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

Janos Valmunen – at the Bus Stop

A couple of weeks ago I went to a local second hand store. Just to finger all that old nice stuff, worn-out books or so. And one album.

It's Janos Valmunen's first and so far last vinyl record, named simply Janos Valmunen [1990]. But who the heck is this Janos?

Well, every Finnish music fan knows at least the famous opening song: Bussipysäkillä. It's nothing like the ordinary pop or hit song and you just can't sit down calm and quiet when you hear it. It's impossible to go halfway — either you love it or hate it, more than anything ever. I have always loved it.

What about the whole album then? No, he can't keep the level, but that's okey. There's something weird and fascinating buried on this guy's music. It's a bit of chlidlish and naive stuff but not in a way like e.g. this poor Finnish "Talonmies". More like M. A. Numminen.

Right now I don't know what to think of it, really. But I have senses... perhaps one day this album will be one of my dearest, as I get to used to it, as time goes by. Play it loud and play it seldom!

Näimme ihan ensimmäistä kertaa - bussipysäkillä.
Katsoimme toisiamme silmiin tosi ihastuksissamme.
Olisin halunnut jututtaa, jos vaan olisin uskaltanut.

- Bussipysäkillä