ABRAHAM'S BLUE REFRAIN

I am to my surprise making first review of this really good album!! As a matter of fact I also listened this album first time quite recently. As many other Kalevela fans seem to be, I was suspicious about this just because this has been made without Matti Kurkinen who composed everything in the great first album "People No Names". In the next "Boogie Jungle" there was also Lido Salonen making compositions and result wasn´t as strong. I wonder Kurkinen´s early passing was so big strike to the band they even changed their name a bit although Lido was the only founding member of the band already in first album. But the main reason seemed to be they tried to achieve international success that time. Although another Finnish band Wigwam was closer to breakthrough with it´s record deal of Virgin Records and tours in UK & Europe, Kalevala also did tours in Poland & France. It was French progmasters Ange, who invited Kalevala to support them in French tour. Ange members also used their connections that this album was released in seven European country. "Abraham´s Blue Refain" has released as CD in 2010, but finally next August Svart records will release a vinyl reissue. Hopefully this album will finally get the respect it deserves also in Progarchives

"Silver Fish" is very uptempo melodic opener, reminds a lot Bob Seger. Awesome guitar playing from Lido as throughout album. But musical greatness really starts in next "Lighthouse". This melodic ballad reminds me really much Family. A lot same in singer Leppänen´s voice as in Roger Chapman´s. Also very great moog playing from Raimo Karima. "Forever Train" goes in funk rhythm, but is all the way quite complex and great composition. But into real prog we go in the next, over six minutes two parted suite that has the title name of the album. Fist part is very sad and beautiful and there is something same as in "Where I´m From" of the first album. In second part intensity rises, but that awesome sadness continues. "Brown´ll Might Suit You" seems to got lots of influence from Zappa´s "Brown Shoes Don´t Make It". All the way it´s the most boring one in this album. In next "Highland Temple" melodic greatness comes back. There is somebody playing great sounding vibraphone that is not credited. "Playground" is quite straightforward and it could have been a hit in the UK in the begin of seventies, but not anymore in punk/new wave end of seventies. "Marketbox Street" goes more proggy direction with it´s quite complex structure. Ending "Panamanian Red" is again uptempo piece, but it has many parts and quite interesting atmosphere changes into it´s five minutes. This time Leppänen´s short vocals reminds Circle´s Mika Rättö!

Really this album is not even near of the genius of "People No Names", but it has more prog than second "Boogie Jungle". It is quite typical 1977 prog album, when old progbands had to softer their style. Comparing this album to 10cc albums is not unfair. I don´t quite understand why Kalevala has put into progrelated here just because "People No Names" is so fullblooded progalbum! They have really much in common with other Finnish band "Tabula Rasa" and it has put into symphonic prog! I think both really belongs into eclectic prog. Also Tabula Rasa´s second album goes towards mainstream rock just like these two other Kalevala´s albums. To me personally genres are just the same, but it´s sad, if people don´t listen this great band because it has put into prog related. Maybe four stars is little bit too much to this album, but because I gave 3 stars to "Boogie Jungle", this really is improvement of that. On the other hand this is really much better than many other 1977 prog albums, it comes right after Jethro Tull´s "Songs From the Wood", Floyd´s Animals, Wigwam´s Dark Album, Rush`s a Farewell To Kings, Renaissaince´s Novella, Can´s Saw Delight, Camel´s Rain Dance`s & Yes´s Going For the One.

The Finnish prog group KALEVALA (best known for their legendary debut album People No Names, 1972) sadly lost their celebrated guitarist Matti Kurkinen in the summer of 1975, and it was especially the singing drummer "Zape" "Limousine" Leppänen that pushed the band and its leader, composer and guitarist Juha "Lido" Salonen, to stay active. Salonen didn't want a new guitarist, but the group started to seek a keyoardist instead. Raimo Karimo joined them in the early 1976, although he's only playing on two tracks of the third album -- in which the word Orchestra was added to the band name.

All nine tracks were composed by Salonen, some of them together with Leppänen. The lyrics were written by Wigwam's Jim Pembroke, except for the songs of the preceding single ('Playground' / 'Lighthouse') that had lyrics of Peter O'Neill, Irish troubadour living in Finland at the time. Musically the album more or less continues in the fairly straightforward rock style of the disappointing second album Boogie Jungle (1975) and yet it sounds stronger as a whole. The moods are generally darker, understandably so after the accidental death of Kurkinen.

'Silver Fish' is a sweaty, fast-paced rock'n'roll song. Leppänen's raspy vocals remind me of FAMILY's Roger Chapman without the lamb-like vibrato. Neither 'Lighthouse' is highly progressive as a chorus-repeating composition, but it sounds pretty good and has great Moog parts by Karimo. 'Forever Train' is a fast, semi-proggy and very dynamic rock song full of energy in the playing.

The album's undeniable highlight is the spiritually inspired, two-part title piece (6:40) which has the clearest prog tendencies and the most powerful emotional feel. Quite beautiful especially on the slower moments. Backing vocals are provided by Marianne Nyman and Jim Pembroke, the latter also playing piano on this piece only. Leppänen is admittedly a strong vocalist who is equally convincing on the rock intensity and on the calmer expression.

The album's references to drug abuse are at their clearest on the rocking 'Brown'll Might Suit You' and the slightly RUSH-reminding instrumental 'Panamian Red'. The remaining three rock oriented vocal songs are pretty average.

The album sold very weakly in Finland but it was marketed into several continental countries, helped by the band's touring with Poland's SBB and later with the French prog legends ANGE. Kalevala disbanded in 1978 -- but not entirely for good.