Mahalia Jackson - I Believe

They say that music affects over the borders. I agree. I have experienced it often and sometimes in a strange way. Like with this great singer Mahalia Jackson.

There are some certain touching musical figures in the American music genre, with which I somehow feel an odd connection. Well, some of them are not moving me anymore except by the homey, rasping noise on my vinyl records. Ashes to ashes, stone engraved, hymns now faded.

I can't explain this connection. I live in Finland, the country with a short summer and a long and mostly cold and snowy winter. They are a thousands of miles from here, laying on their hot sandy beaches and enjoying sunny afternoons. But when I start to play these vinyl treasure albums, it seems like the distance completely fades away. They perform their best and right on my living room. A special concert.

People I'm talking about here are the Best Ones, of course. Like John Fogerty, Janis and Bruce. And then this amazing spritual lady, Mahalia Jackson.

I have to say I'm not a religious person myself. At least, not in an American way. No church rapture for me, thank you. That's why the gospel music has never touched me very much. However, I was aware of Jackson, surely. They sometimes played her music in the Finnish radio, but I never had any albums. Not even songs recorded on C-cassettes. No nothing.

It's all changed now. I've had this album for some six months now. At first I felt nothing, but as time went on I started to listen to it more and more. I just had to. Mostly in the still of the night when there's dark and quiet. Very private silence.

This is so amazing album. They don't do these kind of records any more. For instance, backgrounds are done with a very polished way. Only some melancholic organ or a tiny, distance piano chords with a nice electric guitar slicks and a soulful choir sighing here and there. Very impressive. The songs are not that great, I mean if you like to play some with your acoustic guitar. They ain't nothing like britneyspears. Names tells something about it: I Believe, In My Home Over There, I Have a Friend and I’m Going to Tell God.

But then there is this VOICE.

When she starts to sing I get a very mysterious feeling. It's like she's shining straight to his God; like there's an open window to somewhere up there. And it also feels like some very wonderful peace in the air—that she's comfortable with herself, with her God, with the world, and like she's heading to the stars or even beyond. She feels no troubles and she has no rush. She knows.

But perhaps the oddest thing is that I mostly get the same feeling. I feel peaceful and I forget my troubles. And sometimes, when I'm in a sensitive mood I almost burst to tears. Just because she so obviously likes to tell me.

This album is recorded 1955. I bought it from the local secondhand store, and it cost $2. Two bucks and a whole amazing and mysterious world. I'm so affected.

How can anyone listen to those birtneypops? :-(

Gilbert O'Sullivan – Did Something Rhymed

Ordinary voice, everyday-look. A pile of boring songs, but some unforgettable hit tunes. Gilbert O'Sullivan.

I've never liked too much about Mr O'Sullivan's stuff. It's always been somewhat dull, usual and soulless. Very British. However, in the early 1970's you couldn't escape, especially if your footsteps were traced to some noisy and smoky disco. Yeah. Get Down your Ooh Baby and be left Alone Again. The name of the game at the time.

I wasn't too touched. I never bought any of his C-cassettes, nor vinyl albums (I didn't have a turntable at the time). But even the Finnish radio sometimes played good rock music back then and one Gilbert song somewhere between Zep, Purple, Jethro, Sabbath or Heep was ok. No harm to anybody.

Today I have three O'Sullivan albums on my vinyl records list. One (and the best) of them I found only some weeks ago while wanderin' on a local second hand shop. His debut Himself, (1971) sounds pretty nice to me. A bit of the Beatles, slightly perhaps influenced by Love's Forever Changes. And one major tune: Nothing Rhymed. So far I've only listened to the album once, but I have a feeling that it might even make it on my Top 100 albums. In the near future.

So is Mr O'Sullivan a great poet or shiny songwriter? I don't think so. There are some pearls in his catalog but way too much just boring stuff. However, he's not the weekest one and any guy who has written even two classic pop song (Nothing Rhymed and Alone Again) has redeemed his place in music scene. At least, in my ears.

Something rhymed, surely.

Nothing old, nothing new, nothing ventured
Nothing gained, nothing still-born or lost
Nothing further than proof nothing wilder than youth
Nothing older than time nothing sweeter than wine.

- Nothing Rhymed, 1971

· Details for the album I'm a Writer, Not a Fighter on Rockweb site

Wigwam – Nuclear Nightclub

It's Friday afternoon. I mean, yesterday it was. But because of yesterday it's now time to Saturday Nightclub Fever: Wigwam. What an earth they put in my coffee?

To me the Friday afternoon mostly means the usual case: fingering these hundreds of vinyl albums on the local second hand store. It has become a habbit — at least three cheap one will open the weekend nicely. And of course now and then some treasure one(s) drops in my backpack. Like (at last) this my-first-ever Wigwam album: Nuclear Nightclub [1975]

This album is surely The Big One. Many fans even consider it the best Finnish rock album ever. Not quite so on my list, but the third place ain't that bad either. Furthermore, in my youthood this vinyl record was to me nearly as important and effective as the Hurriganes album Roadrunner [1974].

And if I put here one album more — the grand old Juice Leskinen & Coitus Int's Per Vers, runoilija [1974] — then there is three major 1970's album that pretty much defined my musical passion and direction at the time. Killer albums each, forever.

Many great songs on the album. It's also nice unity but not perfect; unfortunately the closing instrumental number Pig Strom somehow don't fit the album. It's rather banal and useless. If they only could had replaced it, say, with Wardance...
Best one is Kite and good ones are the opening title Nuclear Nightclub and Do or Die. Cover art is nice and simple. 20 euro, I'm happy. :-)

However, there is this common problem with precious albums. How often can you play it? I'd say not more than once a year. And that time is not today — I will wait the right moment, comig in the near future.

Until then, thank you tent guys. Unforgottable and great piece of rock music.

Willow cast your silent souls /
I see them ride on every beam.
Spirit from the forest team /
And reassume their roles
- Kite

# Wigwam: Nuclear Nightclub