Wigwam - guestbook

Name :	Jouko, Kerava
Message :	Claes, as for the mics at Finnvox, it was mostly German technology. Neumann, Telefunken, and I think they may have used Sennheisers for the drums. Also BASF tape - Ampex came much later, in the 80's, and was then used at double speed, as per Bruce Swedien. Re NN, i find his approach to soloing unique and refreshing. He is not rehashing pentatonic blues "licks" that would have sounded in character, but drawing on his background in the Helsinki Balalaika Orchestra to create something different. His crazed solo on Gustavson's "Luulosairas" is rightly legendary. It's another dimension of Wigwam.
	17/02/08 23:54

Name :	Ilkka, Jyväskylä
Message :	the Tanskalainen, thanks for the clarification! The aforementioned 2-on-1 cd still remains a mystery. I wonder if it's an official release, and not a counterfeit of some sort? Anyhow, I doubt it's available in Finland. We really could do with a remastered version of Lambert Land, though.
	17/02/08 23:41

Name :	the Tanskalainen
Message :	Ilkka, I've done some more search on the net and it looks as if we are really talking of a 2-on-1 CD including both the so-called "Second Album" and "Lambertland". A bit surprising since they came out on different labels. And still the question remains if the original masters have been found.
	17/02/08 23:24

Name :	the Tanskalainen
Message :	Ilkka, Jukeboxshop.net list two versions of the abum. In both cases they call it "Second Album" (they also list "First Album" so there seems to be no confusion). It says that one of the versions has six bonus tracks. The other, which is cheaper, seems to have no bonus tracks. The correct sleeves are pictured so I assumed there was no error made.
	17/02/08 22:54

Name :	the Tanskalainen
Message :	Jouko, thanks for the very interesting comments. At some point I will go through all my bits and pieces on this site and see if I can get Mikko to correct minor stuff. However, I won't try to get him to do it "runningly", as it will be a big workload. The Neumanns are legendary microphones, of course, but perhaps not for recording drums. I would guess something else was used there, and perhaps the room was also at fault. Generally, there seems to have been a problem with recording Österberg's kit. Perhaps you have a comment on this. alt godt, Claes
	17/02/08 22:41

Name :	Jouko, Kerava
Message :	Claes, thanks for your "Devil" analysis. It was interesting, not leastly because of your (understandable) disadvantage in not having read Mikko's Wigwam book. I am a 60's person and former player who knew some of these musicians long ago, so my comments here relate to that. Nikamo had a Russian immigrant background and was a balalaika player from childhood. He turned to electric guitar and the blues in his teens. I would say his style was more akin to Russian folk music than to jazz chording, as you suggest. Nikke always claimed musical credit for the chromatically rising part you call "D". He did not use a fuzzbox, but overdrove his MAX rig to get distortion (MAX was a Danish brand, as you probably know). Walli was sort of producing the recording, and may have made decisions in the mix, but he would not have been able to "advise" someone like Nikamo. AFAIK, Finnvox studios at that time basically relied on Studer four-tracks and Neumann valve mics. This is still regarded as top quality equipment, but I believe a band like Wigwam was a challenge in 1969, because of all the ideas in the air. The sound Erkki Hyvönen could get for them is better represented by the "Henry" suite on the first album, with Otto Donner producing.
	17/02/08 22:21

Name :	Ilkka, Jyväskylä
Current favourite song :	Pressa: Struggling for Freedom
Message :	The Tanskalainen, You were writing about a new re-release of Tasavallan Presidentti's second album (EMI), with bonus tracks. I find this piece of news very surprising, as there has been absolutely no coverage of such cd in the media. The original master tapes were indeed lost, but nevertheless the cd-version had a very clear and vivid sound. Clearly a very good lost gem just awaiting to be treasured! But another reissue with bonus tracks??? Perhaps you are confusing the album with their first release (1969), an album with just the name of the band, as was the case with the second album as well. And that first album has, indeed, been released twice on cd, the second round with a couple of bonus tracks. Also the first, eponymous album can be considered a classic! The Dane, can you bring any light on this mystery?
	17/02/08 16:52

Name :	the Tanskalainen
Message :	Sorry about diverting the discussion. Going back a bit I was asking about the two different CD versions of Tasvallan Presidentti's second album. As far as I know one has bonus tracks and the other hasn't, but is there a difference in the mastering as well? (The first one was lifted from vinyl, I gather, but what about the other one?) med venlig hilsen, the Tanskalainen
	16/02/08 13:02

Name :	the Tanskalainen
Current favourite song :	Eero Raittinen: Blues From the North
Message :	Suonna, it is illegal now to call the group Disneyland After Dark. The Disneyland estate saw to that. So it's D.A.D. It was also suggested to call the band "Legoland efter lukketid". I assume everyone knows what Legoland is. "Efter" means "after" and "lukketid" means "closing hour". There will be a short quiz after this mail, so pay attention. Norwegian is like Danish in a parallel universe. And a rather amusing one, since a lot of innocent words and terms in Norwegian have a very dirty meaning in Danish. There were several newspaper articles about it last summer and we still haven't stopped laughing. It's the same with Swedish. For instance, the Swedish word for "fold" is the same as a coarse Danish word for sexual intercourse. Hence we all want to ad to our collection that famous religious Swedish single called "I Fold My Hands". I'll get me coat.
	15/02/08 13:55

Name :	Suonna
Message :	Tanskalainen, no reason for you to write not some Finnish rock lyric now. You've probably seen some Aki Kaurismäki's and know how much we talk. No need for bigger vocabulary than you know. I must admit my Danish skills limit to words Disneyland After Dark, Roskilde and Peter Höeg. Norwegian I know some: "Må ikke tildekkes." Brings to my mind Interrail trips of my youth, when a guy somewhere, when heard we are coming from Finland, threw this one liner "ei saa peittää".
	15/02/08 10:04

Name :	Jusu, Vaasa
Found :	Search engine
Message :	English speakers: for creative use of Finnish in rock lyrics, see also Tuomari Nurmio (who doesn't seem to care about the first-syllable emphasis rule) and Kauko Röyhkä.
	15/02/08 06:32

Name :	EsaJii
Message :	Jotain olen kuullut Jimin Kansas Cityssä majailemisesta, mutta RIck ei ole postitellut. Sain kyllä yhden keikkatallenteen ilman selityksiä. Eiks Jimillä ole joku apurahakin joka velvoittaa sentään jotain esityksiä? Ehkä sitten kesällä. **** OK, Suonna, let us put it this way Finnish is challenge to put into rock. I like your list, but I will listen to Kari Peitsamo as well. I may have missed about the last 10 years. Last band I liked was Zen Cafe. I'm sending my son, 16, over there next fall. Maybe he will bring some new stuff.
	15/02/08 05:58

Name :	Kalzu
Current favourite song :	Krill: Crystal Rectangle
Message :	Upi, liikennevaloissa kuulin ohimennen puhuttavan, että Jim olisi nyt muuttanut takaisin rapakon taakse, mutta että bändin lopullisesta hajoamisesta ei silti ole kyse.
	15/02/08 04:19

Name :	the Tanskalainen
Message :	Excuse me: "Saatana" (sorry, Mikko, I did it again).
	15/02/08 02:08

Name :	the Tanskalainen
Message :	Ettone sound amazing and they sing in Finnish. A total must for ANY fan of Wiggy and Pressa, so I say: buy them, support them, they're on our side! Absollutinen Nollapiste likewise. Apart from that, can anyone tell me why there are two different CD versions of Pressa's second album about? Okay, so one has bonus tracks and the other not. But what about the master tapes? Were they ever found and were they used for the newest version???? Finally: the outer limit of my Finnish - "Kaks sodavetä, appelsini ja citrona" "yks jätälöä" "kiitos" "Routsalainen? Ei ei ei - olen tanskalainen! (men vi kan väl prata svensk enddå)" "Aku Anka" "Satana Perkele" And Finnish-Russian: "Ruki ver"
	15/02/08 02:03

Name :	Suonna
Current favourite song :	Reijo "Rempo" Tani: Yli-ihminen
Message :	"Finnish is totally unsuitable to rock lyrics" - come on Esa, try to levittää some positiivinen Suomi-kuva now! There's fantastic Finnish rock lyric tradition alive & kicking. Likes of Dave Lindholm, Jukka Gustavson, Tommi Liimatta don't give a shit if Finnish language has too long words or too many syllables, still delivering fine flowing rock and roll lyricism.
	15/02/08 00:24

Name :	Martin, Sunderland
Current favourite song :	"Modern Love" - Peter Gabriel
Message :	Blimey - Wigwam guestbook interesting to read,"shock","horror"... Only kidding chaps. Do carry on.
	14/02/08 23:42

Name :	Upi, Patela
Message :	...Milloin muuten Wigwamin seuraava keikka on vai onko yhtye hajonnut,,,,? ,,,,
	14/02/08 22:59

Name :	EsaJii
Message :	Finnish is totally unsuitable to rock lyrics. One reason is that accents fall on first syllables, so puNAInen (red) sounds awful to most. Juice was a master and avoided these mostly.
	14/02/08 21:07

Name :	the Tanskalainen
Message :	I find it interesting to cut "Tombstone Valentine, "Fairyport" and "Being" up and put them back together as "Jukka Gustavson's Wigwam" and "Jim Pembroke's Wigwam". Pohjola falls into both camps depending on the circumstances. All the other LPs I listen to in their entirety. They are all brilliant but I'm particularly keen on "Lucky Golden Stripes" and "Dark Album", perhaps for personal reasons. Lately, I've listened more to Side 1 of "Hard 'n' Horny". I used to be less than keen on rock sung in Finnish, but I'm liking it more an more now, and Gustavson is a master at it.
	14/02/08 20:43

Name :	EsaJii
Message :	I find I listen to some Wigwam albums completely, some I never get thtrough, so I have just collected the favorite tracks. The ones with * I play through. *Hard 'N' Horny (1969) Tombstone Valentine (1970) Fairyport (1971) *Being (1974) Live Music From The Twilight Zone (1975) ..I just play the end 3 or 4 *Nuclear Nightclub (1975) *The Lucky Golden Stripes And Starpose (1976) Dark Album (1977) The later albums are spottier, but I do play most of Moons.
	14/02/08 16:46

Name :	bertha, savo finland
Message :	Esa ja Tanskalainen. Jatkaa ihmeesä näitä keskusteluita tällä palstalla. Piristää kovasti latteaa uudellenmiksausten arviointia ja missä Wigujen seuraava keikka on kyselyihin. Hyvä meininki. Kiitos teille.
	14/02/08 13:44

Name :	EsaJii
Home page :	http://www.ultraguest.com/view/1155252676
Message :	Claes, leave me a message at the above guest book, private message, with your e mail. Do you talk to Rick Chafen at all?
	13/02/08 01:38

Name :	the Tanskalainen
Message :	Being regularly flat broke I downloaded the legally downloadable stuff from their site about a year ago. It really is good. Unfortunately, I think they've taken those live tracks off their site now. Instrumental Renaissance music has always been a favourite of mine, so this is a match made in heaven.
	12/02/08 22:26

Name :	EsaJii
Home page :	http://www.ensembleambrosius.com/
Message :	Yes, Enseble Ambrosius. Get it, one of the finest Finnish CDs for 10 years. Link above. It is way better than the German outfit doing Zappa.
	12/02/08 18:24