TASAVALLAN PRESIDENTTI II

This is one of the most classic Finnish prog rock albums. Roughly speaking, half of the music - featuring organ, saxophone and flute in addition to a basic rock combo - is edgy progressive jazz rock, and the other half is easier and mellower pieces. This dicotomy makes me think of King Crimson of the time, and also Procol Harum comes to mind especially when the organ has a big role. Frank Robson is a strong vocalist (slightly reminding of Harum's Gary Brooker) who seems to be equally at home with bluesy or rough numbers and the soft ones, which I enjoy more.

The music doesn't have the clear trademarks of (symphonic/epic) prog, and most of the tracks remain short or in normal length, though they have a lot of potential to be extended in a 'jazzy' way when played live, and I presume they have done so in their concerts. The longest track 'Sinking' (7 minutes) reminds a lot of Pekka Streng album Magneettimiehen kuolema, which TP did with him soon afterwards. Slow tempo, Eastern-ish flute and percussion... It is Pekka Pöyry's beautiful flute that I love the best on this album. While many listeners probably have greater respect for edgier numbers on which the skill of the players may shine brighter, I prefer ballads like 'I Love You Teddy Bear' and 'I'm Going Home Once Again'. The leaflet includes a detailed text on the album and its making, and the lyrics.