After years of keeping the American rock legend alive with his band Mountain, of which he is the only surviving member of the original lineup, Corky Laing has decided to release his own record again. The title "Finnish Sessions" was chosen to suit the band and the recording location.
With his Scandinavian backing band, Laing, now 74, has created a remarkable album that continues Mountain's style in a modern guise. He enlisted the help of Michael Monroe, who contributes blues harp on "Totally Wrong," and Ian Hunter, who plays keyboards on "Even More" and "My World."
Laing puts his stamp on the songs with his dynamic drumming style, and his slightly smoky voice demonstrates that he's also a good singer. Swede Conny Bloom adds a touch of class with powerful, rocking guitar solos on several songs. He's supported on guitar by Finnish multi-instrumentalist Harry Väyrynen, who provides a full sound as a second guitarist and also plays additional drums and bass on some tracks. The bass is played on most songs by John Vihervär, who, along with Laing on drums, provides a heavy rhythmic foundation.
Maria Hänninen contributes the vocals to the last two songs, which are declared as bonus tracks on the album, thus ensuring a varied album, also thanks to the different singers.
With the “Finnish Sessions”, Corky Laing has succeeded in showing that he not only keeps Mountain’s legacy alive, but also has the creativity to expand it with his own songs, which certainly have the quality to be presented live alongside the old classics.
01 Everyone's Dream
02 The Ball
03 Totally Wrong
04 Feels Right
05 Even More
06 Pledge
07 My World
08 Backbone
09 Whatcha Doin?
