Being

The very best Finnish album was made back in 1974. Wigwam has already released some intellectual and progressive albums but for me "Being" has always been their peak performance.

Everything blends nicely together and Jukka Gustavsson's lyrics were something you rarely found from any Finnish record - not then, definetely not today. Pekka Pohjola, Ronnie Österberg, Jim Pembroke and Gustavsson were masters of their instruments and with a bunch of friends they played so well that guys from Genesis, Yes and 10cc would have been jealous.....OK, I guess that Steve Howe or Tony Banks has never even heard about this album but they really should have.....

Unfortunately Wigwam disbanded some four years later and the magic was lost. They are still occasionally touring so check out....but without late Ronnie Österberg there is something missing.

Burgers

A fine recording by a classic Tuna line-up featuring the git-fiddler himself, Papa John Creach.

This album is in one of the phases where the band offers a nice balance of acoustic picking and electric thrashing. It combines both uniue covers and original songs inluding classics such as "Water Song" and "Trial by Fire". "Psychedelic + Gypsy + Blues are words that come to mind in trying to describe this beautiful work.

Keep on truckin', indeed.

Thanks Kitt!

Valentyne Suite

The Valentyne Suite has the feeling of a love affair, the sort which flares up hotly then consumes itself........

And the album by the legendary British group Colosseum has the feeling of finest musicianship of whole England. The suite itself has three parts; January's Search, February's Valentyne and The Grass is always greener....

The A-side kicks off with a kinda rock'n'roll number "The Kettle" - lyrics are almost meaningless but the sound of James Litherland's guitar really swirls around the Jon Hiseman's drums and Tony Reeves' bass. Dick Heckstall-Smith wrote the song with Hiseman but it sounds like Litherland's solo.

The energy is enormous and at the same time other tracks have some nice jazz influences.

My vinyl album version is almost worn out - and just because I liked to play this album SO much.

btw, Jon Hiseman completed the liner notes just as Neil Armstrong took that one small step for man - as far as I am concerned, Colosseum took one giant leap for progressive music scene.

2112

With this album Rush was taking a new direction. And still it sounds good although it has been over 30 years since 2112 was released.

"We've taken care of everything,
The words you hear the songs you sing"

Well, Neil Peart said it. I cant resist - with this album Rush takes you somewhere in time. The whole side one is like epic movie. There is so much going on and one should follow the lyrics to get everything right.

You can even think that these guys are some kind of "communists" when they are singing about "Brotherhood of Man".....Or did they remember that old MOR band

"We only stop for the best"

That's right - there are so many albums and you really should stop only for the best.......

Dixie Fried

James Luther Dickinson was a totally unknown guy for me when I bought his album Dixie Fried back in the 80's.

I didnt even know if he was a singer or a guitar player. Soon I discovered that he was man with a voice. Powerful, bluesy yet somehow mellow voice. Baltimore City Paper said about his new solo album Jungle Jim and the Voodoo Tiger that "Jim Dicksinson...is a natural groover with an encyclopedic knowledge of American roots music".

And Jim is also a pianist, bandleader, producer, session-player and much more. Over the past 40 years he has played with the guys like Ry Cooder, Rolling Stones, Duane Allman and Aretha Franklin. And tons of others.

Nowadays he is running Zebra Ranch - an unique place to record and produce roots music etc.

Dixie Fried is not the kind of music I'd not like describe. I guess it is much better to feel it - like I did - years ago and years to come.....

Diary of A Madman

My first and still my dearest Ozzy album. After leaving Black Sabbath Ozzy formed Blizzard of Ozz. Their first album was selftitled. The follow-up, Diary of A Madman was a little bit controversy effort.

The album credited Rudy Sarzo and Tommy Aldridge on bass and drums although those were played by Bob Daisley and Lee Kerslake. Rudy and Tommy were from his current tour band. To make this even more complicated Don Airey was not credited for playing keyboards.

But if you dont mind that you will find this album somewhat dark, funny and full of rich guitar playing.

The highlight of songs is "S.A.T.O." - Randy's guitar has never sound so fresh and so easy. Personally I find the title song something like personal scream for help;

"Voices in the darkness,
Scream away my mental health,
Can I ask a question,
to help me save me from myself"

It seems that somebody had an answer and we still rock with Ozzy Osbourne after all those crazy years......

United Abominations

And from the Sixties back to this very day.

"There was a King who had a dream with no idea
What it could mean and nobody could interpret
Of seven empires falling, the wolf is at the door
As predicted years ago, that that was, that is, that is no more"

Just add Dave Mustaine's voice and that nasty bite of guitar; you got an album which has been my favourite "heavy metal" record during the last months. I really like Mustaine's ability to make melodies instead of just riffs. Of course, there are good riffs but without them one would still have a song. And that's the most important matter.

This album , like almost all their albums, is very visual - you can see the videos even if you dont. Megadeth has produce some of the most memorable metal videos and won my heart, time after time...

btw, which one is your fav Megadeth album?