PEDAGOGI / HÄÄTÖ

The A-side's song "Pedagogi" works in my opinion much better on their forthcoming "Being" album, where it has been performed with a better style and the lyrics are sung in English. Musically this is very straightforward piano driven gospel rock tune, and though Jukka Gustavson is surely a thoughtful and a good person, somehow his preaching with fragile young voice makes this a bit banal listening experience. "Häätö" has several different parts being merged together. It starts and ends to an imaginative and mystic sound wall, with an ancient like Finnish poetry being recited over it. The main song is musically quite good acoustic driven stuff, with a strange English-sung short middle part from Jim Pembroke added to it. Again as a Finnish speaking person it is difficult for me not to pay attention to the lyrics, which sounds slightly silly to my ears. "Häätö" is still one of the most artistic tracks this band had yet recorded in year 1970, and it predicts the wonderful art rock phase where they would soon venture as a band, after the collaboration with commercial oriented producer Kim Fowley would end to the forthcoming "Tombstone Valentine" release. In addition of this rare vinyl single, these songs can be found from both "Reunion" (1970) and "Fresh Garbage" (2000) compilations.