En ny tid är här... (Sonet, 1970)
Swedish vocals
International relevance: ***
First album from Sweden's premiere
power trio, released as early as in 1970. The sound isn't very
different to just any power trio of the time (do I have to mention
Cream?); their unique sales point is the Swedish lyrics. ”En ny tid
är här...” (what's the deal with progg's overuse of the ellipsis
in album titles?) has a couple of jazz tinged tracks, but it's the
heavy riffing that's the band's hallmark and what have made them
legendary to genre fans. Some very good songs such as ”Mount Everest”
and ”Ta ett steg in i sagans land” but I don't think it quite lives up to its reputation as a whole.
2:a November (Sonet, 1971)
Swedish vocals
Swedish vocals
International relevance: ***
More of the same, but with a tighter
production and somewhat better songs, especially like ”Men min
hjärta ska vara gjort av sten” and ”Ganska långt från Sergel”,
but other than there's not much to set this apart from ”En ny tid
är här...”.
6:e November (Sonet, 1972)
Swedish vocals
Swedish vocals
International relevance: ***
November grew heavier and heavier by
each album, so this – their last – is the heaviest they did. But
it's still as uneven as the albums preceeding. A couple of good tracks –
”Runt i cirklar”, ”Cinderella” – but all that riffing is
really too derivative to be fully exciting.
The album title alludes to 6th November,
1632 when Swedish king Gustaf II Adolf was killed in the battle of
Lützen.
A couple of non-album singles have been
added to the CD reissue of ”6:e November”, and there's also an
archival Mellotronen release of 1970/1971 live recordings in good
sound, simply entitled ”Live”. ”Progglådan” features a
recording made for radio show Midnight Hour in 1971. A live recording from a 1972 gig, not long before the band disbanded, also circulates but the sound is a bit echoey.
I think November are overrated, and a carefully constructed compilation with their best tracks would be a lot more to the point.
November off-shoot Saga is much better and Energy more free-spirited.
En ny tid är här full album playlist
2:a November full album playlist
6:e November full album playlist
En ny tid är här full album playlist
2:a November full album playlist
6:e November full album playlist
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