Monday 5 June 2023

By Request, Manogurgeil from Finland 2007


Info here, on progarchives, and discogged here. Their only release, unfortunately, because this is the real deal, the classic sound of 70s prog rock with all the dissonances, rhythmic changes, odd arpeggiated riffs, one-off chord changes, etc. Surprising again to hear things we've never heard before musically. The first track has female vocals and sounds a little like the Finnish Fantasia I posted here recently, the remainder is instrumental. The album closes out with two noiselike improvised (?) tracks which are not too interesting, sadly. But that's OK given the strength of the remaining large quantity of musical ideas to be digested!

As an ex., a track called Vesikävelijät Valtaavat Altaat:



Note how it starts with a digital keys clarinet playing modern classical style chamber music in no specific key, similar to the sounds of Camel or Egg, Gilgamesh, the Canterburians, then moves into a C riff with the electric guitar and that wonderful raspy hammond organ ca. Mike Ratledge in Soft Machine 3, then moves up again to a riff in D, and closes out with a sped-up playing of those riffs rather than fadeout, all supervised above by crow-like screeching on the hammond-- incredible!

Another wonderful example of their compositional talents can be found in Sydämeni Suljettu Yrttitarha:



Again, the welcome sound of classic hammond organ, layered on top of acoustic piano and electric guitar toned exactly like Hatfield's Phil Miller, a sudden change after 3 minutes to new dissonant riffs plus the fuzzy organ, but pay attention because at 5 minutes we slow down to a ballad with the guitar, this time, singing the melody before as you might expect speeding up to close out the track. Amazing.



9 comments:


  1. https://www.sendspace.com/file/2pw5nn

    https://krakenfiles.com/view/o84qtFfagd/file.html

    Great recommendation!

    ReplyDelete
  2. Need to check for Nino Ferrer albums (for me since 1965 until 1979)
    Enregistrement Public
    Rats And Roll's
    Metronomie
    Nino Ferrer And Leggs
    Nino And Radiah Et Le Sud
    Suite En Oeuf
    Véritables Variétés Verdâtres
    Blanat

    Give a chance to Serge Gainsbourgh - Jane Birkin et Serge Gainsbourg (Je t'aime... moi non plus). All his albums are fantastic.

    Regards

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  3. Really great stuff! Thank you for the accurate description - I did not even have to listen to know what it would sound like :-)
    It's a pity there is only such a small scan of the cover around - I like that picture. Thank you!

    ReplyDelete
  4. I was unaware of this one-off only release before now. No complaints, no requests, only a heart felt thank you.

    ReplyDelete
  5. In the same register as Manogurgeil we have:
    Dawn - Loneliness (album) and Darker (album)

    Landberk -
    Lonely Land
    Riktigt Äkta
    One Man Tell's Another
    Unaffected
    Indian Summer

    ReplyDelete
  6. And also da band Black Bonzo - Lady Of The Light (lots of what we like. Mellotron); - Sound Of The Apocalypse

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  7. This is quite a find, I am always on the look out for Finnish progressive and Jazzrock sounds as the guitars playing is almost always solid and fiery.
    It's too bad this is a one off as I'd love to here more from this gang. Thanks for the great score.

    ReplyDelete