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VESA AALTONEN PROG BAND: STUDIO LIVE

Various Artists (Tributes)

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Various Artists (Tributes) Vesa Aaltonen Prog Band: Studio Live album cover
3.95 | 2 ratings | 1 reviews | 0% 5 stars

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Live, released in 2022

Songs / Tracks Listing

1. Tell Me More (5:14)
2. Manhattan Vibes (5:57)
3. Sometimes (3:34)
4. Lounge (8:06)
5. The Sighting (3:51)
6. Deep Thinker (2:58)
7. Vapour Trails (4:57)
8. Where Do We Begin (5:06)
9. Gado-Gado (8:08)
10. Milky Way Moses (8:10)
11. Bargain (5:19)
12. Peaches En Regalia (3:49)

Total time 65:35


The original versions are from the following albums:

(2, 3, 8) Made In Sweden: Where Do We Begin (1976)
(1) Tasavallan Presidentti: II (1971)
(4, 11) Tasavallan Presidentti: Lambertland (1972)
(6) Tasavallan Presidentti: Solitary / Deep Thinker [7" single] (1970)
(5, 7) Pekka Pohjola: Visitation (1979)
(9) The Group: The Group (1978)
(10) Tasavallan Presidentti: Milky Way Moses (1974)
(12) Frank Zappa: Hot Rats (1969)



Line-up / Musicians

- Vesa Aaltonen / drums, percussion, producer
- Jari Heino / bass
- Jere Haakana / electric guitar
- Juha Kuoppala / keyboards
- Ilmari Rönkä / alto & soprano saxophones, flute

- Jukka Gustavson / vocals (1, 4, 7, 10, 11), organ (1)
- Ella Tepponen / vocals (3, 8)
- Jukka Tolonen / bass (4, 10, 11)
- Jarmo Nikku / acoustic guitar (3, 10)



Releases information

CD: Svart Records, SVART316CD.
Recorded live at Beatway Studios, Nummela, 21-22 and 29-30 April, 2021.

Thanks to Matti for the addition
and to Matti for the last updates
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VARIOUS ARTISTS (TRIBUTES) Vesa Aaltonen Prog Band: Studio Live ratings distribution


3.95
(2 ratings)
Essential: a masterpiece of progressive rock music(0%)
0%
Excellent addition to any prog rock music collection(50%)
50%
Good, but non-essential (50%)
50%
Collectors/fans only (0%)
0%
Poor. Only for completionists (0%)
0%

VARIOUS ARTISTS (TRIBUTES) Vesa Aaltonen Prog Band: Studio Live reviews


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Collaborators/Experts Reviews

Review by Matti
PROG REVIEWER
4 stars Vesa Aaltonen is undoubtedly Finland's most legendary prog drummer. His memoirs were released in 2019 when he had already founded the project Vesa Aaltonen Prog Band to play live the music of the prog acts he was involved in. This "studio live" album contains new recordings of compositions originating from the albums of Tasavallan Presidentti, Pekka Pohjola, Made In Sweden and two more.

The versions are pretty faithful to the originals (I believe you can better tell them by the clean production rather than the musical interpretation itself, but I admit I didn't make concentrated listening comparisons), so the most notable differences concern the vocals. This 12-track album is roughly half sung, half instrumental. The prog maestro Jukka Gustavson -- who also plays the organ on the first piece -- sings on the vocal tracks of Tasavallan Presidentti (originally sung by either Frank Robson or Eero Raittinen). Seemingly Gustavson's vocal credits are mistakenly marked also to the instrumental fusion piece 'Vapour Trails' (from Pekka Pohjola's Visitation, 1979). Ella Tepponen sings on two tracks originating from the album Where Do We Begin (1976) by Made In Sweden, where the vocalist was Tommy Körberg. For me the addition of female vocals is the most welcome fresh detail.

The compositions of Tasavallan Presidentti get the lion's share on the set list. My favourites from them would have been quite different, but generally this album functions very well as a coherent collection of the 70's prog/fusion of the artists in question. For the older generation who experienced that original prog era (or who have found it retrospectively decades ago like me), this project is surely filled with nostalgia, but this music itself is timeless, and this album may open new paths for the young prog-friendly generation to explore further. I'm hesitatingh between 3 and 4 stars; let's say it's 3½ rounded upwards.

P.S. Of the "two more" artists mentioned earlier: The Group was a mid/late-70's fusion group of seasoned prog/jazz musicians. 'Gado-Gado' from their sole album sounds very good and dynamic here. The final piece is 'Peaches En Regalia' originally from the Frank Zappa album Hot Rats (1969). No, Vesa Aaltonen didn't play on Zappa's albums; I suppose this choice refers to Pori Jazz 1982 where Aaltonen momentarily played with Zappa. [This is my educated guess regarding the CD label, sadly it's not easy to affirmate it by googling.]

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