Customer Reviews

Hoppkorv

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Jorma and Jack really give their all here on their 1976 effort 'Hoppkorv,' released on Grunt Records. This album is a classic, featuring great acoustic songs and great electric songs. Let me start by saying this: If you have never listened to 'Hoppkorv,' you are missing out. THIS is Hot Tuna at their finest.

The electric stuff is superb. 'Santa Claus Retreat' is a great heavy metal track, because it does qualify under this genre. Great guitar work from Jorma, and an excellent composition. Jack's bass is pretty great too. What a way to kick off an album!

'I Wish You Would' was the first Tuna song I ever heard, a nice little electric blues number. Drummer Bob Steeler provides some excellent fills and rhythm, and Jorma's playing makes this a worthwhile track, definitely one of my favorites. If you want some headbanging blues, check out 'Bowlegged Woman, Knock Kneed Man,' which would impress any Black Sabbath and/or Muddy Waters fan.

Speaking of Muddy Waters, Jorma, Jack and Bob cover him here on 'I Can't Be Satisfied.' The keyboard playing, done by Nick Buck here, is pretty good, with some great electric guitar soloing by Jorma.

'It's So Easy' is a great Buddy Holly cover, with some mighty fine guitar playing (as always!) by Jorma. The group definitely does justice to the late great Buddy here.

'Song from the Stainless Cymbal' is a great little electric folk song written by Jorma. He plays excellently here, of course, and this is one of Tuna's more jam-oriented songs.

That pretty much summarizes the electric stuff.

The acoustic? Well, there's one in particular. 'Watch The North Wind Rise' is an excellent acoustic number that would have sounded great on the 1970 Hot Tuna self-titled debut album, if it had been written then. Jorma's songwriting reaches an all-time high point here. It is a truly beautiful song. A folk rocker, but still, an awesome song indeed.

Overall, I can recommend 'Hoppkorv' to just about anybody who likes great music. 'Hoppkorv' shows what Hot Tuna can really do, and it's a shame that this was their last studio effort until 1990, when the mediocre 'Pair a Dice Found' was released.

This is highly recommended. One of Tuna's finest, without a doubt. Definitely one of my favorite Tuna releases.

ENJOY!!!

As the author of the Jefferson Airplane book "Take Me To A Circus Tent" and a former radio disc-jockey, I am often asked to write and or discuss various recordings from the 60's and 70's.

The third and final in Jorma's "Metal Years" series "Hoppkorv" (Joining "America's Choice" and "Yellow "Fever") would turn out to be the last studio record for Tuna before the break-up.

Joining Jorma and Jack for the festivities would be once again Bob Steeler on drums and Nick Buck (This time found throughout the album).

Those that found fault with the shorter songs didn't listen to the content only looked at their stop watch.

"Santa Claus Retreat" is a underrated opening track. The pure Tuna rock sound proudly represented.

"Watch The North Wind Rise" would turn out to be one for Jorma's time capsule. The words and melody are on display for all to experience.

"It's So Easy" is a short homage to Buddy Holly. There is a sense of old time rock mixed with the Tuna Sound.

"Bowlegged Woman, Knock Kneed Man" mixes a funky Jorma and Jack sound with in your face Tuna rock and roll.

"Drivin' Around" is Nick Buck's contribution to the recording. Nick certainly got into the Jorma zone offering the band a perfect tune for the album.

"I Wish You Would" is a cover of the Billy Boy Arnold song. The Tuna treatment works very well!

"I Can't Be Satisfied" was tabbed from the great Muddy Waters song catalog. Hot Tuna's version delivers a knockout blow.

"Talking 'Bout You" is indeed the Chuck Berry classic. Hot Tuna puts some extra spicy ingredients in the arrangement for our taste buds.

"Extrication Love Song" is a Jorma original and it continues the solid rock and roll pace.

"Song From The Stainless Cymbal" isn't only the closing track on the last chapter of the golden Hot Tuna period but a magnificent creation by Jorma. His lyrics flow with the ultimate precision. Once again another example of a fabulous Jorma composition that any composer would be proud to call their own.

I had the honor of attending the final live Hot Tuna concert before they disbanded and nobody at the time walking out of the Palladium in New York City imagined that the "Metal Years" and the band would not be driving around again.

Thank you Hot Tuna for the amazing sounds and memories through 1977!
Enjoy the music and be well,
Craig Fenton
Author of the Jefferson Airplane book "Take Me To A Circus Tent"

"Hoppkorv" represents the third album of a paticular sound-phase for Hot Tuna along with "America's Choice" and "Yellow Fever". Not to say it's just more of same, far from it, but Hot Tuna will quickly switch back and forth from an acoustic-one-minute to heavy/electric the next. Both are great. It's just going to depend on which fan you talk to as to which is the more preferred. MY favorite is "America's Choice" but I cannot qualify that at all except to say it just seems to hit me just a little bit more than the others do. Bottom-line: I like this album....a lot!

On this album, Hot Tuna occasionally has some interesting guitar solos, but mostly focus on writing catchy hooks. Most of the songs here are short and to the point. I prefer extented jams myself, but sometimes this is for the better. Good music.

basically the first side of this album is not very good: the first song sucks a bit, and the second is just a moody ballad, not Jorma's best. The first good song is the 4th: a powerful song with furios jamming.
But, once again, the next song is not really good: a mediocre rocknroll ballad by the keyboards player Nick Buck.
All songs after that are very good blues-psiychedelic-rock jamming.
the second side of this album plus the 4th song are beautifully made.
but if you want real Hot Tuna buy Burgers or Double Dose