FEATURED CD: Haikara - Geafar

[Poisoned Youth]

Review from ProgArchives (mellotron storm)

This isn't nearly as good as the debut(5 stars) but there's plenty here to enjoy from the Finnish band. I would say this one is lighter and brighter than the debut overall with lots of sax and flute. Vocals are in English.

"Change" is like a protest song and check out the major fuzz to start. Male vocals and sax join in this uptempo track.The guitar,sax and vocals share taking the lead on this one. "Kun Menet Tarpeeksi..." is kind of jazzy with sax,drums and bass standing out. Male vocals join in around a minute. The guitar before 5 minutes eventually turns aggressive. It settles with female vocal melodies and flute. It kicks back in before it settles one last time to the end with those vocal melodies. "Kantaatti" opens with piano as female vocal melodies join in before a minute. Sounds like violin to follow.

"Laulu Surullisesta Pilvesta" opens with piano then what sounds like violin and flute. Female vocal melodies arrive after 3 minutes in this melancholic tune. "Geafar" is the almost 14 minute closer. It opens with dark piano lines as drums arrive after a minute. It kicks in before 2 minutes. Female vocals too.The sax is great as it comes and goes. Strings before 4 1/2 minutes followed by a Psychedelic vibe with fuzz. Nice.The guitar,bass and drums are outstanding. Sax leads 6 1/2 minutes in as the bass and drums continue. Piano only 9 minutes in followed by a calm with flute. It kicks back in after 11 minutes with fuzz,while the female vocals follow.

Barely 4 stars in my opinion but a worthy follow-up to their debut.

[Scrotum Scissor]

Except for the lengthy title track, this falls surprisingly short of the debut. And the "Change" tune is pretty much ruined by that ludicrously misplaced English lyric. But on closer hearing, the album as a whole does contain a valeur of its own and somehow stands its ground in the end. "Laulu", "Kun Menet Tarpeeksi..." and even the short "Kantaati" are decent efforts, although again quite different from the monster power from the S/T. In a sense the band seemed much more in line with other Finnish acts like Kaamos, Nova, Tabula Rasa and Nimbus here; all of them heavily informed by early Wigwam.

[mellotron storm]

Man these guys had some freaky album covers.

[Trane]

Not nearly as good as their debut album, but still quite worthy

There is that strange wordless vocal thing that doesn't sit well with me.

[Progmatic]

Not nearly as good as their debut album, but still quite worthy
.

+1 ...it was my first Haikara album and even if it is not as good as their first album it still sits IMHO in the top five progressive Finnish albums ever...

[Trane]

How come the artwork hasn't shown up on the homepage??

[Rarebird]

WOW, this sounds good. Alas the only album I can find seems to be their debut and it is pretty expensive.

[ozric75]

On my top 5 wanted list cd

[wideopenears]

I also don't see the pic on the home page, only a red X in the white box...y'all know what I mean.

Pretty good album, I like the first one more, as well.

[Progbear]

Still haven’t heard the first one but this is pretty good. Though like a lot of Finnish prog, very low-key and doesn’t amaze. Except for that cover art. Man, that would even freak Salvador Dali out!

-------------
MIKE (a.k.a. "Progbear")

"'Thin Thighs For Your Man.' But I don't *like* men with thin thighs" --Daria

N.P.:“Spanish Dream”-Future Shock

[100423]

Sounds pretty interesting. I'd buy a copy if you could find one for a decent price.

[spacefreak]

I like it a lot. More than Kaamos, Nova, Tabula Rasa or Nimbus... But I agree that it's inferior to their debut.

Apart from the CD reissues on Circle's Ektro label and as miniLP cover in Japan, it got an LP reissue in 2011 by RCA Finland.

[Trane]

WOW, this sounds good. Alas the only album I can find seems to be their debut and it is pretty expensive.

It's also their best (and quite unique).... if it's under €20.00, go for it Renate

[Rarebird]

It's also their best (and quite unique).... if it's under €20.00, go for it Renate

I think it is something like 27 euro.

[Scrotum Scissor]

I think it is something like 27 euro.

Still worth it. Future reissues on CD of titles this relatively obscure aren't too likely - although vinyl boots might pop up sometime. The debut Haikara is one of the top-5 Finnish progressive releases along with Wigwam's Fairyport and Being, Tasavallan's Lambertland and Charlies' Buttocks - IMHO.

Elonkorjuu, Finnforest (1st.), Kalevala (1st.), Jukka Gustavson (1st.), Nimbus, Scapa Flow, Nova, Fantasia, assorted by Pekka Pohjola and Geafar followed thereon. Just my thought.

[mellotron storm]

^ Some nice picks there. The only one i'd personally add is Kingston Wall's "II" but then i'm such a huge fan of that one.

[yesstiles]

The debut Haikara is one of the top-5 Finnish progressive releases along with Wigwam's Fairyport and Being, Tasavallan's Lambertland and Charlies' Buttocks - IMHO.

Elonkorjuu, Finnforest (1st.), Kalevala (1st.), Jukka Gustavson (1st.), Nimbus, Scapa Flow, Nova, Fantasia, assorted by Pekka Pohjola and Geafar followed thereon. Just my thought.

Great list. Jukka Gustavson's "Toden Toistoa" and Jim Pembroke's "Pigworm" are also two of the greatest Finnish albums ever imo.

[markinottawa]

drat another for the list... I have the first as well and guess I now need this one well. There seems to be no end to great music flowing from Finland

.psst spam warning see playlist on Kalevala thread

[Trane]

Great list. Jukka Gustavson's "Toden Toistoa" and Jim Pembroke's "Pigworm" are also two of the greatest Finnish albums ever imo.

Nothing from Finland/Suomi beats Haikara's debut album, IMHO

[Progmatic]

Nothing from Finland/Suomi beats Haikara's debut album, IMHO

that is my view as well ....

here is my top dozen of Finnish prog albums

Haikara Haikara
Haikara Geafar
Wigwam Being
Tasavallan Presidentti Tasavallan Presidentti
Haikara Tuhkamaa
Kalevala People No Names
Pohjola, Pekka Harakka Bialoipokku (B The Magpie)
Sepi Kuu Rannan Usvassa
Tolonen, Jukka Summer Games
Tolonen, Jukka Tolonen!
Uzva Tammikuinen Tammela
Wigwam Fairyport

[Kai]

The covers of Haikara’s first two albums are by the group’s drummer Markus Heikkerö, who later became a moderately famous and somewhat controversial surrealist painter. I understand he was a visiting professor at the University of Tennessee in the early 1990s. He also played in the comedy band Sleepy Sleepers.

Geafar has its charms, though it can’t hold candle to the first album. The title track (with lyrics partially inspired by the Black September attack during the 1972 Olympics) is the album’s highlight and also the one most reminiscent of the first album. I personally like “Kantaatti” and “Laulu surullisesta pilvestä” a lot as well, even if they are just ”short tracks”. I’d say the same about the latter and stylistically different single tracks that are available as a bonus on the CD.

[Modry Effekt]

Haikara - Manala

That is one of the most striking sad song.It's hopeless.

[Kai]

Haikara - Manala

That is one of the most striking sad song.It's hopeless.

Yes. "Into Hell, everybody to die!" Always makes you smile. And the tune is lovely.

[Scrotum Scissor]

Yes. "Into Hell, everybody to die!" Always makes you smile. And the tune is lovely.

It's one of three songs on that album that I find to be next-to-perfect conceptions of refined rock/theater power, the others being the jumpy opening track and "Yksi Maa, Yksi Kansa", which has a rare grandness to it. The "Manala" tune is perhaps the one displaying their VdGG-infusions most distinctly, and it's interesting to note that Hammill & co. were indeed not a household name outside of the "inner circle".

About the lists, I think it's a bit reasonable to keep the early period artists from the more recent (i.e. post-80s) era of bands; I personally think the world of Uzva, Höyry-Kone, Viima, Hidria Spacefolk, Kingston Wall etc. - but it's a completely different time.

[Trane]

Haikara - Manala

That is one of the most striking sad song.It's hopeless.

I'd say more melancholic than depressive or hopeless