Tuesday, July 31, 2018

ELDA MED HÖNS – Elda Med Höns (MNW, 1975)

Swedish vocals
International relevance: **

Blå Tåget's Leif Nylén discovered this Falun band founded in 1970 and hooked them up with MNW who released their only album in 1975. Perhaps best remembered by some because of their controversial name (”heat the house with hens”, to use the translation given in ”The Encyclopedia of Swedish Progressive Music), but their sound is varied enough to hold the interest. They're sometimes similar to the better Gothenburg bands of the period (Ensamma Hjärtan and Huntington Band leap to mind briefly even if Elda Med Höns wasn't as heavy as they were), with several tracks enhanced by a horn section to add a tasty soul touch. The songwriting is solid, the playing is tight and good, and the vocals are adequate. A fine album.

Two sleeve versions exist, the second one is censored, with a white paper with the group name glued to the original cover, after Swedish Match (then Jönköpings Tändsticks Fabriker AB, the main supplier of matches in Sweden since 1915) objected to the band's use of the design for matchbox brand Three Stars. Uncensored covers were reputedly sold for only two weeks. The censored cover:

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