Pekka Pohjola ~ Finland

Jokamies / Everyman (1983)

I bought this LP when it first came out in the States (under the Everyman title). I'm not even sure why I bought it to be honest. I think the cover drew me in. I wasn't aware of Pohjola in those days, even before I ran into anything by Wigwam. Maybe I knew he was a fusion artist, not sure.

And, mannn, was I disappointed. Whatever I was expecting it certainly wasn't this. One of my most scarring spec buys of my early collecting career. I was probably at my poorest in 1984, so it was a spontaneous bad decision.

This is my first time to hear it since that time of my life. The collection I acquired in January had just about every Pekka Pohjola on LP. The two below I already owned, so those extras went into the sell bin. The rest, as you see on the bottom of this post, await for me to hear for the first time - or at least the first time in over 30 years. I will be tackling those in the next couple of months. I pulled this one forward because I already had familiarity.

If I had the benefit of context setting, then I would have been able to digest the album much better. Of course I just would have avoided it altogether. Apparently it's a soundtrack to a television movie made in 1983. It says so on the back cover too, but I guess I was too impatient to read it. In any case this is far more an electronic album than the prog or jazz fusion we associate the great bass player with. I could see Vangelis releasing something similar though it's less upbeat. There are some proggy twists here and there, but that's not the focus of this rather unusual release. Glad I could reconcile with it, though certainly not something I need to keep.

1984 Breakthru' (LP)

1984; 11/4/26 (review)
 

Keesojen Lehto (1977)

Pohjola's 3rd solo album, known in the English world as The Mathematician's Air Display. I don't find Pohjola's solo work all that gratifying, but they are still very good, worthy of ownership. This album has a lot of participation from Mike Oldfield. So much so, that in the early 80s they tried to pass this off as a Mike Oldfield solo album! That was not very nice - and probably downright illegal.

Ownership: 2021 Svart (LP). Gatefold with history. Acquired in 2022.

4/30/22 (review)
 

Pihkasilma Kaarnakorva (1972)

This is Pekka Pohjola's debut solo album, the famed Wigwam bassist who had a very successful and prolific career. At this point in his journey, Pohjola had Frank Zappa on the mind, and with that comes the good and the bad. On the positive side, the tight compositional framework and high melodic content provide a very satisfying listen. But there are some arty improvisations. The bass is also mixed way up front, perhaps not that surprising. And at times, it's a bit noodly in that department. All in all though, a very good start, and well worth keeping. Also features a wonderful stained glass cover art. 

Ownership: 197? Love (LP). According to Discogs this label "shouldn't exist" as it doesn't fit the prototype of any other Love label. The rim text tells us it's not a 1972 original, and that copyright notifications were not added until 1976. Just judging by all the factors here, it's probably released between 1973 and 1975. Acquired in 2022.

1/4/22 (review)

Also own: Harakka Bialoipokku; Visitation; Katkavaaran Lohikaarme; Urban Tango; Flight of the Angel

1/5/22 (new entry)