TRAMDRIVER / WARDANCE

"Tramdriver" is an easy to listen pop rock tune dominated by a flanger guitar, and it's similar to the other hit songs on the "Nuclear Nightclub" album. It's a professional composition, but there's nothing progressive in it in my opinion, as there isn't in the B-side either: "Wardance" has nice rhythms in it, but though the song's feeling isn't as light as on the A-side's song, it too could be heard in a vintage disco more likely than in a hazy prog rock caves. The light sounding synthesizers at the end have a tone resembling the wonderful "Lunar Sea" from Camel's "Moonmadness" album. Perhaps due to the accessibility and hit potential of these tracks, they have been reissued on many compilations: "Tramdriver" on "Highlights" from year 1996, "Wardance" on "Classics - The Rarest" from year 1990, and both on "Rumours on The Rebound" from year 1979 and "Fresh Garbage" from year 2000. As a collective failure, both songs share a nasty fade out in their end. Yuck. Only positive thing here are the funny brutally drawn single cover jackets.

Mostly I just don´t write reviews from the items reviewed before, but because this masterpiece single has just one review with one stars, I have to do this. I am a huge fan of Wigwam´s 1969-74 period, but have to say this single is some of the best parts in their 1975-78 period! Specially Tramdriver is very catchy, but really not just simple pop song. It´s two parts are quite complex and really it hasn´t got typical verse chorus structure. I believe this song would have been something Beatles had made, if they had been still active in -75. Also B-side Wardance is really a great piece with it´s funky mood. Both songs atmosphere is quite dark and differs of the basic feeling of Nuclear Nightclub-album. There was a lots of pressure from the Virgin company to Wigwam make a hit single, but I think both Pembroke and Rechardt just made songs they wanted. As a matter of fact Virgin didn´t see Wardance to be a good b-side, so they changed into UK release it as title song from the "Nuclear Nightclub". What I have noticed when making these single reviews of Wigwam, there seem to be mistakes into line-up informations, in this single there was already Pedro Hietanen in keyboards.

Anyway, to me this single is same kind of pop masterpiece as Beatles "Strawberry Field Forever/ Penny Lane"! Best Wigwam single together with Pedagogi/Häätö.