TUONEN TYTÄR - A TRIBUTE TO FINNISH PROGRESSIVE

In excess of publishing a music magazine and arranging tribute concerts, the Finnish association of progressive music "Colossus" have also been a prime movers in a few CD projects. I'm not very keen of tribute records, but this felt so interesting release that I had to give it listening. I thought of writing first about the tracks which original versions are known to me, as this very probably affects strongly towards my attitudes of these tribute performances.

The album opener HAIKARA's "Yksi Maa - Yksi Kansa" (One nation - One people) is a fabulous song, but the original version is better, and a band doing a tribute version of their own material doesn't show very good taste on a tribute album in my opinion. I think the releasers were so honored by VESA LATTUNEN's contribution to this productrion, that this was selected as an opening track. Well, the composition is truly great, and HAIKARA's first album from where this song is taken is the best of the vintage progressive releases from Finland that I have yet heard. And there's some quite nice instrumental jamming going on in this one.
PROGELE's version of PEKKA POHJOLA's "Armoton Idylli" (Merciles Idyl), and it's a hilarious folk interpretation. Pekka was strongly influenced by Finnish folk music, and these rhythms and melodies fit this kind of version perfectly, making this as a very good track.
WASAMI does WIGWAM's "Do Or Die", and this band's name is familiar to me from the gig lists or somewhere else, so I think that they are a quite active combo. This version sounds very much like the original song, and the performance is very good, though the end has a fade-out.
After that ABRACADABRA's performance of PEKKA POHJOLA's "Oivallettu Matkalyhty" (Insighted Journey Lamp) should please fans of modern progressive electronic (like 80's TANGERINE DREAM). The version is innovative, and surprisingly good, as I'm not a big fan of this kind of music.
LARS ERIK MATTSON plays JUKKA TOLONEN's "Windermere Avenue", and this recording is done by a drummer and guitarist duo, so the stuff is recorded with a multi- tracker in the studio. Lars Erik is a good player, but maybe in this case the original version outcomes the cover version again. Perhaps I miss Tolonen's raw guitar sound, as this performance has a bit more AOR resembling sounds.
The worst piece for me here is ESKO ETELÄ's version of WIGWAM's famous "Losing Hold", the mention of (party mix) predicts the style of this covering, which is some kind of techno dance remix of this tune. Maybe the original aggressive performances of this song are too dear to me, but I must admire Esko's courage doing this. If some fans of dance music would find WIGWAM on basis of this track, it would be exceptionally great!
Moving on to the second CD, which also opens with a song of HAIKARA, this time played by a very productive band CIRCLE. "Kun Menet Tarpeeksi Kauas Tulevaisuuteen, Huomaat Olevasi Menneisyydessä (If You go Too Far To The Future, You Find Yourself from The Past) is a psychedelic song, and fits CIRCLE's vintage style perfectly. First the listener floats in peaceful state of trance, where the electronic instruments paint peaceful patterns upon the space created by jazzy smooth drums, which later escalate to a bit more faster rhythm and some more oppressive forms appear to chant for the listener. This is surely another highlight for me here.
TASAVALLAN PRESIDENTTI's tender "Lambertland" is played by PLEROMAH, and this is another folk style version here, and though I love the original, this is a very good version too! The vocal melodies are played here with funny steel pans! Another tune by that band is a bit rarer pick "Lennosta Kii" (Caught from The Air), which is performed by a group named PIKKULOTAT. The track selection is wonderful, but the performance doesn't capture the power and intensity of the original version of this hypnotic track (found on a compilation "Anna Mulle Lovee"). There's also a short quotation of WIGWAM's "Tramdriver" to be heard in the song.
Then MAN ON FIRE does WIGWAM's "June Maybe Too Late". This is another loop & synth driven modern version of an old song, which actually fits for this kind of treatment, as in my opinion late 70's WIGWAM was more like a disco music than prog.
PIIRPAUKE's tune "Konevitsan Kirkonkellot" (Churchbells of Konevitsa) is played by OVERHEAD, which is an arrangement of a traditional song, being a quite good Carelian tune. The version by these guys from the polytechnic is a quite nice, ethereal and moody performance.
WIGWAM's "Planet Star" is then played by HEATWAVE, and it gets an acoustic treatment from this Italian pair of musicians. This is a quite poppy song, but it should please the fans of newer AOR style WIGWAM.
Then PHIL BEANE from the States plays PEKKA POHJOLA's "Mathematician's Air Display", and he has done all of the instruments here by himself (!), and it's sure a task worth to have hats off to him. Pekka's instrumental music is universal, and this calm version is quite good. Except the bit heavy drumming and neo-prog oriented feelings, this sounds quite much PAT METHENY's work!
Form the end of this CD one can find still one "Pressa" cover, from the song "Deep Thinker". This is sadly a quite poor version in my opinion of this tune which I like very much, and it is some kind of light poppy jazz of its style I think?

Then there's still a bunch of covers from a songs which I have not heard yet! LOST SPECTACLES plays MATTI JÄRVINEN's "Tuulee Niin" (It winds so much). This song has really great groove, and the fast peculiar running rhythm really pleased me.
JARI KOKKOLA GROUP have done research on PEKKA POHJOLA's "Nykivää Keskustelua Tuntemattoman Kanssa" (Jerky Conversation with The Unknown). There are some quite complex rhythm movements in this song, but I'm not sure if they sounded very pleasing to my ear. This band also has a very modern sound, and there's some programming stated to be done in this recording. But this is very professional sounding performance without a doubt!
WHIPPING POST's version of KAAMOS's "When Shall We Know" is a bluesy basic rock tune, not very interesting in my opinion.
Aftewr this SCARLET THREAD palys SAHTI's (a home brewed alcohol!) "Säikkyvä" (Skittish?), which is an interesting song from JUKKA GUSTAVSON's early career. This beautiful and slow, dreamy blues tune is surely another highlight in this release! I'll have to check out other works of the performer on basis of this covering.
Other unknown tracks from the second CD were HOLY LAMB's version of FINNFOREST's "What A Night", which opens hazily, and moves then to quite heavy feelings. Great rhythms here, this one HOLY LAMB is also now carved to my memory. Another PIIRPAUKE tune "Imala Maika" (?!) is brought by a group called TAJUVANA (Consciousnesstrail?), which again actually is a cover of an arrangement of a traditional song, here done with quite heavy oriented style.
Then FIVE FIFTEEN does a tune of ROYALS called "High". The bands name 5.15 refers to chronic use of drugs (daily time after work when the joint is quickly lit), so it's not a wonder they chose this song. The band has been very active recording and gigging around Finland and nearabouts. I have a feeling that I attended the 1999 Tavastia gig where this recording is from, and it's good to have some live stuff on this compilation too. The actual playing with real interactions is a fresh contrast to the sterile studio recordings. A really professional band, but not 100% prog, instead they are into all drug related music. (.)
The final track in this review is MESMER's version of MANDALA's "Don't Wake Me Now", and they have a very big orchestra! There are some nice jazz movements in the end of the song, but as a complete track, this not very interesting in my opinion.

The booklet of this 2CD box contains also contact info for the bands, so this works as a promotional record for all groups who contributed to this work. The covers of this CD box are drawn beautifully, but they are quite strongly directed to appeal heterosexual men. What maybe troubles me in the tributes, is that I would rather hear the original material from all of these bands! The past of Finnish progressive music could have been presented better by gathering a compilation of original rare tracks from the past, and doing a compilation of the modern bands as well. But this is an interesting release still, and 'I believe there are audiences who are interested in tributes more than me, and I can't but recommend this carefully constructed box et for them! If you like tributes, I predict one or even two more stars to appear for the rating I gave here.

The Colossus Project has become one of Finland's greatest exports for the progressive rock world with their never-ending catalog of releases that compile some of the prog world's most cutting edge talent and unify them under a central theme that continues the fantastical legacies of the early prog universe and expands it exponentially. While the Project hasn't been limited to artists of Finland, that's exactly how it all began.

TUONEN TYTÄR: A TRIBUTE TO FINNISH PROGRESSIVE was the first edition of this series that has continued gracefully for almost two decades now. While Finnish prog hasn't exactly been in the forefront of the various strains of prog that have emerged in the last 50 years, the nation has been more of a player than many would realize and that's exactly why The Colossus Project set out to create this compilation that pays tribute to their favorite 70s offerings.

This is indeed a tribute album which finds 22 different bands covering different tracks from their favorite 70s prog artists from their home nation of Finland. While it's true that most prog lover's can probably only think of enough Finnish prog artists to fit on one hand, unfortunately this tribute doesn't exactly expand into the nooks and crannies as much as i would prefer. The average prog lover could most likely name Wigwam, Tasavallan Presidentti, Pekka Pohjohla and Haikara and it should come as no surprise that these four artists indeed are the most represented on this compilation.

As with any new projects, there are always kinks and inexperience to contend with and that's exactly what this first Colossus Project feels like to me, namely a newly coalesced idea that needed time to gel. One of the first quirks involved is the unusual situation where the band Haikara covers itself with its classic "Yksi Maa &Yksi Kansa" from their classic 1972 debut. I'm not sure i've ever heard of a band covering itself. A most peculiar situation indeed but with a prog legend willing to add itself to your playlist, how could Mellow Label Productions resist.

TUONEN TYTÄR: A TRIBUTE TO FINNISH PROGRESSIVE is a 2-CD release that contains 22 tracks. As stated the lion's share of real estate goes to the four best known bands therefore Wigwam has four tracks represented. Pekka Pohjola has four. Haikara has two and Tasavallan Pesidentti has three. Other Finnish artists represented include Matti Järvinen, Kaamos, Jukka Tolonen, Sahti, Finnforest, Piirpauke, Royals and Mandala.

What can i say about this TRIBUTE album to all things FINNISH PROG? Well, it's somewhat of a botched effort. I'm not really sure if the label was aiming at a Finnish audience to rediscover their lost heritage or if it's trying to export the glories of FINNISH PROG to a greater world audience but personally i would rather hear the original tracks by the artists who released them in the first place. While the bands that pay tribute do indeed worship their heroes quite decently, it doesn't seem like they add anything to the dynamics of the material either.

As it is, it was probably a gimmick to introduce new artists to the world via the material of the classics and i guess on that front it stands on its own, but once again, if the artists that are performing are the main focus then i'd prefer to hear original material from the bands themselves. As far as representing Finnish prog goes, it's true that Colossus covers the major movers and shakers but there were still a few names such as Kalevala, Elonkorjuu, Hector, Tabula Rasa, Fantasia and Nimbus just to name a few that could've been represented with at least a track to demonstrate the greater diversity of the local scene.

When all is said and done, Colossus pumped out a decent slice of TRIBUTE PROG for their FINNISH homeland. There are many exciting tracks on here that make me want to explore some of the albums i've thus missed from that region but unfortunately this particular compilation doesn't really invite many return listens but rather makes me want to explore the artists themselves who are being covered here. Nonetheless, despite not being the crown jewel of the Colossus Project series, it was a decent start that even its founders could've hardly foreseen as to how it would take off and as a piece of this greater collection still finds its way on my shelf for being so.

In case you're wondering here is the whole list of Colossus Project released so far:

TUONEN TYTAR: A TRIBUTE TO FINNISH PROGRESSIVE (2000)

Kalevala - Finnish Progressive Rock Epic (2003)

The Spaghetti Epic - Six Modern Prog Bands For Six Seventies Prog Suites (2004)

Odyssey - The Greatest Tale (2005)

The Colossus of Rhodes (2006)

The 7 Samurai - The Ultimate Epic (2006)

The Spaghetti Epic 2 - The Good, The Bad, & The Ugly (2007)

Treasure Island (2007)

Giallo! One Suite for the Murderer (2008)

The Empire and The Rebellion (2008)

Dante's Divine Comedy Part I - Dante's Inferno (2009)

Dante's Divine Comedy Part II ? Purgatorio (2009)

Rökstenen - a Tribute to Swedish Progressive Rock of the 70's (2009)

The Spaghetti Epic 3 - The Great Silence (2009)

Tuonen Tytar-A Tribute To Finnish Progressive Rock Of The Seventies - Volume Two (2009)

Iliad: A Grand Piano Extravaganza (2010)

The Tales of Edgar Allan Poe: A SyNphonic Collection (2010)

Decameron - Ten days in 100 novellas - Part I (2011)

The Stories Of H.P. Lovecraft: A SyNphonic Collection (2012)

Decameron - Ten Days In 100 Novellas - Part II (2014)

Decameron - Ten Days in 100 novellas - Part III (2016)