KERRS PINK

Ohh, delightful prog folk from Norway! They mix traditional music from their country with some terrific Camel-like symphonic rock. As one might have guessed, lots of great guitar lines here (both acoustic and electric). There are some nice keyboards too, but unfortunalty not much. My CD is a re-recording of the original early 80´s album, with a few line up changes. I guess it would be nice to hear the vinyl version for historical and curiosity reasons, but really the new tracks are very well produced while the early ones were not, according to what I heard. Anyway, the music here is very good, even if not all the tracks are great.

I really loved Harald Lytomt´s guitar playing: very melodic, very fluid, in the best David Gilmour/Andy Latimer tradition. But the whole band is quite good. As for the songs themselves the quality varies quite a lot, going from excellent (Mens Tiden Forgar) to average (the polka-like Tröstevise really was an unfortunate choice for the second track). However none is bad, and the playing is always top notch. Vocals are all sung in their native language, and Halvard Haugerud´s voice is only ok, but they are mostly an instrumental band anyway. Highlight of the CD is obviously the side long 17 minute epic Mens Tiden Forgar, a wonderful piece of symphonic prog that is really worth the price fo the album, with its several tempo and mood changes, captivating melodies and beautiful flute, guitar and keys interplay. The ending solo is one of the most emotional and poignant I have heard in many years.

There are six bonus tracks that although not really outstandig, are a nice addition for they are in same spirit of the original ones.

Conclusion: if you like Camel and prog folk, this is a must have. I´m really glad to have this one and I´d like to thank Kenneth Levine for advising about this interesting norwegian group. Even if you´re not really fond of prog folk, it´s worth checking this one out anyway.

Final rating: something between 3,5 and 4 stars.

A legend of the Norwegian prog scene,KEERS PINK started under the name ''Cash Pink'' and we have to go back in May 1972 in the small town of Trømborg to find their early beginnings with bassist Jostein Hansen forming the band.Guitarist Harald Lymtot joined soon after,while several members came and go in a 5 year period.1977,after the band was renamed to KEERS PINK,keyboardist Halvar Haugerud joins them and he has been a consistent member since then.After playing a great number of lives,The first album was released as self-titled on Pottittskiver in 1980.

STYLE: This is quite relaxed progressive rock in general with lots of psychedelic elements, light Folk influences and a heavy amount of melodic guitars.Lymtot is in the center of the arrangements,delivering very melodic work in the vein of ANDY LATIMER with nice solos here and there,but the Norwegian vocals add the appropriate Scandinavian flavor.The calmer parts have an intense Blues/Psychedelic feeling,while Haugerud seems to be playing a b-role,despite using a variety of keys.Keyboards are very distinctive and soft,the same thing with a couple of flute parts.So,melodic guitar-driven prog is the stuff here.

INFLUENCES/SOUNDS LIKE: With Lymtot being the main figure,CAMEL's characteristic style is more than evident,especially from their first two albums.But do not expect some PETER BARDENS' keyboards,as afore mentioned.Several Psych/Prog bands from Scandinavia come also to mind,with KAIPA being the closest comparison.

PLUS: The guitar work is not only melodic,but very inspired as well with some great moments,that stick in your mind.Not a weak track,all arrangements are on the same good level.Classic Prog fans will indicate a few symphonic parts as well.The few flute parts are quite strong.Strong and tight rhythm section as well.

MINUS: The album tends to be rather monotonous,as everything comes around Lymtot's guitars.The keyboards are lost in the background,while plenty of slow-tempo tracks are somewhat boring.Vocals are mediocre and rather indifferent.

WILL APPEAL TO: CAMEL fans for sure!Anyone after melodic or Scandinavian Prog with psychedelic influences and/or a sound of the old-school should also approach.

CONCLUSION/RATING: Guitar work is excellent,all tracks are qualitive,but the album lacks in varety.Not bad,but not that good.No more or less than 3 stars.Dedicated CAMEL followers should add a half star.

As with earlier work like MELLOM OSS, "Art of Complex Simplicity" is heavy on the instrumentals and applies a Scandinavian folk filter to a CAMEL lens, but several changes are made. For one, vocals are in English, and quite well sung. And while the preponderance of pastoral instrumentals again makes tracks blend into each other in an amorphous if happy clump, this album features several standouts that rank up there with the best in the sub genre.

The most impressive of the wordless cuts is probably "Guiding Light", a brief but powerful yet peaceful call to arms. The melody is arresting, partly due to an odd familiarity that I can't place. The lengthier "Joie to Vivre" captures this theme among others and should appeal to the more demanding listeners among us, not that it is unusually complex by any means. "Never Land" is the prime representation of the group's stock in trade - a relaxing piece with delicate guitars and floating female voices but enough oomph in the bass and drums to keep you awake. But the two must-haves are "Lady of the Lake", a lovely song that is more like STRAWBS than Strawbs, a bang-on take on their classic "Glimpse of Heaven"; and the even more appealing "Linger a Bit Longer", a melodic tour de force bolstered by keyboards and lead guitars played with abandon yet in the service of the tune.

If you are a symphonic fan leaning in the folk direction or vice versa, and make a virtual sprint to your local retailer for this atmospheric delight. Guaranteed to simplify your life without giving you a complex.

This veteran Norwegian prog band has a storied past with both the first self titled debut and the splendid sophomore Mellom Oss being fine prog-folk examples, led by the fluid lyrical guitar of Harald Lytomt. "Tidings" follows two adventurous and well-received releases (A Journey on the Inside and The Art of Complex Simplicity) and suggests a tad more conventional perhaps even commercial approach. The opener "Hour Glass" is pretty standard neo-tinged prog and is accessible enough for any fan but there is no real awe to wildly applaud. The lads do immediately get back to their folkish strengths on the inspirational "Tidings from the Distant Shore", a scintillating nearly 9 minute display of electric folk, with sweeping orchestral themes, delicate female vocals with male interventions, a propos marching violin, sizzling synths and a weeping guitar solo to finish the job. "Shooting Star" is a Freddy Ruud composition and thus strongly favors a variety of massed keyboards, a very deliberate piece that glows gently, set ablaze by a tortuous Lytomt lead solo, full of emotion and effect. The female backing vocals offer a soulful approach to counteract the male vocals that unfortunately grate unconvincingly. The longest cut here , "Yumi Yeda" is a welcome return to their more sophisticated style, showcasing exemplary melodies, allied with some inspired playing by all , even though the lead vocals are somewhat accented and weak. The guitar wails and weaves majestically however, providing another glimpse of how the instrumental prowess can be impeded by unconvincing voice work. "Moments in Life" conjures up strong Camel tinges with more lyrical guitar observations in a dreamy wash of keyboard colorations, again ruined by some wayward "American style funky-groovy" female vocals that plod on totally ludicrously, having little function other than to divert from the instrumental pleasure. Why? Next up, "Mystic Dream" is another near 10 minute piece that sails off at first assuredly, diving quickly into a sedate vocal segment, morphing into lung calisthenics that have no purpose and a fine solo section featuring both guitar and keys. Again, the same attributes apply, great musical parts raped by unpersuasive lead microphone work. Gratefully, the final track "Le Sable S'est Ecoulé" is an instrumental workout (using the oft-used Martin Luther King "I have a dream" quote as well as a JFK snippet) that demonstrates the tonal and technical abilities these vets obviously possess, preferring more experimental orchestrations thus clashing wildly with the previous material. In my opinion, their weakest effort by far, please chuck the vocalists and return to more conventional folk-prog singing and all will be fine tidings from then on. 3 Pink Grains of Sand.

I have the re-issue which isn't a remastered version of the original recording, but a complete re-recording of that album. The original had mellotron on it, this doesn't. This is fairly mellow with some nice guitar leads.There are only two tracks on this album that really impress me.

"Mellom Oss" is one of those tracks. Melancholic with synths and some great guitar to open. The tempo picks up before a minute. Nice bass followed by some outstanding guitar. That light uptempo melody is back as the contrasts continue. Just a cool sounding tune. "Trostevise" is almost polka-like.Yikes ! "Trostevals" opens with piano and is joined by the violin. Not a fan. "Ostinfor Ord" is the other song I really like.The guitar takes the lead early as bass throbs. Violin takes over 1 1/2 minutes in as the guitar stops. The intro melody is back 2 1/2 minutes in, it reminds me of CAMEL. The guitar lights it up 5 minutes in. Nice. "Hvem Snakker Til Meg ?" is a good song. I like the guitar, and we get some vocals after 1 1/2 minutes. The organ after 4 minutes is a nice touch.

"Elegi" opens with some good guitar before that polka vibe returns. Thankfully it doesn't break out into a "Lookimpickled Polka"-like tune. "Mens Tiden Forgar" is the 17 minute closer. We get some female vocals on this one. It builds to a guitar / drum / bass melody before settling back down 2 1/2 minutes in as flute arrives. Vocals with strummed guitar before 4 minutes.Female vocals follow. Organ before 7 1/2 minutes that comes and goes. The flute is back after 11 minutes. Male vocals a minute later as it continues to be pastoral. Before 15 minutes we finally get a little passion as the guitar and organ come in to end it in style.

I feel like i'm being generous giving this 3 stars, but then i'm not a huge fan of Folk music (or polka).

A very decent album from a very good prog folk band. Kerrs Pink was an eighties band that really doesn’t seem to have had a long active history, and according to the liner notes this was actually supposed to be a solo album for founding member Harald Lytomt. But he enlisted friend Jan Håkon Skarpsno to pen lyrics for several tracks and eventually decided to release this under the name Kerrs Pink, although only a couple of former members actually play on the record.

Camel fans will love the easy-going, mild approach in most of these compositions. Lytomt crafts rich musical works that blend Norwegian folk sensibilities with some modern instrumentation (guitars, drums, digital keyboards). The music is enriched as well with tin whistles, cello, flute and organ. The result is a truly folksy sound that avoids the all too common trap of becoming tepid strumming and crooning. This is a modern sound but with plenty of the trappings of classic progressive sounds.

Eight of the thirteen tracks here are instrumentals, and even the songs with vocals mostly emphasize the instrumental aspects of the music. The themes are pastoral, often speaking of tender relationships, memories and longing. Not really music for a wild Friday night, but perfect for sitting around the house watching the buds of spring popping up on the plants on your garden. I suppose I’ve revealed what I’m doing at the moment.

All the tracks here meld together well, with a few standing out just a bit for different reasons. “Linger a Bit Longer” mixes fat C3 organ with solid electric guitar and piano chords, while the ten-minute long “Joie de Vivre” is a classic-styled progressive mini-epic with endless transitions and soaring keyboard passages. The opening “Welcome to the Greenest Forest” is a great introduction of soothing keyboards sharpened with wailing guitar that sets the mood for the rest of the tunes perfectly. All in all this is a worthwhile investment of time for the calming effect it has after a rather strenuous week of toil and the complexities of life. Hence the title I suppose.

I don’t have any other recordings from the band, although it might not make much difference since this doesn’t seem to be in the vein of the group’s earlier work. But as an elaborated solo recording (which it what it seems to be), this is a well-crafted effort that should appeal to most prog folk fans and probably a lot of lovers of classically-styled prog music in general. Four stars might be just a bit of a stretch but I’ve found this to be a soothing repose over the past few weeks I’ve played it since picking it up, so I’ll go with that for now. Well recommended to like-minded souls.

peace

Having not heard the original 1981 release, I cannot comment on whether the re-recording does it justice, but I can say it sounds great and chrystal clear. It's a beautiful symphonic album with plenty of references to the softer sides of Camel (especially in the lead guitars) and Focus, but with more of a folky and upbeat melancholic, Norwegian bent. Mellom Oss is mostly instrumental but does contain vocals in a few tracks.

The title track opens things up in a representative way. Jangling guitars, languid leads, diffuse keyboards and bouncy generally simple melodies all characterize the sound of this album. "Tröstevise" contains somewhat aggressive vocals set to a eastern European sort of motif. Quite fascinating. "Ostenfor Ord" is one of the real highlights, as it plays to all the band's strengths. It contains a very emotional tune, bluesy lead guitar, crisp 12 strings, and a gentle viola solo by Tormod Gangfløt, backed by convincing percussion. "Hvem Snakker Til Meg?" is another song in a similar vein to "Tröstevise" but contains a harder rhythm guitar that seems to be having fun playing off the organ and drums/bass. Some fantastic runs here. "Elegi" is short for elegant as far as I can tell from its arrangement.

By far the longest track is "Mens Tiden Forgar", which seems to alternate between early 80s style KC guitars, Camel-like flutes, and varied reflective vocals as it goes along. It's a qualified success and certainly does contain a number of interesting moments, taking a few listens to really digest. "Marius" and "Parademarsj For Jubilanter" are both jaunty tunes, and the first sounds like some vocals would enhance its effect. In general if there is a problem here, it is the preponderous of such types of instrumentals. The group could have stretched out more, and it would have helped all the material to be in more diverse company.

Nonetheless, this is a highly worthwhile Scandinavian prog album from a long lived band. Between us, I think it merits 4 stars.

Kerrs Pink was one of the leading bands of the Norwegian folk-rock movement during the early 80's, their style has often been compared to the mellow and gentle style of Camel along with traditional folk influences and they have a very comforting and melodic style to their songs. "Mellom Oss" is their second release and shows us this very well. The musicianship is steady and songwriting is solid throughout, with a special mention to guitarist Harald Lytomt's clearly Andy Latimer influenced playing. This album shows a few weaker signs in some of the shorter songs, like "Trøstevise" which is rather forgettable, but the wonderful 17 minute closing epic, "Mens Tiden Forgår", makes up for most of it and stands as the best piece on the album as well as being an essential listening to any prog fan. Another highlight is the wonderful instrumental "Østenfor Ord" which combines Progressive Rock with Folk wonderfully and is a standout of the shorter songs. The other material is fairly good and in the same style. A couple of songs have lyrics which are in Norwegian, but that could work as a charming element for non-Norwegian listeners.

The CD version of this album is in a fact a re-recorded one, although very faithful to the original version. The reason for this are that the original album was recorded on a 4-track recorder which (obviously) coulnd't offer a sound quality good enough to be appreaciated. I must say I haven't heard the original version yet, but the sound quality here is really good and you can hear all instuments clearly throughout. In addition to that, you get six bonus tracks which are a treat for fans especially although the album material is more interesting, in my opinion. Although not a perfect album, this is a fine listen if you like bands in the style of Camel or Kebnekaise.

Highlights include "Østenfor Ord" and "Mens Tiden Forgår". The latter one being the best track here and one of Norwegian prog's finest moments. A very good and promising album, worth checking out if you like lighter prog-rock with folk influences, although it might be difficult to find these days it's worth it if you dig stuff like this. 4/5.

I think this is one of their best albums and the change of lineup has not affected the quality in any way, and quite possibly has enhanced their characteristic folky sound. I would STRONGLY disagree with the first reviewer that it sounds samey. Sadly I delayed buying this in the light of that review. So I wanted to add my thoughts to reflect a fairer perspective on this lovely album. Firstly, it definitely has enough variation to keep me interested! Its full of gorgeous melodies, masterful musicianship and the female vocals are showcased wonderfully well on the beautiful ballad "Tidings". If you have a special place in your heart for the good old fashioned qualities of beauty, warm melody, romance and gentleness - then please don't delay buying TIDINGS! Our friends from Norway (who named themselves after a variety of potato - how romantic!) are definitely worth digging around for! Ifyou have trouble finding it in shops go to www.mindawn.com for samples & purchase.

This album is one of the best in the 80´s, the sound is amazing and beautiful, I don´t remember the firts time that I heard this album but i was a little child I remember the beatiful things that I remember, its highly recomended because it has a lot of interesting things like the sound of Harald Lytomt´s guitar that sounds nice and clear.