LIVE AT NATSA 1971

To me 1971 was the best year in prog music! Also I think it was the greatest year to Wigwam, they released their masterpiece 'Fairyport' in that year! It's the album that woke the interest of UK music journalists (US journalist Lester Banks had already reviewed Wigwam's first album) and that led later to their record deal with Virgin records. Already in 1970 Wigwam had started to search success outside Finland, they went to record 'Fairyport'- album into Sweden and also made their first gigs there. Anyway 'Fairyport' was finished in Finland at Finnvox studios in 1971. Finnish national and only radio company YLE wasn't at first very interested of rock bands in Finland, but their attitude started to change in 1970. Wigwam's first radio recording was broadcast from Kulttuuritalo in that year. Next one we hear in this record! In the middle of recording 'Fairyport' album Wigwam went into Calle Lindholm's and Pentti Kemppainen's Pop Pop show into N-klubi, Helsinki. This radio show had traveled before that all around Finland, recorded live music and broadcast it few days later. Before Wigwam had mostly played cover songs in their live concerts, that was the way all the Finnish bands did in the sixties. But in N-klubi 4/5 of material was their own! Naturally there were two pieces from their forthcoming album. This isn't first release of the most of these recordings, four songs from this had before released in 'Fresh Garbage'- compilation.

First we hear hilarious introducing from host Calle or Pentti and those short speeches continues during the album in the middle of songs. Show starts with cover song from the Band that was the main influence to the Wigwam and they played many of their songs. Have to say even 'King Harvest (Has Surely Come) is originally very great song, Wigwam put into it even more groove! But killer comes next: the best live version from 'Losing Hold'! It's so fast that even Jukka Gustavson drops in the downcoming passage in a few seconds! Jukka has later said 'Losing Hold was our power song.' To me it goes ahead of for example Yes`s 'Roundabout' or Genesis's 'the Musical Box' of the same year! 'Nothing Shows' is really rare song: it's the only recording of this Pembroke- piece! It seems all three Wigwam composing members had a lot awesome material those days, when this very melodic, the Band-style piece was never recorded in the studio!

Pembroke's 'Captain Supernatural' starts the vinyl second side. It's much heavier than the original studio version in 'Tombstone Valentine'. You really don't miss that very taut sounding guitar of the studio version, the sound of this bass-organ-drums -trio is so mellow! I believe there is mistake in albums information, there is said Pembroke was also playing electric piano, but I think Pembroke was just singer these days. Really don't hear any piano there. Last piece is the most interesting! I believe it's the first live version of the tittle song of forthcoming album and also first time released! I can understand, why they didn't take this into 'Fresh Garbage'-compilation, because it's very same kind of version as the studio. I think there are all the members in vocals in the chorus parts in the begin of the song. All the way they play this so great! It's sad band hasn't play this piece after 1974.

I believe there are listeners, who think this is not the most perfect Wigwam live recording, specially the recording quality is not as great as it is in 'Töölönranta'-live or 'Pop-Liisa'. But this was the greatest time of Wigwam, their organ-bass trio was so talented and also grooving, that it sounds they could play whatever they wanted! And it's not just playing, 'Losing Hold' & 'Fairyport' are the greatest prog ever made, also Pembroke's pieces were the awesome quality poprock songs! After Gustavson-Pohjola Wigwam just couldn't achieve this same intensity anymore, this was the most magic period of the band. Yeah, I have admitted I am big fanboy, but this just can't be anything else than 5 stars record. There are still lots of live material specially after 1974, I really hope they all will be released in the future!