ELONKORJUU

Elonkorjuu's debut is a little bluesy, a touch jazzy and plenty hard-rocking, with light symphonic touches, hints of folk and a scuzzy psychedelic underbelly frequently creeping in. Despite the relatively short running time of most of the pieces, the band cram in constant direction changes, and while some parts are more successful than others, their intentions are always admirable. Lead-singer Heikki Lajunen has a gruff toughness to his voice (he even reminds of a less abrasive version of Family's Roger Chapman in parts), and the young players were already showing a range of ideas through their developing musical skills.

Firmly rooted in a cool late-Sixties rock sound, strident opener `Unfeeling' has a galloping momentum with bursts of power. `Swords' wraps mournful organ and a soulful vocal between bouts of muscular riffing and twisting lead-guitar strains (boo to the abrupt fade-out, though!), and the whole band ruptures into rumbling power between the blissful bookends of `Captain'. `Praise to Our Basement', an album highlight, is introspective and dreamy with drawn-out psychedelic jamming, and the manic instrumental `Future' is a tasty mess of murky bass tantrums, winding jazzy guitar licks and frantic drumming.

The B-side's `Hey Hunter' is fiery up-tempo blues rock, `The Ocean Song' is dominated by scorching Hammond organ soloing, and `Old Man's Dream' is a schizophrenic mangle of wild guitar explosions, gulping bass and peppy drum thrashes. Sadly the last two actual tunes on the LP are a touch unmemorable, but the rambunctious early metal/hard rocker `Me and My Friend' is saved by muscular and boisterous guitar outbursts, and fragmented closer `A Little Rocket Song' strikes a balance between lusty Led Zeppelin-esque bluesy strutting and Black Sabbath-like heavier moods.

While some of the pieces on `Harvest Time' are not nearly as well-developed as they could have been, it's admirable how a young band attempted to tick so many musical boxes. It's no lost true classic, but it proves spiky, energetic and varied with much to offer. Those looking for a rarely spoken about rarity or prog-related musical curio of the early Seventies may find plenty of worthwhile interest here.

Three stars - good but non-essential describes this perfectly :)

Especially the latter is literally true. According to the guitarist and composer Jukka Syrenius, Chrisse Johansson who was credited as the producer "visited the studio just shortly for a couple of times". However, at that point the band had already reached a fair amount of success. Syrenius had previously played in a blues band called Blue & Black Friars Organization. In the autumn of 1969 Elonkorjuu came the second in the national band contest and a bit later recorded a long track 'Where's the Rising Sun' for the anthology Popmestarit (1971).

When Elonkorjuu played in rock festivals such as Ruisrock, the original vocalist Timo Hannukainen had been replaced by Heikki Lajunen (who's singing on this album). Drummer had changed for a couple of times. On the album Syrenius's cousin Ilkka Poijärvi, who studied music at the time, plays Hammond and also some flute and guitar. Despite the hurried recording, Harvest Time is quite impressive heavy prog. Vocalist-lyricist Lajunen's slightly rough voice fits very well into the hazy, dynamic rock, although the English pronunciation is rather unclear.

A perfect example of an epic-like feel in less than four minutes space is 'Captain'. The organ sound and the nuanced singing remind me of the early Van der Graaf Generator. After the electric guitar solo that cites a well known Slavonic song, the calmer section featuring flute would pass for the Genesis album Trespass. Jukka Syrenius appears as a decent songwriter but especially as an excellent guitarist, perhaps a bit too much so. Occasionally it sounds like everything else is just surroundings for showcasing the guitarist's talent. The album sold poorly and EMI lost its interest for Elonkorjuu which continued gigging. Further changes in the line-up occurred, and around '74 the band started playing simpler, funk based music.

(Based on a chapter of my book Prog Finlandia, 2016)

Flyin' High, Runnin' Fast was the second album by the Finnish group Elonkorjuu. Indeed the difference between the debut album Harvest Time (1972) and this one is so big that the record company's idea to translate the band name into English was at least understandable. The legendary debut album featuring tasty heavy prog with English vocals has become one of the priziest collector's items in the Finnish rock history. [NB: the rest of the discography would place this band under the Jazz Rock / Fusion subgenre without a question.]

The years between the albums were turbulent, Syrenius remembers. "My new musical acquaintances included Little Feat, The Band and Tower of Power, and my interest towards jazz grew bigger. I also went to study classical guitar and music theory." In the mid-seventies Elonkorjuu added funk flavour to their sound and continued further towards jazz. The decision to go totally instrumental was made in 1977.

Flyin' High, Runnin' Fast was produced by Vesa Aaltonen (best known as the drummer of Tasavallan Presidentti) who also guested on percussion. The other guest musician is the young trumpetist Simo Salminen. The laid back melodies and the charming sonic freshness of these six instrumentals were achieved by the guitars of Jukka Syrenius, keyboards of Pekka Tyni, alto sax & clarinet of Jari Perkiömäki and tenor sax of Jukka Unkila, not forgetting the rhythm section of the founding member Veli-Pekka Pessi and Veikko Noutio.

Music critics praised the album but the sales were very modest, as the Finnish musical climate had turned strongly against prog and fusion. Soon afterwards the group disbanded and Syrenius went to release music under his name, until Elonkorjuu was reformed in 2003.

I'm not sure how to rate this album. It's highly pleasant and happy-natured instrumental fusion leaning more on the jazz side, but not the most original representation of the genre, and the length of 34 minutes is rather short. Let's say "Good, but non-essential", ie. three stars. Plus a half.

The first disc contains also two live tracks from Pori Jazz 1974. The 9-minute covering of jazz/blues number 'Somebody Loan Me a Dime' is delicious and makes very clear how excellent guitarist Syrenius is. The 13th track on CD1 is a separate studio recording from 1977.

CD2 ("Summer"; each CD is titled after one of the four seasons!) contains the second album Flyin' High, Runnin' Fast (1978), released under the translated band name Harvest. It is a whole different affair from the debut's heavy prog: it's instrumental jazz rock / fusion, much lighter and airier naturally. This time there are a lot of reeds (tenor and alto sax, clarinet, trumpet), as the line-up had changed greatly. Keyboards are played by Seppo Tyni who has collaborated with Pekka Pohjola among others and has made some solo albums (a PA candidate perhaps?). Syrenius' compositions are first class fusion with a relaxed, happy atmosphere. The six additional live tracks were recorded in Pori 1979, featuring some well-known covers such as Stevie Wonder's 'Superstition' and Chick Corea's 'Spain'. These choices reveal from which musical directions the band was drawing inspiration. Concerning the whole set, it's respectable how few of the live tracks appear as album tracks on this set, and also the sound quality is nearly faultless.

Elonkorjuu/Harvest disappeared from sight for 24 years, making a comeback with the album Scumbag (2004). It has some vocals but it's instrumentally oriented fusion like the second album was. Reeds are missing but the music works very well. The compositions, by Syrenius and keyboardist Jussi Reunamäki, are a bit longer and give plenty of room for instruments to shine. Five years later the band recorded a live double album Scumbag Goes to Theatre (released in 2010), that make up the most of CD's 3 and 4. I haven't checked out how largely all these albums are included here; I presume not completely, but that wouldn't make this set less valuable. My favourites from this live album (recorded at Pori Theatre in December 2009) are Syrenius originals 'Waiting' and 'You And I'. The three final tracks are live from 2011. In total, only three songs from the 1972 album appear twice in this package. The essay on the band history is rather short but it also helps to make this set very recommendable to anyone interested in this band.

The first song is usually the one everyone knows, if they've heard this band at all. The openers 1 & 2 are really standard. The first song is a bit more heavy and faster, setting out the standard for the rest of the album, and the second one is a bit slower, more beautiful song. Unfeeling and Swords.

The third one, Captain is again a bit faster on tempo and has pretty excellent guitar riffing plus in the solo their version of the national anthem of Russia. It's fun to notice stuff like this, and it suits the song pretty well, even though it's not Soviet folk.

Praise our Basement is a little wordplay and again a bit softer song, also with a somewhat longer feeling. There's a long, mostly improvisational instrumental part for the guitar. As for most of their songs, they are really based on the guitar playing of the talent that is Jukka Syrenius.

Future is one of my favourite tracks. It starts with a striking bass intro, and soon the guitar and drums join in. The patterns change a bit but still keeping the same theme, really imaginative and still pretty simple. This is however an instrumental, so it's pretty much a song full of taking their skills to the limit. Pretty nice jamming along a nice background. Very groovy.

Hey Hunter is again a heavy song with a lot of melodic guitar riffs. It's very similar to Unfeeling in the way it's built up. The riff reminds me a lot of early Tasavallan Presidentti, and of course, I can't be sure, but I'd suspect these guys have gotten a lot of influences from this other great Finnish band. Hey Hunter, You see the rabbit is still alive.

The Ocean Song is the one they performed at the Finnish pop chamionships in 1969. Placing second, the live performance is even better than the one on the record. The guys beat their instruments like with real heavy rock, Mr. Hannus beats his double bass drums and plays a nice solo in between, still holding his sticks like the old time jazz-drummers. They've got two guys singing pretty hard melodies, and to think, this song was composed the same year they formed the band first. very nice. And very complex hard rock at that. On the record the song is a lot more jazzy, and it's really just how you like it. I'd suppose these guys used to shred a lot more when playing live. Surprisingly, the recorded version has an organ solo, while the live one from years back had no organ at all. It's a really nice addition too though. Also the basslicks are much more complex on this, so it's obvious they've developed the song a lot further after the contest.

Old Man's Dream is again a lot easier. The chorus is really nice and catchy. It's got a good political message, about how men growing old will see their own children playing the wars they've themselves been through. Most of the songs are with two verses and a chorus, then a long solo with a bit variating theme, and later one again a verse and a chorus. Nothing too difficult to anyone, as the songs aren't that long either. Which could be very good. We've grown a habit of listening to this while driving a car, or at parties, where the vinyl is always welcome, especially with old-rock-oriented friends.

Me and My Friend seems first like an attempt of making something lighter or funnier. The melody in the beginning is like froma cartoon, yet with the distorted guitar. Not my favourite.

The riff on the last song reminds me again a lot of Tasavallan Presidentti. However, right after the intro they're bringing their own style back again. Of course these are a bit similar. Both have an excellent guitarist, who's pretty much the dominating part of the band. Elonkorjuu is here a bit heavier, and though with a flute and an organ, still a bit far from the jazz-rock/fusion genre. The musical passages for them are more often about heavy riffs and strong solos rather than jazz-like progressions.

The album is really good for people who enjoy a glass of wine or beer along themselves every now and then in a smoke filled room. It's very much company music, not to be listened to alone. But with 5 guys or so, does the trick pretty well. Also, I recommend this to everyone, who's into old school Finnish prog. This is one of the bands that just need to be known in that case.

'Unfeeling' is self-sorry blues rock with almost evangelical vocals and Jukka Syrenius' hot licks, not a great opener but 'Swords' continues the disillusioned weeping and picks up with a good arrangement, understated organ and a bit of flute. The surprising 'Future' absolutely rocks and even foreshadows Fripp's use of atonal guitar lines, Syrenius showing sadly underappreciated talent. 'Old Man's Dream' is strange heavy psych with great changes and a beautiful dual guitar exchange, and 'A Little Rocket Song' is a Sabbatic rocker with Zeppelin's guitar/drum dynamics. No obvious pull here for the jaded progster but many little surprises hidden just beneath the surface, and Elonkorjuu is worth investigation if you have an ear for the shadowy and mysterious world of early heavy progressive rock.