01	Proletarian						02:10
	02	Inspired Machine						01:27
	03	Petty Burgeois						02:58
	04	Pride Of The Biosphere						03:16
	05	Pedagogue						09:11
	06	Crisader						04:49
	07	Planetist						03:08
	08	Maestro Mercy						02:34
	09	Prophet						06:09
	10	Marverly Skimmer						02:31

Wigwam - Being Country of Origin: Finland
Format: LP CD
Record Label: Love Records Siboney
Catalogue #: LRLP 92 LRCD 92
Year of Release: 1974 2001

Musicians:
Pekka Pohjola (bass, violin, piano (Pride Of The Biosphere), mini-moog (Planetist)),
Jukka Gustavson (vocals, piano, organ, mini-moog and VCS3 synthesizers),
Ronnie Osterberg (drums, percussion, backing vocals (Sunny Disaster),
Jim Pembroke (vocals, sermon, piano (Sunny Disaster and Friend From The Fields)
Additional Musicians:
Pekka Poyry (sop. sax, flute),
Pentti Lsanen (clarinet, flute),
Paavo Honkanen (clarinet),
Imari Varila and Aale Lindgren (oboes),
Juhani Tapaninen (bassoon),
Unto Haapa-aho (bass clarinet),
Juhani Aaaltonen (solo flute),
Seppo Paakkunainen,
Erik Dannholm, Pentti Lahti, Kai Vestera (flutes),
Taisto Weslin (acoustic guitar),
Erkki Kurenniemi, Jukka Ruohamaki (VCS 3 assistance)

Tracks 1, 2, 5, 6 and 9 composed by Jukka Gustavson. Tracks 3, 8 and 10 by Jim Pembroke. Track 7 by Pekka Pohjola. Track 4 by Pohjola/Gustavson.

Recorded at Finnvox and Finnlevy studios, Helsinki, Finland through November 1973.
Produced by Mans Grondstroem and Paul Jyrala
Engineers: Erkki Hyvonen, Harry Gergman, Mans Grondstroem and Paul Jyrala
Cover Art: Jukka Gustavson (directions), Jorma Auersalo (design)

Being is the last studio album of the first phase of Wigwam history. It is also the last studio album that featured Jukka Gustavson as a permanent member within the line-up. Moreover the album is considered as the most creative album that emerged from this line-up with the album developed as a concept and most of the creative work being the fruit of Jukka Gustavson's labours. One of the main reasons for this is that both Jim Pembroke and Pekka Pohjola were more interested in their solo album releases than in the more collective band release. The concept of the album features both a religious and a political theme, a concept that Gustavsn was also developing and had used in his contributions to Fairyport. The album went on to win the "Album of the year" award both in the reader's and in the critic's poll of the Finnish rock magazine "Soundi" and gathered rave reviews in the English music press as well. The interest that ensued would result in the band being given a recording deal with Virgin Records in the U.K.

From the opening track Proletarian, one can sense that this album would be remarkably different from most of what the band had already produced till now. The organ and piano sound was augmented by the sound of synthesizers, something which Gustavson had been experimenting with in the interim period between albums. The opening track shows a complete lack of the commercial streak that most Wigwam material seems to possess and instead verges on the RIO in style. This merges with the playful clownesque rhythm of Inspired Machine whose message has a deep political slant.

Petty-Bourgeois is one of the more complex Wigwam tunes though its catchy pop hook immediately give away Pembroke as being the composer of the track. However, this once again showcases the remarkable nature of this band who with something so zany, which in most bands would sound banal, is instead turned into a great track. The coupling of tracks is maintained with Petty-Bourgeois moving into Pride Of The Biosphere. The track has an almost pulpit-like touch with Pembroke's narration alongside some booming organ playing. The return of Gustavson in penning the lyrics also sees a return to the pessimistic tones.

With Pedagogue, Wigwam created what is possibly their most complex track to date. Awkward chords, abrupt time changes and strange vocal applications abound as does Gustavson's ability to create that ensemble effect by using wind and brass instruments instead of string instruments. A special mention should be made to the flute and clarinet solos that are simply stunning on this piece of music. Crisader retains that marked jazz influence, but much more of an easy listen relying on Gustavson's organ solo and doing away with the complexity of the brass and wind instruments. However, the vocals still sound in complete contrast to the structuring that Pembroke usually adopts on his tracks.

When a track only has Pekka Pohjola credited, one expects an instrumental track and that particular track on this album is Planetist. Furthermore one expects a strong influx of jazz ideas in Pohjola's music, yet even this time when placed alongside Gustavson's compositions, they pale in comparison in terms of complexity. Instead Planetist sounds almost commercial though it should not be underestimated as an individual track especially with the incorporation into the framework, once again, of wind and brass instruments, which bolster the already tight and string rhythm of Wigwam. Thus alongside a Pohjola composition, a balance could only be achieved by the introduction of a Pembroke number, Maestro Mercy, which with its laid back sound allows the listener to come to his senses following the pounding and complexity of all of the previous tracks.

The final couplet of tracks, Prophet and Marvelry Skimmer, bring this marvellous album to a close. Prophet is as quirky as the album goes, being a Gustavson penned track while Marvelry Skimmer allows the album to closed off of a rather more optimistic note. The track itself, being a Pembroke composition, allows the listener to sit back and literally enjoy the harmonies unweave without the complexity of the music being too much of a concern!

This would be the last studio album from the first phase of Wigwam's history and is indeed a fitting album with which the Gustavson/Pohjola chapter could be closed. Definitely the most complex and demanding album that the band have in their repertoire, it also gives an insight into the complicated mind of Jukka Gustavson whose music also reflects the pessimistic political and religious themes that seem to dominate his music.

Nigel Camilleri





Wigwam
Being
Love Records (LRCD 92)
Finland 1974

Juhani Aaltonen, flute;
Pekka Pohjola, bass, piano, violin, mini-Moog;
Jim Pembroke, piano, vocals;
Jukka Gustavson, organ, synthesizer, piano, vocals, direction, mini-Moog;
Ronnie Osterberg, percussion, drums, background vocals;
Seppo Paakkunainen, flute;
Pekka Poyry, flute, soprano sax;
Ilmari Varila, oboe


nick

Being, Wigwam's sixth album, finds primary composer Jukka Gustavson's bizarre mixture of religion and left wing idealogy in full blossom. Being expands on the sonic colorings of Fairyport, with strings, horns and synths in addition to the usual organ and piano. The compositions on Being are also tighter and even more complex than those of Fairyport. The album is arranged as a set of five pairs of tracks that are related harmonically, and/or rhythmically, opening with the haunting "Proletarian", which segues into the demented circus march of "InspiRed Machine".
"Petty-Bourgeois" is a tight but intricate Jim Pembroke pop number boasting some pretty violent lyrics that betray the bounciness of the tune. Gustavson kicks things into genius mode with "Pedagogue", in which the melody and chord changes that accompany the opaque lyric are simultaneously beautiful, curious, and slightly disturbing. "Planetist" (written by bassist Pekka Pohjola) and Pembroke's "Maestro Mercy" is the best collaboration Frank Zappa and John Lennon never had. A similar remark can be made about "Prophet", except this time as a collaboration between Keith Emerson and Stevie Wonder. Being is a classic of Scandanavian prog, and a treasure if you can find it.

12-20-03

c ground and sky