Some Several Moons

From my 2012 blog entry in Palasokeri. It may still be there at the site. At this point the band was again on hiatus, but did come back to tour extensively for the 50th anniversary. I've shown the disc not the cover. The joke had to do with selling cookies in Helsinki.

I’ve listened to the album several times and I have to agree with many fans that there is a better flow through this album than the previous, Titans Wheel. On the other hand, it is much more a Pembroke album than many, and the lyrics are mostly close to his familiar themes. Titans Wheel had more of the surreal topics, where here we have to do with the fate of Joe’s head in Tokyo Joe. Here we go on further adventures of the gang, which started out as the Vegetable Men (from Answer to Life) and went through various rumbles as Eddie and the Boys and other forms, ending up in a microbus on its way to Squaw Valley. What exactly are the Several Moons? Perhaps some remnant from The Moon Struck One, one of Jim’s inspirations in crafting his songs.

Chord Squad is a fun song about some musicians “here in your town”, with cute familiar phrases thrown in, and they refer to old Wigwam stuff all the time, a Zappaesque conceptual continuity.

Sandpainting has a familiar beat introduced into Wigwam by Kepa. Seems to be about some woman searching fame and fortune, with movie moguls thrown in. I sort of lost interest in these stories after Pleasure Street. The melody is OK.

Bow Lane is a very typical Pembroke-Rechardt work and I’m sure there is some personal story here but I have no recollection of it a few minutes after the song is done. And I actually like older similar ones such as The Big Farewell. Cloudy Dream is similar in subject matter but with nice instrumental breaks thrown in. And it works OK for nine minutes!

Kabul Grill is a highlight. One more bar story with a few new twists. Pay close attention to the lyrics.

Deep Pop has a unique guitar sound for Rekku, and the organ and melody work well. A favorite, but again I still have not figured out the story here.

Squaw Valley Non-Event….OK, take a ride with some hippies in a microbus. I almost have all the lyrics sorted out, the spoken introduction helping out. It reminds me of Zappa and his Dangerous Kitchen with the band repeating the vamp through the song. The most surreal of the songs on the album. Have fun, don’t drink and drive. Some Huldén contributions here.

Tokyo Joe starts with the roulette wheel. More of Jim’s gambling songs, after Heaven In a Modern World. Joe has his problems.


Banging On The Ceiling does not bang at all, more accordion accompanied pop tunes. But it does grow on you.

John Lennon used to call some of Paul’s songs on piano “granny songs”. Cacobe Bar Two-Step is one of those, but with accordion. A dancer is involved and there are echoes of old movies, but I have not figured out the story.

Nice instrumental decorations here and there, such as tuba or Mike Monroe on saxophone brings some breaks to the routine. Pembroke’s vocals are fairly smooth on this album, much like in his various solo works. Throughout the album, Kotilainen stays a bit to the back, but there are interesting sound effects by him here and there. The Palasokeri guys can comment below, Finnish or English is OK, on the other musicians. All in all, a “deep pop” album, very light on the progressive end. But a great Wigwam album nonetheless