HARD N' HORNY/TOMBSTONE VALENTINE

Here is a nice packet which has the two first WIGWAM albums on it in for a cheap price. I was introduced to this band myself with this CD at the early 90's, but I think there are now better remastered CD versions on the market of these two albums, so I guess you'll see this now only in second hand shops. On the left side of this album jacket you can see the red album cover which was used in the re-issues of the "Hard N' Horny" album, and on the right is the album cover of Finnish version of "Tombstone Valentine" (the picture in the archives is from the UK version I believe).

Two first albums by Finland's best known prog band (rivalled only by Tasavallan Presidentti). Englishman Jim Pembroke sang before Wigwam in BLUES SECTION, slightly psychedelic and - in Finland's scale - very innovative band, which featured future members of TP as well. Enter another personal musician, Jukka Gustavson (organ, piano, vocals), and a prog legend was born. On their debut the synergy of the two is still unmature: the album is in fact divided into Jukka's material and Jimbo's material, quite different from each other. Gustavson delivers some hilarious and jazzy art rock (reminding of Canterbury school), containing also some hippy experimental tracks built on spoken words. His esoteric lyrics deserve mentioning.

Pembroke has written a suite about a chap called Henry. There's a strong Beatles influence, and if the whole suite was as good as its best parts, it would be great, but the interest disappears here and there.

The second album was a foolish attempt to reach wider audience abroad. It is perhaps the weakest album by the original WIGWAM, despite the arrival of the future legendary bassist- composer Pekka POHJOLA (whose instrumental '1936 Lost In the Snow' is only average). The highligt is Gustavson's deeply emotional closer, 'End'. But the album is full of weak material, some of it actually quite irritating.

For those interested in WIGWAM this 2-in-1 is however recommendable, because together they contain enough goodies. One can always use the skip button...