Susivatkain

SUSIVATKAIN

Pyromaaniboogie (1979)

FinnArctic-esittely:

It's bad music time... Here's the most bewildering record in my shelf.

Where to start? Well, the little information I've gathered tells that in 1975 Tero Eerikäinen and Timo Mäntypuro, two schoolboys living in the town of Hyvinkää, formed a band named Accord together with Esa Rimpiläinen. The songs they played were partly written by Rimpiläinen, partly by names like Uriah Heep, Deep Purple, Jeff Beck, and Billy Cobham. Accord played their last gigs in 1978, after which Esa and Tero moved to a group named Susivatkain, who practiced in a small town named Rajamäki.

Timo and Tero switched to playing a few gigs with raspy-voiced singer Harri Marstio, but Esa Rimpiläinen stayed. It seems that Susivatkain used to play material by Hurriganes and Juice Leskinen at some point, and according to a website I remember seeing, but which seems to have disappeared by now, Genesis songs also formed a part of their setlist.

Susivatkain (Wolf Mixer) released their only LP in 1979: "Pyromaaniboogie" (Pyromaniac Boogie). It bears no resemblance to any of the aforementioned artists. Instead the music is a mixture of light schlager pop or iskelmä, boogie pop, prog influences (on one song only) and oodles of truly lousy humor.

The lineup here is: Kari Hella, bass - Risto Immonen, guitarist and primary songwriter - Erkki Lehtiranta, drums - Hannu Rantanen, guitar - Esa Rimpiläinen, keyboards - Kari Tossavainen, "appearing on the photo".

The five (or six) members sing really well in harmony, but their leads are mostly irritating. The playing is well handled, the production and sound are solid and polished, but the humor which most of the songs are based on is more weird than funny. Some good ideas salvage what can be salvaged: "Valikoitu kansa" criticizes people who blindly let a chosen few lead them and tell them what to do and how to live. A good message, and thanks to a chorus that's original and annoying at the same time, the song manages to stick in your head permanently. "Keltainen vilkkuva tähti" is a downcast song about death and thoughts about moving to a star. "Palapelielämä" compares life with a jigsaw puzzle: you build your own life piece by piece, throwing away the pieces that don't belong in the picture, until the picture is finished and it's time to pass away and let others sweep the dead pieces away.

"Päivä painuu metsän taa / Hullu huuhkaja" is the progressive song, a truly moody, dreamlike song that's still kept light. A welcome touch of finesse right after three HIDEOUS songs in a row.

Overall, it's hard to tell what these guys were actually thinking. Too many influences that don't really mix together, and desperate attempts to be funny - that doesn't make for a successful record. Three songs salvage this LP, and "Palapelielämä" is the best of them. It's a minor lost classic in my opinion. "Keltainen vilkkuva tähti" is the second best. Both songs were written by Rimpiläinen, who nowadays works as chief executive officer for sound advertising company Uudenmaan äänituotanto Oy. That prog song is also rather good.

Erkki Lehtiranta was for some time chief editor for music magazine Musa (1972-1978?). Nowadays he's a spiritual astrologist. Kari Hella has played in bluegrass band Jussi Syren & The Groundbreakers since the beginning in 1995, he owns a recording studio called Audio Studios, and he's worked with the weekly computer-animated political satire show "Itse valtiaat" (2001-). He also builds and designs church organs.

Silloin kun perustin FinnArctic-blogin, minä ihan oikeasti pelkäsin että joku pyytää minulta Susivatkaimen levyä ja joudun postaamaan sen. Sitten nimimerkki HarrisonX - josta myöhemmin tuli hyvä kaverini Harri - antoi ihan ensimmäisiä kertoja kuulla itsestään. Hän kysyi löytyisikö minulta Pyromaaniboogie-LP:tä, ja saatoin ihan totuudenmukaisesti vastata: "Voi ei! Tätä olenkin pelännyt - että joku pyytäisi minulta Susivatkaimen levyä. Minulla on siihen aikamoinen viha-rakkaussuhde. Pyromaaniboogie-LP siis löytyy, ja se on kyllä levyhyllyni hämmentävin levy, täytyy sanoa. No okei, laitan jakoon, ehkä sitä joku muukin kaipailee".

Ei Pyromaaniboogie täysin toivoton levy ole. Ykköspuoli menee hyvin. Esa Rimpiläisen laulut ovat oikeastaan hyviä - varsinkin Palapelielämä, joka on TODELLA hieno liikaa toistoa sisältävästä sanoituksesta huolimatta. Syntsasoolo on erikoinen ja komea. Mutta kakkospuoli menee kyllä alas vessanpöntöstä niin että solina vain käy. Annikki A. Lahti, Ruskeasilmäinen mato ja Mäsäsä pöpelikösä ovat täysin vailla hyvää makua tehtyjä kuvatuksia. En kestä niitä.

Triviatietona mainittakoon, että jo ennen kun löysin LP:n, silloin kun tunsin sen vain Esko Lehtosen Suomalaisen rockin tietosanakirjan kautta, omin "voi Juntusen pahvilaatikko" -fraasin vakituiseksi sadatteluilmaukseksi. Käytin sitä monta kertaa jotain asiaa harmitellessani vielä senkin jälkeen, kun olin saanut Pyromaaniboogie-LP:n haltuuni ja vihdoin kuullut sen.