#549: Sandy goes to Finland!

1st in a series of reviews of all-new-2-me music....

Wigwam -- LUCKY GOLDEN STRIPES AND STARPOSE (1976): Sane Again, International Disaster, Timedance, Colossus, Eddie and the Boys, Lucky Golden Stripes and Starpose, June May be Too Late, Never Turn You In, In a Nutshell, Wardance, Tramdriver.
Sandy Denny -- LIKE AN OLD FASHIONED WALTZ (1973): Solo, Like an Old Fashioned Waltz, Whispering Grass, Friends, Carnival, Dark the Night....

Wigwam's NUCLEAR NIGHTCLUB (1975) is 1 of those 2nd-string prog classics: Not a bad track on the whole album, but only a handful that really jump out at you. Tho they really sound like no1 else, if you added a saxophone 2 this Finnish quintet they'd sound almost like Supertramp, with their lite, melodic, bouncy, silly songs ("Simple Human Kindness"), occasional driving guitar ("Do or Die"), & sometimes a burst of brilliant weirdness that seemsta come out of nowhere (the rumbling, ominous classic "Bless Your Lucky Stars").
Wigwam's follow-up LUCKY GOLDEN STRIPES is kind of a disappointment Bcos there's nothing on it as bouncy, silly, driving or weird as the earlier album. & yet, there is some good stuff....
The opener, "Sane Again," is pretty downbeat compared 2 NIGHTCLUB. But from the start the production is smoother, more mainstream -- less Northern & distant. Also less distinctive.
"International Disaster" is more like it, with that bouncy Supertramp-ish sound highlighting a lite song about warfare & unrest all over the world. Coulda bn a minor hit....
"Timedance" is a brief gtr riff, obviously edited out of a longer jam. "Colossus" has some rockin' unison gtr/keyboard/bass passages, & more of that gently rolling sound from NIGHTCLUB.
"Eddie and the Boys" is sort of a cha-cha, with some nice Pekka Rechardt gtr & silly lyrics. There is no ending -- it just trails off in a nice bouncy mood....
The title track opens with some sparkly gtr, & there's more spacey gtr in the middle. "June May be too Late" is the most rockin' piece so far -- with more of the lite feel of "International Disaster" & some definite signs of life....
"Never Turn You In" replays the Jesus & Judas story, opening with more lite offhandedness, but really gaining in strength as it goes. This is more like it, but it cuts off 2 soon.... "In a Nutshell" is basically more lite silliness.
"Wardance" has more lite bouncy sounds & a nice keybs&gtr mix. The best track so far. A bonus track on the CD, it was the B-side of....
"Tramdriver," which is also pretty nice, & also livelier than the resta the album. Intresting that the 2 best trax here R singles that were thrown-in as CD bonus cuts.
Overall, a low-key sorta bass-heavy production; pretty mellow. It doesn't rock much. Mildly disappointing. A shocker like "Bless Your Lucky Stars" or the chaotic gtr instrumental "Pig Storm" off the earlier album really woulda bn a +....

Sandy Denny's voice is gorgeous -- but on her solo albums it's also usually sad. Like 1972's SANDY (reviewed below), LIKE AN OLD FASHIONED WALTZ is full of very deliberate, evenly-paced songs that don't rock much. It all seems kinda solemn. I wish she'd lighten it up or rock it up more, like she sometimes did with Fairport Convention. But maybe she wasn't that happy. Maybe "happy" wasn't what wanted 2 come out in her songs.
"Solo" has gorgeous choruses & a huge production -- but it's lonely. Sandy's voice is also in fine form on the title track. "Whispering Grass" is an old Ink Spots song with a sorta lite ragtime-y approach. It's a nice break. But it's brief.
"Friends" is a kiss-off 2 an old friend who carried around 2 much drama. It's very direct -- kind of ... mean. "Carnival" is pleasant but ... kind of dull. "Dark the Night" is a little lighter, but there's still not much of a spark here. Something more is needed in the midsection Bsides Rabbit Bundrick's electric piano. The song's OK, but kinda flat.
All these songs R very straight-ahead & deliberate -- a little break or a change in tempo makes a BIG diffrence in them. But I wish there were more breaks.
I want 2 love these songs Bcos Denny's voice is great -- but mosta the songs Rn't that strong. They're all very same-y. & as a result she's sadder 2 listen 2 than Nick Drake.
(To be continued....)

Coming Soon: Weather Report's LIVE IN TOKYO, Pete Townshend's ANTHOLOGY, Nektar's RECYCLED and DOWN TO EARTH, Illusion's (2nd) and ENCHANTED CARESS, Borbetomagus, fairly recent Al Stewart, Eric Burdon, Incredible String Band, The Headboys, & lots more....