LOVE PROGE 2

This compilation No. 2 of Finnish prog from the famous LOVE RECORDS label has already been lavishly and analytically reviewed by Eetu, so I'll just throw in my little quickie. First off, the cover designs for these samplers are hideous! I recognize the drawer of dirty jokes from a Finnish music magazine, and I think that he's absolutely a wrong guy to make any design to these seriously taken compilations.

I'm not quite the expert of Finnish prog, especially when it comes to the less known bands and artists; my knowledge of many bands often rely solely on these samplers. Nor can I therefor say if the vaults of Love Records have been dug in the best possible way. As Eetu mentions, the choosing policy is quite varied, including both A and B sides of singles, and I think it's safe to say that in some cases the rarity goes cruelly past the quality. Also I agree that compared to the first sampler this is less predictable, the album choices are not as conventional. Even though the same key artists such as BLUES SECTION, TASAVALLAN PRESIDENTTI, WIGWAM and FINNFOREST fill a large deal of the two 2-CD sets, one should listen to both samplers together to form the coherent picture.

One surprising choice here is the 19-minute epic by ATLANTIC OCEAN. Is it not a Swedish band actually? Well, if it was released in Love Records, why not! It's an interesting grand-scale piece anyway. Personally I'm also glad that a song by the non-prog singer-songwriter HECTOR has been chosen from his most (and actually only) prog-oriented album Liisa Pien. The fantastic covering of KING CRIMSON's Epitaph gets the honour, while Hector's self- penned album tracks would have fit too.

The compiler has taken the idea of prog quite freely, since also the folk group PIHASOITTAJAT is here, which is only positive. It was exactly here where I found the two albums of that charming group. All in all this pair of samplers is very recommendable place to widen your knowledge on Finnish prog of the seventies.