ÄLGARNAS TRÄDGÅRD – Framtiden är ett svävande skepp, förankrat i forntiden (Silence, 1972)

Instrumental, Swedish vocals

International relevance: ***

Ranked #19 on the blog's Top 25

Perhaps Gothenburg's Älgarnas Trädgård should have been German because they were more 'kosmische' than most. Träd, Gräs & Stenar's music have been declared 'meditative', but that's an adjective I'd rather save for Älgarnas Trädgård. Because their kind of meditation works without serial flubs and fuck-ups. They even manage to use sitar and tablas on ”Det finns en tid för allt, det finns en tid då även tiden möts” without getting silly and cheap-sounding.

”Framtiden är ett svävande skepp, förankrat i forntiden” sounds just like band member and painter Jan Ternald's absolutely stunning artwork looks. The album is a trip deep into inner space, an intergalactic mind journey but at the same time firmly rooted in ancient soil through the folk sounding passages as ”Möjligheternas barn” with vocals by Margareta Söderberg, and ”Tristans klagan” based on the renaissance dance ”La Rotta” (title corrected on later editions). The music's an altered state full of secrets, conundrums and enigmas, reaching out in all directions, inwards, outwards, upwards, downwards, sideways, ahead and back – its scope is almost unfathomable. ”Framtiden är ett svävande skepp” is a work of wonder.

When reissued on CD, the album was expanded with live recordings made at Gothenburg's Museum of Art in 1972. More live recordings exist, including one from Stora Teatern in Gothenburg in 1973. A second Älgarnas Trädgård album was also recorded, but as the band dissolved during the mixing sessions, the release was cancelled. Silence eventually put out it out as ”Delayed” in 2001.

Full album playlist with bonus tracks

CONVALJEN, PELLE, CHRISTINA, JOJJE – Kåklåtar (MNW, 1972) / KONVALJEN – Konvaljen (MNW, 1975)

There was an ongoing debate over prisoners' conditions in Sweden in the early 70's. The correctional facilities were criticized for being too old-fashioned, even inhumane. MNW decided to make a record of inmates performing their own songs telling their own story, and the album ”Kåklåtar” became an important contribution to the public debate, bringing further attention to their cause.

CONVALJEN, PELLE, CHRISTINA, JOJJE – Kåklåtar (MNW, 1972)

Swedish vocals

International relevance: *

A number of progg illuminaries help the "Kåklåtar" singers out including Tore Berger, Greg FitzPatrick, Hans Wiktorsson, Tomas Forssell, and Tord Bengtsson. But the important performers are interns Lennart 'Convaljen' Johansson, Pelle Lindberg, Christina Calldén and George 'Jojje' Olsson performing mostly their own songs (some traditional) with lyrics written by other inmates. The importance of the album lies with what's being said and not how it's said. Obviously none of the singers are professionals and it has to be taken into consideration when approaching ”Kåklåtar”. It's unconditionally context-depending; from a strictly musical point, there's nothing thrilling here.

KONVALJEN – Konvaljen (MNW, 1975)

Swedish vocals

International relevance: *

Of the ”Kåklåtar” singers, Lennart "Konvaljen" Johansson became the most popular, and having spent around three decades in prison, he also became the informal spokesman of Swedish prisoners. In 1974, he began working on his solo album together with the likes of Slim Notini, Nikke Ström and Samla Mammas Manna (backing him up on dull blues track ”Resocialiseringsblues”). It was released the following year, with Convaljen's name now spelt Konvaljen. The songs are similar to his contributions to ”Kåklåtar” in an uncomplicated troubadour style with the lyrics being the most important element. You could almost say that the message is the medium. ”Konvaljen” is a wee bit better than ”Kåklåtar” but the songs are still in an uninteresting troubadour style, and there's not much here for foreign listeners to pick up on (unless you're a hardened Samla Mammas Manna completist).

A much better prison themed album is Hawkey Franzén's ”Visa från Djupvik”.

For those wanting to learn more about the tradition of Swedish prison songs, a book was published in 2017, ”Kåklåtar – Fängelsevisor som identitetsmarkör och kulturarv”, written by Dan Lundberg, published by Gidlunds Förlag. An English translation is currently in the making.

Kåklåtar full album playlist
from Konvaljen

Resocialiseringsblues 

Lazzaron 

En billig rymning + Porrblaskan

ISKRA – The 70's albums

Iskra made free jazz and improvisation fun. They could be playful and made the music accessible through audience participation, but they never lost their integrity. They used silence to create a dynamic tension, much like The Art Ensemble of Chicago.

Jazz i Sverige '75 (Caprice, 1975)
Instrumental

International relevance: ***

 

Iskra's first album was this double LP in Caprice's ”Jazz i Sverige” series, which caused some annoyance with jazz purists and a debate whether this was jazz or not. Nevertheless, it's an excellent example of Iskra's brilliance. All their trademarks are here, hushed reflection, sudden full force aural outbursts, percussion pieces exploring rhythms, ethnic influences, and of course their disarming playfulness. You could say that Iskra was a complete band as they included the full range of human characteristics in their music. This is easily one of the best ”Jazz i Sverige” installments, and Iskra at their best.

Allemansrätt (Ett Minne För Livet, 1977)
Instrumental 

International relevance: ***

 

Opening with a piece of humour (”Den ensamme cyklisten”), this is one of Iskra's most relaxed efforts, and also the one with less violent jazz outbursts. Instrumental quacks, farts and laughs might seem silly to some but it puts a smile to my face. It's not my first-hand Iskra recommendation to someone unfamiliar with them, but once you've grown to love them, this is a joyful little addition to the collection.

Besvärjelser (Ett Minne För Livet, 1979)

International relevance: ***

Instrumental

Their most serious album, permeated by an eerie mystical feel (the title means ”incantations” in English). ”Besvärjelser” moves on a subconscious spiritual level, like a ritual, why it stands out as Iskra's most profound release. This and ”Jazz i Sverige” are both essential albums.

In 1983, Iskra made the disappointing ”Fantasies” for the Mistlur label. It sounds like a well meant attempt to beef up their sound, meaning it's produced in a way their previous albums aren't, but unfortunately, it detracts from the immediacy of their best music. ”Luft” followed in 1990, and then it took more than twenty years for their next album to materialize, this time on the Country & Eastern label. Interesting enough, that album – ”Liberté Égalité Humanité” – is their best one altogether, just about perfectly balancing everything that's good about Iskra. There's also a digital compilation released by Caprice featuring a fair amount of previously unreleased material. The album, ”Gränslös musik”, was released in conjuction with an Iskra biography of the same name, almost like a soundtrack to the book.

Iskra full album playlist
Allemansrätt full album playlist
Besvärjelser full album playlist
Gränslös musik full album playlist

ROBERT BROBERG – The 'Zero' years 1979-1981

Motsättningar (RKOB, 1979)
as Circle O Zero on Uma N.E

Swedish vocals

International relevance: **

After fighting mental issues, Robert Broberg invented a new persona. Perhaps to escape himself, or perhaps to become himself. He chose Zero as his new moniker, but the full unwieldy artist name on ”Motsättningar” is "Robert Broberg presenterar (= ”presents”) Circle O Zero on Uma N.E", and the album contains songs written between 1974 and 1979, including one translation of a track from ”Tolv sånger på amerikanska”. ”Would You Like to Be My Object for Tonite?”, here entitled ”Vill du vara mitt sexualobjekt ikväll?”

Possibly due to the timespan of the songs and maybe because some of them are recorded live, the album is all over the map. There's funk in ”Sprucken i tusen bitar” and ”Farbror Anders funk”, blues in ”Du har Pinochet i garderoben!”, a bit of Little Feat in ”Doktor Jekyll och Mister Hyde”, circus music in ”Cirkuslåten/Två knappar längst ner!”, an a capella waltz named ”Jag tar ofta på mig min kofta” etc. The best track however is the very beautiful and melancholy ”Jag ska inte ligga lik” – actually one of his best ever songs.

The diversity of the music is most likely a reflection – conscious or not – of Broberg's fragmented mind at the time. The album title is certainly telling enough: a possible translation of ”Motsättningar” would be 'conflicts'. So, not a consistent album but a revealing one.

Kvinna eller man (Silence, 1981)

as Zero

Swedish vocals, English vocals

International relevance: *

After a decade of self-released albums, Robert Broberg/Zero joined the Silence roster in 1980. Perhaps the proper record deal helped him get a hit with ”Vatten – sta'n är full av vatten”, for a while overplayed by Swedish Radio. The track is relatively representative of the album as whole; ”Kvinna eller man” is Broberg's most accessible album since the 60's. The most interesting tracks are the final two, the English language ”Don't Lean Out of Your Head”, like many of the album's tracks dealing with self-image and identity, and ”Tom Top” which is by far the weirdest song here, pointing towards Broberg's next effort ”Am I Your New Toy”. ”Tom Top” became a novelty hit when released as the album's pilot single in 1980. 1980 also saw the release of the fine Paul McCartney inspired non-album single ”Nothing's Gonna Stop Me Now”.

Am I Your New Toy (Silence, 1982)

as Zero
English vocals

International relevance: ***

 

One of Broberg's quirkiest albums, and given his earlier ones that says a lot. Broberg plays all instruments himself, using a drum machine for rhythm keeping. A certain Devo influence can be traced on tracks like ”You Make It Happen” and ”Your Clothes Talk”, but don't forget to add Brian Wilson's most bizarre Beach Boys moments and sprinkle a bit of Paul McCartney's 1980 album ”McCartney II” on top.

But the crucial element is of course Broberg himself. This album doesn't sound like anything else, at least nothing made by a well-known artist. It's as if he took pieces of familiar music, put them in a telepod from the 50's horror movie ”The Fly”, teleported everything to the other telepod. looked at the curious product of his experiment and then released it on record. Of course the album soon entered obscurity, and few casual listeners probably know it even exists.

After this album, Robert Broberg propelled back into full-scale stardom with sell-out shows and the love of the people. But once he did, he lost a fair bit of the peculiar grandeur of his extended 'forgotten' decade.

Motsättningar full album playlist
Kvinna eller man full album playlist

Am I Your New Toy? full album playlist
"Nothing's Gonna Stop Me Now" full single playlist

KUNG TUNG – Kung Tung på ”Redit”! (Ljudcenter Recordings, 1977) / Det är ett kort liv – det är våra liv! (MNW, 1978) / Demos och live 1974-1975 (Plätt, 1995)

Ulf Bejerstrand's original band Kung Tung was better than his solo albums but that doesn't say much. Then again, he was only the bass player – main songwriter and singer was Thomas Svensson (later Stålberg) and that probably saved Kung Tung from the worst Bejerstrand facepalm embarassments. Still they were a pretty crappy band, aiming at an Ensamma Hjärtan kind of satire but ending up with more attitude than substance where Ensamma Hjärtan had both. 

Kung Tung på ”Redit”! (Ljudcenter Recordings, 1977)

Swedish vocals

International relevance: **

”På 'Redit'!” was recorded live with inferior sonics to match the equally insufficient quality of their punky blues rock stumblings through original material and translated covers by Chuck Berry, Bob Dylan and Eddie Cochran. Plus one Gudibrallan cover. Excessively boring.

Det är ett kort liv – det är våra liv! (MNW, 1978)
Swedish vocals

International relevance: **

 

After their self-released debut, Kung Tung hooked up a deal with MNW, releasing ”Det är ett kort liv – det är våra liv!” in 1978. It obviously helped them direct their energy into something a little more consistent. But they're still as dull as watching an old bicycle rust. Peter Bryngelsson's guitar playing is good though but one wonders why he hung around with these nincompoops when he already had his own outfit, the initially magnificent Ragnarök.

Demos och live 1974-1987 (MC, Plätt, 1995)

Swedish vocals

International relevance: **

A self-released cassette compilation of previously unreleased archival recordings, including some made right at the beginning of Kung Tung's career. The early tracks are in a sound quality's just below basement level. The music's as lousy as usual. For Kung Tung completists only (if there are any).

2001 career overview ”Imperfekt” has a couple of non-album tracks including Kung Tung's only really good recording, their cover of Thomas Tidholm's ”Två blodröda segel” (originally on Hot Boys' ”Varma smörgåsar”).

Kung Tung disbanded in 1980, but had a continuation of sorts in Thomas Svensson/Stålberg formed Prins Lätt in the late 80's. Kung Tung reunited in 2013 and released a comeback album in 2014, ”Längre bort på livets väg”.

From Det är ett kort liv, det är våra liv

Fotogen

Du är min korvkiosk

The Arbetslös Blues

Tevelåten

Sa du nåt?

Dröm eller verklighet

Varm snö - Ge mig ett glas vatten

Marlon Brando

På "Redit"! and Demos och live 1974-1987 no links found

XTRA – Oh! 10-15 (CBS, 1971)

English vocals, Swedish vocals, instrumental

International relevance: *** 

Björn Isfält had already composed soundtrack music for ”En kärlekshistoria” (”A Swedish Love Story”) in 1970, but his true movie score career was still a few years away when he recorded this album with another future soundtrack writer, Lasse Dahlberg.

Given the high demand for distantly related Atlantic Ocean's ”Tranquillity Bay”, it's surprising that the peculiarly entitled ”Oh! 10-15” isn't better known than it is. (Although the album cover hardly does much to attract.) It should appeal to the same audience – it's melodic in a similar late 60's vein, only more sparsely arranged with piano and/or acoustic guitar, a string section, tablas and flute to make enough space for the otherworldy, sometimes Leslie treated melodies. The feel is that of baroque pop psych. Both Jason Fleece, and ”Odessey & Oracle” period Zombies occasionally leap to mind. The album's full of promise, but it's not quite there. The perfomances could have done with a little more punch, a little push to the melodies here and there. The translucent arrangements are sometimes too transparent, as if they're high budget demos waiting for something more to help the songs gel. It's pleasant and enjoyable if you don't expect too much of it.

Full album playlist

JOJJE WADENIUS – Goda' goda' (Metronome, 1969)

Swedish vocals

International relevance: ***

Probably the best children's record ever made and a perfect example of how kids were taken seriously back in the progg days. Released as Jojje Wadenius, ”Goda' goda'” is really a 'lost' Made In Sweden album with Bosse Häggström on bass and Tommy 'Slim' Borgudd on drums. And they play with the same eagerness and precision as they did when playing to adults. Greater precision, even.

The songs are just swinging wonderful and the affectionate lyrics – all in Swedish – by children's author Barbro Lindgren are from the child's perspective, always, never silly and certainly not condescending. They acknowledge all big emotions you have when you're small; joy, melancholy, loneliness, curiosity, the sense of wonder when beholding things that grown-ups just pass by in their busy grown-up world of boring grown-up things. And imagination. Puzzled self-reflection. Playfulness. Things adults should engage in a little more often.

Let's be frank: Made In Sweden never made another album this inspiring and delightful. Some of their most irritating mannerisms are prevalent here as well – I'm thinking of Wadenius's annoying habit singing along to his guitar solos – but the songs are so wonderful you can easily forgive them for it. To paraphrase an Archimedes Badkar title, these are songs for children of all ages.

Jojje Wadenius made a second album of Lindgren lyrics in 1978, the less successful ”Puss, puss, sant, sant”.

Full album playlist

HOOLA BANDOOLA BAND – Complete albums 1971-1975

There's an endless discussion going whether Hoola Bandoola Band is progg or not. Of course they're progg – any objections to that are pure nonsense. They were progressive in the political sense. But are they prog, with one 'g', as in musically progressive? No, they're not.

Part of the discussion is perhaps down to whether you can put up with Mikael Wiehe's pundit attitude. But I personally find Wiehe so much less maddening than any of his contemporary loudmouthed vociferous sectarian fire-fist-and-fury revolutionary fundamentalists. Wiehe too was overbearing and blinded by his convictions and to some extent still is. He's sure guilty of political idiocies too but at least he wrote good songs, you have to give him that. He deserves some respect for his craftmanship even if that wasn't always an appreciated quality in the days of progg. But well made things aren't automatically bad and crappy things aren't automatically good in some twist of reversed elitism.

Mikael Wiehe came from a middle class background (often a point of ridicule when people try to impugn his socialist beliefs, but hey – some Blå Tåget members too were middle class, even upper middle class academics). He started out playing trad jazz saxophone but turned to pop music with 60's band The Moccers that also featured his brother Thomas. When he heard Gunder Hägg – later to become Blå Tåget – he was so enraged by their inferior musical abilities he decided to start HBB.

HBB got in touch with ABBA manager Stikkan Andersson who saw great commercial potential in Wiehe's songs and wanted them to sign with Polar label. However, Wiehe turned him down, instead choosing the recently founded MNW. Andersson was infuriated and said that he would see to that HBB would never record, perform or even be heard. But no-one, not even Stikkan Andersson, could bereave HBB of their future success, and in 1971, their debut album appeared as MNW's 20th release. Not long after, they became the most successful progg band.

Garanterat individuell (MNW, 1971)

Swedish vocals

International relevance: **

Wiehe's original plan was to release a HBB album in English. At first MNW agreed to letting him have his way once ”Garanterat individuell” was out, but then Wiehe changed his mind, thinking it would be strange to follow up their debut with a non-Swedish album, why the English album was shelved (which is something of a half-truth – see next entry).

”Garanterat individuell” bears the unmistakeable stamp of Bob Dylan, The Band, and Neil Young (especially on ”Fred (till Melanie”), but also Latin American music (”Filosofen från Cuenca”), a re-occuring influence HBB's catalogue. It's not the perfect HBB album; Wiehe had yet to refine his songwriting skills, but tracks like ”Burrhuvet” and ”Vävar-Lasse” are great, the latter would have fit nicely on a Contact album by the way. It's a good effort, but the best was yet to come.

Svit för P (7”, MNW, 1972)

English vocals, instrumental
International relevance: *

The projected English album was cropped to an EP, intended as part of MNW's series of so called mini LP's which weren't LP's at all but 33/3 rpm seven inches. Six tracks were chosen, and the EP was actually manufactured. However, the entire edition was destroyed before even leaving the pressing plant. A few – very few – copies survived, making it one of the rarest progg artefacts ever. The songs were subsequently released on 1996 CD compilation ”Country Pleasures” with bonus tracks, and on Record Store Day vinyl in 2016.

It was a wise move cancelling the original release. The English lyrics and the songs' rural feel make HBB sound just like any early 70's run-of-the-mill U.S. country rock band. There's nothing here good enough for any of their regular albums, even if the lyrics had been in Swedish. More than anything, it's a curio.

Vem kan man lita på? (MNW, 1972)

Swedish vocals

International relevance: **

For HBB's second proper album, Wiehe the songwriter had matured massively. The style is similar to their debut, but the songs have a better focus, the melodies are sharper, the performances crisper. The album is shimmering of classic cuts – ”Herkules”, ”Vem kan man lita på?”, ”Man måste veta vad man önskar sig”, the jubilant ”Rocksamba” and to top it off in an untouchable way: ”Keops pyramid”, not only Wiehe's hands down best song but one of the best songs ever written in Sweden. The album as a whole isn't perfect, but ”Keops pyramid” is, and that song alone makes ”Vem kan man lita på?” an essential album.

På väg (MNW, 1973)

Swedish vocals, instrumental

International relevance: *

”På väg” suggests a couple of inspiration sources not obvious on previous HBB albums; Irish dance tunes on the instrumental ”Bogside”, and Russian music on for instance ”Jakten på Dalai Lama” (appropriately enough featuring members of Södra Bergens Balalaikor). Unfortunately, it's a rather weak album. ”Danslåt för yttrandefriheten” is charming but only opening track ”Hugget som stucket” reaches the heights of ”Vem kan man lita på?”.

A certain rivalry were beginning to appear within the band, with fellow singer Björn Afzelius attempting to introduce songs to the band. Mikael Wiehe was less than thrilled letting up any album space (or for that matter, the royalties it provided him with) to Afzelius. When Afzelius presented his song ”Bläckfisken”, Wiehe loved it. Still, it never appeared on an HBB album. Instead, Afzelius recorded it for his solo debut ”Vem är det som är rädd?” in 1974.

Fri information (MNW, 1975)

Swedish vocals

International relevance: **

 

In all fairness, Wiehe let Afzelius have four of nine songs on what was to be HBB's final album, ”Fri information”. Ironically enough, none was as good as ”Bläckfisken”, although ”LTO-tango” is one of the album's best, and I have a soft spot for ”Älska mej, Bill”. ”Victor Jara” became one of HBB's best loved tracks, but I'm a bit put off by the Latin American framework. Very uneven and it was obvious that HBB was running out of steam. 

They officially broke up on 30 April, 1976.

After the demise of HBB, Mikael Wiehe founded Kabaréorkestern which made two fine albums. Wiehe continues making music to this day and have had a number of hits as a solo act. Even more successful was Björn Afzelius, who is one of the best selling Swedish performers ever, being very popular also in Norway and Denmark, but most of his solo albums are best avoided. HBB reunited several times before Afzelius' death in 1999.

A couple of HBB Tonkraft shows exist, including one from 1972, officially released as part of ”Progglådan”. There's also a digital release of a show in Nässjö 1974. Non-album track ”Stoppa matchen!” was released as a single 'A' side in 1975.

Garanterat individuell full album playlist

Vem kan man lita på? full album playlist
På väg full album playlist
Fri information full album playlist
from Svit för P
Sun and Summerlight
You and I

MELVYN PRICE – Rhythm and Blues (Meldor, 1974)

Instrumental

International relevance: **

Born in Pontiac, MI, Melvyn Price left the U.S.A. following the assassination of Martin Luther King, Jr as the political situation in his native country grew increasingly worse. Upon his arrival in Sweden, trombonist and conga player Price found his way onto the vital jazz scene and was often seen sitting in with notable musicians.

He set up his own record label Meldor and released two early 70's albums of jazz and Latin rhythms meant for use in dance classes, ”Jazzbalettrytmer” and ”Rytmer II”. In 1974, he released his first 'proper' LP, ”Rhythm and Blues”, also on Meldor, featuring renowned performers such as drummer Fredrik Norén and bassist Björn Alke. A couple of tracks have congas and percussion only, but the lion's share is pretty straight, i.e. not very adventurous late 60's/early 70's jazz with faint traces of afro funk.

More or less a 'lost' album for decades, its reputation eventually began to grow and had a reissue on Wax Poetics Records in 2008. It's not bad but kind of pedestrian. Swedish jazz from the same time had more exciting things to offer.

Full album playlist

ROBERT BROBERG – Tolv sånger på amerikanska (RKOB, 1978)

English vocals

International relevance: ***

Ranked #17 on the blog's Top 25 list

Robert Broberg left Sweden for the States after ”Vem är det som bromsar & vem är det som skjuter på”. He began planning for ”The Rise amd the Fall of the Plastic Messiah”, an ambitious stage show meant to include movies, stills, theatre, masks and music. As far as I can discern, only the music was finished, and released on Broberg's private RKOB label. Recorded with noted session musicians Stefan Brolund (bass), Jan Tolf (guitar) and Claes Wang (drums) in the legendary Studio Decibel, the album still has a 'homemade' aura to it, as if it was recorded in a small living room.

The lyrics emphasize the music's claustrophobic feel (that always reminds me of John Lennon/Plastic Ono Band's 'tree' album). All of them deal with the superficial modern society where humans are first reduced to consumers and then a disposable commodity with no second hand value. In the end, ”Tolv sånger på amerikanska” (”twelve songs in American”), is a deeply existential record, taking Broberg's self-doubt to a higher universal level (or a deeper one, depending how you look at it). It's an album of generalized anxiety; an unease that has become an integrated part of an uncertain being. I'm convinced that Broberg's bipolar disorder is the foundation of this album (he spent some time in a psychiatric hospital during his U.S. years), and that the American socety's fixation with the glamourous surface further provoked the self-detachment that was evident already on Broberg's previous albums. The album cover captures this perfectly: A naked human being against an empty but over-saturated background.

There's something scary about the album; once you actually hear it and not just listen to it. It's like staring into the darkness knowing it stares back at you from a constantly elusive, dissolving place you didn't even know existed in the first place.

So maybe it's not that surprising that ”Tolv sånger på amerikanska” was one of Broberg's most neglected albums for such a long time. The album doesn't fit in with the simplified image the casual listener has of him as a funny chap delivering word plays to hummable tunes. This album doesn't really fit in anywhere and that's one of it's true strengths. It's a one of a kind album that doesn't blind you with flashes to your face, but creeps up on you until it has you all wrapped up in its emotionally and mentally tangled web.

And ”Song to a Plastic Messiah” is one of the greatest songs ever released on a Swedish 70's album. Actually on any Swedish album ever.

Full album playlist

VARGAVINTER – Vargavinter (Silence, 1976) / Röster från alla land (Ett Minne För Livet/MNW, 1980)

Vargavinter (Silence, 1976)

Swedish vocals, English vocals, other languages, instrumental
International relevance: ***

After the demise of Låt & Trall, singer Marie Selander became part of 'super group' Vargavinter, featuring members from Archimedes Badkar, Iskra, Södra Bergens Balalaikor, Spjärnsvallet and, through Kjell Westling, Blå Tåget/Arbete & Fritid and others. And not to be forgotten, the brilliant Anita Livstrand.

The title of Vargavinter's second album is ”Röster från alla land”, ”voices from all countries”, and that's a good description even of their live recorded eponymous debut. Vargavinter performed music from just about all around the globe. They were a bit in your face politically but the multitudinous music is often great. It is a bit uneven, with two or three of the songs sounding as if they're there mainly to fill the geographic quota, but  ”Snart” and the atmospheric ”Rumänsk dansmelodi” for instance are very good.

Röster från alla land (Ett Minne För Livet/MNW, 1980)

Swedish vocals, other languages, instrumental
International relevance: ***

”Röster från alla land” appeared four years after ”Vargavinter” and despite being recorded in the studio, the music sounds looser, or if you will, less focused. Still some good tracks such as ”Bågskytten”, ”Dans från Zalongou” and ”Det omöjliga”, but ”Röster från alla land” lacks a lot of the debut's freshness.

”Progglådan” has a 1980 Vargavinter Tonkraft session, and a mid-70's live version, also made for Tonkraft, can be heard on the double LP ”Tonkraft 1975-76: Levande musik från Sverige”.

Vargavinter full album playlist
Röster från alla land full album playlist
Tonkraft 1980 full album playlist

MORA TRÄSK – Albums 1974-1980

Mora Träsk (Mora Träsk Musik, 1974)

Swedish vocals, instrumental

International relevance: *

Nowadays Mora Träsk is best known for their children's albums made as a duo, but when this Gävle outfit started out in 1971 they were a five piece rock band. Their album debut appeared in 1974, and like all their albums released on their own label Mora Träsk Musik. A primitive sounding album, mixing humourous folk pop with country and rock & roll pastiches. The best tracks are all instrumental – ”Garanterat intellektuell”, ”Inge brådska”, ”Sputnik” and ”Nergången”. More of those would have been preferrable to balance up the album's predominant silliness.

The album was reissued a few years later with this tasty ESP-Disk' looking silkscreen as seen above.

Mestrud (Mora Träsk Musik, 1975)

Swedish vocals, English vocals

International relevance: **

Their third album (following ”Plays Bach” released earlier in 1975), more serious in tone and decidedly the one with the highest prog aspirations. Their best album by far but still not very good. ”Children of the Time” (the only one with English lyrics) is OK in a Crosby, Still, Nash and especially Young vein. That one and ”Mestrud II” feature extended guitar solos that might please some. Sleeve colour variations exist.

Rocken kommer från Gävle (Mora Träsk Musik, 1978)

Swedish vocals

International relevance: *

A breakthrough of sorts as ”Rocken kommer från Gävle” brought Mora Träsk to a larger audience. Perhaps the record buying public had grown tired with the pretentions and seriousness that had become more and more prevalent in progg music in general which probably says more about where progg was at the time than Mora Träsk's qualities... Here they sound almost like a local version of Bonzo Dog Doo Dah Band, with 'fun' lyrics and joke songs. The best, actually the only reasonably good tracks are the folk pastiche ”Herr Tidman” and album closer ”Gonatt”.

Joe Hills sånger (Mora Träsk Musik, 1979)

Swedish vocals, English vocals, spoken word
Instrumental relevance: *

Like Mora Träsk, American working class hero Joe Hill originally came from Gävle, so in a way, it was a natural thing for them to release a Joe Hill tribute album, released in co-operation with the local Joe Hill Foundation in conjuction with the singer's 100th birtday anniversary. It's a tad better than the anemic ”Joe Hill lever!!!” by Pierre Ström et consortes, with some country flavours, but it's still strikingly unexciting, only relevant to collectors of Joe Hill interpretations. If there are any such collectors.

Play Off (Mora Träsk Musik, 1980)

Swedish vocals, instrumental

Instrumental relevance: *

This was the end of Mora Träsk as a rock band, and it features some of their most convincing work in that area. Which doesn't say much because it still sounds like joke music, no matter how much blues or punk they add to the songs. ”Vykort från Gävle” and the instrumental title track have some heavy metal influenced guitar work if anyone cares. 

It's hard to take Mora Träsk seriously, and moving to children's music was probably the best they could do. As a rock band for grown-ups they're best ignored.

Play Off full album playlist

from Mora Träsk

Amortering
from Rocken kommer från Gävle

Rocken kommer från Gävle 

Wictoria  

from Joe Hills sånger

Casey Jones 

Rebellflickan

Svarta präster

Räkna noga

Hallelujah I'm a Bum/Halleluja gå och driv

Vi ska sjunga

MÖRBYLIGAN – Mörbyligan (Mistlur, 1979)

Swedish vocals

International relevance: * 

Mörbyligan was a unique band insofar they appealed to both the progg minded, some punks and 'ordinary people' who helped making the songs ”Snälla pappa” and ”Ensamma Sussie” immensely popular at the end of the 70's. Their name translate to ”the Mörby gang”, Mörby being a part of wealthy Stockholm suburb Danderyd – not a place that usually leaps to mind when socialist oriented bands like Mörbyligan are mentioned. Leader Åke Bylund later took a sharp turn towards nationalist views – was Mörbyligan's stance an honest one to begin with, or were they just being opportunists cashing in on the general left wing atmosphere still prevalent at the end of the 70's? One thing's for sure, we can't ask Bylund as he died in 2005 from diabetes related complications.

Bylund had been a drummer for late 60's band East-West who released one 45 with an impressive version of Neil Young's Buffalo Springfield song ”Mr. Soul”. In 1974, he founded Chilly Chimes who released the ”Join the Army” 7” the following year and also had two tracks on the 1978 various artists compilation ”Ljud från Friberga”. They changed their name to Mörbyligan the following year, and released two EP's before making their eponymous album debut.

It doesn't really matter if the opinions Mörbyligan expressed were genuine or not, because the album doesn't sound at all as fresh as it did upon its original release. Their heavyhanded rock music comes off as faked and the humour apparent on some of the tracks just sounds silly today. At best, ”Mörbyligan” sounds like the work of some Nationalteatern wannabes of limited talent.

Mörbyligan made six further albums up until 1995, including the equally ignorable ”Järtecken” in 1980. They stopped touring in the mid-80's due to Åke Bylund's illness and hearing loss. He eventually took a swing to the far right and had a nationalist solo project as Odalmannen, and wrote books inspired by Norse mythology, using different nom de plumes.

Full album playlist with bonus tracks from second album

BO HANSSON – Sagan om ringen (Silence, 1970)

Instrumental 

International relevance: ***

 Ranked #3 on the blog's Top 25 list

The beauty of Bo Hansson's solo debut is unfathomable. Few albums are as evocative and visual as ”Sagan om ringen”. It's no wonder that Anders Lind founded Silence for the simple reason of releasing it. (Gudibrallan's ”Uti vår hage” was recorded earlier but released after ”Sagan om ringen” was out.)

Based, of course, on J.R.R. Tolkien's ”Lord of the Rings” trilogy, Hansson's music takes my mind on a much longer and a much more vivid journey through the fantastic and the splendorous than Tolkien ever has and ever will. It's the sound of one spectacular man's spectacular vision, so perfectly moulded that it's impossible not to get carried away by it. So richly textured that you could almost touch the sounds with your fingers, smell the scents of that other world he shows you through notes and timbres, hear the sounds that will forever surprise your ears in utter wonder.

Hansson already used his Hammond organ like a painting tool as one half of the psych prog jazz duo Hansson & Karlsson, but compared to ”Sagan om ringen”, the Hansson & Karlsson albums sound restricted and two dimensional. Here he opens everything up to a dynamic experience of brooding darkness and jubilant light.

So much has been written about this album, so much has been said, so much love has been poured over it, and still no-one has been able to fully explain its grandeur. Neither have I. The only way to approach it properly is to listen to it, to give in to it, to fall in love with it again and again and again. This is a masterpiece of a magnificence that time can never diminish.

However, be aware of the different versions of ”Sagan om ringen”. Its release history is a mess, but I'll try to explain it to the best of my knowledge. Corrections/clarifications are much welcome!

First Silence pressing with the first and exclusive mix lacks ”En vandring i mörkret” and has no musicians credits on the back cover. The 1971 reissue adds the missing track, and has the credits, but is remixed. The international versions retitled ”Music Inspired by Lord of the Rings” have track titles in English, and a different cheesier cover that makes it look like rejected Genesis cover art. Some tracks are also shortened, and the album is remixed by Bo Hansson himself. Subsequent releases have this version. International cover variations exist.

 Original international version

First Swedish CD release from 1988 has a new remix version of the album, adding unnecessary and bad reverb, plus bonus tracks from Hansson's subsequent albums, plus the worst cover version of them all. Later CD reissues have the 1988 mix, but also previously unreleased bonus tracks recorded around the same time as the original album, plus the original cover art.

1988 CD version

The 2018 Silence CD is a reissue of the previous one including the unreleased track but with the international 70's cover art scaled down to fit within a too large and cheap looking frame.

 

 2018 CD version

Full album playlist 2018 CD version with bonus track

ROBERT BROBERG – Complete albums 1970-1974

A truly singular artist who made his debut as a skiffle singer in the late 1950's. He made several albums over the next decade and became famous for his hummable and humourous troubadour styled pop songs, many of them became mainstream classics.

The Pling & Plong Show (EMI, 1970)
as Robert Karl Oskar Broberg

Swedish vocals

International relevance: *

In 1970, Broberg made a TV series for children, ”The Pling & Plong Show”. It was crazy, corny, imaginative, bizarre but also popular. The songs from the series were released on an album the same year it was televised, and just by hearing the soundtrack you'll get an idea what the show was like. The album jerks back and forth between genres and while it doesn't hold up nearly as well as Jojje Wadenius' ”Goda' goda'”, it has a couple of memorable songs, especially the contagiously swinging title track.

En typiskt rund LP med hål i mitten (Pling & Plong, 1971)

as Robban

Swedish vocals, English vocals

International relevance: *

Robert Broberg's first proper album of the 70's was released on his own label named after the children's TV series. There are good songs on the album but a lot of them appear wasted on a overzealous humour. You can trace a John Lennon influence on the album's finest tracks ”Redan när vi sätter oss till bords” and ”Insidan av ditt lår”.

Jag letar efter mig själv (Pling & Plong, 1972)
as Robert Karl Oskar Broberg

Swedish vocals

International relevance: **

The album title – ”I'm looking for myself” – suggests Broberg was harbouring existential doubts. And he did. He later spoke a lot about his bipolar disorder, something that came to affect his career in different ways. ”Jag letar efter mig själv” is a rather dark album even when the music sounds cheerful. The contradiction between what's said and how it's said creates a sometimes unnerving tension. At times it's as if Broberg thinks aloud and talks to himself (especially on the very explicit ”Snabbköpsbutiken”) which gives the entire album a certain rough and candid feel.

Vem är det som bromsar & vem är det som skjuter på? (RKOB, 1974)

as Robert Karl Oskar Broberg

Swedish vocals

International relevance: **

This is the closest Robert Broberg ever got a political album – as it happens, members of Hoola Bandoola Band appear on it. But it's not the typically trendy political album of the time. Broberg asks questions Kjell Höglund could have asked, and some of them are probably blasphemous to the converted smartaleck legions: 'If you want to change the world, should you start with the world or yourself?' Broberg recognizes the real person, the individual of flesh and blood, beyond the rigid political structures. And as should be clear to anyone who's read this blog before, I'd much rather listen to people allowing themselves to ask questions and inhibit doubts. Or, as Broberg says: ”It's got to be fun making a revolution”. But contrary what some people used to think in those days, an album isn't the lyrics alone – the songs here are very good with an introspective feel to go along with the words. 

One of Broberg's finest.

The Pling & Plong Show full album playlist
En typisk rund LP med hål i mitten full album playlist
Jag letar efter mig själv full album playlist
Vem är det som bromsar & vem är det som skjuter på? full album playlist

SLIM BORGUDD – Funky Formula (Four Leaf, 1976)

English vocals

International relevance: ***

Originally drummer with Hawkey Franzén's great 60's band Lea Riders Group, then Made In Sweden, then Solar Plexus, Tommy ”Slim” Borgudd turned celebrity studio musician in the 70's and successful Formula 1 driver (hence the cover).

”Funky Formula” is indeed one funky affair –  Borgudd was obviously into James Brown and 70's hard funk. It features Jan Schaffer, Björn J:son Lindh, Jojje Wadenius, Göran Lagerberg and former Lea Riders Group/Made In Sweden bassist Bo Häggström. Three singers also join in: Björn Skifs (known to the whole wide world for fronting Blue Swede who scored a U.S. hit in 1974 with their version of ”Hooked on a Feeling”), Tommy Körberg (Solar Plexus, Made in Sweden) and – surprisingly enough – rock'n'roll singer Jerry Williams. Some might frown in disbelief at the vocalist choices (especially Jerry Williams) but they're all pretty solid in this setting. ”Funky Formula” isn't a top shelf effort but it's OK.

Full album playlist

MADE IN SWEDEN – Complete albums 1968-1970

Made In Sweden evolved out of Lea Riders Group, the most powerful rhythm & blues based Swedish 60's bands, responsible for the towering 1968 psych masterpiece ”Dom kallar oss mods” brought to world fame in 1979 when it was included on the third volume of the legendary compilation series ”Pebbles”. Actually, they did more than just evolve – the Made In Sweden trio was Lea Riders Group minus singer Hawkey Franzén, with Bo Häggström on bass, Slim Borgudd on drums, and Jojje Wadenius who replaced the original Lea Riders Group guitarist Sigge Ehlin one week before they disbanded in mid '68.

Made In Sweden (With Love) (Sonet, 1968)

Instrumental, English vocals

International relevance: ***

Made In Sweden's debut album was recorded in a mere six hours. Their 'groovy' pop inspired jazz rock was already in place, with an all around high level musicianship. The problem is that their core concept soon loses its freshness and becomes predictable. Also, Wadenius trademark style of scat singing along with his guitar solos quickly gets very annoying. There's something smuggish about the whole thing that I can't come to terms with.

Snakes in a Hole (Sonet, 1969)

Instrumental, English vocals

International relevance: ***

Aiming at a more psychedelic sound, Made In Sweden added some organ, strings and sound effects to their jazz/rock/blues blend. But it's basically the same thing as their first album, only dressed up in a new flashy garb. ”Snakes in a Hole” sounds empty and superficial, it lacks the substance to elevate it above the fancy surface.

The band made one further LP in 1969, children's album ”Goda' goda'”, released as a Jojje Wadenius solo album.

Live! at the ”Golden Circle” (Sonet, 1970)

Instrumental, English vocals

International relevance: ***

Just like the title says, this was recorded live at the legendary Stockholm jazz club Gyllene Cirkeln (The Golden Circle), and one would hope the live setting would provide the band's music with something substantial. It doesn't. There's more jamming and a rawer group sound, but everything I have against Made In Sweden's first two albums gets in the way even more here. Especially Wadenius's ego. I mean, he really loves his guitar style. It takes a whole lot of self-denial for me to get through this.

The CD features alternate takes.

Made in England (Sonet, 1970)

Instrumental, English vocals

International relevance: ***

For their fourth regular album, Made In Sweden went to the London to work with the engineers at Pye and Olympic Studios. It provided the band with a fuller sound – let's call it overproduced – but it hardly made the music any better. It's basically the same moves over again, only with a little more prog and pop to them, and a couple of extra musicians. Of all their forgettable albums, this is the most forgettable.

The album was released in Spain with a different cover (below left) and in the UK as "Mad River" in 1971 (avoveright), and again with new cover for the 2009 CD reissue. 

Regnbågslandet (SR, 1972)

as Made In Sweden, Olof Thunberg, Tommy Körberg
Swedish vocals
International relevance: **

A soundtrack to a children's Christmas TV series that unfortunately doesn't work as a stand-alone disc. Some songs are OK, the instrumental "Ett stycke musik" and the Tommy Körberg sung title track are nice, and some are even psychedelic, but most of it is pretty silly, and not at all as successful as Jojje Wadenius's "Goda, goda".

Wadenius reformed the band in 1976 with entirely different musicians. The revamped Made In Sweden released one album, "Where Do We Begin".

For those who want to check out Lea Riders Group, a compilation of their complete singles from the master tapes was released on Record Store Day in 2018, aptly titled ”The Singles 1966-68”. Do avoid the late 90's Garageland CD of the same material, the sound is subpar, as if it was taken from fifth generation cassette dubs.

Made In Sweden (With Love) full album playlist

Snakes In A Hole full album playlist

Live! At The Golden Circle full album playlist with bonus tracks

Made In England full album playlist 
from Regnbågslandet
Blåsväder är en besvärlig sak
Ett stycke musik