SOLEN SKINER – Solen Skiner (MNW, 1976) / Strålande tider (Musiklaget, 1977)

Solen Skiner changed their name from Hamlet just in time for their appearance at the first Gärdet festival in 1970. After losing a couple of members and recruiting for instance Christer Nahrendorf, they released their first album ”Solen Skiner” in 1976. They gigged extensively between 1974 and 1978 when they disbanded. performing at youth clubs, music forums, and in prisons. They made several TV and radio appearences – a 1975 Tonkraft recording is available in ”Progglådan”.

Solen Skiner (MNW, 1976)
Swedish vocals 

International relevance: ***

 

Definitely one of the better blues based heavy rock efforts of the era, this easily puts albums in the three-four figure range to shame. ”Solen Skiner” has a certain inherent coolness to it and features some jammy parts with good guitar playing and Lennart Holmgren's blues harmonica. The lyrics are politically inclined but never so overbearing they detract from the music. Tore Berger's production could have been better though. The sound's a bit lusterless and doesn't really capture the heaviness of the songs the way it could have.

Strålande tider (Musiklaget, 1977)
Swedish vocals

International relevance: ***

 

Solen Skiner left MNW and hooked up with smaller label Musiklaget with releases from The Underground Failure, Ragnar Borgedahl and Bättre Lyss under their belts. ”Strålande tider” has a unglamourous sound that fits the music better than the somewhat uninspired production of their maiden work. The songs are not quite on the level of their debut but the aural grittiness matches Solen Skiner's intrinsic qualities much more to the point, so in a way, ”Strålande tider” is a better representation of the band.

After the band's demise, several of their members continued working in the music business, and the band has reunited several times for the occasional gig. In 2013, Solen Skiner drummer Håkan Agnsäter released a book with progg posters from his vast collection, ”Affischerna 1967-1979 från den svenska musikrörelsen”. A beautiful volume essential to anyone interested in how progg sounded but also looked like.

Solen Skiner full album playlist
From Strålande tider:

Jag vill leva

Tre människor i city

Ta hand om ditt liv

VARIOUS ARTISTS – Festen på Gärdet (Silence, 1971; recorded 1970)

Featured artists: Original Homesick Band / Östan Sol, Västan Måne / Fire / Stockholms Spelmansgille / Love Explosion / Låt Tredje Örat Lyssna In & Tredje Benet Stampa Takten / 2000 Spenar / Det Europeiska Missnöjets Grunder / Turid / Samla Mammas Manna / Grönsakslandet / Solen Skiner / Charlie & Esdor / Fläsket Brinner / Gudibrallan / Brownsville Jug Band / Södra Bergens Balalaikor / Old Timey Stringband / NJA-gruppen / Handgjort / Träd, Gräs Och Stenar

Swedish vocals, English vocals, instrumental

International relevance: *** 

It's hard to imagine an album with a greater symbolic significance than the 2LP set ”Festen på Gärdet”, recorded at the second of the two festivals held at the Gärdet field in Stockholm in 1970, with Träd Gräs Och Stenar and especially Bo Anders Persson as the driving force behind them both.

Those festivals are often regarded as the starting point of the music movement. It's convenient having a fixed date of course, but as with any historical event, it was the product of a process, with one thing evolving into something else. So while the date isn't historically valid, the Gärdet festivals' importance to the music movement is unquestionable. This was the first time that several of the soon to be most important bands presented themselves to a larger audience. Most bands didn't have a record contact at the time, and some of them would never get one, such as Det Europeiska Missnöjets Grunder and Låt Tredje Örat Lyssna In & Tredje Benet Stampa Takten.

With the huge cultural impact of the festivals, it may be a bit hard to separate the actual music from the historical importance of the recordings included herein. How does ”Festen på Gärdet” actually sound if the layers of legend are peeled off and the music is judged solely on its own terms?

First of all, it's a lot more varied than one who's never heard it may think. It's not all Träd, Gräs Och Stenar, Fläsket Brinner and Samla Mammas Manna. For instance, the album suggests there was a pretty lively American old-timey music scene in Sweden during this period, here represented by The Original Homesick Band, Brownsville Jug Band and Old Timey Stringband.

Second of all, it's full of the joy of playing and pioneering spirit.

Third of all, the sound quality isn't very enjoyable.

Fourth of all, the music ranges from the unlistenable to the great. Love Explosion and NJA-gruppen/Fria Proteatern are crap as usual. Turid is more annoying than usual. Låt Tredje Örat Lyssna In... sounds like a drunk acoustic Velvet Underground. Träd, Gräs Och Stenar sound like they always do. Gudibrallan might not be featured with their finest hour but they're still as who-gives-a-shit anarchic as I want them to be. Samla Mammas Manna's in their infant stage and it's interesting hearing them this early on. Fläsket Brinner are great but their appearance (with ”Bosses låt”) unfortunately suffers a fair bit from the low fidelity. Etc.

So, all in all, the documentary value is impossible to deny, but the music often leaves a whole lot to be desired. It sure has its moments, but they are few and far between.

A radio documentary about the Gärdet Festival was broadcast in 1970 with otherwise unavailable performances and is included in "Progglådan". A 30 minute TV documentary was also made and can be seen on Youtube (part one, part two).

The album was released in two editions, the first in coloured vinyl with inner sleeves, the second in black vinyl and no innersleeves.

Fire - Nu är det sommar

Samla Mammas Manna - Tripp Harley

Fläsket Brinner - Bosses låt

DENNIS PETTERSON – Motalapromenaden (Barrikaden, 1976)

Swedish lyrics

International relevance: **

Insignificant local private pressing by television factory worker Dennis Pettersson (later known as Dennis Renfors). It's singer/songwriter with a rock backing including some names well-known from Solen Skiner and Blå Tåget albums Pettersson is somewhat similar to Kjell Höglund but his political lyrics lack Höglund's observational flair. Höglund may not be a great singer in the traditional sense, but he sings with an urgency that makes him interesting to listen to. The same can't be said about Pettersson. The blues rocking ”Ställer upp som aldrig förr” is passable but ”Motalapromenaden” remains a parenthetical release at best. 

 

"Luxor"