MY MOST LOVED ALBUMS - Lambertland by Tasavalan Presidenti - 1973

Its 1973, glam rock was in full pomp. Progressive Rock music has emerged energised out of the remnants of late sixties hippedom. With the rise of Krautrock, the UK finally wakens up to the fact that there is some particularly innovative wacky music going on in Europe. The music papers send their writers out chasing around Europe trying to be the first to discover and champion a new fabulous European band, and their explorations reach as far as Finland, and Tasavallan Presidenti. 

At the time I'm heavily into Hawkwind and Deep Purple. So when I read about Tasavallan Presidenti and their supposedly brilliant guitarist Jukka Tolanan, I am intrgued enough to buy their first album Lambertland. Now Lambertland is a very strange beast of an album, and was so even at the time. Musically its the wildest amalgam of a huge range of stylistic influences. Yes, you could catagorise it as 'progressive' rock fusion, but also it is incredibly jazzy, and has a strongly inflected undertow of folk infused flute and drum rhythms. Plus the lead singer has this really unusual intensity to him, as he sings the quite often surreal lyrics. Lets just say he's not your classic heavy progressive singer, with more jazz timing, suggestions of folk singing, and a dash of scat.

There are a lot of tracks that move time signatures not once, but quite a lot more than once, as the mood of it shifts up and down gears. Its clever, dexterous, cerebral, but its also really passionate and the band's playing is so incredibly tight. This material has been well honed through a lot of performances. Their follow up album Milky Way Moses was a disappointment. Tasvavallan Presidenti underwent some changes in band members just after Lambertland was completed, losing the singer for one. And you can tell because Milky Way Moses had very little of whatever they possessed when they recorded Lambertland. Tasavallan Presidenti existed from 1969 -74, reforming briefly in the 80's and again in the 90's, and are currently still active.  

I have loved and replayed this album for many years. It miraculously survived my punk purges, the new wave, 80's electronica, world music phases, because it remains so unique and captivating I simply love it every time I put it on to hear. Like all - My Most Loved Albums, its been bought in vinyl, then tape, CD and download formats. That's hopeless devotion for you.