SAN MICHAEL'S / KAIPA / ROINE STOLT – The 1970's albums

Kaipa is one of the most cherished Swedish progressive bands. They grew out of the fertile progg soil of Uppsala, but their roots go back to 1964 and cover band The Shakemen with future Kaipa keyboardist Hans Lundin in their line-up. The Shakemen soon changed their name to St. Michael's Sect and released a few singles before making their album debut in 1970 with their name shortened to San Michael's. As such, they also appeared as a tour band for a few popular artists.

SAN MICHAEL'S – San Michael's (California, 1970)

Swedish vocals, instrumental

International relevance: ***

For their first and for a long time only album, the band dropped the 'Sect' part from their name. It's an organ driven album with pop sensibilities and Swedish lyrics. The playing is tight but the album isn't too interesting in a British Procol Harum and The Fox vein with unimpressive vocals from Hans Lundin. ”Drömliv” most obviously points to the band's Kaipa future with multiple time signatures and an extensive use of dynamics, and is the best track in this lot.

SAN MICHAEL'S – Nattåg (Transubstans, 2009; recorded in 1972)
Swedish vocals, instrumental

International relevance: ***

San Michael's became a rather popular live act in Sweden and Norway, and in 1972 they recorded their second album with touring member Nane Kvillsäter now a permanent guitarist. However, the album went unreleased at the time but was unearthed almost 40 years later by Swedish label Transubstans. It's a more mature effort than ”San Michael's” showing that the band benefitted from Kvillsäter joining the band. The songs are better overall and the performances are heavier than on their debut. The thin vocals are still the weakest link though. All in all, it would have made perfect sense releasing ”Nattåg” in the early 70's, as intended.

KAIPA – Kaipa (Decca, 1975)

Swedish vocals, instrumental

International relevance: ***

In January 1973, San Michael's split up and Hans Lundin formed a new band with San Michael's bassist Tomas Eriksson, and drafted Thomas Sjöberg as a drummer. As Ura Kaipa they released the ingratiatingly catchy 45 ”För sent”, closer to San Michael's than later Kaipa in style, with The Nice/ELP inspired instrumental ”Bay-E, Bay-O” on the flipside, both originally recorded for San Michael's aborted second album. The original Ura Kaipa changed as Sjöberg was struck by cancer, and Ingemar Bergman took his place, and adding guitarist Roine Stolt. With a new line-up, Kaipa found their vision and the conditions to formulate it. With Lundin being a fan of Merit Hemmingson, ”Kaipa” displays a penchant for traditional Swedish folk melodies, tastefully incorporated with the band's strong symphonic leanings, most notably on ”Ankaret” and the beautiful ”Skogspromenaden”. Symph rock more often than not becomes unwieldy with its overblown ambitions, but ”Kaipa” is a nicely balanced piece of work that stands out as the band's best album. Reissued on CD with two bonus tracks.

KAIPA – Inget nytt under solen (Decca, 1976)

Swedish vocals, instrumental

International relevance: ***

”Inget nytt under solen” shares many of its characteristics with Kaipa's debut, but something has decidedly changed here. ”Skenet bedrar” is a side long suite and that sets my alarm off. And yes, it's as pompous as the scope suggests. Synthesizers crop up everywhere on the album, and the album lacks freshness that made their first outing as appealing as it is. ”Inget nytt under solen” sounds dull and calculated and the rare fine moments drowns in the pretentiousness that is the album's hallmark.

KAIPA – Solo (Decca, 1978)

Swedish vocals, instrumental

International relevance: ***

”Solo” (curious titel for a band effort) is as appealing as coming home from a five day trip realizing you forgot to take out the garbage before you left. You want to open the windows and let some fresh air blow into the music. If ”Inget nytt under solen” felt calculated, this is even worse. ”Solo” is cerebral to the max and the production is lifeless and stale. A textbook example of bad symph prog.

KAIPA – 1974 Unedited Master Demo Recording (Decca, 2005; recorded in 1974)

Swedish vocals, instrumental

International relevance: ***

Released as part of the 5CD Kaipa box set ”The Decca Years”, and recorded as demos in the summer of 1974 prior to their debut LP, with plenty of tracks unreleased elsewhere. The songs were recorded to two-track but it doesn't matter that the sound quality isn't professional because Kaipa never sounds this fiery on any other release. It's a pity this has never been released separately.

KAIPA – Live (Decca, 2005; recorded in 1976-1978)

Swedish vocals, instrumental

International relevance: ***

Another box set exclusive compiling selections from three Swedish Kaipa shows and one from Copenhagen, Denmark. It's better than both ”Inget nytt under solen” and ”Solo” but only marginally. Not a reason enough to fork out piles of cash for ”The Decca Years”.

ROINE STOLT – Fantasia (Svenska Love, 1979)

Swedish vocals, instrumental

International relevance: ***

Kaipa's rising popularity lead to extensive touring in the late 70's, in turn creating conflicts within the band. A failed attempt to write new music in 1979 led to Roine Stolt's and bass player Mats Lindberg's departure. Stolt soon began working on his first solo album which appeared in 1979. While the restructured Kaipa moved into radio friendly and sometimes semi new wavish territory with two absolutely horrendous albums ”Händer” and ”Nattdjurstid” in 1980 and 1982 respectively, Stolt stayed closer to the symphonic area with ”Fantasia” but with equally bad results as his former band. Appalling symph synths, underwhelming songs that sometimes sound like TV themes and a production so unhealthy sounding it needs medical care. Ugly album cover, ugly music.

A live Kaipa session recorded for radio show Tonkraft in 1978 was included in ”Progglådan”. Further Tonkraft recordings from 1974 and 1978 can be found in great sound quality on the Japanese bootleg ”Stockholm Symphonie”.

Kaipa reformed in the early 00's, and Roine Stolt has led a successful career, performing with for instance The Flower Kings and Kaipa off-shoot Kaipa DaCapo. Hans Lundin released two solo albums in the 80's and has one album out as Hagen with folk fiddler Anders Rosén.

San Michael's full album

Kaipa full album playlist

Inget nytt under solen full album playlist

Solo full album playlist

 

from Nattåg

Nattåg 

Främling i en främmande värld

Försent + Bay-E Bay-O

Aftonbön 1972  

Som ett ljus i mörka nätter

Live

Total förvirring 

Skenet bedrar 

Visan i sommaren

En igelkotts död/Ömsom sken

Inget nytt under solen 

Copenhagen House-Jam 

Flytet 

Musiken är ljuset 

Se var morgon gry 

Noise-Village-Stone-Frog 

Oceaner föder liv (End Part)

1974 Unedited Master Demo Recording
Saker har två sidor

Under stora gröna träd
På färd
Taktus

Folke 2

Allting har sin början genom solen  

Cirrus
Akrobaternas flykt

Akrobaternas dans

Nattens affär  

Karavan

from Fantasia

Nytt blod 

Som svalor mot skyn 

Silversurfaren