VARIOUS ARTISTS – Upp trälar (Kampsånger för frihet och socialism) (Oktober, 1972)

Featured artists: Arbetets Söner Och Döttrar / Röda Stjärnan / Västra Söders Sånggrupp

Swedish vocals
International relevance: *

I dream of the day when there are no more political albums to review. When each and every one of them is discussed, reviewed, written off, shuffled down the meatgrinder, never to return again. When the last fist has been raised, the last flag has been waved, and the last polemical tract has been pattered out to a pathological lack of melodic sense.

The rest, beg I, shall be silence.

Or at least music that is allowed to be just music. Not a vehicle for blindfolded ideology, political doctrines, intellectually decapacitated, brainfried campaigns.

Fun music. Bewildering music. Rocking music. Swinging music. Grooving music. Brilliant music.

Ah, to dream, perchance to sleep...

But no. This clearly won't happen in a forseeable future. First I need to listen ”Upp trälar”, and quite probably another hundred albums I don't even know of but sounding exactly the same, are exactly equally shitty, repeating exactly the same credo, and shouted in exactly the same manner. Like hundreds before it, sounding exactly the same, exactly equally shitty, repeating exactly the same credo, and shouted in exactly the same manner.

And the thing is, I no longer know what to say about these albums. Because, as they all sound the same and deliver the same brainwashed thing over and over and over and over and over and over and over again, I don't know how to differentiate my own reviews. Garbage in, garbage out.

I thought of writing about how much I love cats. What beer I prefer. Or that although I'm not a great cook I still can make a mean Indian stew. Just to make this review different to all the other reviews I've written over the years for shit like this. Completely irrelevant, uninteresting facts about my fairly uninteresting life that would still have interested you more than this 1900 character drivel. But I couldn't be arsed to even do that. ”Upp trälar” isn't worth even the most pointless rambling.

Internationalen / Upp alla världens proletärer / Hackan och geväret / Allt blir vårt / Arbetets söner / Röda fanan / Det unga gardet / Socialismens väg / Sången om reaktionen

MUSIKGRUPPEN ACP – Musikgruppen ACP (ACP-Musik, 1980)

Swedish vocals
International relevance: *

This is an oddity. It's a one-sided four track private pressing from Gävle (home to Mora Träsk, Järngustav and a few other lesser-knowns). The lyrics are permeated by social concerns such as drug abuse, nuclear power, and environmental issues in general. Apparently Musikgruppen ACP was somehow involved with the local divisions of the anti-nuclear movement and Chilekommittén (=”the Chile committee”). Obviously a political band, but the politics come in the shape of storytelling rather than overt lecturing. It's fairly well played, and although the four songs aren't consistently memorable, at least ”Överkörd” and ”Sköt dig själv” are OK enough. Perhaps they would have been more potent had the production been better. Mora Träsk producer Roland Johansson turned up the vocals a bit too loud, and the instruments (the guitar in particular) are too low. So it's quite flat and a more daring, tactile mix might have brought out some buried qualities.

The album, or should I say the EP, came with a lyric sheet and had a run of 500 copies assuming the band's estimates are correct. So it's fairly hard to come by, but it's neither expensive nor essential. Musikgruppen ACP weren't bereft of talent, but their one-off mini album lands firmly in the mediocre field.

Lead guitarist Ove Wall was an early member of Mora Träsk, and a couple of the others later went to session work and children's productions.

No links found 

BJÖRN STÅBI & PERS HANS – Bockfot!!! (Sonet, 1970)

  
Instrumental
International relevance: **

Sometimes heralded as the best Swedish folk fiddle album ever, this was recorded in a cold October Stockholm in 1970. Others might say it's just another Dalecarlian trad folk album but it really isn't. It's a fantastic document, and I tend to agree with it being the 'best Swedish folk album' ever. Perhaps only Wille Toors' ”Natt vid Skvaltkvarn” is better, but then again, maybe not.

Although it lacks the demonic presence of ”Natt vid Skvaltkvarn”, the performances are intense, really spirited and saturated with the joy of playing. Björn Ståbi was 30 at the time of recording, Pers Hans Olsson 28, but they play with the experience of old men and the gusto of youngsters. Their interplay is simply beautiful, so precise it's as if the four hands are attached to the very same body.

Not only is it a stunning performance, ”Bockfot!!!” has a significant relevance to progg history. It's one of Kenny Håkansson's all-time favourite albums, and it's not far-fetched to assume it was crucial to his vision of Kebnekajse. Especially as a couple of ”Bockfot!!!” tunes made their way to Kebnekajse's repertoire, ”Bingsjöpolska” and much later on ”Leksands skänklåt”. But it's not only a question of shared rendition choices, it's a matter of spirit and musical essence.

CD reissue

But regardless of its foundational status as a core release of Swedish instrumental folk music and a source inspiration to one of progg's key outfits, it's an album that stands up on its own exceptionally well. The album's merits clearly transcends its genre – if you're into simply great music and almost telepathic playing, ”Bockfot!!!” is a stunning effort. And better yet, when it was reissued on CD (with a new artwork) in the early 00's, the playing time was almost doubled with eight musical selections not featured on the original LP. Among them a spiritually elevated performance of ”Barkbrödlåten”, a staple of Kebnekajse's get-go folk years.

Full album playlist with bonus tracks

ÅKE PARMERUD & BJÖRN VICKHOFF – Kosmiskt eko (SR, 1980)

 
Swedish vocals, instrumental
International relevance: **

Åke Parmerud was previously keyboard player in Skrotbandet prior to their two albums, while Björn Vickhoff was a lyricist and guitar player for Göteborgs Visgrupp. Vickhoff's solo debut came with the rather peculiar ”Fiskdikt och fågelsång” on YTF in 1977. Parmerud eventually became an award-winning electroacoustic composer, and this was his first released foray into that field. Unfortunately, a lot of his works are superficial, a popcorn version of EAM, and that goes for ”Kosmiskt eko” (=”cosmic echo”), released on Swedish Radio's imprint, as well.

Vickhoff's leftfield observations and Parmerud's sonic excursions are an odd combination that makes for a fragmented listen. Despite the overarching theme of space and environmental concerns, ”Kosmiskt eko” lacks focus. If there's a storyline, it's hard to follow and it's more like it exists for the sole reason of existing. It doesn't help either that Parmerud's shallowness and Vickhoff's pretentious delivery create a negative juxtaposition. A couple of tracks (”Magellanska strömmen”, ”Historiens sista dagar”) have a more distinct song-based format, but I'm not sure if more of that would have made ”Kosmiskt eko” any better as they too appear contrived.

Sometimes celebrated as a pioneering work, ”Kosmiskt eko” remains an unsatisfactory listen. The elements refuse to gel, and while it sometimes conjure up a certain mood, it's overall too disparate, a series of scattered ambitions and half-baked ideas.

Full album playlist (Spotify)

STAFFAN WESTERBERG & THOMAS WIEHE – Med örat mot jorden: Ett musikaliskt rymdäventyr (Silence, 1980)

 
Swedish vocals, spoken word
International relevance: *

I've already clarified the existential anxiety caused by Staffan Westerberg's children's series televised in the 70s and on, so I don't really need to go into that again, but as it's a lingering generational trauma. His television programmes were so creepy and you could never tell exactly why. They were cheap to produce as his props mainly consisted of troubled socks representing the trod down good people and papier-mâché dolls representing the capitalist evil while Death played cello on the brink of a flat earth. (These days, people start podcats peddling the very same notions and get a cult-like following storming the Capitol Hill.)

That was enough to secure the yield of manifacturers of psychotropic drugs for a human lifetime.

Westerberg apparently took offence at my peers who aired our collective unease brought on by his bizarre, angst-ridden fantasies, but I'm not one to lament his hurt. File under poetic justice and find some other shoulder to cry on.

I actually tried to watch his most 'famous' series ”Vilse i pannkakan” (=”lost in the pancake” – spot the insanity) as an adult, and it still freaked the fuck out of me.

For some reason, underrated singer/songwriter Thomas Wiehe (Mikael's brother and maker of the criminally overlooked album ”Tårta och raketer” to name but one) obviously got along well with this mental violator. Not only did he write the music for the aformentioned ”Vilse i pannkakan” in 1975, he returned four years later to contribute music to ”Med örat mot jorden” (=”with the ear to the ground”). Subtitled in translation ”A musical space adventure”, I can't remember if I actually watched it or if I, at 14 years of age, had learnt how to defend myself against psychological abuse. But I think I did, unless its my existential nightmares playing tricks on my memory.

The double album with music from the series was released in 1980. Actually, apart from some incidental music, less than half of it consists of actual songs by Wiehe, Turid and actor/director and Westerberg partner in crime Ellika Lindén, and most of them don't have enough musical bearing to warrant a listen. The other half is Westerberg narrating his story meaning you get to hear him wheeze out phrases like ”I will choke your light with my tail”. If that won't scare the living daylights out of you, you need a fucking doctor.

Even if you're a Thomas Wiehe or a Turid fan, there's nothing for you here.

Full album playlist

NATURE WITH DAVE GREENSLADE – Live 1972 (Belle Antique, 2013; rec. 1972)

English vocals, instrumental
International relevance: ***

Nature and Dave Greenslade are indeed odd bedfellows, but what might look strange today wasn't necessarily strange in the late 60s and early 70s when music was more important than genres, and minds (for whatever reasons) were more open to unusual constellations. But even back then, it must have raised a few eyebrows having Nature, the Hendrix influenced blues band with a workingman's grit, backing up British keyboard virtuoso Dave Greenslade.

Greenslade was fresh out of jazz/blues/prog/rock blenders Colosseum and hadn't yet formed his own four-piece with his surname as their collective moniker. Their eponymous debut of low calorie symph rock wouldn't follow until 1973, only a few months before their second album ”Bedside Manners Are Extra”.

1972 was a busy year for Nature. They had dropped their previous name Blues Quality, worked with Pugh Rogefeldt as a touring act, as well as making a couple of studio singles. Also, their first album was released on the sanctified Gump label. And, they recorded with Tonkraft performance for Swedish Radio,

There are two Greenslade led tracks and three by Nature but it's really a shared effort with Greenslade taking a prominent part in Nature's stoned blues numbers both as an accompanist and a soloist. Nature in turn sounds fairly comfortable in the excerpt from Colosseum's ”Valentyne Suite”. Actually, they sound generally less restricted here than on either of their two studio albums. The sound however is a bit unbalanced and would benefit from a sensitive remix to give it some more oomph and depth.

The 40 minutes show was also featured in the dubious ”Progglådan”, and it's a good thing that the Japanese Belle Epoque label liberated it for a standalone release. (”Progglådan” overall should be broken up in separate releases – at least some of the shows deserves a more accessible release) This session may not be the most called for, and I assume what really attracted the Japanese was Greenslade's involvement. Still, if you're into either him or Nature – or both – ”Live 1972” is a worthwhile curio.

Full album playlist

BENGT BERGER IN MEMORIAM 1942-2026

 

It is incredibly sad, mournful and incomprehensible to read the news that Bengt "Beche" Berger has left us after a short period of illness. He was a fantastic musician - drummer, percussionist - who was actually much more than that. He was a musical dynamo, a unifying force in almost every context he worked in. If his name's on an album cover - and it is on so incredibly many - it's almost an unerring guarantee of quality. If his name is there, it's an album I have to listen to. Calling him a legend is a gross understatement - if you have participated in groups such as Arbete & Fritid, Archimedes Badkar, Spjärnsvallet, and Bitter Funeral Beer Band, you're not just a legend, you're a musical historical node. That's how I first made his acquaintance, through music, from a distance. 

It was much later that we developed an online friendship built on a deep, mutual respect which in turn was based on our shared love of MUSIC as the elixir of life, as the marrow of existence. I started reviewing Beche's releases on his label Country & Eastern decades ago. He liked them, was probably flattered, sometimes even embarrassed by my unvarniashed enthusiasm. Then he read what I wrote on my progg blog. He had my unrestricted permittance to publish anything he wanted on Country & Eastern's website which was just about everything I wrote about his records. It made me unspeakably proud to gain such trust from someone I admired so much. The greatest gift however was asking me if I wanted to write a chapter for the fine memorial anthology of his friend and fellow musician Kjell Westling. I said yes without any hesitation, even though I had promised myself a long break from writing because I had worked far too long, far too much and far too underpaid for a publication that I will leave unnamed.

Another proud (semi-)professional moment was obviously when he enthusiastically and specifically for this blog wrote what's no less than an essay about his years playing with Don Cherry. A wonderful text that's permeated with that very warm love for MUSIC, for creativity and thus: for life itself. To be honoured with such an exclusive piece still touches my heart and I'm incredibly proud to have “Growing Music With Don” featured on The Swedish Progg Blog. We e-mailed each other a bit some time after his words on Don Cherry were published. He appreciated my translation of it (it was originally written in Swedish) and thanked me for it. We talked about writing; he was very assertive I should turn the progg blog into a book. He told me he was working on an autobiography. Then some months passed, I thought of contacting him regarding a huge interview with him for the blog, covering his whole musical life. We had discussed it now and then over the years. As always, he would happily do it.

And then the incomprehensible, abyss black newspaper headlines pounded their way out my laptop screen: “Musician Bengt Berger has died”. Kjell Westling is gone. Roland Keijser is gone. Now Beche's gone too. Perhaps the best musicians Sweden ever had. And with Beche, just like in the case of Roland, I have lost a friend whom I valued immensely. Thank you for brightening my life in so many different ways, Beche!