An Evening in Cairo - Various Artists (1966)

"It all started with a telephone call and a number of new records. The film star, Ahmed Mazar, rang up his friend, Nadia Loutfi, to say 'hello', and it happened that she was listening to some new songs which had just arrived for her from Beirut. He becomes interested and they listen together over the telephone. They like the songs and express their pleasure over them - so why not have a party? This is exactly what happened and they invited all their friends for a big party where the songs formed the major part of the entertainment, and they spent a wonderful evening.
We, on our part, wanted you to share this evening with them abd this is where the idea of this L.P. can=me into being. As you listen to the conversation on the telephone and to the songs you will also spend one of the most memorable evenings in Cairo."

I'm dubious about all that party talk. Most of the music on the album, beautiful though it is, does not sound like it would go down too well at any party I've ever been to. Maybe its because I don't understand the language, but these songs sound quite sad to my ears. The sound is full of yearning...longing. The music positively aches out of the speakers, whispering of unrequited love and passions unfulfilled, wailing out nameless sorrows and sighing in resignation.

Tracklist:

01 Sabah – Dahlak Tell Ou Hakina
02 Najat Essaghira – Fakkar Ya Habibi
03 Fahd Bellane* – 12 Youm
04 Randa – Vive L'Amour
05 Sharifa Fadel – Yaeish Al Mouallem
06 Fayza Ahmad – Eteraf
07 Samira Tewfik – Allayina Rayatna
08 Abdel Halim Hafez* – Layali And Maoual

Get it HERE.

Ratsia - Ratsia (1979)

I picked this up at a car boot sale a couple of weeks ago. It's ritalin sharp, heads down punk rock from Finland. I'd never heard of them before I found this and never knew that Finland had much of a punk scene in the '70s, so you live and learn.

"Ratsia just missed the first wave of punk rock bands, but their first LP is without a question one of the best of the early Finnish punk rock albums.
Before signing to Johanna, Ratsia had already recorded most of the album's songs in their rehearsal place and released them on tape Kloonattu sukupolvi, but it was a good idea to re-record them in a proper studio, now with Rubberduck Jones of Pelle Miljoona & 1980 as a producer. The first single Lontoon skidit had just been released, and very well received, so the expectations were high. And when the LP came out, it definitely wasn't a let-down, it was full of great, catchy and energetic tunes.
Perhaps the album opener Taidetta summarizes the overall spirit: we have our own thing and do things as we see fit, even if it doesn't please the previous generations or is against their views of aesthetics. Also the then hot topic in Finland, idolizing the American stars of the 50's as a part of the rockabilly revival, and the way the trend was forcefed to Finnish teens by marketing consultants, is critizited (Aikakone), but on the other hand they pay tribute to their own heroes New York Dolls (Kaatopaikan enkelit). Lontoon skidit was re-recorded for the album, this time with Hepa Halme on saxophone. The new version is good and differs little from the single version, but still the original single version is better. There are also two cover tracks, Stiff Little Fingers' Wasted life (Ne ei haluu kuunnella) and The Clash's 48 hours (48 tuntia), both good renditions of the originals.
In the next couple of years Ratsia moved on from the original punk rock style, made two more (different but good or goodish) albums, and broke up. This first album was probably their greatest achievement, and it's a true crime that it still hasn't been re-released (on CD or otherwise)."

Jarkko Kuivanen, Finnmusic.net

Teenage lightning!

Tracklist:

01 Taidetta
02 Yksin
03 Ole hyvä nyt
04 Päästäkää mut irti
05 Aikakone
06 (Mä haluun) R-E-AKTION!
07 Kaatopaikan enkelit
08 Lontoon skidit
09 Ne ei haluu kuunnella
10 Idolit
11 48 tuntia
12 Pikkuaikuinen
13 Ajat sitten luopuneet
14 Me noustiin kellareistamme

Get it HERE.