At the time Peel played this, Ari Peltonen aka Paska was in the middle of an eight year hiatus from recording. As a covers artist, this had less to do with creative drought, but more to do with physical exhaustion due to his style of performance - bellowed a capella versions of rock classics including both vocals and guitar sounds. Think a solo version of Pitch Perfect set in an an asylum. It could be that, as with The Legendary Stardust Cowboy, the concept is more appealing than the execution, but Paska keeps his cover of Motörhead’s Ace of Spades brief enough that the conceit remains exhilarating and entertaining.
The video is the full version of Paska’s 1989 EP Super Double Mega Maxi Hits!, which also includes his equally demented take on The End by The Doors. Go to 1:07 to hear Ace of Spades. In late 1992, this recording, together with others by different Finnish rock groups were gathered together on a compilation album, licensed by Sympathy for the Record Industry and called If It Ain’t the Snow, It’s the Mosquitoes. The liner notes revealed that Peltonen had effectively retired from recording, but was working as a talk show host. However, he returned in 1997 with Heterosapiens, showing he’d lost none of his discernment by covering tracks originally recorded by Led Zeppelin and Madonna. His radio shows appear to owe something to the spirit of Kenny Everett’s Bottom Thirty as he has specialised in playing records that people request because they hate them. Incidentally, Everett’s Bottom Thirty features both a Legendary Stardust Cowboy record which featured in the first ever Festive Fifty and I’m Going to Spain by Steve Bent which would be covered later in 1993 by The Fall.
Video courtesy of Happokanttori.
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