly and purple prose (which this certainly is) sound very important and compelling. The vocalists are far more well-matched to the pieces than on the original recording, and the recording quality is ... well ... 25 years ahead of the original recording, and sounds like it. The buzzy synths are gone, and the keyboards now actually integrate well with the orchestra and choir. OK, the lyrics and narration are every bit as cheezy as the first time around, but this is supposed to be bombastic and overdone. I really think that Wakeman pulls it off this time. I would recommend this album to most symphonic prog lovers, and Wakeman fans in particular.

Piano Vibrations (71)
The Six Wives of Henry VIII (73)
Journey to the Centre of the Earth (74)
The Myths & Legends of King Arthur & The Knights of the Round Table (75)
Lisztomania (75, Soundtrack)
No Earthly Connection (76)
Rick Wakeman's Criminal Record (77)
White Rock (77, Soundtrack)
Animal Showdown (79)
Rhapsodies (79, 2LP)
I'm So Straight I'm A Weirdo (80)
1984 (81, w/ Tim Rice)
The Burning (81, Soundtrack)
Rock n Roll Prophet (82)
Cost of Living (83, w/ Tim Rice)
G'ole! (83, Soundtrack)
Glory Boys (84)
Silent Nights (85)
Lytton's Diary (85)
Live at Hammersmith (85, Live)
Crimes of Passion (86)
Country Airs (Original) (86)
The Gospels (87)
The Family Album (87)
Creepshow II (87, Soundtrack)
A Suite of Gods (88, w/ Ramon Remedios)
20th Anniversary Limited Edition (88, Compilation)
Zodiaque (88, w/ Tony Fernandez)
Time Machine (88)
The Word and The Gospels (88)
Black Knights at the Court of Ferdinand IV (89)
Sea Airs (89)
In The Beginning (90)
Night Airs (90)
Phantom Power (90)
Aspirant Sunrise (91)
Softsword (91)
African Bach (91)
2000AD Into The Future (91)
Rock n Roll Prophet Plus (91)
The Classical Connection (91, Compilation)
Aspirant Sunset (91)
Aspirant Sunshadows (91)
Best Works Collection (92, Compilation)
Country Airs (92)
The Classical Connection 2 (93)
Wakeman with Wakeman (93, w/ Adam Wakeman)
The Heritage Suite (93)
No Expense Spared (93)
Prayers (93)
Classic Tracks (93)
Unleashing The Tethered One - The 1974 North American Tour (93)
Live On The Test (94)
The Stage Collection (94)
Lure of the Wild (94)
Wakeman with Wakeman - The Official Bootleg (94, w/ Adam Wakeman)
Rick Wakeman's Greatest Hits (94)
Light Up The Sky (94, EP)
Wakeman with Wakeman Live (94)
Rock & Pop Legends (95)
The Piano Album (95)
Cirque Surreal (95)
Romance of the Victorian Age (95)
Visions (95)
The Seven Wonders of the World (95)
Rick Wakeman In Concert (95)
Almost Live in Europe (95)
The Private Collection (95)
Simply Acoustic Video (96)
Can You Hear Me? (96)
Tapestries (96, w/ Adam Wakeman)
The New Gospels Video (96)
The Word and Music (96)
The New Gospels (96)
Fields of Green (96)
Voyage (96)
Orisons (96)
Vignettes (96)
Welcome a Star (96)
Fields of Green '97 (97)
Fields of Green Maxi-Single (97)
The Piano Tour Live (97)
Simply Acoustic - The Music (97)
Tribute (97)
Rick Wakeman Live Video (98)
Themes (98)
Master Series (98)
Official Live Bootleg (99)
Stella Bianca alla corte de Re Ferdinando (99)
The Art in Music Trilogy (99)
The Natural World Trilogy (99)
White Rock II (99)
The Masters (99)
Return To The Centre Of The Earth (99)
Chronicles of Man (00)
Christmas Variations (00)
Rick Wakeman Live in Concert 2000 DVD (00)
Rick Wakeman Live in Concert 2000 CD (00)
An Evening with Rick Wakeman Video (00)
Recollections - The Very Best of Rick Wakeman (00, Compilation)
The Caped Collection (00)
Morning Has Broken (00)
Preludes to a Century (00

WATCH

There is a huge difference between Simone Rossetti on stage and off stage. First of all there’s the make-up but most importantly Simone is a gentle person off stage but a determined frontperson on stage. In the spotlights our Italian friend turns into an actor adding tons of drama to his performance whilst he sounds like Peter Gabriel’s twin brother. Whilst several coverbands are trying to relive the heydays of Genesis, The Watch delivers brandnew material which sounds like unreleased gems from the “Foxtrot”, “Trespass”, Nursery crime” period. With the new album “Vacuum” finally ready it’s about time the world got to witness the power of the 21^st century Genesis : The Watch !

‘Sometimes people ask me if I have to force my voice to sound like Peter Gabriel but in all honesty I can tell you that to me it’s the most natural way to sing. What you hear is what I feel inside and the right way to express my emotions. I live for music and The Watch is a very important part of my life. The fact that my voice gets so close to that of early Peter Gabriel is a nice bonus. All of the band love Genesis so of course we want to create that kind of atmosphere if we can but although few people believe us it all comes naturally. We don’t force ourselves to sound like Genesis. The way we compose and arrange our music results in a seventies feel which gets ever so close to authentic Genesis. We are all very proud about that. Even when we started as The Night Watch we have never looked out for people who played like the Genesis members. Every single musician that has ever worked with me always puts in his personal style, his own feeling. That’s why it’s such a difficult search in order to find people who think along the same lines. I’m very proud to say that we have finally found the perfect balance in the band so that every single member can put his personal ideas forward whilst still resulting in the kind of music we all see as pure The Watch. The main thing for us is to make nice compositions. When we put ‘Get ‘em out by friday’ in our set as kind of a tribute to our big heroes, the song no longer stands out as being a Genesis cover. It blends ever so well with our own compositions which is proof to us that we’re doing the right thing. Sometimes by using the right kind of synth for instance it’s not so difficult to create a typical atmosphere which then sounds similar to a kind of atmosphere one has heard before. On top of that when people see us live they see that what we do is not fake as everything comes from the heart. I sing with emotion whilst the other members of the band also play from the heart.’

The debut album “Twilight” released in 1997 was released under the name of The Night Watch. Four years later “Ghost” was released under the moniker of The Watch. Why the change in name ? ‘This was due to some bureaucratic problems. Because we changed the line-up someone who no longer was part of the new line-up claimed the name so it became impossible for us to continue as The Night Watch. If we did he might have sued us and as I said before we are only doing this because of the sake of the music. We don’t want any arguments. So although it meant that we virtually had to start from scratch we changed our name to The Watch releasing our third album with “Vacuum”. We see “Twilight” by The Night Watch as a project, as our humble beginnings. We closed that period and emerged as The Watch entering the second fase in our career if you like. There is no way we will re-release “Twilight” under the name The Watch. Also the three tracks we recorded and released as a promotional disc in 1999 still as The Night Watch (‘New heroes’, ‘Fading’ and ‘When death caught me in the sleep’) will never be released even as bonustracks. The band has grown over the years and we know that we have much more interesting material to offer in the future. We are constantly looking ahead from now on ! When you compare “Vacuum” with “Ghost” you will hear that the sound is more mature on both albums but that we worked harder on the last album than ever before. We recorded both albums in the same studio but this time around we spend no less than one whole year recording “Vacuum”. The Studiolab is a fantastic recording studio working with big names in Italy so we tried to fit the recordings for The Watch in when the studio was free. In order to promote the new album we intend to add visuals when we go on tour whilst we will also buy some extra equipment such as a real Mellotron. As we are planning to also record and issue a DVD of course we’ll take more care of the visual aspect as well. So bit by bit the dream we all have is getting closer and closer to reality. The shooting for the DVD probably will be a one-off shot in a theatre in Milan. As Simone Stucchi is an artistic conductor for a theatre company in Milan it makes things easier for us.’

Both yourself and guitarplayer Ettore Salati had a classical upbringing. To what extent would you say has this classical background added to composing and arranging for The Watch ? ‘When you have knowledge about classical music it offers you ‘tricks’ what harmonies are concerned. People who are into classical music have an open mind into approaching music. We appreciate classical music a lot and try to reach a similar impact in the studio. We search for the best options whether we add certain instruments or leave some instruments out. Sometimes it sounds better with less so that you really create this great depth in the music. Sometimes when you listen to an album by The Watch in your car stereo you have to pump up the volume and the next moment you have to take the volume down again. That’s the kind of audio wave we want to create in our music and I guess you can compare this atmosphere with certain aspects of classical music. The piano and the forte are very important ! In fact we were very lucky because Sergio Taglioni who plays keyboards on “Vacuum” teaches sound design in a very important school of classical music directors. We have been given the opportunity to record a song, which is not included on “Vacuum”, with an orchestra. It’s a new four minute song which we’ll probably record in the summer of 2005. It’s also going to be filmed but we don’t know what we’ll do with it at this point. We also were able to record a video for ‘Out of the land’ the fifth song on “Vacuum”. That particular song contains the atmosphere of the mountains as we live close to the Alpes. There are a couple of programmes on Italian television such as Rock TV which occasionaly talks about progressive rock so hopefully they will broadcast our video a couple of times. On top of that when I get on stage I become an actor. An actor needs to change expressions, to change situations and atmospheres. During one of the songs I put on this blonde wig which make me look like Mozart. There I play the role of an orchestra director. That particular song tells about the similarities between homeless people and the aristocracy.’

Those of you who witnessed The Watch live most certainly saw a wonderful show so isn’t it about time the band got to play in America ? ‘Very often our American fans ask us when we will come over to perform in America. A couple of years ago we did play Baja Prog but right now our management is trying to get us to play in America. The difficulty is that America is such a huge place so if we would play Los Angeles people in New York might be angry that we didn’t play in their city and vice versa. On top of that there’s the huge cost to come over so we would really need kind of a tour to happen in America to make it financially possible. The Watch most certainly is interested to make the trip so hopefully it will happen very soon. Also there’s a chance that “Vacuum” will be released on vinyl. The Italian based Black Widow Records has shown an interested to make a limited run on vinyl so knowing there are a lot of vinyl enthousiasts in the States that’s probably something to look out for as well. The main reason why the CD version of “Vacuum” was slightly delayed was because of the artwork. As we also wanted to release the album as a digipack we couldn’t rush into it so when the previous design suddenly could not be used so it took us some extra time to come up with a different design.’

With The Watch being such an important factor in his life where do we have to look for the influences of Simone Rossetti ? ‘What acting is concerned this has to be Alberto Sordi. Born in Rome this great Italian actor died in 2003 having worked amongst others with Federico Fellini in “I vitelloni”. Of course Genesis is and will always remain a huge influence in my life. I should also not forget The Beatles who are simply the best ever. I also very much like David Bowie mainly what his stage presecence is concerned. To me he’s more theatrical than Genesis. Believe it or not but I’d be more than happy to meet Simon Le Bon (Duran Duran) and talk to him because I think his voice is very particular. If I’d win the lottery I’d spend a small part of my budget to hire Roger Hodgson but I will remain loyal to the rest of The Watch and spend the rest of my money on a great liveshow. And all because the ideal experience is to ‘watch’ The Watch !’