PER FORSSELL – Hantverk (PBF, 1981)

Swedish vocals, English vocals
International relevance **

Perhaps one of the most peculiar albums included herein. Not because it's 'difficult' or complicated music – on the contrary, Per Forssell's songs are highly accessible – but because it's hard to say what his idea with this, his first of two privately released albums, actually was. It's side B in particular that is confusing, consisting of a series of pastiches/parodies/paraphrases, mocking various genres. ”My Sweet Sugar Baby” makes fun of the silliest 50s rock'n'roll clichés in a Bonzo Dog Doo Dah Band fashion. ”Punk-plonk” is a rather funny and decidedly over the top pisstake on punk that outpunks it with truly bizarre lyrics and manic drumming. ”Sören's Skåne” might be a poke at Peps Persson but sounds exactly like a Ronny Åström throwaway. ”La-La-Lajla” can't be anything but a well-deserved send-up of typical Swedish commercial dance bands of the 70s.

Some of the send-ups lose their comic effect after some time (a joke can't be repeated too without losing its impact). But the thing is that Forssell has a highly developed songwriter's instinct, not only able to satirize over a diversity of style typicalities but also write convincing and sometimes even great pop songs. This is proven by ”Hantverk's” first side which is chock full of tasty numbers pointing to both Paul McCartney and Mikael Ramel. This spills over to the first song on the second side – I'm sure the animal-rights conscious ”Vem tänker på djuren?” would keep Sir Paul awake of envy at night had he heard it. Same could be said of ”Låt dina vingar få flyga” which sounds like the best track never released on ”Ram”. The album title ”Hantverk” means ”craftmanship” in English, and that's in fact a very appropriate word for the album. Forssell certainly ranks among the best D-I-Y craftsmen of the progg era, much better than the self-absorbed Erik Aschan and lightyears ahead of unlistenable nincompoops such as John-Erik Axelsson and Prefix.

The songs were recorded over the course of four years, from 1977 to 1981, and were taped on a reel-to-reel machine in Forsell's living room in Björnekulla Hed in the Swedish south (although his dialect suggests he wasn't Skåne born and bred but rather from the Stockholm area). True to McCartney's early modus operandi, he plays all instruments himself including drums which is an achievement in itself. Being a private pressing, it must have been a tiny edition (500 copies? Less?) but it's not as expensive as some other albums in that category. Possibly because it's still rather unknown, and possibly because of its partly parodical nature. It's hard to say if ”Hantverk” will ever creep into the realm of artifacts that will push you over the perpendicular steep of destitution, but it's nevertheless an album ripe for wider discovery.

Per Forssell released another album, presumably in the late 80s, called ”Dagbok” (”diary”), partly recorded at home, partly in the studio and partly at the facilities of Swedish Television where he also works or worked. In 2013, he snuck out newly recorded music to his YouTube channel, including several Beatles covers to confirm his infatuation with the Fab Four.

Full album