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!

A SEVEN INCH SPECIAL, VOL. 13: FRINGE PROGG

 
BRUNO WINTZELL
Idag sköt jag ihjäl en okänd man / Du och jag – en kärlekshistoria (Polydor, 1970)
Balladen om Joe Hill / Som en seglande mås (Polydor, 1971)
Swedish vocals
International relevance: *

Roger Cook's ”Today I Shot A Man I Didn't Know” proved very popular when translated by Hawkey Franzén. There are four Swedish versions from 1970, that I know of, but there might be even more hiding away somewhere. The antiwar message was of course perfectly in tune with the times with the mindless Vietnam war raging like a tameless beast so loud the entire world could hear it. Actor (known for his role in ”Hår”) and singer Bruno Wintzell must have found it irresistable to record it as it's a perfect song for his voice and rather haughty vocal style. Vocally speaking, the best Swedish version is probably Tommy Körberg's, but the arrangement and the production is more to my taste with Wintzell. Still, the calculated maudlinness of the song is always overbearing. The sound and arrangement is what's best with the flipside as well. ”Du och jag – en kärlekshistoria” isn't progg but nice (if you like that kind of stuff) albeit undistinguished orchestral pop lacking the necessary distinctive features.

"Balladen om Joe Hill" was originally known as "I Dreamed I Saw Joe Hill Last Night", and was first recorded in Swedish by Fred Åkerström. That one and "Som en seglande mås" (which is Leonard Cohen's "Bird On A Wire" in Swedish) are country tinged but both of them are pretty terrible, with Wintzell taking himself even more seriously than usual.
 

VARIOUS ARTISTS – Jukebox JSEP 5601 (Jukebox, EP, 1970)

Featured artists: Tommy Körberg / Mike Castle / November / Diddlers

 English vocals, Swedish vocals

International relevance: *

The so called Jukebox EPs were a long running series of budget compilation seven-inches known for mixing completely unrelated bands and artists, usually four at a time. They're in low demand as most of the tracks chosen for the EPs were taken from already existing releases. This one here is an exception, as blues artist Mike Castle's ”Walkin' Blues” was unavailable elsewhere at the time. It's a not very imaginative rendition of Robert Johnson's classic and was later added as a bonus to the digital reissue of Castle's lone (and Peps related) album ”Kaligyga Express”, also from 1970. But this is the only place to get it on vinyl, why I mention it here. The others are non-exclusive tracks by November, Diddlers and Tommy Körberg..
 

BJÖRN JANSON – Det är skönt / Sommar i en skärgård (no label, 1976)
Swedish vocals
International relevance: *

Apart from music, Björn Janson was a boat designer and a restaurant owner, and he released this single at his own expense. The B side is pure dross, a nondescript piano ballad I wish a long and painful death, but ”Det är skönt” has some nice features of which the soaking reverb isn't one. It's certainly on the commercial side, but the fake funky drive is pretty catchy, and it has some semicool and semiheavy guitar passages which unfortunately are too short. You could probably remix ”Det är skönt” and bring a better track out of it, but I suppose the master tapes are long gone. Probably very rare, but I suppose nobody wants it and that most likely includes you too.

ENVOYS – Kräv Bryggeriet kvar / Så svårt (Marilla, 1976)
Swedish vocals
International relevance: *

Envoys were more than anything a pop band, having started already in 1964 (then with future journalist and TV personality Robert Aschberg as a singer). Their first single appeared on MNW in 1969, a cover of The Beatles' ”I Saw Her Standing There”. Their best known track however is ”Almarna åt folket”, a translation of John Lennon's ”Power To The People” released in support of those who fought for the preservation of the elm trees in Stockholm in 1971. The next single had David Bowie cover ”Starman” on the 'A' side, which was followed by their second charity single ”Kräv Bryggeriet kvar” in 1976. Bryggeriet's full name was Münchenbryggeriet (=”the Munich brewery”) and was built in the 19th century. From the early 1970s, it was a node for various cultural activities, but the powers in charge wanted to tear it down and make room for a new housing area. It caused an outrage with the people, and the protesters against the teardown included several well-known musicians, actors and writers. As in the case of the elm battle, the authorities eventually backed down and Bryggeriet was spared. Envoys' call to arms isn't as powerful as their Lennon interpretation from five years earlier. ”Kräv Bryggeriet kvar” is fairly rocking, especially in the choruses, but it doesn't have the same punch, coming across like a mix of Björn Afzelius and Nationalteatern. The 'B' side is a sappy ballad that sounds more like teenybopper singer/songwriter Ted Gärdestad than a progg band, revealing Envoys' true commercial nature.

 

GOG – The Beatless E.P. (Magog, 1979)
Instrumental
International relevance: *

Not only fringe progg, but on the fringes of everything. Gog was a one man project by Gothenburg's visual artist and musician Dan Fröberg. Gog's self-released EP is basically an abstract sound sculpture in four parts with fractured musique concrète characteristics. It's not without artistic merits, but it's best suited for adventurous listeners accustomed to prototypical tape music and primitive EAM. Might interest those who consider Imp.Ink, Psynkopat and Friz Be too mainstream... Some, perhaps all, copies had extra, off-centre, hand-carved spindle holes so you could choose between a regular playback and a wowy one. 500 copies were pressed, some came with a picture sleeve and an insert. A rare item today, sometimes fetching €100 on the collectors market.

TOMAS BERGH – Upp till kamp / Oh... tryggare kan ingen vara (Frituna, 1979)
Swedish vocals
International relevance: ?

A very peculiar single with no clear target audience. Because who would possibly want a disco version of ”L'Internationale” in five different languages? Studio 54 strings, perky horns, cheesy basslines and a high BPM number – huh?! And a deconstructed punk version of the hymn ”Children of the Heavenly Father” on the B side?! I mean, what the hell is really going here??? It's obviously tongue-in-cheek but it's still so bizarre and absurd that I dare say that you've never heard anything quite like it before and never will again unless you play it a second time. And you might as well want to, just to figure it out.

I've no idea who Tomas Bergh was, if it even was his real name, but the guys backing him up were sessions musicians including Anders Eljas who thought up the concept. Eljas was a music conservatory graduate who worked with opera singers as well as pop stars (he played keyboards on ABBA's 1977 world tour for instance); he orchestrated the ”Chess” musical; produced stage shows for Povel Ramel (Mikael's dad), and conducted the London Symphony Orchestra during a Hyde Park show featuring guest stars like Kylie Minogue, Jamie Cullum, Lulu and Chaka Khan – to mention just a few things he's done. But I still think this very single must be the most askew thing he ever did. Do I like it? Not at all, but I'm intrigued by it. 

It was also issued as a 12” with an extended disco mix of the A side. Burn, baby, burn!

MAKE UP – Hot Love Street / My First Love (Wave, 1980)
Swedish vocals
International relevance: - 

Included here more as a warning. Make Up are often classified as a hard rock band, but there are not many features on this single to back up such an assertion. ”Hot Love Street” is a really terrible discofied pop rock track while ”My First Love” is a sappy ballad where the singer's linguistical and vocal shortcomings really come to the fore. A full length album followed in 1981.

DYNAMO VARBERG – Ayatollah Khomeini / Anwar Sadat (Nacksving, 1980)
Swedish vocals
International relevance: **

Dynamo Varberg made their debut with a very rare cassette-only album called ”Filiberts höna” in 1978. The 1980 single at hand is a fairly elusive Nacksving release with two songs taking a clear leftist stand against Middle Eastern dictatorship and oppression, with an additional stab at Sweden's then rightwing prime minister Gösta Bohman, like Rävjunk did on their legendary ”Bohman Bohman” single. The music itself has in fact a wee bit in common with Rävjunk's more rock oriented style. It's not as punkish, but Dynamo Varberg had a similar sleazy vibe. There's some biting guitar playing including wah-wah going on, and the songs are quite good – especially ”Anwar Sadat” where singer Björn Spåls also manage to sound a bit like Eldkvarn's singer Plura Jonsson. The worst element is the sitar on the A-side which sounds as if it was played by a stoned-out Edward Scissorhands. Apart from that, this quite appeals to me, and it's certainly one of the more vital releases on Nacksving.

CALCUTTA TRANSFER

Mannen (som på tunnelbanan sket) / Howrah Station (Mistlur, 1980)
India Waits (Mistlur, 1981)

Swedish vocals
International relevance: **

If Calcutta Transfer hoped for any radio play with their first single, they probably shouldn't have named it ”the man who shat in the subway”, so a lot of people probably missed the lyrics' environmental worries. Like almost everything coming from the Transfers, ”Mannen (som på tunnelbanan sket) is outlined from Dag Vag, more precisely ”Ogräs” from their debut album. It's still one of the Transfers' best songs. The clavinet sounds like a spider tapdancing on a hot hob. It's either bloody annoying or oddly effective depending on your mood. ”Howrah Station” isn't their typical reggae but closer to disco. It was a live favourite apparantely, and I can imagine they could stretch it out with plenty of Kenny Håkansson styled guitar soloing on stage, but here it's as dull as yesterday's pasta leftovers.

Their second single is called ”India Waits”, but there's no track here by that title. Both songs are non-album tracks, and the Dag Vag influence is intact. The 'A' side ”Plus minus noll” is a fast paced ska track with a debt to pay to Dag Vag's ”Glappkontakt” but the 'B' side ”Fet guru” shows more originality. It's a slightly spacey track with a rock beat, thick layers of tasty organ and soaring guitars. The band whips up quite some energy the longer it goes on, and it stands out not only as one of their proggiest efforts but also one of their very best.

PAJ VAJ – Med hacka och spade / Flum e dum (Bums, 1980)
Swedish vocals
International relevance: *

It's actually rare that I hear something that leaves me stumped, but this eccentric 45 knocks me off course. What on earth am I listening to? Is it for real or is it a joke?

I've no idea who's behind it because I can't find any valuable info on it anywhere. The songs were written by Bask (who?) and Lindström (which one?), and the Bums label mostly released commercial artists. Paj Vaj were anything but. The singer sounds like Blå Tåget's Torkel Rasmusson trying to cure a hangover from hell by eating three pounds of chalk. He remains hungover but with a demolished voice. Ot maybe he sounds like a Kenta with a rubber ball stuffed down his throat? Is he fucking around or does he need a doctor? Is he immaculately groggy? Deranged? Is he, at all, for real? His idea of enunciation is, er, unusual but it's obvious that the singer (or lyricist, or both) holds a grudge against... parents, teachers, the police, the authorities, actually the entire society. Kill them and bury them. Problem solved.

The music is pretty straightforward with a certain lilt; it's standard rock setting plus harmonica, but thanks to the off-kilter vocals, it has some bizarre gravity. It's too straight qualifying as outsider music, and it's way too odd for any mainstream appeal. I can't really recommend it, but I can't not recommend it either. I'll probably play it a lot more, if only to find out what the hell is going on here. If the discofied "L'Internationale" was puzzling, then this is completely bewildering.

ROCKTEATERGRUPPEN SMÅFOLKET – Nu drar vi ner på stan (Rainbow, EP, 1980)
Swedish vocals
International relevance: *

Little known four track E.P. by a self-appointed 'rock theatre group' which immediately makes you think of Nationalteatern. Which is perfectly true because it's hard to imagine this would exist without the source inspiration from said group, But it lacks the sharpness of the Ulf Dageby's and Anders Melander's songwriting, and the instrumental prowess that Nationalteatern developed is surely lacking here. Småfolket sounds like a local group (more precisely from Malmö) performing at youth clubs to a less than excited underage audience. The drummer is rudimentary, the guitarist is far from experienced, but the the two singers – male and female – are especially amateurish. Esther Nordenbrink in particular sounds shrill and shouty which suggests a punk awareness in a Mörbyligan way.

The four songs were featured in the play that gave the E.P. it's title, roughly meaning ”let's go downtown”, and while the B side is a wee bit better with ”Nu är jag ung” (=”now I'm young”) being the best song of all, none of them is up to snuff. A 'B' grade effort that time rightly forgot.

HS3 BOYS – Fel tåg / Hon är ett lik / Pia Love (no label, 1983; rec. 1981)
Swedish vocals
International relevance: *

Little information availabe for this one as well. There's no print on the colour-coded labels and only the members' first names are stated on the cover. However, HS3 Boys might originate from Östersund as Myrbein's bass player Johan Von Sydow is featured here, and both bands used the Tommys Musiklab studio. While this three-track EP wasn't released until 1983, it was recorded already in 1981 according to information presented to Swedish Radio. With no drummer present, the rhythm is provided by a drum machine which defines their original sound. It's hard to pinpoint it, but there's definitely a Latin influence there. I also sense a touch of Mikael Ramel, but that's possibly only in my head. Still, it's not a very good disc, so not worth the effort hunting it down. 

LJUDLÖST ÖS – Jerry / USA (Natty Records, 1981)
Swedish vocals
International relevance: *

Reggae has always been pretty popular in Sweden after Peps Persson introduced the style in the mid 70s, and we had a few quite good or at least decent reggae bands already back in the day. Not only were there high profile names as Dag Vag, Rotpuls and to some extent Rockamöllan following Peps in his footsteps, but there was also a pretty widespread undergrowth of local bands. Ljudlöst Ös was one of the unknowns trying to adapt to the Jamaican backbeat, but thay had certain problems succeeding. If anything, reggae demands a drummer who can forget everything he learnt about the standard rock beat, and Matte Pettersson of Ljudlöst Ös struggles a bit. I've heard far worse examples of drummers losing the concept when switching to reggae, but a Bosse Skoglund he is not. Both songs on their lone, privately released single speak out against racism and cultural colonialism. With female singer Maria Johansson, Ljudlöst Ös sound like I imagine Nationalteatern would sound like if they attempted to be a reggae band. It all sounds a bit chunky and awkward proving that good intentions won't always come out as good results. 

MANTRA – Made In Japan / Här är jag (Mercury, 1981)
Swedish vocals
International relevance: -

This is probably Mantra's biggest claim to fame being released on major label Mercury, produced by Janne Schaffer and with lyrics for both tracks written by Mikael Ramel. It's not Mantra's typical test tube jazz fusion but it still sucks. ”Made In Japan” is some misguided attempt at synth pop an while ”Här är jag” is a bit better, the quasi-punkish rock falls on its feet just the same. 

ZVENSKA MUSKLER – Fyra årstider / När elden har brunnit... (no label, 1981)

Swedish vocals

International relevance: **

One-off single from a band that grew out of probably unrecorded band Dr Rockford, and with a name would translate into "Zwedish Muscles, featuring singer/guitarist Tobbe Rüsslander. ”Fyra årstider” isn't that great and not too proggish either, while the slower ”När elden har brunnit” is OK with some extended guitar workouts, electric piano and a peculiar, almost ghostly atmosphere – perhaps due to the decidedly non-professional mix. It's not as good Rüsslander's 1978 solo cassette, but it's still worth hearing once for "När elden har brunnit".

JSMB – Låt fler forma... / Håll mej varm (JSMB, 1982)
Swedish vocals
International relevance: *

More progg in the socially concerned lyrics than in the actual music. The lyrics are unusual in the sense that singer Magnus Sjögren declares he's a liberal (i.e. not a leftist), but he proclaims care for your fellowman whoever and wherever he or she is, so the fundamental tone is that of humanism rather than politics. Sjögren's phrasing suggests he's an Ulf Lundell fan although I wouldn't call the vocals exactly epigonic. ”Låt fler forma...” is decent enough in a rock singer/songwriter style, and certainly much better than the other track. ”Håll mej varm” is totally terrible, a rheumatic rockabilly pastiche which is entirely embarrassing complete with a bathroom reverb to make it sound 'authentic' which it of course does not.

Sjögren later reappeared in Örebro band Big Deal who had some success in the late 80s and is still active. I know nothing about the other members' whereabouts – there are no credits on the label and the single came in a plain white sleeve when originally released.

COREY – Havet / Livet är en dröm (GAT, 1982)
Swedish vocal
International relevance: *

A Gothenburg band apparently with some connections to the Social Democratic Youth Association SSU. Corey's lone single was a private release and features two pop/rock tracks with some semi-heavy and progressive elements. It's quite OK for what it is, especially ”Havet” which is actually rather good, but although it has some nice touches of the right kind, there may not be enough prog/progg here for most blog readers. Two versions of it exists, one in black vinyl and one in red.

Bruno Wintzell
Du och jag - en kärlekshistoria / Balladen om Joe Hill / Som en seglande mås  
Jukebox EP
November - Cinderella / Mike Castle - Walkin' Blues  
Björn Janson
Det är skönt (poor sound)
Envoys
Kräv Bryggeriet kvar  
Gog
Full single 
Tomas Bergh
Upp till kamp / Oh... tryggare kan ingen vara  
Make Up
Hot Love Street  
Calcutta Transfer
Howrah Station / Plus minus noll  
Paj Vaj
Med hacka och spade  
Rockteatergruppen Småfolket
Nu drar vi ner på stan  
Ljudlöst Ös
Jerry / USA 
Corey
Havet 
 
HS3 Boys, Dynamo Varberg, Mantra and JSMB no links found

A KLIPPAN PROGG SCENE SPECIAL – Tors Hammare / Heta Drömmar / Svenn Kruse / Christian Brandt

Klippan is a small mill town in the northwest part of the Skåne county in the south of Sweden. Way back in time, Klippan was known for their wool production, and later (and to this day) for their paper industry. But they did also leave an indelible mark on Swedish rock history in the late 70s and early 80s when local record label Svenska Pop Fabriken (and their various sublabels) began releasing singles and albums that gained nationwide attention from both media and record buyers. Responsible for the first ever Swedish punk single ”Vårdad klädsel” by Kriminella Gitarrer, they soon added bands like Torsson, Kommissarie Roy, Noise, The Push, and Wilmer X to their roster. Being a very Swedish label, none of the bands (mostly singing in Swedish) are known outside our borders, although Kriminella Gitarrer have indeed earned a belated international reputation as interest in local punk scenes has grown around the world. Most of Svenska Pop Fabriken's output may be called rural rock'n'roll with a strong sense of pop melodicity, but to someone like me who pretty much grew up with in their golden era 1978-1985, their legendary status is carved in stone.

However, Svenska Pop Fabriken's history goes further back in time to the music association Bombadill who took the homegrown music very seriously. Not only did Bombadill function as a local network for the bands, Bombadill also built their own studio. Plenty of recordings were made there from the mid 70s and on. One album and a couple of cassettes of Bombadill recordings were released at the time. Although Klippan is best known for the pop/rock of Svenska Pop Fabriken, a few of those early bands and artists represented a more progressive and experimental style. 

Tors Hammare: Ska du med på disco 

Tors Hammare went through several line-up changes, but important members in their fledgling days were Örjan Mjörnheden (guitars, vocals), Svenn Kruse (guitars, vocals) and Christian Brandt (percussion, violin). The so called Mk I only ever released one official track, ”Vägen till Valhall”, on the first Bombadill cassette. It's a surprisingly heavy, guitar infused, folk tinged instrumental, as was the five-part suite ”Ska du med på disco”. Among their true confessed heroes were Träd, Gräs Och Stenar and similar bands, plus the latin rock of most prominently Santana. There's strong psychedelic overtones with wailing wah-wah leads on the shambolic ”Hästen” as well as on their slightly revamped take on Träd, Gräs Och Stenar's ”Sommarlåten”.
 

Tors Hammare: Demo 1

The Santana influence grew stronger when Kruse and Brandt left the band, as proven by a surviving 1980 demo by Tors Hammare Mk II, but the demo also shows they developed a stronger grip of their progressive ambitions as on ”Myrornas flykt” and ”Nattens drottning”.

Meanwhile, Svenn Kruse and Christian Brandt made their own recordings in the Bombadill studio. Judging by those, they were the real avantgarde force of Tors Hammare Mk I. Their joint recording ”Kretsloppet” mixes field recordings, electronics and tiny slices of more organized music – it's almost like a nine minute condensate of Thomas Mera Gartz's ”Luftsånger”. ”Vernissagemusik del 1” (=”music for an exhibition”) is based around an extended organ drone before turning into a summery piece for acoustic guitar and synthesizer. A second part of ”Vernissagemusik” was recorded as Heta Drömmar (=”hot dreams”), which is pretty close to the lyricism of Anna Själv Tredje. The lyrical side also comes to the fore on ”Hjortronguld”, a 27 minute piece with guitar and violin, while their Träd, Gräs Och Stenar admiration is obvious on their very strange cover of ”Sanningens silverflod” with sped-up vocals similar to those on Kebnekajse's debut and Mikael Ramel's first album, a trick also used on Svenn Kruse's solo recording ”Tomtar på loftet”.

Christin Brandt & Svenn Kruse: Vernissagemusik 1

Other short Kruse tracks further emphasized his infatuation with Swedish folk progg and psychedelia – ”Svens psykedeliska ögonblick” (=”Sven's psychedelic moment”) gives it away already in the title, while ”Säkkijärven polka” (a Finnish tune popular in Sweden at the time) sounds like some lost demo for Kenny Håkansson's ”Springlekar och gånglåtar” album.

When Tors Hammare transformed into Mk 3 in the early 80s, they had lost just about all of their original underground charm. They got better at playing for sure, but their watered down takes on ska, funk and fusion simply suggest a band without a vision. They really could have used Brandt's and Kruse's experimental spirit.

There's also an 'all-star' recording of several Bombadill artists coming together as The Bombadill Chosen Few, "Latino Blasfemia" that mixes latin with Swedish folk.

All these recordings (and more) have thankfully been digitzed for the Bandcamp age. Although a lot of the music is admittedly sloppy, it has a youthful energy and explorative desire. More importantly, it reveals a part of the local Klippan scene that has previously been only fond memories in the minds of those who were there, but only tales and legends to those who weren't. It adds several fascinating pieces to the ever so nebulous jigsaw puzzle called Swedish progg. 

Bandcamp links:
Tors Hammare
Vägen till Valhall / Ska du med på disco - Svit i fem delar / Hästen / Sommarlåten / Vinternatt i Klagshamn / Demo 1 full album playlist 
Christian Brandt & Svenn Kruse
Vernissagemusik del 1 / Kretsloppet 
Heta Drömmar 
Vernissagemusik del 2 / Hjortronguld / Sanningens silverflod / Tomtar på loftet  
Svenn Kruse 
Hymn / Svens psykedeliska ögonblick / Säkkijärven polka / Långt ute 
The Bombadill Chosen Few 
Latino Blasfemia