Swedish vocals
International relevance: **
Robert Barklund is mainly a stage and screen actor, but he used to be in 60s band Bamboo that had a couple of late 60s singles issued. Today they're best known for being Mikael Rickfors' first band years before he joined The Hollies for a short period in the early 70s and later still becoming a domestic hitmaker. Barklund himself only released one album under his own name, ”Barkbitar”.
Being on major label Mercury, it's an often commercial sounding pop visa effort but also with several dashes of British soft prog as suggested by Barklund's Swedish cover of The Moody Blues' best track ”Melancholy Man”. It comes off like a mix of Sten Asger-Jensen and Bruno Wintzell but with vocal qualities similar to B.L. Magnell. But what imparts it with a prog/progg feel is some strong enough guitar leads, an atmospheric organ and a general early 70s sound.
”Barkbitar” is definitely a hit and miss album. The two Elton John covers drag, and rock'n'roll pastiche ”Barkbåtsblues” makes me wince, but two of the proggiest tracks ”Simsalabim” and ”Man har gjort ett experiment” are quite good. The latter shows prominent environmental concerns and has the album's best guitar work to boot. There's also a very strange track here, ”I det lackmusröda skymningsdiset”; a recited poem set to a backdrop of jittery acoustic guitar and bizarre Moog effects.
”Barkbitar” may not be a great album and is certainly not consistent, but it nevertheless has a few worthwhile moments.
Full album (poor sound)
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