PEOPLE NO NAMES / BOOGIE JUNGLE

This low budget release contains the first two albums by the Finnish band Kalevala, as you can see on the cover. By the way the original vinyl of the debut is said to be one of the highest prized collector's item in Finnish rock. I won't review these albums separately so I'll be more detailed than usual this time.

PEOPLE NO NAMES (1972).The title track is the longest one in the whole set (8:55). It starts with lonely acoustic guitar, but already after 30 seconds the vocalist and the band arrive to offer a tight piece of progressive hard rock. Harri Saksala (formerly of APOLLO; eponymous album from 1970) sings very roughly, sounding almost like Captain Beefheart. His original Finnish lyrics were translated by Mats Huldén who did the same for some WIGWAM albums too. Electric guitar is leading the way.

'Where I'm From' is much calmer track, processing for a couple of minutes as a dreamy instrumental featuring guest appearances of Olli Ahvenlahti's piano and Raimo Wallen's flute, before the faster vocal section kicks in to disappear again. 'Waves' and 'Escape from the Storm' are jazz-rock instrumentals, maybe slightly monotonous but quite good ones.

'In the Net' is a return to harder rocking and bluesy expression; here Saksala and the band sound a bit like the rougher side of Frank Robson and TASAVALLAN PRESIDENTTI. Gritty harmonica solo is played by Saksala. 'My Friend' is another instrumental, similarily tender and piano-oriented as the most of 'Where I'm From' was. 'Lady With the Veil' has deep atmosphere with its whisper-approaching vocals and lots of acoustic guitar, even if the song is rather fast. 'Tamed Indians' seems like a joke, a brief, hilarious and fast instrumental featuring accordion.

BOOGIE JUNGLE (1975). Some line-up changes had occurred: Saksala was replaced by Limousine Leppänen. All lyrics are by WIGWAM's Jim Pembroke who also provides background vocals on four tracks. The opener 'Mind the Fly Hunter' is rooty, bluesy rock'n'roll song, quite uninteresting to me. The second track is even more boring. Also Leppänen's vocals have bluesy roughness but they miss Saksala's strong presence. 'If We Found the Time' is better, calmer song, where the use of vibrato reminds me of FAMILY's Roger Chapman. 'While the Fire's Warm' is a blues-rocker and features WIGWAM's Jukka Gustavson on clavinet.

'Boogie' is a personal bland of fast, jazzy rock'n'roll, hard rock elements and a drum solo. 'Rockin Fish' is another rough, hard rocking song that I have no any interest for. It has become very clear by now that this album is much worse than the debut, at least for a prog listener. Friends of honest rock'n'roll naturally think the other way round. The album's best track is obviously the long, closing instrumental 'Jungle', where especially electric guitar and Moog do some nice things.

The leaflet features credits information, nothing more. Maybe together these albums are worth three stars as I would rate the debut separately too.

Kalevala , this finish band who got litle recognition in their short career. Easy 4.5 stars for the debut People no names from 1972, absolutly excellent and unfairly overlooked release when talking about essential prog albums from early '70. Top notch the vocal parts, gruff voice that is fiting like glove on the music offered, with nice shining guitar parts, top druming, busy bass and awe inspired arrangements. Aswell are lots of instrumental sections, proving that the musicians really handle the instruments with an amazing ease, alternating more mellow parte as on Where i am from, with beautiful parts to more edge like the opening title track. All in all a nice nearly masterpice album, definetly one of my fav albums ever and in same league with anything Uriah Heep done in that period, being quie similar , or with for example Gomorrha from Germany and their great I turned to see whose voice it was released same year 1972 , that heavy prog we all love of the early days of prog. An essential album to have and i think in top 5 prog rock albums Finland ever produce, 4.5 easy for me

Their second release issued 3 years later named Boogie jungle from 1975 is a diffrent affair, musicaly speaking. The band broke up after releasing their debut, but soon re formed in 1974 with new musicians, including a new voice, important is that the guitarist Matti Kurkinen remaning still, he was the driving force of the band for sure , sadly passed away in a traffic accident soon after releasing Boogie jungle in 1975. So, this album is far less spectacular then the first, being close to comercial hard rock , the progressive arrangements almost completly gone with exception the excellent ending 7 min plus piece named Jungle where Kurkinen shine all through, sounding like it was taken from their debut. The rest while to me is far from bad album, is far less exciting but pleasent for sure. Boogie jungle desearve 3 stars for sure from me, nice art work.

4.5 from the debut plus 3 from second is 7.5 rounded up this time because i like a lot Kalevala, that is meaning 4 stars for this 2 in 1 compilation