CHARLIES
Heavy Prog
Finland
Band:
Vellu Lehtinen - vocals/harmonica
Juha Saali - vocals
Eero Ravi - guitars
Kari Lehtinen - bass
Ari Ahlgren - drums
So what’s the story with the music? Being a 1970 release, there is a lot of the 60s about this album with less of the hard guitar riffs, more of the psych jingle. That said the album is on a par with the Elias Hulk, Fuzzy Duck or Hurdy Gurdy ones. It sounds quite a bit like the many albums you would hear from the same period with long instrumental sections and improvised playing (even on studio recordings). The difference between Charlies and other bands could be their use of Saxophone on some tracks, but there’s nothing revolutionary about that either. Related to the use in jazz bands 10 years earlier, the sax adds something a little bit fresh compared to the rest of the bunch though. There’s a bit of flute too, but that is pretty standard for this period isn’t it? Rest assured though, this is a heavy hard rock release, not a symphonic one.
So how good is it? Well, their English isn’t the best, but I rarely listen to the lyrics of hard rock bands anyway. The playing is surely competent and interesting and there is a solid groove throughout most of the album. It’s not among the very best though, and there were so many bands playing this kind of stuff I can’t really say this is anything special. A lot of people will probably enjoy it though, and I’m not saying it’s a bad album. It’s just not top of the bunch and I will probably not listen to it all that
Albums:
1969 - Julisteiden liimaajat
Songs are:
1. Taiteen Kritiikista (vocals - Vellu Lehtinen)
2. Rautavaimo (vocals - Vellu Lehtinen)
3. Don't Go Out (vocals - Juha Saali)
4. There's Nothing Through With Public Ladies Without Skirt In Sunrise On Horseback Band (instr.)
5. Don't Catch Cold (vocals - Juha Saali)
6. Sunshine Supergirl (vocals - Juha Saali)
Bonus tracks:
1968 session (vocals - Vellu Lehtinen):
7. Morning In Your Heart
8. Easy Road Out
1969 session (vocals - Juha Saali):
9. I'm So Glad
10. We Used To Know
11. Rock Me Baby
1970 session (vocals - Vellu Lehtinen):
12. Like The Purpose Told Me
13. Tuesday Song
14. Another Kind Of Influence
15. Easy
Look!!
1970 - Buttocks
Re-issue of this very rare Finish progressive album from 1970. This heavy, hypnotic, album has elements of Jethro Tull/ Steamhammer /Captain Beyond etc with great guitarwork and the use of other instruments such as tambourines, flutes, Moroccan clay drums and cowbells give the album an interesting slant."
A Finnish album, re-released by Red Fox records who never include any info whatsoever with their CDs. This one was quite early of course, and one of the first “progressive” albums from Finland at all. It is very much a wanted record by collectors of course. I’ve seen a VG/VG copy go for $250 recently.
Playlist
1. Charlies - Tuesday Song (3:32)
2. Charlies - Like The Purpose Told Me (5:20)
3. Charlies - Smoggy Story (6:00)
4. Charlies - Try, Try Or You'll Never Die (7:54)
5. Charlies - Feeling That Feeling (3:18)
6. Charlies - Living For Myself (I'm A King Dreamer) (3:43)
7. Charlies - Madness And Otherkind Of Influences (5:26)
8. Charlies - For You Catherine And Before You (6:23)
Time - 41 minutes 36 seconds
Look!
Band:
Vellu Lehtinen - vocals/harmonica
Juha Saali - vocals
Eero Ravi - guitars
Kari Lehtinen - bass
Ari Ahlgren - drums
So what’s the story with the music? Being a 1970 release, there is a lot of the 60s about this album with less of the hard guitar riffs, more of the psych jingle. That said the album is on a par with the Elias Hulk, Fuzzy Duck or Hurdy Gurdy ones. It sounds quite a bit like the many albums you would hear from the same period with long instrumental sections and improvised playing (even on studio recordings). The difference between Charlies and other bands could be their use of Saxophone on some tracks, but there’s nothing revolutionary about that either. Related to the use in jazz bands 10 years earlier, the sax adds something a little bit fresh compared to the rest of the bunch though. There’s a bit of flute too, but that is pretty standard for this period isn’t it? Rest assured though, this is a heavy hard rock release, not a symphonic one.
So how good is it? Well, their English isn’t the best, but I rarely listen to the lyrics of hard rock bands anyway. The playing is surely competent and interesting and there is a solid groove throughout most of the album. It’s not among the very best though, and there were so many bands playing this kind of stuff I can’t really say this is anything special. A lot of people will probably enjoy it though, and I’m not saying it’s a bad album. It’s just not top of the bunch and I will probably not listen to it all that
Albums:
1969 - Julisteiden liimaajat
Songs are:
1. Taiteen Kritiikista (vocals - Vellu Lehtinen)
2. Rautavaimo (vocals - Vellu Lehtinen)
3. Don't Go Out (vocals - Juha Saali)
4. There's Nothing Through With Public Ladies Without Skirt In Sunrise On Horseback Band (instr.)
5. Don't Catch Cold (vocals - Juha Saali)
6. Sunshine Supergirl (vocals - Juha Saali)
Bonus tracks:
1968 session (vocals - Vellu Lehtinen):
7. Morning In Your Heart
8. Easy Road Out
1969 session (vocals - Juha Saali):
9. I'm So Glad
10. We Used To Know
11. Rock Me Baby
1970 session (vocals - Vellu Lehtinen):
12. Like The Purpose Told Me
13. Tuesday Song
14. Another Kind Of Influence
15. Easy
Look!!
1970 - Buttocks
Re-issue of this very rare Finish progressive album from 1970. This heavy, hypnotic, album has elements of Jethro Tull/ Steamhammer /Captain Beyond etc with great guitarwork and the use of other instruments such as tambourines, flutes, Moroccan clay drums and cowbells give the album an interesting slant."
A Finnish album, re-released by Red Fox records who never include any info whatsoever with their CDs. This one was quite early of course, and one of the first “progressive” albums from Finland at all. It is very much a wanted record by collectors of course. I’ve seen a VG/VG copy go for $250 recently.
Playlist 1. Charlies - Tuesday Song (3:32)
2. Charlies - Like The Purpose Told Me (5:20)
3. Charlies - Smoggy Story (6:00)
4. Charlies - Try, Try Or You'll Never Die (7:54)
5. Charlies - Feeling That Feeling (3:18)
6. Charlies - Living For Myself (I'm A King Dreamer) (3:43)
7. Charlies - Madness And Otherkind Of Influences (5:26)
8. Charlies - For You Catherine And Before You (6:23)
Time - 41 minutes 36 seconds
Look!
