20 Personal Egotrippi Favorites

Yes, you guessed it just right. I am planning to write a lot more about Egotrippi but first, here is a list of my favorite Egotrippi songs, a list that practically wrote itself.

Actually, I had already a picked a similar list of favorite Hollies songs before this and decided to do the same with Egotrippi. The Hollies list is coming up later. 

Given that there were eight Egotrippi studio albums and two compilations to pick from, many awesome songs had to be left out. There are no songs from the first album and there is only one song with lead vocals by Knipi – the competition was really tough. I couldn't decide which song was better than which so decided to put the songs in alphabetical order. I included a link to each song, YouTube or other.

1. Aprillipäivä 

Album: Vielä koittaa uusi aika (2006)

This is a very sad song even though some parts of the arrangement sound like a happy fanfare. The song was written by Mikki Kauste who also gives a heartbreaking yet peaceful lead vocal. The song structure is very good, allowing the song to grow and get more intense towards the end, ending with heavenly harmonies that sound like they could have been taken from Teenage Fanclub's repertoire (the Beach Boys could also be a relevant comparison...).

2. Elämä on kaunis

Album: Pilvien alla, maan päällä (2013)

Another song written by Mikki Kauste, this was originally written for the Finnish Idols semi-finalists to sing. The Egotrippi version is surely far superior. It is very beatlesque, and the vocal harmony work especially in the chorus is beyond all perfection and blissfulness. At one point I just kept listening to the harmonies in complete amazement over and over again. I think this is one of the most pleasant song Egotrippi ever has recorded, even though this version has also received some strangely negative feedback. Maybe the message of the song is too positive and optimistic, I wouldn't know.

3. Häälaulu 

Album: Maailmanloppua odotellessa (2008)

In this song written by Knipi the narrator is attending a wedding and in his mind gleefully criticizing everyone in sight, especially the newlywed couple – the marriage is surely bound to fail. The lyrics are probably not to be taken too seriously but the light-heartedness of the lyrics is also a perfect match for the happily sarcastic mood. The arrangement is fantastic: quite beatlesque, and it surely reminds of Jellyfish.

Also check out Irina Björklund's fantastic French-language chanson version of Häälaulu, Ton mariage.

4. Jos sä lähdet pois (If You Leave Me Now)

Album: Moulaa! B-puolia ja harvinaisuuksia (b-side compilation 2001)

I wanted to include one actual cover song (not written by anyone in the band) because this one is simply so great. This Chicago song was originally performed with Finnish lyrics by Pepe Willberg in 1977.

What can I say? I can't resist music like this. In this version there is plenty of energetic mid-tempo power pop melancholy and awesome jangly guitars. Also, rarely has Egotrippi performed music as syrupy as this, which explains a lot of my fascination towards the band's take on the song. Egotrippi was mostly not known for romantic songs at this point. This version was recorded for b-side purposes and probably not many have heard it.

5. Kauppatori

Album: Maailmanloppua odotellessa (2008)

Here we have another piano ballad written by Mikki Kauste. This slightly apocalyptical image of the future was inspired by current environmental issues and global warming. According to Kauste, this song is not at all political even though it practically brings the issue to our backyard. Political or not, the lyrics make it clear that our actions may someday result in some very concrete consequences. The situation begs the question: what kind of devastation does mankind have to face before we change our ways? What would convince you that something must be done before it is too late?

We once again hear some heavenly vocal harmonies. I enjoy the huge interval between the verse and the chorus. Mikki isn't afraid to use his falsetto.

6. Lennokki

Album: Helsinki-Hollola (2000)

It is kind of surprising that my #1 favorite Egotrippi song wasn't written by either of the band's main songwriters, Knipi or Mikki Kauste. Lennokki is always introduced as lead guitarist Skele's composition – it is the only one he has written for the band (that I know of). The lyrics are Mikki's handiwork and represent his poetic side at its best, truly serene and fascinating words, I think! The overall sound is big, and there is also a very emotional chorus and a dramatic guitar solo. Everything about this song is loveable. I just feel safe and peaceful listening to this.

7. Lydia

Album: Superego (1997)

Superego is certainly Egotrippi's funkiest album. Some of that funkiness is present even in this wistful song about lost love, or perhaps it is about unrequited love towards a woman who doesn't even exist. Despite being a rather sad song, the melody is also very uplifting. Lydia was released as a single and is favored by many fans but for some reason the band is unwilling to perform the song anymore.

8. Matkustaja 

Album: 20 Suosikkia (greatest hits, 2004)

Here we have Egotrippi's most popular and famous song. Originally left away from the album of the same name, Matkustaja was re-recorded for Egotrippi's greatest hits album 20 Suosikkia. The song indicated that Egotrippi had indeed taken a step from power pop towards folk rock. Matkustaja is very radio friendly and was played on Finnish radio more times than any other domestic song in 2004. When the song came out I went to buy the single – something I haven't done very many times... And I surely listened to it even though you could hear the song just anywhere and on almost any radio channel.

According to producer Lasse Kurki, Egotrippi was reluctant to include strings in their music at this time despite the fact that audiences surely embraced the end result. In fact, Matkustaja does sound fantastic also when performed live without the string arrangement. The acoustic version performed by composer Knipi on his tour with Matti Johannes Koivu makes me wonder if those certain small but extremely memorable melodic hooks sung by Mikki were even included in Knipi's original vision of the song.

9. Miten vaan

Album: Pilvien alla, maan päällä (2013)

This song was changed in many ways when Egotrippi created their own version. Originally Knipi gave this to Jonna Tervomaa and it was released on her second album Neljä seinää in considerably slower tempo. The Egotrippi version has a whole different structure, it is more energetic and while it preserves the bittersweetness of the theme (a nasty break-up) I find Knipi's vocal rendition and the overall ambiance mysteriously hypnotic and comforting. The hypnotic effect even increases towards the end. Something really magical was captured in this version!

10. Näkymätön

Album: Pilvien alla, maan päällä (2013)

Näkymätön is another song that was originally recorded by Jonna Tervomaa who also wrote the fantastic lyrics about feeling cut off from the outside world. The lyrics are really easy to relate to. Compared to the “original” version, Egotrippi's take is more grandiose. This song is a prime example of how some of Mikki's compositions end up sounding really dreamlike and in that way almost psychedelic – especially when they are arranged just right. Näkymätön is an incredible song, a true classic.

11. Onneton

Album: Matkustaja (2003)

Talk about hypnotic! This mostly acoustic song was recorded using only the things that could be found at producer Lasse Kurki's home. The result is lots of vocal echo, using a piano pedal and a Nick Drake vinyl box as percussion (!) and other cool things. This is another extremely bittersweet break-up song – maybe not even bittersweet, just plain bitter, as well as very dark and almost oppressive. A slower version of the song, released on the Matkustaja CD single (re-named Onnellinen, not to be confused with Mikki's solo song of the same name!), practically sounds like acoustic doom metal or something. Despite all, somehow I think Onneton is always really nice to listen to. Mikki's mesmerizing vocals are a huge part of the magic, and the arrangement surely is haunting!

12. Poika kalpea

Album: Alter Ego (1998)

Now, time for something lighter (maybe?). Even though Alter Ego was a relatively heavy album it had room for some tongue-in-cheek material as well. Poika kalpea is an extremely catchy, jangly song about a pale nerdy guy on the beach, accompanied by Beach Boys harmony vocals. Even though this sounds like a really happy song, the lyrics lead to a whole different conclusion. “Girls only smile at pretty guys – I could just blow up everything and go home!” I guess the tongue-in-cheek element here is quite superficial.

13. Rakkaani

Album: Vielä koittaa uusi aika (2006)

Many songs on Matkustaja album were really melancholic and sad, even though there surely were some happier moment as well. On the next album (Vielä koittaa uusi aika) Egotrippi decided to focus primarily on comforting sounds and themes. Rakkaani is a perfect example of this: a song about the beauty of a person offering emotional support to another person. I think the first comparison that comes to mind is surely You Still Believe in Me by the Beach Boys. These two songs share a similar melancholy while being extremely heartfelt and comforting.

14. Sininen 

Album: Matkustaja (2003)

This song was probably the first clear indication of Mikki Kauste's fascination towards the Slavic melancholy of schlager music. The arrangement sounds to me like a crossover between schlager and pop-rock. I think it does sound great even though producer Lasse Kurki has stated that this isn't the final mix he wanted to have released. Sininen is certainly one of Egotrippi's most dramatic songs, and I think Mikki's vocals are some of his best I have ever heard.

15. Sinä 

Album: Helsinki-Hollola (2000)

Representing the huge power pop guitar sounds of the Helsinki-Hollola album, Sinä is an absolutely exhilarating rocker written by Mikki Kauste. Sinä is a perfect opening song, clearly representing the sarcastic section of the album. I guess a lot of the fun emanates from the fact that we all know at least one person described in the lyrics – a really superficial person, that is. All in all, this is a superb song. The chord structure is amazing, the song structure is extremely well-built and there is, in fact, also clearly some melancholic schlager quality in the melody.

16. Suklaasydän

Album: Alter Ego (1998)

In my mind Egotrippi has never been very eager to write and sing wistful love songs but here we have one of the sort, written by Knipi. On the same album there were actually even a couple of other love songs as well, the most popular being Posteljooni (which I didn't pick for this list). Suklaasydän is my favorite because of the charming atmosphere. The song narrator mourns for lost love but is also happy to have collected such wonderful memories. This song is a real power ballad. You have to love the warm analogue sound the band was relying on at this time.

17. Toisinaan

Album: Matkustaja (2003)

When I first heard this as a sensitive teenager, I thought this was really scary. Toisinaan does sound ghostly and gloomy but also uplifting. If I had to choose Egotrippi's gloomiest song, this would probably be it. However, there is much more to this song than gloominess. Toisinaan captures nothing less than one of life's biggest philosophical dilemmas. When you think about it, not too many years before the release of this song these guys were singing about “Se on tosi jees”. I bet no one saw this song coming.

I seem to favor many of Egotrippi's darkest, saddest songs. I do, because they are so good and memorable. This is of course not to say that gloominess is superior to joyfulness. I guess when it comes to Egotrippi I appreciate the opposites. Besides, I remember once hearing someone say that joy is one of the deepest human emotions, and that sounds quite plausible to me.

18. Yksinäisyys 

Album: Vielä koittaa uusi aika (2006)

You might say I didn't fully discover the beauty of this song until year 2013 even though I heard it already back in 2006. Now Yksinäisyys has become a huge favorite that I love to listen to for instance right before going to sleep, to give a peaceful feeling. Yksinäisyys is one of Egotrippi's most uplifting and comforting songs and it might also give your soul some peace.

19. Ympyrä

Album: Superego (1997)

Ympyrä was released years before Yksinäisyys but the spirit is actually very similar: peaceful, soothing, and a bit melancholic. Ympyrä is probably everyone's favorite because it is simply a magical song. You can't really describe it, you have to hear it. The song has a very nice guitar solo and a beautiful cello arrangement at the end.

20. Älä koskaan ikinä 

Album: Matkustaja (2003)

This song is an obvious choice. Despite being partially very much influenced by a certain Procol Harum song, Älä koskaan ikinä is not only part of the Finnish pop classics repertoire but also still a really spellbinding song with its perfectly compressed power pop sound and catchy rhythm. The lyrics have been criticized for being silly but I think there is nothing wrong with being silly from time to time. It is indeed fascinating to think that even though the song sounds flowing and natural the recording process was extremely long and difficult.

Suddenly It's the Tremeloes

Even though I seem to be listening to hundreds of Hollies songs at the moment, I have also dedicated a good amount of time to another UK group, the Tremeloes. Considering how good they are I didn't hear much about them until I had already become aware of pretty much every other significant UK band of the 60s. I listened to a compilation by the Tremeloes a few times until my brain realized that there is indeed something really magical here.

The Tremeloes have performed several famous songs, such as Yellow River, Suddenly You Love Me, and, quite surprisingly the syrupy 1983 europop Words. Even though their most famous song is probably Silence Is Golden, they have performed plenty of easy-going songs some of which almost sound like they were recorded during a party at the studio (Here Comes My Baby, Even the Bad Times Are Good). In some of the most memorable songs the band does incorporate a mixture of fun and a certain melancholy. Check out Negotiations in Soho Square or Happy Song: the latter sounds not just happy but the opposite too. In any case, something about the Tremeloes' unique energy reminds me a little of the Beatles (the Tremeloes performed Good Day Sunshine) but even more of Dave Dee, Dozy, Beaky, Mich & Tich.

In addition to Silence Is Golden, I swoon over the Tremeloes harmonizing on songs like I Shall Be Released and Now's the Time. These guys could really sing and perform incredibly catchy songs. I am also most definitely fascinated by the variation: in the 60s section we have everything from the impressive melancholy of Be Mine, Come on Home and As You Are to considerably different songs (and arrangements) such as Helule Helule, My Little Lady and Girl from Nowhere. As the 70s approached, the Tremeloes seemed to incorporate even a little bit of psychedelic feel. Prime examples of this include Me and My Life, By the Way, and the fantastic (Call Me) Number One.

The Tremeloes didn't score hits after the early 70s but the singles were still melodic and catchy. And just like so many other fantastic 60s bands, it seems, also the Tremeloes are still around.

Tampere Beatles Happening 2014

I must be getting old because I considered for a second not going to Tampere Beatles Happening 2014. However, the second the first band of the Beatlemania show began to play I was so moved by hearing wonderfully melodic 60s music that I knew I had come to the right place. It was time to listen to some of the coolest Beatles and 60s tribute bands.

The first group were the Brothers from Germany. They performed Beatles numbers with both original and new arrangements with absolute skill and dedication. Their strength was in a balanced sound and the most beautiful vocal harmonies and a cappella. The Brothers also apparently have released original music. I think I may check it out.

Jay Goeppner was the most energetic performer of the evening. He was accompanied by the domestic Urban Crow who you might call the host band of the festival. Goeppner attracted most of the attention for being such a happy, brightly American who moves around a lot and shares good spirit to everyone. Focusing on John Lennon songs, Goeppner performed anything from early Beatles numbers to Lennon's most intensive solo material.

The most innovative performance was given by (perhaps the slightly unfortunately named) Russian Puttin' on the Beatles Style who played a really fast-paced set of three-accordion instrumental versions of Beatles songs accompanied by traditional rock band instruments. The virtuosity was amazing. It was easy to recognize the melodies, yet there was plenty of room for improvisation as well.

Then, there was a performance by the Overtures who were once again great but they played the exact same set as a few years ago. A long-standing Beatles and 60s tribute band, their performance is always really professional and they don't follow the original arrangements too strictly, but next time I would appreciate hearing different songs, and, generally speaking, maybe some more interesting choices than Light My Fire, You Really Got Me, and I'm a Believer.

The concluding act was Jiri Nikkinen The Beatles Tribute Band. Jiri Nikkinen is Finland's official Beatles fan and his set included some really interesting rarities. Jiri is such a classy guy.

The Beatles don't seem to attract young people like they used to, but there were indeed some people (like me) whose parents had barely been born when there was a band called the Beatles. The Beatles Happening is a real high-energy event, the most joyful and melodic festival in the whole country. You can't go wrong with that concept.

After five and a half happy (yet physically a bit painful...) hours of partying, it was time to pick up a free copy of a Beatles magazine and go home.

http://www.beatles.fi/briefly-in-english/

The Glorious Buckinghams

Well well well.. I wouldn't have thought the Buckinghams belong to the sunshine pop genre. Although this is of course only what Wikipedia states on the matter. I first started listening to the Buckinghams due to last.fm recommendations. Their music can be described as classic late 60s American pop music and it does sound a lot like sunshine pop. There are definitely baroque pop elements, such as a strong presence of horns.

Musically, the Buckinghams could be placed somewhere between the Four Seasons and the Beatles, with some sunny gentleness added to the mix. The whole concept of one man singing lead and the rest of the guys doing multipart harmonies resembles the Four Seasons concept quite a bit. Carl Giammarese does a great job with the lead vocals. He may not perform with a distinctive falsetto like Frankie Valli but there is a lot of gentleness and bubblegum sound in Giammarese's voice. He also gives nicely rocking performances when needed.

The Buckinghams wanted to identify with the success of British Invasion groups. Therefore they chose a British-sounding name, dressed up in suits and even recorded music from the Beatles (I Call Your Name). They had several hits in the States and their version of Mercy, Mercy, Mercy was the most successful version of the song.

It is cool that the the Buckinghams are still performing and sounding really good. Giammarese and bassist Nick Fortuna were even recently featured on the big Happy Together tours. I can't get enough of their music!

http://www.thebuckinghams.com/

Kind of a Drag

Where Did You Come From

Don't You Care

New 60s Favorites, Part Three

A beautiful thing about 60s pop/rock groups is that whenever you decide to take a look at one of them, the band comes across as charming and really good pretty much every time... This time it was an Australian band called the Easybeats.

For music-lovers this band is probably very familiar. The Easybeats have even been referred to as the Australian Beatles. On the other hand, asking any (especially younger) person on the street about the band just might result in ”never heard of” type of answers. For instance, there are probably only one or two Easybeats songs that have been performed by Finnish artists. At first there weren't almost any Easybeats songs I remember hearing on the radio or anywhere else.

I am telling you this just because it plays an important role in my previous knowledge of the Easybeats. Now, just like the Association and the Creation, this band has shown me several sides and styles which really makes the music stand out. The Easybeats especially seem to enjoy the straightforward, groovy rock'n roll songs (Good Times, She's so Fine, Made My Bed (Gonna Lie In It), Wedding Ring, and For My Woman), even throwing in some Motown soul (I Can't Stand It).

There are also some songs that almost sound like they were recorded by the Beatles for some early album (Pretty Girl, It's so Easy). A song like Falling off the Edge of the World is an interesting example of a song that at first sounds a lot like the Beatles – but it still sounds more like the Easybeats after all! Some of my other favorites are the melancholic psychedelic melodies of Land of Make Believe, Remember Sam, and Come in You'll Get Pneumonia. Heaven & Hell, the single that was banned in the US, is also a wonderful slightly psychedelic pop song. It certainly would have been a great follow-up to Friday on My Mind.

River Deep, Mountain High is probably one of the most famous songs in the band's repertoire. It is so good that I don't feel like I need to hear the Ike & Tina Turner version at all... Stevie Wright's lead vocals are superb: he definitely has all it takes to perform soulful songs that also tend to have raw rock'n roll energy. Hello, How Are You is also such a great ballad that I want to mention it. And don't forget The Music Goes Round My Head, a cool baroque piece!

The band was founded in 1964. Children of British and Dutch emigrants, the Easybeats became very successful in their home country and soon were touring Europe and the US with the Rolling Stones. Friday on My Mind was a million-selling hit and a few smaller hits followed. Originally, lead singer Stevie Wright and rhythm guitarist George Young formed the songwriting team, but Wright was later replaced by lead guitarist Harry Vanda as a songwriter. Problems with management, radio airplay and record company support as well as the songwriting team becoming increasingly independent resulted in the band breaking up 1969. The songwriting team continued working on other projects, and there was an Easybeats reunion in 1985.

The Easybeats were a band that had their own unique voice and energy. They definitely weren't just another Merseybeat-styled band or generic 60s rock group. Instead, they sound like a band that took many great things from contemporary music and combined the influences to make a basis for their own music – a method that works even today!

Old News and New News

My goodness… The same thing happened again. I remained silent for more than a month. And I promised I was going to write something during that time (didn't I..)! Oh no. You should never promise anything – especially if you’re not going to keep the promise. Well… There are reasons to my being silent. For starters, my life has undergone a major change during the last month or so. That is big enough a reason alone? Thanks, everyone, for your understanding…

Now comes the news section. It is going to contain some very old news and some very new news. Because I enjoy lists, this news section is going to be a list. How long a list? My guess is about 10 news items. (Edit: Ended up being only three..)

1. Gigs, gigs – powerpop from Finland LIVE!

Just a couple of hours ago, I witnessed two gigs by two Finnish bands. The first one was Ben’s Diapers, a very powerpop-oriented rock/country band from Turku. This was the third time I saw them, and I loved every second. In fact, I was utterly happy during the entire set. Everything the band played was awesome, not to mention the harmonies – and melodies! You don’t really hear stuff that melodic too often where I come from… I think I will get my hands on the latest album by Ben’s Diapers: Up in the Mountains, Deep in the Sea.

Hi-Lo & In Between also performed stuff from their new album, The Lonely Bird. I believe it was also the third time I saw then play live. The band’s organic Americana/folk/bluegrass was again a hit. The audience liked what they heard and so did I. Acoustic guitar, double bass, drums, violin/mandolin and good songwriting made a winning combination.

Ben’s Diapers at MySpace
Hi-Lo & In Between at MySpace

2. Three-week Beatlemania

This is very, very old news but I still find it very important. It all began sometime in early February, or maybe late January. A Hard Day’s Night was shown on TV, and the next day they showed a Beatles documentary – one that has John, Paul, George, and Ringo as narrators. The next day I felt like I had to start listening to the Beatles again. That is exactly what I did. By the end of the week I noticed I was in the middle of the most intense Beatlemania I had ever experienced in my life. This was something special. Believe me, my relationship with the Beatles has been anything but free of prejudice and doubt. It seems like this has changed now. After all, it is not such an unexpected thing for me to fall in love with the Beatles having filled my life with extremely Beatles-influenced music during many, many years…

Accidentally, there was also a two-day Tampere Beatles Happening in town in the end of that same week this B-mania started. I attended one concert that had Jan Britten Owen, the Urban Crow and the Overtures as performers. They all played Beatles songs, although especially the Overtures also focused on other 60s music, a lot of stuff from the British Invasion, of course. The Urban Crow was a Finnish band that featured Jiri Nikkinen, the most famous Beatles fan in Finland, as guest vocalist. The guy sings really, really well. Check him out if you like… He has been in a band called Clifters, making Beatles covers as well as other oldies covers and writing original material. The band may still be around – I remember seeing them live many years ago at a Finnish country music festival (there has been one, really!).

Tampere Beatles Happening blog (in Finnish)
Jan Britten Owen at MySpace
--> The Overtures website
The Urban Crow website This evening was probably one of the best of the whole new decade. The music was so good. I was out of my mind due to all the fabulous 60s and Beatles songs and danced like a maniac. The best party, with the average age of participants being about 60 years, I have ever attended!







During this Beatlemania I listened mostly to Abbey Road, Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band (which turned out to be a lot better that I had thought!), Beatles for Sale, and Please Please Me - and of course also Rubber Soul, Revolver, and my favorite: Magical Mystery Tour (though its position as my favorite Beatles album has been challenged by both Abbey Road and Sgt. Pepper!). I am now officially in love with Abbey Road and Sgt. Pepper. Such awesome albums… Larger than life, period.

3. Swinging and Searching

Largely related to my new Beatles enthusiasm I also felt the urge to check out other Merseybeat/beat bands. That is how I became musically acquainted with the Searchers and the Swinging Blue Jeans. Now, they are both among my favourite bands. I really enjoy having these bands in my life... There are so many great songs to listen to! Also, while listening to a two-disc Searchers anthology, a fairly recent purchase of mine, I finally also noticed that this is actually the same band that later appeared in powerpop context. I remember hearing Hearts in Her Eyes before on some powerpop collection.

-->

The Searchers website

The Swinging Blue Jeans website

Devoted to Don and Phil

The Everly Brothers rock. I had known about their existence for quite some time but it wasn’t until last summer when I finally started to realize their true greatness. I call it “a personal breakthrough”: that moment, those one or two days of your life when you feel you’ve finally found the essence of a band/artist and suddenly enjoy listening to it more than ever. The artist has become more familiar to you, which enables you to enjoy the music more and more... I found the essence of the Everly Brothers thanks to a release called It’s Everly Time & A Date With The Everly Brothers, a CD that contains the duo’s third and fourth album. The albums were originally released in 1960 and 1961.

These brothers are a perfect answer to anyone (like me) who hungers for sugary 50s/early 60s teen idols – and harmonies! Although the Everlys aren’t regarded primarily as teen idols, almost everyone knows that they are probably the most ear-melting male duo ever. Something about them is in fact different from most other harmony singing groups and duos…

The Everly Brother’s roots are in rock’n roll and country music. Therefore many of their songs have a slightly country-tingled rock’n roll feel, and the steel guitar has an effect, too. The Everly Brothers are, as far as I know, probably most famous for gentle and absolutely stunning ballads like All I Have to Do Is Dream. Love songs form a considerate part of the duo’s catalog. The Everlys sing a great deal about girls. As we all know, girls usually lead to either bliss (You Thrill Me (Through and Through); Always It’s You) or misery (Sigh, Cry Almost Die; Love Hurts). While the brothers sing happily about happiness, in the sadder songs they express themselves melancholically but not bitterly. The peacefulness of this music makes it suitable for relaxation, and of course for those moments when you hunger for sweet...

Being one of the most delicious vocal duos ever the Everly Brothers influenced many groups that sang harmony vocals, such as The Beatles and The Beach Boys. The Everly Brothers’ harmonies differ from the usual harmony singing, where the different vocal parts would sound strange if they were separated. However, when listening to the Everly Brothers, you might notice that both Don’s lower and Phil’s higher melody line could stand on their own.

The Everly Brothers had their biggest hits around 1957-1964. During that time they recorded dozens of songs that became Billboard hits. When the British Invasion hit, it became significantly more difficult to reach audiences with traditional American pop. By the end of the 60s the Everly Brothers lost their hitmaker status to Britpop bands and other new phenomena. Don and Phil split in the early 70s and pursued solo careers but were reunited in 1983. More recent years have brought the Everly Brothers various awards, such as Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award, and introduction to Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

When it comes to the musical situation of 21st century… People just don’t make a lot of music like this anymore. Sometimes I feel like I’m 70 years old. None of my friends really listens to this kind of stuff. Can you blame me for enjoying classic, traditional pop songs that focus on melody, songwriting, vocals and vocal harmonies? I guess you can’t. I bet you enjoy the exact same thing, and so would also my friends if they gave the early 60s a proper chance.

The Everly Brothers at YouTube
The Everly Brothers Fan Club - The Beehive

Psychedelicious

It wasn’t an instant love affair, but I must admit - it’s getting more and more difficult for me to keep my ears off Flight of the Knife (2008), the latest album by Bryan Scary & The Shredding Tears. It was recommended “extremely highly” (or something like that…) by Bruce Brodeen, so I listened to a few soundclips. When I was finally able to find time to listen to the whole album properly, I felt like I had begun a new exciting journey.

Based on the photographs I’ve seen, Mr. Scary and his Tears’ live performance looks like a scene from an old horror movie – a pretty good reason to end up being characterized as a cinematic pop act. However, most of the people I know would probably understand the expression psychedelic rock better as a description of Scary’s psychedelicious pop-rock. You might hear echoes of Queen, ELO, XTC, and The Beatles (and I bet there are many other influences too) in the fascinating mix of psych-rock, melodic pop elements and lyrics that are practically science fiction. Personally, I have to admit that Scary’s sweet voice is also something that most certainly appeals to me (and will get me addicted to this album, I bet..).

Flight of the Knife utilizes a fairly traditional set of instruments – one of the highlights being Scary’s powerful piano work - although the experience definitely comes with many psychedelic effects, intriguing tempo changes, unpredictable song structures and other cool tricks. Thanks to those, listening to the album will certainly not get uninteresting. It is actually quite suitable to call Flight of the Knife an experience. Listening to the album is an audial adventure.

The songlist is awesome. Venus Ambassador, being good all the way, has an absolutely delicious melody part that is heard in the beginning, and then again in the end of the song. The wild rocking chorus of The Purple Rocket is another favorite moment – here you can really hear the psychedelic rock, not to mention the awesomeness of the ELO-influenced layered vocals. Imitation of the Sky rocks too: “This is the mourning of the Susie High” – Scary’s melodic genius is clear here. That phrase, along with numerous others, may actually get stuck in your head, and you'll love it. Also one of my favourites is Mama Waits - an obvious should-be hit single. It is extremely catchy, somewhat Sgt. Pepper-like, and one of the most traditionally-constructed songs on the album. The Zero Light is happy – uplifting, I’d say. The Curious Disappearance of the Sky-Ship Thunder-Man (what a title!) is a completely delicious ballad that won’t go unnoticed. Heaven on a Bird is another ballad, totally wonderful.

This album gives me an impression that Mr. Scary has found a way to realize his musical potential to the fullest. I believe it will be difficult for him to make an album even better than this one. Will he succeed anyway? Someday we’ll find out… If only his music got the attention it deserves, the world would be at least a bit better place.

Bryan Scary & The Shredding Tears at MySpace
Flight of The Knife site (listen to the album here)

[Hooray, my 100th post!]

A Moment in Hollywood

How nice spring. There’s a blizzard outside.. Anyway, I first spotted this following "band" in Last.fm’s recommendations. It took a while before I checked what it actually was but it seemed like I had just found the most bubblegum-spirited (read: fictitious) band there was. The Wonders was a made-up 60s pop band in the film That Thing You Do! (1996), written and directed by Tom Hanks. I still haven’t had time to watch the film but it must be pretty cool.

The film contains some very, very nice music.. The title track That Thing You Do! was written by Adam Schlesinger from Fountains of Wayne and sung by none other than Mike Viola himself. It’s a good track, and the movie soundtrack also includes other melodic treats – from The Wonders as well as other fictitious 60s groups.

There is one thing that bothers me about the song - or rather people's reaction to it. When I listen to it, it sounds like… well, a power pop song from 1996, and that is what it really is. Still, very many people seem to be convinced that it is an accurate representation of 60s pop. On the other hand, what’s the difference? I guess it just confuses me to hear Mike Viola sing a song that fictitiously came out before he was even born.. And I can't fit a time machine into the equation very easily.

Were Beatles power pop? That is one difficult question… While you’re thinking, why not listen to The Wonders!

Chasing Rainbows

Psychedelic pop really is my thing. That, and bubblegum pop. Also, I can’t resist power pop.. power pop perhaps from the 90s? Combine all these and wow.. The music I’m going to describe now isn’t however power pop or bubblegum. It’s psychedelic, orchestrated pop from the 60s.

I found this UK-based band Nirvana maybe a year ago when I was looking for good sunshine pop. The group was founded in 1967 by Greek-born Alex Spyropoulos and Irish-born Patrick Campbell-Lyons. At that time, symphonic pop was popular and it shows in Nirvana’s early music. Later the band went on to make more progressive rock-styled music. They have never been very successful commercially but if you ask me, they should have been. I think they are a more interesting band than Kurt Cobain’s Nirvana – especially because I’m a person who loves melody-oriented baroque-psychedelia to pieces.

All of Us is Nirvana’s second album, released in 1968. It is a very good album filled with lovely psychedelic soft pop songs. It sounds to me like a combination of The Beatles’ more baroque-symphonic work and Sagittarius. One of my favourite songs is the opening track Rainbow Chaser, a brilliant tune with magnificently dramatic violins and trumpets. The song also has great melodies, and excellent female choir vocals, like many other songs on the album.

Tiny Goddess combines peacefulness with melancholy in an extremely beautiful way. The Touchables (All of Us) and Melanie Blue do approximately the same thing. Trapeze is probably my most favourite song of the album – you can’t go wrong with such a catchy, magical melody. Miami Masquarade is also really catchy, and the same is true of Girl in the Park, Frankie the Great, and practically every other song, too. The four bonus tracks are also very good.

This album is a true gem for anyone who likes symphonic pop with some psychedelia. I love this album so much that I think I’ll get more albums from the band!

Rainbow Chaser (YouTube)
Tiny Goddess (YouTube)
Show Must Go on (instrumental song, YouTube)

Help! British Invasion Has Invaded Me!

It’s summer – what would be a better way to spend it than listening to awesome 60s pop? British Invasion is hot stuff (Beatles and DC5 are pretty good bands..), but this invasion isn’t really limited to just British music. This is an American Invasion, too, and maybe a bit Australian. My latest passion #1: The Hollies.

I found The Hollies three years ago. I listened to their stuff a bit and noticed they had some excellent pop tunes and harmonies. Also, I noticed they had one amazing lead singer, Allan Clarke. The result was utter bliss and happiness. The hype subsided after some time but I think it’s about to start again..

I can’t help it. I love nasal male pop singers – their voices, I mean.. But I guess you just can’t help loving the person a bit, too, for having such a great voice. Unfortunately, representatives of this wonderful talent seem to be very few and far between. Or maybe I’ve just missed all the best nasal singers somehow. If this is true, I really hope someone will tell me where they (and their recordings) are..

On the other hand, there might be a huge number of nasal male singers right behind the corner. I’ve even found some already – there really seem to be quite a few Japanese male singers with nasal voices! But but.. Whether they sing pop music or not is another thing.

The Hollies have lots of brilliant tunes: I’m Alive, Here I Go Again, On a Carousel, Bus Stop, Just One Look, Would You Believe, Look Through Any Window, Stay, Long Cool Woman (In a Black Dress). The Air That I Breathe is one of the most heavenly tunes ever, and He Ain’t Heavy, He’s My Brother is beautiful. So good, so amazing stuff.. I have to have some more right now!

The Hollies Website

Reelin' and Rockin'

Here’s another band I think everyone should pay attention to. The Dave Clark Five were a glorious and successful English 60s pop band. Apparently, DC5 was one of the few bands that were able to challenge The Beatles commercially. There is one strange thing, however. How come hardly anyone has heard of them? I, for example, had never heard any of their songs before I heard… a song called Because played on some power pop radio station on the internet. After some time, I decided to dig deeper into this band.

It’s quite interesting that the band was named after the drummer instead of lead singer (whose name was Mike Smith, by the way). As a founder and band leader, Dave Clark positioned himself in the front, just like can be seen in the picture above. DC5 wasn’t a usual British Invasion band in too many ways. Their hit songs such as Glad All Over and Do You Love Me showed such wild energy that The Beatles had a hard time keeping their tempo up!

The Beatles were and are maybe too famous. The problem about them is that their enormous popularity leads to ignoring dozens of other bands that were as good as they were. There are even people that don’t seem to want to give a chance to any other British Invasion or 60s band.. I don’t get those people. Also, I don’t get anyone who thinks the best music is always the music that sold/sells the most. However, I don’t think commercially successful bands should be boycotted, either. In fact, there are two important facts that everyone should think about when discussing music:

1) Commercial success doesn’t make music better.
2) Commercial success doesn’t make music worse.

I myself tend to have problems mostly with rule number two. I have some attitude problems every now and then, even though I constantly find myself listening to some million-selling music. It’s nice when a good band succeeds, but too much is always too much..

Back to Dave Clark Five before this blabber gets out of hand… Listening to The History of The Dave Clark Five has revealed that DC5 has so many awesome tracks that it’s almost hard to believe how good this stuff is. It’s exactly as good as The Beatles, and it actually has some features that The Fab Four’s (and generally British Invasion) music doesn’t contain, such as frequent use of saxophone and certain influences (I hear some doo wop in DC5’s music, for instance). I think it’s especially the saxophone that gives this music similar warmth that appeared in the music of The Beach Boys.

When every song sounds excellent right from the start, it gets a bit overwhelming.. I don’t mind, however. Checking out this stuff brings out new favourites all the time. Right now, I have to mention a song called Little Bitty Pretty One. It’s a one and a half minute-song and it struck me instantly. It’s brief, it’s catchy, it’s magical - hear for yourselves.. Geez, just listen to this stuff!

The Dave Clark Five Website

The Sun That Never Goes Down

In order to include at least something relevant in this blog I should tell something about The Beach Boys and me.

Although everything I listen to is based very much on The Beatles, The Fab Four have never been as big for me as The Beach Boys. I surely love The Beatles, and I really don’t tend to compare bands like this because it’s basically impossible, but I have to make an exception when it comes to The Beach Boys. Although I’m not 100% sure (I never am when it comes to music) Brian Wilson and The Beach Boys might be the biggest and dearest thing that I’ve even encountered in my search of the most perfect pop music.

My dad has liked The Beach Boys ever since the 60s when he was just a young boy. Consequently, I heard that music several times in my childhood. It was that stuff that my dad called surf music. I remember thinking that it sounded pretty exciting. In the end of 2004 I started listening to some Beach Boys greatest hits CD and noticed that I really liked what I heard and ended up listening to those already quite familiar songs (e.g. I Get Around) dozens of times.

Something about rock’n’roll has always intrigued me. I remember when I was 8 years old I found some old cassette of 50s rock’n’roll and songs like Rock Around the Clock. I liked that music so much that I wanted everyone else to hear it, too. The Beach Boys’ music has lots of rock’n’roll in it, so it’s no wonder that I’m attracted to that stuff.
Finally, I heard about an album called Pet Sounds (1966). It was my huge favourite Lasse Kurki (from the awesome Finnish power pop band Lemonator) who praised it in Soundi rock magazine.. I didn’t need any more encouragement, I rushed into the nearest library, picked up the album and listened to it for the first time on December 2nd, 2004.

That album soon became everything to me, and it still is. It is a warm blanket, something to cry and laugh for, and stunningly beautiful melodies, harmonies and sounds, perhaps the most beautiful melodies ever. That album made me fall in love Brian Wilson’s beautiful voice. That fresh tone and wide vocal range have really affected my sense of vocal aesthetics. Brian is surely one of my favourite singers. These days anyone who sounds like Brian Wilson gets my attention…

In fact, I’ve even seen The Beach Boys live! It was of course just Mike Love and Bruce Johnston but the music was perfect, and it was performed beautifully. The year was 2006, and I saw that concert with my dad in Helsinki. Man! Those harmonies were seriously good. I wish I could see Brian Wilson on concert someday, too. He’d probably have those Wondermints guys with him, and I have to say that I love them.
Now, here are some of my favourite Beach Boys albums. Surfer Girl (1963) was the second full BB album I ever listened to. This music really sounds very different from that extremely sophisticated pop that Brian Wilson created in the mid-60s, but I like it just as much. On the other hand, you can already hear all that tremendous beauty of Brian Wilson and the harmonies in songs like Surfer Girl.

The thing that makes The Beach Boys my favourite band is not just Pet Sounds. It’s the pure, bare, sincere joy that these songs and melodies contain, and of course Brian Wilson’s melancholy, too (check out The Surfer Moon and In My Room - let alone Don’t Worry Baby on Shut Down Vol. 2! (1964)). Surfer Girl is a solid album with great songs. Also, surf instrumentals always make me happy. I’ve actually started listening to some instrumental surf bands/music, and I love that stuff. It’s energetic, happy and features guitars with metallic sounds (somehow this whole concept rings a bell…).
All Summer Long (1964) is another great album. I don’t think any of The Beach Boys’ 60s albums is bad, but some albums really are better that others. I Get Around, All Summer Long, Hushabye, and Wendy highlight the All Summer Long album. All the other songs are of course also good – apart from that one filler (Our Favorite Recording Sessions). It’s kinda weird how these amazing albums were basically always spiced up with that (humorous but) useless filler track… That was the policy of the record company. Well, those tracks actually make the great songs sound even better. Girls on the Beach, Do You Remember?, Little Honda.. This material is oh so very good.
The Beach Boys Today! and Summer Days (And Summer Nights!!!) (both 1965) are already showing some serious Pet Sounds vibes. Surf guitars are gone, and the music is seriously starting to sound like Phil Spector’s wall of sound. The b-side of Today! can even be seen equally as good as Pet Sounds, and it actually might be a bit more emotional and tender. Please Let Me Wonder, Kiss Me Baby, and those other songs.. Man! They will melt your heart (if they already haven’t).

Summer Days features some perfect pop pieces, too. Help Me, Rhonda appears in its chart-topping form. California Girls, Let Him Run Wild, the wonderful a cappella And Your Dreams Come True and my favourite You’re so Good to Me are just a couple of examples of the greatness of this album. Bonus track The Little Girl I Once Knew that originally only appeared as a single is also a perfect song.

I haven’t really listened to much of Smiley Smile (1967). Instead, I’ve given some serious attention to Brian Wilson’s SMiLE (2004). That is good stuff, one could say… 1967’s Wild Honey is very good with its soulfulness. Wild Honey, Aren’t You Glad, I Was Made to Love Her, Country Air, and Darling are very good songs with nice arrangements and Carl Wilson starting to take more lead vocal responsibility in the band.
1968’s Friends is also a nice record, quite strange of The Beach Boys, actually.. (Smiley Smile is certainly even more bizarre, though). Friends, Wake the World, Be Here in the Mornin’, and When a Man Needs a Woman are charming little songs, and they’re also basically the last chance to hear Brian Wilson in his youthful vocal glory. 20/20 (1969) contains some pretty good tunes, too.

Sunflower (1970) is fab. There’s again lots of soul and it really fits The Boys. On this album the sound of the band has really changed: it’s not the 60s anymore. Dennis Wilson shows his talent on Slip on Through and Gotta Know the Woman. Deirdre, Add Some Music to Your Day, and Our Sweet Love are also awesome.
What is also great about The Beach Boys is that there still is lots of music to discover! The 70s stuff isn’t probably nearly as perfect as the stuff from 1963 to 1970, but there must be some real gems. Also, this story ends now. I will congratulate anyone who reads this whole writing. It’s too long, again..
The Beach Boys Official Website