KÄYTÄVÄ / KAUPUNGIN NAISET

This particular NOVA - there are two others in ProgArcives alone! - was a Finnish short-lived band that made one album called Atlantis (1976), with a Supertramp-like cover art of a grand piano floating in space. But their first release was this single released by the legendary Love Records. On ground of these two songs, one hardly would be expecting a prog album with epic compositions from this group.

'Käytävä' (= Corridor, aisle) is a very short and basically sincere & simple love song, and yet it manages to sound quite many-sided. At first it's mellow, slightly sentimental, vocals backed only by acoustic guitar and piano. At 0:43 the rhythm section arrives and gives the song some rock spine, and half a minute later comes a joyful harmonica solo, revealing the blues flavour. The organ a bit later makes me think of PROCOL HARUM. The sound and production are pleasant, beautifully aged. A fine little song written by singer-keyboardist Antti Ortamo. His vocals are, how to say it, just common - like some average folk troubadour - , but capable of emotionally strong impression.

The B-side song 'Kaupungin naiset' (= The women of the city) also by Ortamo is a plain blues number in slow tempo, complete with wailing vocals and a delicious electric guitar solo. From prog artists the references could be Peter Gabriel's 'Waiting for the Big One' and The Strawbs' 'Absent Friend', but with more of the authentic blues feel.

The single's drawn cover is nice but why the band name is missing? Quite surprisingly it's the latter song that was included newly mixed on the Atlantis album. Both songs are included also in the Various Artists compilation "Love Proge 2".