Tales from the turntable, part 4: Wings & Hurriganes

Pitkästä aikaa taas vinyylien kimpussa. Ajattelin kerralla kuunnella kolme älppäriä, joista minulla on hyviä muistoja 70-luvulta. Paul McCartney on tietysti paljon tunnetumpi eräästä toisesta bändistä, mutta 70-luvulla hän perusti bändin nimeltä Wings. Vuonna 1975 tämä bändi julkaisi levyn nimeltä Venus and Mars. Muistan kuinka veljeni oli viikkorahoillaan miettinyt tämän levyn ostamista. Vihdoin ja viimein 1978 hän kävi ostamassa levyn ja tätä sitten kuuntelimme pienellä Philips -merkkisellä matkalevarilla, joka veti pikkaisen liian nopeasti. No, ei se silloin haitannut.

Wings - Venus and Mars

Levy alkoi kahdella yhteensovitetulla biisillä eli Venus and Mars / Rock Show. Intro on akustinen biisi,  joka muuttui melkein heti sähköiseksi rokkibiisiksi, joka muutti tempoaan vähän väliä. Rokkitykityksen jälkeen tuli pari kevyempää. Ensiksi akustinen ja mollivoittoinen Love In Song ja tämän jälkeen lähdetään aikamatkalle historiaan. 20-luku tulee hyvin esille You Gave Me The Answer -kappaleessa. Macca osasi tehdä näitä 20-luvun biisejä, kuten Honey Pie White Albumilta todistaa. Tämän jälkeen tulee hassu Magneto and Titanium Man. Silmät kiinni ja biisiä kuunnellessa voi hyvin kuvitella sukkahoususankareiden tulevan ja pelastavan maapallon. Tämän jälkeen tulee Maccan soolohistorian hienoin biisi: Letting Go. Tämä raskastempoinen ja hienon riffin omaava biisi on mielestäni hienointa Maccaa mitä hän on soolourallaan koskaan tehnyt. Biisi päättyy mahtavaan fade-outiin, jonka soisi vain jatkuvan ja jatkuvan. Toisen puolen aloittaa Venus and Mars Reprise, joka on hieman pidempi kuin aloitusbiisi. Tässä tulee myös kivoja avaruusefektejä mukaan. Sopisi esim. Avaruusasema Alfan taustalle. Macca kai luki tuolloin paljon Asimovia. Siitä kai nuo avaruussoundit siis. Tämä sulautuukin sitten sopivasti Spirits of Ancient Egyptiin ja lentokoneen laskeutumisääneen. Tuntuu Macca pitävän noista äänistä. Siitä tulikin mieleeni, että jos Beatles olisi tehnyt kiertueen 60-luvun lopulla, niin Back In The USSR olisi ollut täydellinen aloitusbiisi. Pimeä sali, joka puolelta kuuluvia lentokoneiden ääniä ja sitten itse biisi. Wau. Harmi, ettei tuota koskaan tapahtunut. No, palataanpa takaisin tähän levyyn. Spirits of Ancient Egypt on ihan hauska rokkibiisi samoin kuin Medicine Jar. Pauli itse ei laulanut näitä biisejä vaan pääosissa olivat Denny Laine ja Jimmy McCulloch. Hyvin toimivia zibaleita molemmat. Call Me Back Again taas toimii tosi hyvin Maccan laulamana. Yksi levyn hienoimmista raidoista. Macca antaa äänijänteillensä kunnon rääkkiä. Listen To What The Man Said julkaistiin myös singlenä ja mielestäni on siitä huolimatta täyttä tuubaa - täyteraita. Ei siitä sen enempää. Levyn päättää varsinaisesti Treat Her Gently / Lonely Old People -balladi. Tämänkin jälkeen löytyy vielä TV-sarjan Crossroads tunnari. Hieno levy kaiken kaikkiaan. LP sisälsi myöskin pari julistetta. Toisessa Paul ja Linda ovat ihmismassan keskellä Lontoossa tai New Orleansissa (jossa levy siis äänitettiin). Toisessa julisteessa on monia eri kuvia suulista, jonka edessä bändin jäsenet pelleilevät punaisten ja keltaisten pallojen kanssa. Pari tarraakin tuli mukana. Yläkuvassa ne näkyvät paremmin. Sen vain muistan, että 70-luvulla tuli iskettyä nuo tarrat veljeni kanssa jonnekin aivan typerään paikkaan. Eipä vielä silloin tajunnut keräilystä mitään.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Venus_and_Mars

Hurriganes ja Crazy Days sekä Hot Wheels

Olin myös suuri Hurriganes -fani 70-luvulla. Muistan kuinka äitini osti, olisiko se ollut, vuonna 1975 minulle Roadrunner -kasetin ja sitä tuli höylättyä mankassa moneenkin otteeseen. Pidin siitä kovasti, mutta siitä ei muodostunut minulle kuitenkaan sitä ykköslevyä heidän diskografiassaan. Taisi olla vuonna 1976 kun sain serkultani Crazy Days -kasetin ja tykästyin tähän enemmän kuin Roadrunneriin. Levy oli täynnä upeita riffejä ja varsinkin aloitusbiisi Crazy Days iski todellakin kovaa. Tämän voisin ehkä nimetä Hurriganesien upeimmaksi biisiksi. Muita hienoja biisejä tällä levyllä ovat: Mary Jane, Jailbait Stalemate, I Can't Get A Feeling, Chinatown, Reptile Woman ja Bye Bye Birdie. Ainoa miinus tältä levyltä voisi sanoa, että se on miksattu väärin. Roadrunnerista tuttu bassovoittoinen ja mörisevä soundi oli poissa. Stereona kuunneltuna ehkä pikkaisen liian kliininen soundi, mutta tuolloin monomankasta luukutettuna kuitenkin ihan toimiva kokonaisuus. Tuo kasetti on vieläkin tallessa vaikka nauhaa ei pystykään juuri kuuntelemaan. On se sen verran kulahtanut sadoissa kuunteluissa vuosikymmenten aikana.

Syksy 1977 koitti ja kouluun oli pakko mennä. Muistan kuinka tuhmana poikana vikisin äidilleni, että kouluun en mene ellen saa Hurriganesien uusinta levyä Hot Wheelsiä. Äiti oli kiltti ja osti sen sitten minulle. Kiitos siitä äidilleni. Tämän levyn äänimaailma taas kuulosti erilaiselta kuin Crazy Daysin. Tässä oli tosi raaka soundi, josta tykkäsin kovasti. Levy oli myös täynnä upeita biisejä, kuten Bad Baby, Elephant's Boogie, Hey Hey Hey, Find A Lady, Tripper's Story, Ridin' Ridin', Come To Me Baby ja levyn kruunaava melkein viisiminuuttinen iloittelu Hey Bo Diddley (jostain kumman syystä tuo kuulosti Remun suusta Heppoville). Hot Wheels tuli fade-inninä mukaan ja päätti levyn. Biisin meno vastasi todellakin kannen kuvaa kilpurista.

Näitä kahta kasettia tuli sitten kuunneltua mankalta oikein kunnolla ja myöhemmin ne tuli ostettua vinyylinä ja tietenkin alkuperäispainoksina. 

Suurin Hurriganes-into itse asiassa laantui vasta muutama vuosi myöhemmin. Tsugu Way (1977) ja Hanger (1978) olivat vielä hienoja levyjä, mutta Jailbird (1979) taas suuri pettymys. Siitä eteenpäin ei uusi Hurriganes enää kiinnostanut, vaan juutuin kuuntelemaan näitä edellisiä levyjä.

http://www.hurriganes.fi/

Pari täkyä edellämainituilta levyiltä:

Wings - Venus And Mars / Rock Show
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tE2wTk2Brak

Hurriganes - Chinatown:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G8eta7xmObM

Hurriganes - Elephant's Boogie:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9XVy0Q16Oxk

Tales from the turntable, part 3: Pink Floyd - Atom Heart Mother

To me Pink Floyd's been one of the greatest bands on earth. One thing I definitely regret is that I didn't go to see them performing at Lahti in 1989. And when the 1994 Helsinki gig was cancelled it meant that I missed my chances. Bugger! And I wasn't even near London in 2005 when they performed with Roger Waters. That 20 minutes was one of the wonders in the music business. Thank God it was shown on TV. Incredible. I really got into Floyd's music in 1986 and since then Atom Heart Mother has been one of my favourite albums by them but I also love such albums like Animals, Wish You Were Here, The Final Cut or The Wall. I was glad to see Roger Waters performing that marvelous double album at Helsinki in Spring 2011. Awsome experience.

Everybody knows The Wall or Dark Side Of The Moon so I picked Atom Heart Mother from the shelf instead. Record was released on 10th October 1970 with a code SHVL 781. The gatefolded sleeve has photos of cows on the pasture. Cover was designed by a group called Hipgnosis and they are responsible for most of the Pink Floyd album covers.

The long almost 24 minute title track Atom Heart Mother on the opening side is brilliant. I know that the members of PF (except Richard Wright I think) dislike this album but so what? To me this is a classic album. The track starts with a fade-in low humming and then added with horns and the rest of the band. Then comes cannons and horses and a motorcycle. Fantastic. The track is divided into six parts: a) Father's Shout, b) Breast Milky, c) Mother Fore, d) Funky Dung, e) Mind Your Throats, Please and f) Remergence. Lots of great moments of Wright's organs, Gilmour's guitars, Waters' bass and Mason's drums. Also nice choir bits doing the vocal parts nevertheless there aren't any clear lyrics just some odd language. Very eerie. The only lyrics I think are said in the latter part of the track: "Silence in the studio". This whole tune is like entering some magical fantasy world. The tune ends with a pompous choir singing and at the same time the band is playing the main theme.

B-side is more conventional. Well, you can hardly call all those B-side songs conventional. First comes Roger Waters' acoustic and beautiful song: "If". Then Richard Wright's "Summer '68" and then David Gilmour's "Fat Old Sun". All of them are semi-acoustic, mellow and laidback songs. Fat Old Sun starts with church bells ringing and that reminds me of the best post-Waters Pink Floyd song: "High Hopes". The album ends with Alan's Psychedelic Breakfast which is a 13 minute collection of instrumental songs and making breakfast. Yes, you read it correctly: making breakfast. The man who makes the breakfast is Alan Stiles, who was their roadie back in 1970. The song is divided into three parts: 1. Rise And Shine, 2. Sunny Side Up and 3. Morning Glory. The LP ends with a sound of water dripping from the tap. It lasts until the very final groove of the vinyl so that the last audible sound is that water when the needle jumps up. If your record player don't do that then the sound will be there indefinitely.

Brilliant album. Will always love this, like the other PF albums as well...

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Atom_Heart_Mother

Tales from the turntable, part 2: The Rolling Stones - Beggars Banquet

The Rolling Stones is one of my favourite bands and that's why I choose them to open this series. Their album Beggars Banquet was released on 5th December 1968 and was their so called come back record after progressive Their Satanic Majesties Request. Many hate Satanic but I like that also. Not perhaps the top ten album but still very interesting. In May they released Jumpin' Jack Flash as a single and that was a signal what was to become later on that year. JJF is one of the best songs the Stones have recorded (thanks, Bill, for the riff). After many months of talks about what picture would be on the cover the LP was released with just creamy coloured layout with only text printed on it. My LP is an original UK print with blue (stereo) unboxed DECCA label, gatefolded covers and the code SKL4955. The opening song is a perfect opener: Sympathy For The Devil. It's very different with great lyrics and a smashing solo. That sealed the fate of The Stones as the bad boys of rock. They've performed this many times on stage and it also works well there. Second song is No Expectations about love that's not so hot anymore. Acoustic and laid back song with a bostin slide guitar. Third song is Dear Doctor which is a humour song of the LP. Hilarious lyrics. It's also perhaps the first song to hear Jagger sing in falsetto. And it's in waltz tempo! The third acoustic song in a row is Parachute Woman. It's raw bluesy song that's not long but very intense. Harmonica at the end is a great piece of work. The last song of the first side is Jig-Saw Puzzle. Nice lyrics with a laid back rhythm. This is not a well-known song and never included on the collection albums but still a great tune. The second side starts with acoustic power chords of Street Fighting Man which was mainly recorded through a Philips cassette recorder. This is also played regularly on stage. Great versions what I've heard but this studio version just has something in it. But think about Sir Mick today singing: "The time is right for palace revolution" and "I'll kill the king". He might lose his title :-) After this comes Prodigal Son. They performed this on stage during 1969-1970 and it was originally written by reverand Robert Wilkins but on this first issue album it was credited as Jagger/Richard song. Later prints corrected this. Nice catchy tune with a biblical tale. Then comes my perhaps favourite song from this LP: Stray Cat Blues. Just awsome heavy distorted guitars and brilliant drums with hi-hat beat, bass and piano by Nicky Hopkins. Lyrics are also very provocative as Mick sings: "I can see that you're fifteen years old". The live version of this song is more bluesy and slow tempo and the age was changed to 13. They can't sing that way anymore, can they? Of course they can. They're The Stones. After this heavy stuff comes a funny short song with a fiddle: Factory Girl. It's a filler but still quite nice. The album ends with a praise to a common man: Salt Of The Earth. Interesting song because it almost crosses the line of being horrible. It's a cliché song with cliché lyrics but still sounds very nice. First sentences are sung by Keith. The choir joins later on which makes it even more pompous. And it all fades away with a fast tempo drum, acoustic guitar and piano beat. This albums is perhaps the one that I'd take to a desert island. Many other great LP's by the Stones but if I have to choose one this would be it. And forget CD's, mp3's and such because LP sounds much much better. What makes this LP also special is that this is the last album where Brian Jones was still quite active (in Let It Bleed (1969) he only plays in couple of songs). In 1969 Brian was replaced by Mick Taylor who is a talented guitarist and they went to make more wonderful albums but that' s another story.

The Rolling Stones: Mick Jagger (vocals, harmonica), Keith Richards (guitar, bass), Brian Jones (guitar, sitar, mellotron, harmonica), Bill Wyman (bass, maracas) and Charlie Watts (drums, tabla). Unfortunately the sixth stone Ian Stewart didn't play on this. Additional musicians: Nicky Hopkins (piano), Rocky Dijon (congas), Ric Grech (fiddle), Dave Mason (mellotron, shehnai), Watts Street Gospel Choir, Jimmy Miller (backing vocals). Producer: Jimmy Miller. Engineers: Glyn Johns, Eddie and Gene.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beggars_Banquet

Tales from the turntable, part 1: Introduction

Remember the late eighties and early nineties when people were mad about CD’s? Everybody (well almost everybody) were taking their LP collection to local second hand music store or a flea market and sold them for whatever price they could get and then bought the same stuff as CD’s. I didn’t do that. I didn’t buy CD’s because I thought (and still think) that LP’s are much better when it comes to sound and packaging. I bought LP’s in the nineties whenever they were available. I thought that this way I would be one of the last freaks to keep that precious record alive. And what happened? It didn’t die. I’m proud to be one of those who could prevent vinyl to vanish into oblivion. You can find nowadays bands and artists releasing music on vinyl and even big department stores have taken vinyl back into their catalogue. Yeah, okay, it still is quite minor thing but the main thing is: it is still alive. On the contrary everybody’s now talking about how CD is dying. I remember I wasn’t impressed by the CD when it was introduced. Especially the BS about how they sounded better and you couldn’t break them whatever you do. Infact I found out that even one dirty fingerprint could do the trick with certain players, I guess the cheap ones (I admit that), and one minor scratch could ruin the whole CD. People nowadays are buying mp3’s instead so the decline is rolling on. If you settle for a downloaded music then why not try lossless files like flac or wav which are better quality? I admit that mp3’s or CD’s are okay when you’re in a car or you have a portable player but at home LP is the only choice. Nothing can beat the LP. It’s the whole package that counts: just look at the LP cover and compare that to CD? And when you download music you don’t even get the covers anymore. How sad for the artists who design them. How can you put covers like Sticky Fingers or Some Girls by The Rolling Stones to a CD and still look good? Mission impossible. Or if you have an insert, say a poster. How can you put that same poster inside a CD box if you want to keep the same size? Not a chance. And very rarely you see a CD box that’s the same size as LP. It’s nice to rummage through an LP collection, looking the cover, feeling the cover, smelling the cover. It’s like old wine’s bouquet – the layers of different smells from the past. And the soft and full-bodied sound of vinyl then. Great whisky/wine/beer and marvelous music on vinyl are the same. Nothing really can’t beat the vinyl.