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  | TASAVALLAN PRESIDENTTI ~ CHANGING TIMES AND MOVEMENTS
SVART 386 (Barcode: 6430077093980) ~ FINLAND ~ Jazz-Rock Fusion
Recorded: 1970 - 1971 Released: 2021
This is a brilliant archival album by the pioneering Finnish Jazz-Rock Fusion / Progressive Rock group Tasavallan PresidenttiFind albums by this artist, which presents live recordings captured in Finland and Sweden in 1970 and 1971. The group was fronted by British vocalist / lyricist Frank RobsonFind albums by this artist and included saxophonist / flautist Pekka PoyryFind albums by this artist, guitarist Jukka TolonenFind albums by this artist, bassist Mans GroundstroemFind albums by this artist and drummer Vesa AaltonenFind albums by this artist. The 2CD album presents thirteen tracks recorded at three separate concerts. The music is all original, except for one song (repeated twice), from the debut album “Ahead Rings OutFind albums with this title” by the brilliant British band Blodwyn PigFind albums by this artist.
Most of the material performed here was recorded for the groups second album “Tasavallan Presidentti (II)Find albums with this title” in August 1970, but was not released until spring of 1971, and therefore was yet unknown to the audiences. These live recordings, all of which offer brilliant sound quality, offer a completely new view of the legendary group, presenting them as improvisers and incredible soloists. Three of the tracks last between thirteen and seventeen minutes and are an orgy of Jazz-Rock Fusion extensive improvisation, mostly by Poyry and Tolonen (who was barely eighteen at the time).
This album is an invaluable addition to the Tasavallan Presidentti recorded legacy, especially since the group never released a live album, and is a perfect companion to the “Live In LambertlandFind albums with this title” archival album, also released earlier on Svart Records, who do an absolutely fabulous job with reissues of great Finnish music.
For European Jazz-Rock Fusion enthusiasts, this is an absolute must of course!
| | Updated: 28/07/2021Posted: 28/07/2021 | CD 2 Remastered Recommend To A Friend |
  | TASAVALLAN PRESIDENTTI ~ LAMBERTLAND
SVART 250 (Barcode: 6430065588511) ~ FINLAND ~ Progressive Rock
Recorded: 1972 Released: 2019
This is a reissue of the third album by the seminal Finnish Jazz-Rock Fusion / Progressive Rock group Tasavallan PresidenttiFind albums by this artist (Eng. President of the Republic). This album was recorded in Finland and Sweden (vocals only) and originally released internationally on SonetFind albums on this label Records and locally on LoveFind albums on this label Records.
The group was founded in 1969 by two ex-members of the group Blues SectionFind albums by this artist: bassist / keyboardist Mans GroundstroemFind albums by this artist and British vocalist Frank RobsonFind albums by this artist and two members of HelpFind albums by this artist (led by vocalist Eero RaittinenFind albums by this artist): drummer Vesa AaltonenFind albums by this artist and guitarist Jukka TolonenFind albums by this artist and finally a seasoned saxophonist / flautist Juhani AaltonenFind albums by this artist, Vesa´s brother, who was a member of SoulsetFind albums by this artist. The group recorded their debut album the same year, which was one of the earliest releases on the absolutely legendary Finnish Love Records (catalog number LRLP 7), the home of the dazzling Finish music of the late 1960s and 1970s, which released an astonishing catalog of almost 400 LPs.
By the time this album was recorded Juhani Aaltonen left to be replaced by another superb saxophone / flute player Pekka PoyryFind albums by this artist and so did Frank Robson, who was replaced by Eero Raittinen (see above). Tolonen, who started to develop a successful solo career and released his debut album "Tolonen!Find albums with this title" in 1971 (also on Sonet), became the group´s resident composer and wrote almost all the music on this album, except for one piece, which was composed by Poyry. The album presented six extended tracks, two of which were instrumentals. The lyrics were written by bassist Mats HuldenFind albums by this artist, founding member of WigwamFind albums by this artist, "the other" seminal Finnish Prog supergroup at the time. This expanded edition adds the two sides of the band´s single as bonus tracks.
The music is classic Progressive Rock of the period, with complex compositions often combining several themes into a single musical piece. The vocal parts are relatively limited and most of the music is devoted to instrumental improvisations, with a strong Jazzy influence, which continues the Jazz-Rock element of the earlier albums. Tolonen and Poyry offer plenty of bloodcurdling soloing, which remains completely relevant to this very day. In retrospect this album stands out as one of the finest achievements of the European Prog in early 1970s, before the genre lost most of its steam and originality in the years that followed.
For lovers of early European Jazz-Rock Fusion and Progressive Rock this is an absolute gem and a must in any serious music collection of that period. Thanks to the great Finnish SvartFind albums on this label Records for their fantastic job of keeping the Finnish musical legacy alive.
| | Updated: 21/04/2020Posted: 21/04/2020 | CD 1 Remastered Bonus Tracks Recommend To A Friend |
  | TASAVALLAN PRESIDENTTI ~ LIVE IN LAMBERTLAND
SVART 387 (Barcode: 6430065588559) ~ FINLAND ~ Jazz-Rock Fusion
Recorded: 1972 Released: 2019
This is an archival album by the seminal Finnish Jazz-Rock Fusion / Progressive Rock group Tasavallan PresidenttiFind albums by this artist (Eng. President of the Republic). This material was recorded live on three separate occasions in the summer of 1972, after the album "LambertlandFind albums with this title" was recorded in the studio in the spring of that year, and offers mostly renditions of the material from that album except for one composition originating from the debut alum by the guitarist (see below). The recordings were done by the YLE (Finnish Broadcasting Company), which similarly to the BBC has bottomless archives of absolutely sensational material recorded over the years, which offers an amazing opportunity to hear past treasures, usually captured with a superb sound quality. All the material on this 2CD album was previously unissued.
The group was founded in 1969 by two ex-members of the group Blues SectionFind albums by this artist: bassist / keyboardist Mans GroundstroemFind albums by this artist and British vocalist Frank RobsonFind albums by this artist and two members of HelpFind albums by this artist (led by vocalist Eero RaittinenFind albums by this artist): drummer Vesa AaltonenFind albums by this artist and guitarist Jukka TolonenFind albums by this artist and finally a seasoned saxophonist / flautist Juhani AaltonenFind albums by this artist, Vesa´s brother, who was a member of SoulsetFind albums by this artist. The group recorded their debut album the same year, which was one of the earliest releases on the absolutely legendary Finnish LoveFind albums on this label Records (catalog number LRLP 7), the home of the dazzling Finish music of the late 1960s and 1970s, which released an astonishing catalog of almost 400 LPs.
By the time this material was recorded Juhani Aaltonen left to be replaced by another superb saxophone / flute player Pekka PoyryFind albums by this artist and so did Frank Robson, who was replaced by Eero Raittinen (see above). Tolonen, who started to develop a successful solo career and released his debut album "Tolonen!Find albums with this title" in 1971 (on SonetFind albums on this label), became the group´s resident composer and wrote almost all the music on the "Lambertland" album, except for one piece, which was composed by Poyry. The lyrics were written by bassist Mats HuldenFind albums by this artist, founding member of WigwamFind albums by this artist, "the other" seminal Finnish Prog supergroup at the time.
The music, as usual with live recordings, offers much more expanded versions of the studio material, which feature long and complex instrumental improvisations, and as a result bring this music closer to the Jazz-Rock Fusion idiom than the original album´s Progressive Rock ambience. The strong Jazzy influence is more obvious and allows Tolonen and Poyry to produce plenty of bloodcurdling soloing, superbly supported by the rhythm section and even the vocal parts feature some wordless vocalese. Overall this music is a splendid example what this group was capable off at their absolute best.
For lovers of early European Jazz-Rock Fusion and Progressive Rock this is an absolute gem and a must in any serious music collection of that period. Thanks to the great Finnish SvartFind albums on this label Records for their fantastic job of keeping the Finnish musical legacy alive.
| | Updated: 24/04/2020Posted: 24/04/2020 | CD 2 Remastered Recommend To A Friend |
  | TASAVALLAN PRESIDENTTI ~ TASAVALLAN PRESIDENTTI (II)
SVART 298 (Barcode: 6430065588535) ~ FINLAND ~ Jazz-Blues Fusion
Recorded: 1970 Released: 2019
This is a reissue of the second album by the seminal Finnish Jazz-Rock Fusion / Progressive Rock group Tasavallan PresidenttiFind albums by this artist (Eng. President of the Republic). This album, same as the debut, was also eponymous and therefore its title is often supplemented with (II) to distinguish between the two. This album was recorded in Sweden and originally released on Swedish EMIFind albums on this label in hope of exposing the group to a wider European audience.
The group was founded in 1969 by two ex-members of the group Blues SectionFind albums by this artist: bassist / keyboardist Mans GroundstroemFind albums by this artist and British vocalist Frank RobsonFind albums by this artist and two members of HelpFind albums by this artist (led by vocalist Eero RaittinenFind albums by this artist): drummer Vesa AaltonenFind albums by this artist and guitarist Jukka TolonenFind albums by this artist and finally a seasoned saxophonist / flautist Juhani AaltonenFind albums by this artist, Vesa´s brother, who was a member of SoulsetFind albums by this artist. The group recorded their debut album the same year, which was one of the earliest releases on the absolutely legendary Finnish LoveFind albums on this label Records (catalog number LRLP 7), the home of the dazzling Finish music of the late 1960s and 1970s, which released an astonishing catalog of almost 400 LPs.
By the time this album was recorded Juhani Aaltonen left to be replaced by another superb saxophone / flute player Pekka PoyryFind albums by this artist. The album presents nine original tunes, eight of which feature lyrics (in English) by Robson. The music was composed by Groundstroem, Tolonen and Robson or co-composed by all members of the group.
The music is absolutely stunning and every bit as good as the best efforts produced at the time in the UK. With a big heavy sound, obvious Blues influence and featuring wicked flute solos it resembles the early albums by Jethro TullFind albums by this artist and many other proto Jazz-Rock Fusion and Progressive bands of the era. Robson´s expressive vocals and English accent make this music sound as if produced by a British group, which enabled Tasavallan Presidentti to tour the UK several times, where I heard and met them for the first time.
The unique combination of extraordinary instrumental abilities and sublime songwriting, which was about to explode on their next album "LambertlandFind albums with this title" made Tasavallan Presidentti one of the unforgettable and iconic bands in Finnish music history, which in its entirety remains one of the greatest hidden treasures of the European music scene.
For lovers of early European Jazz-Rock Fusion and Progressive Rock this is an absolute gem and a must in any serious music collection of that period. Thanks to the great Finnish SvartFind albums on this label Records for their fantastic job of keeping the Finnish musical legacy alive.
| | Updated: 21/04/2020Posted: 20/04/2020 | CD 1 Remastered Recommend To A Friend |
  | TASAVALLAN PRESIDENTTI ~ THE LOST 1971 STUDIO SESSION
SVART 662 (Barcode: 6430080231041) ~ FINLAND ~ Jazz-Rock Fusion
Recorded: 1971 Released: 2022
This is an archival release by the legendary Finnish Jazz-Rock Fusion / Progressive Rock group Tasavallan PresidenttiFind albums by this artist. It presents four tracks recorded by the first lineup of the group, which included British vocalist Frank RobsonFind albums by this artist, flautists / saxophonist / keyboardist Pekka PoyryFind albums by this artist, guitarist Jukka TolonenFind albums by this artist, bassist Mans GroundstroemFind albums by this artist and drummer Vesa AaltonenFind albums by this artist. The music was recorded by the YLE (Finnish Broadcasting Company) in the autumn of 1971 and offers an exceptional sound quality and clarity. All the material is previously unreleased.
The album presents just four tracks, two of which are of extended duration (13 or 16 minutes+) and the other two are shorter (4 or 7 minutes+), which means that the band were able to play at will without any time restrictions set by the studio. The material was composed by Tolonen (first two pieces) or co-composed by the band members (the last two pieces).
Musically the band was light-years ahead of most of their contemporaries, both in Finland and in Europe at large, mixing Rock with Jazz and even Improvised Music already at this early stage. The two expanded pieces show how the music flowed organically incorporating some pre-composed material and then improvising on the themes at length. Especially interesting are the parts of the improvisations, which are completely Free Form and spontaneously created in the spur of the moment, which of course was quite normal in Jazz but rarely encountered in Rock or Prog.
Overall, this is an absolutely astounding find as far as Finnish music is concerned and a Milestone of recorded Finnish music of the early 1970s, both thanks to the quality and scarcity of such material and the incredible sound quality it was preserved in. This is an absolute must have for all Finnish / European Fusion / Prog fans, no questions asked!
| | Updated: 15/02/2023Posted: 15/02/2023 | CD 1 Remastered Recommend To A Friend |
  | WIGWAM ~ DARK ALBUM (50TH ANNIVERSARY EXTENDED EDITION)
SVART 161 (Barcode: 6430065585213) ~ FINLAND ~ Progressive Rock
Recorded: 1977 Released: 2018
This is a reissue of the eighth (and last by the original group) album by the iconic Finnish Prog band WigwamFind albums by this artist, which featured a new lineup of the group and marked a new period in the band´s career, often referred to as Wigwam Mk. II. Following the departure of keyboardist Jukka GustavsonFind albums by this artist and bassist Pekka PohjolaFind albums by this artist, the two remaining members: vocalist / pianist Jim PembrokeFind albums by this artist and drummer Ronnie OsterbergFind albums by this artist were joined by guitarist Pekka RechardtFind albums by this artist and bassist Mans GroundstroemFind albums by this artist. Keyboardists Jukka Gustavson and Hessu HietanenFind albums by this artist added keyboard work on the tracks but the lineup reverted to a quartet again. The original album presented eight original songs, five composed by Rechardt and three by Pembroke, all featuring lyrics written by Pembroke (except for one, which was a poem), who was a British expatriate and could naturally handle the lyrics in English flawlessly. This remastered and expanded edition adds a second CD, which includes the demo version of the album including first mix of six tracks, which was rejected by VirginFind albums on this label Records (the British label that released the two previous albums in the UK).
The music, although undoubtedly somewhat less strictly Prog oriented, is by all means absolutely brilliant, wonderfully combining the excellent songwriting with perfect performances, full of great instrumental parts. Wigwam were, as it often happened with the capricious Prog fanatics, accused for taking a more commercial path, but the band, which suffered from a dichotomy in its ranks since its inception, was now completely united behind their musical output and quite honestly read well the changing Prog landscape, which pulled many of the classic Prog bands towards a more song oriented direction. Although this album is often described as outwardly commercial, is not really that different from its two predecessors, and the difference is mostly due to the different sound ambience rather than the music itself.
The collected talents of Wigwam´s members still made it one of the best Prog band in Europe and even worldwide, and if not for the fact that they originated from Finland, they would have probably reached to top of the Prog peak. This album was released in the UK and a few other countries, bringing the band some success, but Prog at the time was approaching its global collapse, when the initial creativity of the genre simply dried out. Wigwam decided to call it quits after this album was released and future efforts to resurrect the band proved to be as futile as those of other Prog band around the globe. The magic was simply gone.
This excellently sounding and expanded edition is a must have for Finnish Prog / Wigwam fans all over the globe and SvartFind albums on this label Records, as usual, made a perfect job preparing this reissue. Brilliant stuff!
| | Updated: 11/08/2020Posted: 11/08/2020 | CD 2 Remastered Bonus Tracks Recommend To A Friend |
  | WIGWAM ~ LUCKY GOLDEN STRIPES AND STARPOISE (50TH ANNIVERSARY EXTENDED EDITION)
SVART 160 (Barcode: 6430065585206) ~ FINLAND ~ Progressive Rock
Recorded: 1976 Released: 2018
This is a reissue of the seventh album by the iconic Finnish Prog band WigwamFind albums by this artist, which featured a new lineup of the group and marked a new period in the band´s career, often referred to as Wigwam Mk. II. Following the departure of keyboardist Jukka GustavsonFind albums by this artist and bassist Pekka PohjolaFind albums by this artist, the two remaining members: vocalist / pianist Jim PembrokeFind albums by this artist and drummer Ronnie OsterbergFind albums by this artist were joined by guitarist Pekka RechardtFind albums by this artist and bassist Mans GroundstroemFind albums by this artist. On this album the lineup was extended to a quintet with the addition of keyboardist Hessu HietanenFind albums by this artist. The original album, which was recorded in London, presented nine original songs, five composed by Rechardt and three by Pembroke, all featuring lyrics written by Pembroke, who was a British expatriate and could naturally handle the lyrics in English flawlessly, and finally one tune was an instrumental co-composed by all five members of the group. This remastered and expanded edition adds a second CD, which includes five alternate mixes and four live studio rehearsals of the tunes from the album, all previously unissued.
The music, although undoubtedly somewhat less strictly Prog oriented, is by all means absolutely brilliant, wonderfully combining the excellent songwriting with perfect performances, full of great instrumental parts. Wigwam were, as it often happened with the capricious Prog fanatics, accused for taking a more commercial path, but the band, which suffered from a dichotomy in its ranks since its inception, was now completely united behind their musical output and quite honestly read well the changing Prog landscape, which pulled many of the classic Prog bands towards a more song oriented direction. Hietanen was a fully integrated member of the band by the time this music was recorded and this changed the entire sound of the group. Although this album is often described as the most commercial of all the Wigwam albums, is not really that different from its predecessor or its successor, and the difference is mostly due to the different sound ambience rather than the music itself.
The collected talents of Wigwam´s members still made it one of the best Prog band in Europe and even worldwide, and if not for the fact that they originated from Finland, they would have probably reached to top of the Prog peak. This album was released in the UK and a few other countries, bringing the band some success, but Prog at the time was approaching its global collapse, when the initial creativity of the genre simply dried out. Wigwam released one more excellent album before calling it quits and future efforts to resurrect the band proved to be as futile as those of other Prog band around the globe. The magic was simply gone.
This excellently sounding and expanded edition is a must have for Finnish Prog / Wigwam fans all over the globe and SvartFind albums on this label Records, as usual, made a perfect job preparing this reissue. Brilliant stuff!
| | Updated: 11/08/2020Posted: 11/08/2020 | CD 2 Remastered Bonus Tracks Recommend To A Friend |
  | WIGWAM ~ NUCLEAR NIGHTCLUB (50TH ANNIVERSARY EXTENDED EDITION)
SVART 159 (Barcode: 6430065585190) ~ FINLAND ~ Progressive Rock
Recorded: 1974 - 1975 Released: 2018
This is a reissue of the sixth album by the iconic Finnish Prog band WigwamFind albums by this artist, which featured a new lineup of the group and marked a new period in the band´s career, often referred to as Wigwam Mk. II. Following the departure of keyboardist Jukka GustavsonFind albums by this artist and bassist Pekka PohjolaFind albums by this artist, the two remaining members: vocalist / pianist Jim PembrokeFind albums by this artist and drummer Ronnie OsterbergFind albums by this artist were joined by guitarist Pekka RechardtFind albums by this artist and bassist Mans GroundstroemFind albums by this artist. Keyboardist Esa KotilainenFind albums by this artist, also not a formal member of the group, added his invaluable input during the recording of the album. The original album presented eight original songs, five composed by Rechardt and three by Pembroke, and all featuring lyrics written by Pembroke, who was a British expatriate and could naturally handle the lyrics in English flawlessly. This remastered and expanded edition adds a second CD, which includes an entire concert recorded for Swedish radio in November of 1974, before the band entered the studio to record the "Nuclear NightclubFind albums with this title" album. It presents seven songs, five of which will be recorded later for the album, and two which originated from Pembroke´s second solo album "PigwormFind albums with this title" recorded earlier in 1974. Kotilainen did not participate on this recording.
The music, although undoubtedly somewhat less strictly Prog oriented, is by all means absolutely brilliant, wonderfully combining the excellent songwriting with perfect performances, full of great instrumental parts. Wigwam were, as it often happened with the capricious Prog fanatics, accused for taking a more commercial path, but the band, which suffered from a dichotomy in its ranks since its inception, was now completely united behind their musical output and quite honestly read well the changing Prog landscape, which pulled many of the classic Prog bands towards a more song oriented direction.
The collected talents of Wigwam´s members still made it one of the best Prog band in Europe and even worldwide, and if not for the fact that they originated from Finland, they would have probably reached to top of the Prog peak. This album was released in the UK and a few other countries, bringing the band some success, but Prog at the time was approaching its global collapse, when the initial creativity of the genre simply dried out. Wigwam released two more excellent albums before calling it quits and future efforts to resurrect the band proved to be as futile as those of other Prog band around the globe. The magic was simply gone.
This excellently sounding and expanded edition is a must have for Finnish Prog / Wigwam fans all over the globe and SvartFind albums on this label Records, as usual, made a perfect job preparing this reissue. Brilliant stuff!
| | Updated: 11/08/2020Posted: 07/08/2020 | CD 2 Remastered Bonus Tracks Recommend To A Friend |
  | WIGWAM ~ THE LUCKY GOLDEN STRIPES AND STARPOSE
ESOTERIC 2175 (Barcode: 5013929727526) ~ FINLAND ~ Progressive Rock
Recorded: 1976 Released: 2010
7th album by Finnish Prog band WigwamFind albums by this artist, the most famous Prog act from that country, which is the second recording by Wigwam Mk II. Following the departure of two founding members bassist Pekka PohjolaFind albums by this artist and organist Jukka GustavsonFind albums by this artist, who gave Wigwam its distinctive sound and musical direction, the band had to reorganize and recruit new members, which of course also influenced their musical direction. The remaining founding members: vocalist Jim PembrokeFind albums by this artist and drummer Ronnie OsterbergFind albums by this artist recruited guitarist Pekka RechardtFind albums by this artist and bassist Mans GroundstroemFind albums by this artist to join the band for the previous album, and added a fifth member, keyboardist Hessu HietanenFind albums by this artist by the time this album was recorded. The revamped Wigwam, more Pop / Rock oriented than the original incarnation of the band, was still a formidable ensemble able of producing excellent music, and the album includes plenty of superb melodies and excellent musicianship, which are effective and memorable. Although initially the album was criticized for being overly commercial, in retrospect it is every bit as good as the other albums the band recorded, being simply different. This album was one of the very few Finnish albums to be released also in UK (on the VirginFind albums on this label label), shortly after it was released in his home country on the legendary LoveFind albums on this label label. A must for Prog fans!
| | Updated: 07/08/2020Posted: | CD 1 Oversampling Remastered Bonus Tracks Recommend To A Friend |
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