KERRS PINK

Kerrs Pink are a Norwegian band who have been going in one form or another since 1972, although there have been multiple line-up changes and gaps when the band have not been active. 'Mellom Oss' was their second album, originally released in 1982, and it has now been remastered and made available as part of the Norske Albumklassikere series, a crowdfunded label which reissues classic Norwegian albums. Note, there was a version of this album released by Musea in 1992 with additional tracks, but here we have the original seven. The band at the time were Harald Lytomt (guitars, flute) (who is still with the band to this day), Jostein Hansen (bass, guitars, vocals), Halvard Haugerud (keyboards, bass, vocals), Tore Fundingsrud (drums) and Trond Bøhn( keyboards, guitar ? who only played on two tracks before leaving). They also had a few guests in Kirsten Hognestad Bøhn (vocals), Lars-Thore Lande (bass), Trygve Lahn (violin) and Chris Dankel, family and friends (handclaps and chorus).

As with all releases from this label this is in a nice gatefold which maintains the original front and rear of the vinyl release (1000 pressed), along with plenty of information about the band and the context of this album. Sadly for me, this is all in Norwegian so makes no sense to me at all so I had best concentrate on the music. They are widely compared with Camel, and one can certainly hear why as there is the same languorous approach with some lovely Latimer-style guitars, and it certainly does not come across as being self-recorded in their own studio. It has also aged well in that while one would guess this as possibly being from the late Seventies as opposed to early Eighties, it is still incredibly enjoyable. This is not a difficult album to listen to, and the use of female vocals in certain places gives the music a very different feel indeed, as does the move to acoustic guitar at times. Folk prog is probably a good place to categorise this album, with gentle flute certainly adding a certain ambience. It is an album to be savoured and enjoyed, to be relaxed into.

I don't believe I have heard any of their other albums, the most recent of which was released only a few years ago, but I am intrigued to know if they have kept with this style as this is certainly very pleasant and pastoral, yet with nice proggy elements as well. All power to those who funded this reissues as this has been quite a discovery for me.

What a nice musical surprise, the return of Norwegian proggers Kerrs Pink, founded in 1973! Listening to this new Kerrs Pink album is like travelling back in time, to the glorious Seventies symphonic rock years, I love it, unsurpassed! The six compositions (between 4 and 13 minutes) feature a lush vintage keyboard sound (lots of Hammond, alongside Minimoog synthesizer and the Mellotron choir - and violin sections) and outstanding guitar playing, fuelled by a powerful rhythm-section, and topped with good English vocals, by Magic Pie singer Eirikur Hauksson, he has an obvious accent but sounds very inspired. The interplay is strong, very dynamic, especially between the harder-edged guitar and Hammond organ. Like the good old days of Uriah Heep (rocky side) and Focus (classical undertone). My highlights.

Away From Shadows starts with sumptuous Hammond organ and guitar, then majestic Mellotron choir and rock guitar riffs join, the interplay is powerful. Then a mellow part with warm vocals, and moving guitar. Halfway a wonderful Grand piano and Mellotron violins duet, again moving guitar joins. The classical undertone is obvious. Now we can enjoy 'Hammond Extravaganza', what an exciting sound! Finally sparkling piano runs, followed by an acceleration, in a bombastic atmosphere, the Hammond shines, again!

Luna is a short mellow piece, it contains fine interplay between guitar and piano, embellished with Mellotron choirs, and warm emotional vocals, simply beautiful.

Finally, the epic composition In Discipline And With Love, close to 13 minutes. First a slow rhythm featuring sensitive guitar and soaring Hammond, the interplay by the Hammond and guitar has a strong classical undertone, it sounds very dynamic. Now exciting Minimoog flights join, typical Old School prog, wow! Then a dreamy climate with warm vocals, piano, vocal harmonies, and in my opinion a steel guitar sound. Halfway lots of shifting moods, embellished with fat Minimoog runs, a fiery guitar solo with Hammond, again a majestic Mellotron choir sound, and finally delicate work on the Grand piano, between jazz and classical.

Mission accomplished, strong return!

My rating: 3,5 star.

KERRS PINK is the Norwegian band founded in 1973 (and not the potato with the satirical wink at the start of the appointment), a dinosaur what; dissolved in 82, restarted and waiting for an album for 8 years for this 8th! Progressive folk rock stamped 70's with many traditional instruments like the accordion and the flute, art-rock in fact so much the music goes to various countries, on CAMEL, JETHRO TULL, a bit of GENESIS and PINK FLOYD, closer it brings me back to FLOWER KINGS and especially MAGIC PIE from the same peninsula since the singer also officiates there. Melodic instrumental atmospheres often come right in the middle of the title to plunge us into port stories. KERRS PINK actually does KERRS PINK but better, read why.

"Resurrection" seizes me at the outset for the voice of Eirikur à la GILLAN, close to the singer of Martin BARRE, in short it actually sends me back to MAGIC PIE in the end; the accordion also puts a little folk atmosphere, a little flute and Hammond make this title go up, a little choppy phrasing giving dynamism, the fruity guitar à la MAY then à la HACKETT, the deep piano, the drums in relief , the church keyboards in the end and the enjoyable accordion, in short, a superb start to a sound of the 70's reboosted 2020! "Private Affairs" and the voice a la JETHRO TULL, a la BLUES TRAVELER, à GILLAN, that of "Perfect Strangers", well all that not to say that of MAGIC PIE, rhythmic drums tune which refers to one of their composition on "Tidings", an omnipresent bass, a KANSAS riff amplified by the vintage sound of the keyboards, a nervous musical lion which sticks out its claws, which drives the point home to the typical sound. "The Book of Dreams" on an intro that IRON MAIDEN could have done, very smooth, symphonic; the prog feels here epic, melodic, folkloric with the accordion well placed, moving; it reminds me a little of the musical follies of QUEEN, the guitar and bass set the grandiloquent tone; this title makes a happy tonality, the borderline baroque break of the second part brings a remarkable, moving digression to the final violin and the keyboards which sends you to an Irish or Norwegian fishing pub. Huge and anachronistic.

"Away from Shadows" attacks the second part of the album with a powerful heavy prog genre solo that calls out, then it calms down with a soft, romantic line; it's done well, the voice seems to follow the notes of the rhythmic and symphonic keyboards; a boat on a very beautifully crafted art-musical territory, an ode to a God, breaks-ruptures with a divine piano, the fresh, fruity, slightly tormented guitar, the heavy bass just after to amplify this grandiloquent and progressive side which holds the road; not my cup of tea in general but here I am amazed by this successful amalgam of musical sensitivity. "Luna" and the shortest title for the intimate hymn, a little melancholy, enjoyable because it trains you to take each other by the arms and to dance sitting around the table, when there is no more banquet. at present. A symphonic ballad on a well-known rhythm which risks remaining in the lead amplified by warm choirs; a bit of PROCOL HARUM in the background. "In Discipline and with Love" ends the album with a 12 minute mark. It starts off soft, the instruments come and set a rhythm with the guitar, the keyboards remind me of those of GENESIS, the Moog and the Mellotron; jazzy atmosphere with the piano, a long crescendo taking you on cold and warm musical landscapes, ah oxymoron when you hold us; spleen with a shimmering guitar, be careful halfway it goes on symphonic prog, Scandinavian folk, on classic rock, on the rhyme of '' Wot Gorilla? '' From GENESIS; back home on a colorful variation, a title that merges, that stacks up genres and keeps you in the home port where the group actually plays in front of you, that's it you get it, it's the end and it was beautiful.

KERRS PINK marked a great progressive blow, of the grandiloquent classic, of the symphonic, a breathtaking sound mastery with a very current sound, instrumentalists who have improved over time, all in fact. A sound so progressive as we imagine where we do not bother, where we feel reminiscences yes but where the most important are those of the group. I was quite reserved because the little that I had listened to smacked too much of folklore and the usual sound, that is simply the slap. You have understood that listening to it risks putting it directly in your top 2021.

It's something of a tribute to this very long lived group that each album is quite readily recognizable as theirs, especially since the vocalist seems to change with every release. Harald Lytomt's lead guitars, in a CAMEL-esque vein, and the blend of symphonic prog and Norwegian folk melodies, provide the continuity. One improvement over "Tidings" from eleven years earlier is that the termini of each song are no longer the province of wailing female vocalists. The two opening numbers are especially strong, with Eirikur Hauksson of MAGIC PIE supplying very GENESIS- like vocals and pleasant changes of pace and atmosphere, and the brief "Unwanted" is simply divine, while "Creepy You Crawl" is a harder rock number that contrasts favorably with the overabundance of moody or mellow offerings.

Unfortunately, apart from the aforementioned and a few notable passages in the longer tracks (see "Earth to Earth"), the beneficial effect is somewhat dampened due to excessive run time, similarity of musical motifs and rhythms, and prevalence of lyrical themes around person legacy and immortality. Lytomt has been exploring these vexing questions since at least the prior album, but here enters an interminable loop only saved by a hard stop. Had "Mystic Spirit" been pared down to 45 minutes, it might have offered the listener the opportunity to transcend the mundane rather than go mad trying. 3 stars for the controlled release version.

"Tidings" includes the most epic length tracks of any KERRS PINK album, while it is somewhat paradoxically their most vocal oriented opus up to that point. This theoretically allows the band to communicate its generally mystical themes in more detail and enhances opportunities for instrumental development.

Melody and arrangement remain central priorities, and breaks in the CAMEL vein abound, but the band has attempted to modernize. This is chiefly apparent in the frequent deployment of 3 female vocalists, to rather different effect than the innocent clarity of "Magic Mary" from the 1980s. The style deployed is more R&B like. While the contrast was probably intended to jolt the band out of its comfort zone, it is completely at odds with the general laid back ambiance, with phrasings repeated ad nauseum, This utterly grounds the potential of "Shooting Star" and "Moments in Life", and severely hampers the propitious "Mystic Dream", which really should have been bisected for the betterment of all.

On the plus side, In "Tidings from a Distant Shore", the band stamps a shanty sing along on a plodding prog epic, brilliantly so. "Yumi Yeda" might be even better, its lyrical imagery gliding atop a series of contrasting, dignified arrangements, with just a little hyperextension. If I may transgress by looking ahead a dozen or so years, the themes conveyed on this disk runneth over to the subsequent release "Mystic Spirit", but more on that later, elsewhere.

With "Tidings" KERRS PINK takes an emphatic step in the wrong direction; it's awesome when a band finds a groove and rides it out, but this is a metaphysical journey with an overabundance of bum steers at the least favorable juncture. 2.5 stars, rounded down.

This mid period release by Norway's national progressive folk treasure was the first to include English vocals, including a few welcome guest spots by the bell-like Heidi Drengsrud Jahren. Moreover, it's the only entry in their discography with lighthearted, even humorous moments, while at the same time pushing the folk aspects to the fore. As a result, this is their most diverse effort, occupying new territories while remaining steadfast to their singular spirit and drive.

The 18 tracks in this typically extended KERRS PINK project are divided almost alternately into instrumentals and songs, with one preternatural epic that is alone worth the price of entry. It's called "Rubicon", and it is a pivotal climactic piece which unites the loose late coming of age concept of the opus. Musically, it alternates between simmering emotive vocals not dissimilar to what CLANNAD achieved on their classic "In a LIfetime", tender acoustic guitar figure bolstered by a tasty syncopated rhythm, and a tense hard rock riff, still backed by jangly acoustic guitars, and occasionally overlaid by organ.

Other powerful vocal tracks include the admonishing "Kingdom of Nothing" and the Celtic rock influenced "Showdown" with superb tin whistle atmospherics by Tore Johansen, Offsetting them with the lighter fare in the form of "The Voice Inside Your Heart" and the caution to the wind of "Downtown Happy-Go-Lucky Bunch" renders both more poignant and eloquent. Among the smorgasbord of instrumentals, "The Initiator" plays to the acoustico-electric strengths of the band better than any other, but many of these pieces serve more to bridge the narrative and capture atmosphere.

"A Journey on the Inside" may be the most complete effort to date by KERRS PINK, and it marks an assertive step out of the shadows of some of the better known bands to which they are indebted, worthy of its own followers.

Replete with gorgeous guitar solos and occasionally assertive keyboards and flutes, this debut by Norwegian legends KERRS PINK reflects the maturity of a band that has held back 8 years worth of material and is done holding back. Sumptuous lead guitar melody follows sumptuous lead guitar melody so closely that the heels of the first often step on the toes of the second. Roughly half the tracks have vocals, but they are, for the most part, no more assertive than the occasional flute or organ passage. Similarities to early CAMEL are unmasked at this point in their career, although, apart from a poorly integrated graft of "Rhayader Goes to Town" on "Sirrus", these influences are unobtrusive.

Where KERRS PINK distinguish themselves to some degree is in their incorporation of Nordic folk melodies into the modern arrangements. Even here, the prettiness is spread a little wide and rarely pierces the surface virtually lacking in tension. Almost any cut could be transferred to a compilation album with minimal spillage and be a highlight, but in each others' company they are like store bought lingon berries, tasty but best partaken in small doses lest one succumb to their less desirable effects.

It is easy to point out a highlight - the brilliant "If I'm still here next year" is an entirely arresting blend of WISHBONE ASH, OUGENWEIDE, early HOELDERLIN and late NOVALIS, with some EDEN (Germany) thrown in. It's a shame they didn't write more "songs" of this nature that establish a groove, for want of a better term, which is a skill long ago mastered by their heroes with humps. The opening two tracks are also noteworthy, the first for its appealing almost Slavic melody, the second for the thrust of lively vocals towards the end, a skill they would hone on mid period releases.

I don't mean to beat a dead camel but this comely disk is far less than the sum of its parts, and for that reason I round down from 3.5 stars

By the time of the release of ''Mellom oss'' Kerrs Pink were already falling into pieces.Lytomt and Fundingsrud left the band to form another group called Mantra and by early 82' Kerrs Pink were history.During the 80's Lytomt was also involved in Foxtrot, but the emergence of Musea gave Kerrs Pink back a breath of life.In 1989 the band reformed with old members Jostein Hansen, Harald Lytomt, Torild Johansen and Tore Fundingsrud with newcomer Per Oyvind Nordberg on keyboards/vocals (also a member of Mantra) due to the interest of the French label in re-releasing their early works.In early-90's ''Monday man'' was recorded, heading for the Musea compilation ''7 days of a life'' and by May 93' 20 tracks were mastered, heading for a third album.18 of them made it to ''A journey on the inside'', which was released the same year.

Keeping part of their old stylings and updating their sound, Kerrs Pink returned with an album following their past principles of smooth Symphonic Rock, but this time they pronounced their folky touches.They appear as a cross between post-90's YES, CAMEL, KAIPA and MIKE OLDFIELD during the first running hour, passing through dreamy, epic atmospheres, rural soundscapes filled with Nordic melodies and light symphonic moods, where the music alternates between acoustic and discreet electric guitars with flutes supporting and electric passages with cool moves and nice keyboard parts performed on organ and synthesizer.The vocals are performed in English, featuring a guest female singer and end up to be pretty emotional.The combination of symphonic and Nordic influences works pretty well, but the album lacks the beautiful melodies displayed in ''Mellom oss'' and some moments in here sound a bit thin, despite the good arrangements.Fortunately a decent work becomes pretty strong at the very end, as the best is left for last.The 11-min. ''Rubicon'' is a nice piece of Folk-tinged Symphonic Rock with great vocals and melodies, interesting organ and guitar battles and occasional breaks into Scandinavian tradition, featuring overall a more complex and demanding sound.''Delirious'' is an absolute surprise, recalling PALLAS and featuring flashy, symphonic synthesizers and standard Neo Prog melodies in the guitar solos over clean and expressive vocals.The piano melody is reminiscent of MARILLION's ''Lavender''.''Epilogue'' is a fantastic, melancholic outro, recalling KAIPA, CAMEL and FOCUS, with a stunning melody on guitar and a strong Classical/Nordic feel, monster exit, despite its mellow style.

A succesful comeback by all means.Melodic, atmospheric Symphonic Rock with big time Nordic/Folk influences, pretty great album regarding the year of its release and the period difficulties concerning progressive music.Strongly recommended...3.5 stars.

Real "progressed" music for the band

Listening to their music from the first album, I can say that this 6th is really progressed music for the band. It is obvious that the vocal changed the atmosphere of their music, but still you can hear that norwegian trad melody in the guitar solo which is their trademark. In short, their music has become some of the global prog standard especially in musical structure. In this sense, young prog listeners may get deep into it than the senior prog fans. I am part of the later, but I am repeating the album now. My score is 4.5 stars.

Wow, what a thrill it is discovering a new album that one cannot get enough of. Such is the case with Kerrs Pink latest effort, Mystic Spirit. Honestly I was totally unaware that this band has been around for over 30 years as this is the first I have heard from them.

This website classifies them as prog-folk, but I would have to disagree with that classification. I would call this more crossover or symphonic. as it is driven mostly by electric guitar and keyboards with solid bass lines.

Starting with "Final Curtain", one would think, "oh this is nice", with strong melody, guitar patterns, and excellent vocals. But then, one song after another is equally as good or better. Just solid melodic prog from start to finish. This is an album that just gets better with each listen and will easily make my top 10 for 2013.

My challenge now is to check out their back catalog.