International relevance: ***
Swedish and English vocals, instrumental
Rävjunk's self-released 1977 album
”Uppsala Stadshotell brinner” has been a collector's classic for
ages, thanks to the jam heavy, guitar driven tracks. I personally
think the album is overrated because, unlike most apparently, I like
the punkier side of Rävjunk a lot better. ”Uppsala Stadshotell
brinner” has its share of high octane hit-and-run tracks of course,
including ”Hey Little Girl” and ”Jag e så skitig, jag e så
paj” but they just aren't as good as the three seven-inches the
band released on their own Sub label in 1979 and 1980. A proper reissue of those was long
overdue when Shadoks Music finally compiled them in 2016, adding seven
previously unreleased recordings (including Wire cover "40 Versions"), effectively creating a proper
follow-up to their legendary first.
Kicking off with ”Bohman, Bohman”,
what could possibly go wrong? A raging and hilarious full frontal
assault on Gösta Bohman, then leader of right-wing political party
Moderaterna, with lyrics unsophisticated enough to get the song
banned by the Swedish Radio. (Later, the reincarnated Rävjunk
performed an updated version of the song, changing the lyrics to
”Reinfeldt, Reinfeldt” in 'honour' of Moderaterna's new leader
and Prime Minister of Sweden 2006-2014, Fredrik Reinfeldt.)
While ”Uppsala Stadshotell brinner
igen” has its progressive touches, particularly on the previously
unreleased tracks of the 'B' side, the album as a whole is a
no-nonsense affair further examplified by the punch-in-the-face take
on Bob Dylan's ”All Along the Watchtower” and a Swedish version
of Stooges chestnut ”I Wanna Be Your Dog” (”Roland Agius se ut
över stan!”). There's a different kind of energy at work here
which simply blows most of ”Uppsala Stadshotell brinner” to
smithereens. When I talk about Rävjunk, this
is what I mean.
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