Made in Finland: Kela and Ricky-Tick Band

I want to mention two fine Finnish titles on my home stereo system this Fall. Anssi Kela’s latest, the divorce-album Kaikki Tiet Joita Kuljin, from 2025, and the hot jazzsoul-swinging & rappin’ Ricky-Tick Big Band & Julkinen Sana’s fresh new album.

Kela’s album is sad and melancholic, of course, it covers divorce and break-up and the practicalities when a home is divided, literally. One song is even titled Kaikesta Puolet Saat (You get half of everything). But sadness and remorse is mainly visible here in lyrics rather than in sound. So, if you don’t understand Finnish, you will probably not immediately feel that it is Kela’s divorce-album. Soundwise it’s quite like a typical Kela album. While lyrics spell out heartfelt sorrow, loss and melancholy. That said, it is not the kind of classic milestone that the impressive divorce-albums were for, say, Dylan, Springsteen and Ulf Lundell. Neither is it Kela’s best album, but it really is a good Kela album, with some specific and fine highlights. For example Mikään Ei Oo Ennallaan ( Nothing is like before). Best Kela album is still his debut-album, the magnificent Nummela, that is 25 years by now. That jubilee is theme for Kela’s winter tour this year. I am sure it will be worth seeing live, as this album certainly also is worth hearing. 

Ricky-Tick Big Band & Julkinen Sana’s reunion was envisaged in the Paleface self-biography last year, and yes, fresh album Liikkuu (Moving) is a wonderful return. And while it certainly has its great moments of getting the party started and dance floors bursting with energy and sweat, it is actually the vibes in more tender and chilled moments that form the greatest presence here. Jazz, hiphop and soulful vibes are all around and we here some ace performances of horns, band and rappers. Konttori Auki (The office is open) starts party proceedings on a upbeat. B-side starts even stronger with Sattuu Ja Tapahtuu (Things happen) including some fiercely impressive and danceable instrumental sections. Ricky Tick Big Band & Julkinen Sana are in great shape here and keep on moving. Highly recommended!

Två utmärkta finskspråkiga album har rullat (och rullar) på hemstereon i höst. Anssi Kela’s skilsmässo-album Kaikki Tiet Jonka Kuljun, hans senaste, från 2025, och Ricky-Tick Big Band & Julkinen Sana’s färska och svängiga Liikkuu.

Kela låter soundmässigt som Kela brukar göra, bra alltså, och skilsmässo-tematiken är inte direkt hörbar i soundet men däremot tydligt framträdande i texterna. Ett fint och eftertänksamt album, även om det inte är Kelas bästa. Den platsen innehar fortfarande den lysande debuten Nummela, som firar 25-årsjubileum och som Kela lyfter fram under vinterns 25-årsjubileumsturne. Det blir säkert sevärt live.

Ricky Tick Big Band & Julkinen Sana bjuder på en härlig blandning jazz, hiphop och hornstötande soul. Och visst förmår Liikkuu sätta fart på festen och dansgolven, precis som titeln utlovar, men allra bäst är kanske ändå den chillade vibe som de skapar i mera stillsamma spår. Rekommenderas!

New Iron Maiden documentary, AC/DC live - and Kraftwerk

 Revealing and well-done. The new Iron Maiden documentary Burning Ambition tells the tale of heavy metal giants Iron Maiden. Wonderful live clips from a 50-year career, new interview comments from all living band members, including both former vocalists, and of course numerous fans - famous and unknown. Perhaps most surprisingly the great Chuck D from Public Enemy, and, among others, Kiss icon Gene Simmons. Mostly we get views from everyday hardcore Iron Maiden fans. And if anything, it’s the relation to their fanbase that is at the center of Iron Maiden’s greatness. This is a cool and warm and interesting rock documentary, with wonderful live clips, a lot of them, but no full songs, not even as extras. 

Informal AC/DC 4 CD box set The Broadcast Collection 1981-1996 includes two concerts from 1981 (on three CD:s) and one from 1996. The cover picture, however,  shows the Bon Scott-era band, but all concerts are with Brian Johnson on vocals. Not a reassuring start. 

The recordings, however, are fine. CD one live from Tokyo 1981 is good, and CD 2-3, from Melbourne, also 1981, is particularly good. Really, a stunning concert from prime time AC/DC, just after the blockbuster album Back In Black was released, the first album with Brian Johnson, after the tragic death of Bon Scott. Perhaps the very best album with AC/DC. 

Last CD in this box set is live from River Plate, Argentina, 1996. We don’t get full concerts here, unfortunately, but 10-14 songs each. It is also somewhat annoying for live discs that the sound is faded down between songs instead of opting for a continuos and electrifying live feed. But that said, what we get is very fine recordings of a great band at their prime, spectacular even, at times. With a price slightly over 20 euro, the price/quality relation is really very good. For that price it is even ok that no booklet is included. Would have been nice, though, but the riffs do the talking here. Great.

Legendary synth pioneers Kraftwerk released fabulous 8 CD-box The Catalogue (English version) and Der Katalog (German version)  in 2009. I bought both of them then. Yesterday I bought a second German version of the box from Black & White, some 16 years later. The price was just right and every home should have that box set. Kraftwerk is a must, if you are into music. Perhaps the most inventive band in history, in their prime. The German (original) versions are also superior to the English, in my opinion. Only minimalist masterpiece The Model is, perhaps, better in English, but then the German version includes a special twist that the English version lacks, and is therefore definitely worth having too. As a whole, this box set consisting of Kraftwerk’s eight main albums (including The Mix, which is as close as you get to an official best of) is just astonishing. The booklets are beautiful, in 12” LP-size, and the albums well remastered. The first three Kraftwerk albums are missing, though, as Kraftwerk prefer a narrative starting with Autobahn. And you can argue that these eight albums are the mature Kraftwerk productions, while the three earlier are not on par, not systematically designed album-wide ideas, but rather more experimental and rootsier, krautrock/electronic music, with both synths and analogue instruments present. They are fine and interesting albums too, but somewhat of a different type - and time. So, here we have the real Kraftwerk deal, the concept- and album-driven, visionary -both sonically and visually - electronic group. Some 50 years later, and these are still innovative recordings. At best, 1977-1981, nothing short of Genius.

Fun Record Fair in Helsinki

 Saturday morning was a very good time to visit a Record Fair in Helsinki. Was at Opistotalo even before it formally opened and, yes, I did find a few cool things there. Most expensive was Riistetyt: Laki ja Järjestys ep. The green vinyl 7”, 2nd print, for 85 euro. The original print would have set me back at least a few hundred, if ever available. This was priced 95, but as its cover was not in pristine shape, I got it cheaper. Still expensive, but you very seldom see it. A must for the first, best, version of Elintila. And Riistetyt were an important part of Finland’s (and Tampere’s) legendary hardcore punk scene. Early singles by Terveet Kädet, Riistetyt, Rattus, Kaaos etc are always very pricey.

The impossibly rare Hurriganes The making of Hot Wheels, with some great demo versions, was immediately sold out. It is back out again in a reprint of 500 ex, this time in 10” format. It was of course immediately sold out too, but I got one 10” on Saturday, still unplayed, mint. A great record, but quite expensive at 60€. 

Otherwise I also made much cheaper finds, on CD cheap albums by Hurriganes (a great 2 CD collection of the Scandia years 1977-84, I already have the original vinyl albums but here is also two additional songs) Leevi and the Leavings (fine album BuleBule) and M.A. Numminen (2 CD compilation Kiusankappaleita 1, I already have volume 2 from before). Two unusal if not rare c-cassettes with The Boppers (of which one unfortunately doesn’t play well, always a risk with used c-casettes) and some cd-singles (Depeche Mode Singles 86-98 sampler, Neljä Ruusua’s Radio Mafia version of Olen Niin Pop, Popeda promo-cd-single Kersantti Karoliina and Leevi and The Leavings promo-cd-single Tallinnan Laivalla). All fine. 

On LP I got Style Council’s album My Favorite Shop (with the stunning Walls Come Tumbling Down) for a fiver and Nieminen & Litmanen’s brilliant LP Third in near mint for 20. Lastly, Juice Leskinens ok 7”-single Puhemies, for 3€. A good day (approx 4h) at a Record Fair. And still thinking about two-three rare records I didn’t buy, though, will I get a chance again?

On Friday I also did some great film-finds, Decline of the Western Civilization blueray box with all three films, including the legendary first, from 1981. I have not seen any of them before, so that will be thrilling. But I have of course read about, and heard about, the first. A classic that was shocking in its time. A legendary music documentary.  Found the box in great film store Pieni Leffakauppa in Helsinki, where you usually find some really interesting films. Very well stocked with international titles in different genres as well as second-hand.

Sunday chill hours were spent listening to some great new music in the collection. Not a bad way to start a Sunday.

Us sparkar rumpa - lite som ett The Strokes, före genombrottet

 The Ark gjorde en toppenspelning på sensommaren  på Allas i Helsingfors, riktigt j-a bra, verkligen. Ola Salo berömde från scenen det förband de hade haft dagen innan i Åbo. Fantastiskt bra, enligt Salo, som lovprisade Us och rekommenderade Ark-publiken att gå och se Us live.

Ganska unikt utspel, faktiskt, så en god vän som jag såg konserten med och jag köpte nästan omgående biljetter till följande Us-konsert. Det var i fredags det, på Dubrovnik i Helsingfors. En rätt liten klubbscen, slutsålt förstås, och ett otroligt drag från start till finish. De spelade dryga timmen i uppskruvat tempo med några ballader insprängda och ständiga tempoväxlingar. Så här, ungefär, lät det väl och såg ut med The Strokes före de blev världskända. Då de ännu gav järnet på små klubbscener i hemstan. Eller som en hel del andra alternativa toppband, före det stora genombrottet. Oklart om Us nånsin får ett stort genombrott, men från Dubrovnik bar det av till flygfältet och sedan Japan, enligt karismatiske bandledaren Teo Hirvonen, main singer och gitarrist i Us. Två album har de redan gett ut, båda ambitiöst inspelade i England. Efter konserten köpte jag debuten Underground Renaissance och kompisen köpte deras senaste album.

Behöver väl inte säga att de var bra live? För det var de, riktigt, riktigt jättebra. Albumet är också bra, med höjdare som While you danced och Hop on a cloud. Men ännu bättre låter de live, och framförde förutom fina egna spår också två sagolikt bra covers. Hold On, I’m Coming, livesoulklassikern med Sam & Dave gjorde också Us till en testosterondrypande svettig långkörare, i egen stil. Och tidiga Hurriganes-hiten Say Mama var helt sagolikt bra. Live bjöd Us på tungt malande riff och snygga, läckra gitarrsolon, hjärtskärande briljant munspel och ett himla tryck i lokalen. Alternativrock, punkig blues, indiesoul, stökpop, kalla det vad ni vill. Lite av allt det där, alltid levererat med fullt ös och med fulla hjärtan. Räckte bra med dryga timmen av total energiurladdning, mycket mera hade varken publik eller band orkat med. Explosiv kortdistans snarare än ett rock-maratonlopp. Kom att tänka på hur det kanske kändes när Ramones spelade upp. Svettigt och ärligt. 

Det enda minuset är väl egentligen bandnamnet. Jag menar, Us? Vadå Us? Det är verkligen inget namn man minns och romantiserar kring. Desto konstigare att de är så bra på albumstitlar istället, som Underground Renaissance. Men så kallar man sig Us. Sorry, men typsnittet på Us gör dessutom det om möjligt ännu värre. Tyvärr gör det bandets t-shirts fula, så jag köpte ingen i fredags. Min kompis gjorde däremot det, så smaken är delad. Men musiken, och det vågar jag påstå, tyckte precis alla som var på plats i slutsålda Dubrovnik om. Inget snack. Bandnamnet kanske suger, men bandet själv låter otroligt bra live, och på skiva. Vi lär höra mera om Us. Första intrycket och betyget är med beröm godkänt. Fortsätter de så här så blir det kanske snart en t-shirt i alla fall. 

Helsinki band Us was whole-heartedly recommended by The Ark’s singer Ola Salo when Ark performed in Helsinki late this Summer. Me and a good friend bought tickets to Us’ next gig in Helsinki, last Friday at clubscene Dubrovnik. Sold out gig in a small venue, and Us certainly showed their qualities live. A tempo-driven concert, full speed ahead for roughly an hour, and afterwards Us continued to the airport and a flight to Japan, according to charismatic band leader Teo Hirvonen. 

The atmosphere and vibe at Dubrovnik, up close watching Us perform with energy and, yes, brilliance, made me think that it probably looked and sounded something like this when The Strokes performed, locally, at club venues, before the big breakthrough. Just magnificent. I bought the debut-album Underground Renaissance at the venue, my friend bought their latest, second, album. Great records, but even greater live, both their own strong songs and two magnificent covers, the Sam & Dave classic Hold On, I’m Coming and early Hurriganes-hit Say Mama. Great guitar riffs and solos, by both guitarists, wonderful harmonica solos, convincing in every way. 

Only minus is the band name. Us is not a name you remember or romanticize. They make great album titles and great songs, but not a great band name, sorry. However, they are so good, especially live, that you even might remember the name, Us. The music you will not forget so easily. That’s for sure. It truly is that good.

Fina sensommarfynd i Tammerfors - eller what I found in Tampere

Sex utmärkta sensommarfynd från när jag senast besökte ”Manse”, Finlands Manchester, Tammerfors. En trevlig, vänlig och fin musikstad, med utmärkta skivbörsar och djupa rötter i genuint rock-bevattnad kulturjord.

Bob Dylan: Springtime in New York - The Bootleg Series Vol. 16 1980-1985 (2 CD). Från tiden kring Shot Of Love-Infidels-Empire Burlesque, alltså. En undervärderad period. Har alltid gillat Infidels. Och det här är en period man inte tröttnat på att lyssna på, den är inte så överexploaterad som Dylans underbara klassiska period. Det finns en dyr 4 CD deluxe version som säkert är strålande, men det här är en otroligt bra och prisvärd dubbel-cd med tidigare outgivet material och versioner. Inklusive strålande versioner av Jokerman och Tight Connection To My Heart och många fler. Rekommenderas!

Air: 10 000 Hz Legend (20th Anniversary, 2 CD + Blueray Audio). Airs andra album är nästan i nivå med den legendariska debuten. Här förstärkt med en bonus-CD live-versioner. Originalalbumet är utmärkt remastrat och ljudbilden därför gnistrande klar. Personliga favoriten How Does It Make You Feel? har inte låtit bättre. Livespåren är ett bra komplement, för Air låter bra live, och äkta, som kan noteras av en charmig liten miss i inledningsspårets början på bonus-CD:n. Överkursen är en imponerande atmos-mix på blueray som också ingår här.

 

Dead Kennedys: Fresh Fruit For Rotting Vegetables (Special 25th Anniversary Edition, CD + DVD. En över 50 mins lång dokumentär med några tidiga liveversioner är förstås lockande som bonus till DK:s debutalbum. Själva albumet är remastrat och låter ännu bättre än tidigare. Dokumentären erbjuder också mycket bakgrundsinformation om de tidiga åren och om hur albumet kom till, med klassiker som Holiday In Cambodia, ironiska Kill The Poor och California Uber Alles (som senare gjordes om i en makalös, definitiv version som We’ve Got Bigger Problems Now). Ett fint 25-årspaket av en ikonisk punkklassiker.

Protestera: Pengarna Eller Livet (CD). Protestera var ett för mig okänt band före jag fick den här CD:n i min hand (för en euro på X). Men det är attitydstark, aggressiv anarkopunk, som också håller rätt bra. Särskilt imponerande är den avslutande instrumentala Ådalen, som avslutas med en oväntad Chaplin-sampling från Diktatorn. Helt klart intressant, och mycket väl värd euron jag betalade.

Motörhead: Everything Louder Than Everyone Else (2 CD). Starkt, frenetiskt, intensivt och tungt live-album, inspelat i Hamburg 1998 med trion Lemmy, Micky Dee och Phil Campbell. Helgjuten insats av trion, där Micky Dees trumspel, särskilt med bastrummorna, imponerar, och även Campbell och legenden Lemmy levererar. Raka rör, rock’n’roll, Motörhead sparkar rumpa, inget knussel. No Sleep ’til Hammersmith med originaltrion är förstås det definitiva live-albumet, men här visar även denna trio att de minsann inte behöver skämmas. Utmärkt album, utmärkt konsert, utmärkt band.

Charged G.B.H.: City Baby Attacked By Rats/City Babys Revenge (2 CD). G.B.H. var ett bra band i den andra punkvågen, men är för mig främst känt för sina två fina tidiga singlar (särskilt klassikern Sick Boy), och den definitiva favoritsingeln Give Me Fire/Man-trap. Outstanding. Singlarna finns också med som bonusspår här, likaså flertalet andra låtar, utöver de båda City Baby-albumen. Det första är mycket bra, och det har jag haft sen det kom ut. Det senare hade jag nog aldrig tidigare hört i sin helhet, men det får också godkänt. Schysst helhet.

Au Revoir, Eppu Normaali

Finnish rock legends Eppu Normaali called it a day on Saturday and did their very last, farewell concert on home turf, Ratina stadion in Tampere. The biggest and most famous of the so called Manse Rock (Tampere Rock) bands and movement, that brought original rock lyrics in Finnish to the rock audiences in Finland. The Tampere region was an epicenter for the Finnish rock bands that clustered there and originated from there. Juice Leskinen, Popeda and Eppu Normaali formed the Big Three.

And now that era is bygone. On Saturday Eppu Normaali played their last concert (and the last three, from Thursday to Saturday) in Manse Rock hometown Tampere (even though the band originate from nearby municipality Ylöjärvi). Around 100.000 saw Eput during these three sold-out concerts, that music-wise were considered smashing and great and highly emotional. The arrangements, however, not so good, with insanely long waiting time in queues for everything, understaffed services, some failing technique and high prices overall. But the live music, obviously, was great. And in the end that’s what counts most. 

And that’s an ending that these successful veterans of Finnish-language rock really deserved.

I was actually in Tampere on Friday, and I will review the records I bought there in my next blog text. I did not see the concert though, as no tickets were available, at least at realistic prices, and I had to leave in the late evening anyway, but I was outside Ratina and I actually bought a t-shirt from the official eppu-shop outside the arena. Had to queue for 45 mins, though, with some nice unknown company to chat to while waiting, and afterwards the queue was even longer. The same goes for them that already had bought tickets but then had to change them to bracelets, to a concert arena from where you could not leave and enter again. Totally idiotic, most people seems to think. Me too.

So, no concert, but I experienced that the city of Tampere got all in celebrating Eppu Normaali, their 50 year career and the end of the line shows. That’s actually cool. Everybody talked about Eput everywhere in Tampere, on the streets, in shops, in restaurants, in parks and about every second or third person you met on the streets had an eppu t-shirt on, or something celebrating Eput. There were many signs about this celebratory Finnish rock week in Tampere and for example a giant screen by the Tampere stream where Eppu Normaali songs were played non-stop, with lyrics on the screen. Some could have their karaoke moment there. In levykauppa X the queues were long too, as hordes of people chose to buy (mostly) Eppu t-shirts and other, often Eppu-related, products. 

Yes, it was Eppu Normaali’s city this weekend.

Juice Leskinen, the great wordsmith died already in 2006, and a concert reminiscing the late legendary singer of Popeda, Pate Mustajärvi, who died late last year, was held earlier this Summer, on July 12th. 

And now Eppu Normaali said goodbye, as a working band, live on stage. They have called it a day and will not perform live again (for now at least).

This truly therefore is the end of an era of Finnish rock music and of a Tampere-based national rock movement. Manse Rock was the center of Finnish-language rock for a generation (even though other great bands came from other cities and places). It is hard to think a band will have the same appeal over many generations as Eput have had, and continued to have up until their last concert, in a 50 year career. Respect.

Sad to have missed a historic concert, even though I never was a huge fan, when younger I prefered Pelle Miljoona OY (from Helsinki). However, it was nice to feel the vibe in Tampere during this extraordinary week. Eppu Normaali was an institution in Finnish rock, and truly deserved to be celebrated. Songs like Kitara taivas ja tähdet, Vuonna 85 and Murheellisten laulujen maa, just to name three, really are part of the Finnish musical soul and landscape. So, respect.

And at least I got some good music, on LP, CD, C-cassette and DVD, and a fine Eppu Normaali Peace and Love 1976-2026 t-shirt, with me from Tampere. 

A nice, friendly and truly music-connected city. 

Rainy weekend music

Extreme weather was forecast for last weekend in southern Finland. Well, in most of Finland. Could rain more in one day than during a full usual month of July, they forecasted. Unreal. Climate change can be felt everywhere, all over Europe and the wider world. 

People die this summer of extreme heat in Europe. And even in still quite cool Finland we have had extreme showers of rain.

So, my plan was to stay indoors most of last weekend. And for that I was prepared. Music-wise at least. Bought some great albums to enjoy inside if it would rain. And walked 12,7 km on Thursday and 11 km on Friday, great, as much shorter walks were expected during last weekend. 

The weather, however, was ok, except on Saturday evening and night. So outdoor activities were both possible and enjoyable on Sunday and on Saturday at least up until early evening. Needless to say, to listen to the newly-bought ”heavy rain weekend” records therefore took a few more days.

This was my rainy weekend music (last weekend):

Miles Davis: Miles at the Fillmore (4 CD), the bootleg series vol. 3.  

Oktober: En ny tid är här (CD). 

Oktober: 2:a oktober (CD).

Jaco Pastorius: Invitation (CD). Live in Japan.

Gil Scott-Heron: Reflections (LP).

The Rock Steady Crew: (Hey You) The Rock Steady Crew (12”).

Plus Mixtape-CD by DJ Street Kobra & Kroco-Roc, bonus with Madventures debut-movie DVD Monte Rosso.

Yes, a jazzier brew than usual and with some artists I really respect. Miles, of course, and I have - of course - all his legendary Columbia-boxes, and then some. This 4 CD box includes four full concerts plus over 30 mins bonus extras. Marvellous music, brilliantly performed live. First cut on the first disc is a blasting version of Directions that really sets the tone. Genius. And price-worthy, just over 20 euro on CD, a bargain.

Jaco Pastorius is in turn one of the greatest bass players ever and the bass players’ equivalent to Jimi Hendrix on guitar. Invitation is a very fine live-album, recorded on tour in Japan. Jaco and band are in well-spirited form here. Wonderful performance.

Oktober is a classic early Swedish progg-rock band. Their first album is one of the very first rock albums with lyrics  in Swedish (Pugh was first, though). November’s first is very expensive on vinyl and this was actually the first time I have even seen their two early albums on CD. The debut-album is a legendary, well-performed Swedish classic and 2:a November is also a very fine album by this highly gifted trio, but perhaps not quite as good as the debut. Both albums are definitely worth listening to.

Gil Scott-Heron is no less than fantastic on this album filled with pointed social commentaries, performed in strong proto-rap style, set to funky beats or just to thrilling piano. Reflections is an excellent album. And legend Gil Scott-Heron is an influential inspiration to many aspiring rap, hiphop, soul, funk or (social) spoken word artists.

The Rock Steady Crew was a famous early breakdance crew that also performed a hit single, the one naming them. Quite catchy, actually, and here in it’s extended version. The bigger the better.

And last, Finnish Madventures debut movie on DVD that came with a mixtape-CD by DJ Street Kobra & Kroco-Roc as bonus. Had no expectations about this one, just some curiosity, but, actually, it was better than I imagined. A fine mix of original sounds connected to the film, and some old school Finnish schlager-iskelmä cuts and then some. Not superb, but, yes, quite interesting and fun.

Quite a list, huh? 

Enjoyed every minute listening to these albums. And yes, they work well in sunshine or night darkness too.