HARVEST TIME

Here here, something nice from my favourite homecountry. The album is still pretty rare here in Finland, as with the rest of the world too. That's really a shame. Elonkorjuu is a really nice rock band with the 70s atmosphere well alive in their music. They've got a lot of bluesy influences, also some heavy riffs. Most of the songs are based on a bit distorted, yet bright guitar and a heavy bass patterns. The players are good, and the singer uses his voice really well, though perhaps not with the best pronounciation.

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.