SHEKINA – On Our Way To Love (Transubstans, 2024; rec. 1976)

 

English vocals, instrumental

International relevance: ***

After the demise of Änglabarn, his participation in ”Hair” and ”Jesus Christ Superstar” but before his solo career, Dan Tillberg teamed up with the band Solen Strålar (not to be confused with Solen Skiner) who had been around since the early 70s but only played a few gigs. The band asked Tillberg if he wanted to be their lead vocalist, and after only one rehearsal, he agreed to it. They changed their name to Shekina, new songs were written, and soon they found themselves recording a full album in Tillberg's newly built Bellatrix studio when it wasn't booked by other artists. However, running the studio and the label attached to it, Tillberg realized he didn't have the time to head a band too. The recordings ended up unreleased until Transubstans got their hands on them, finally releasing them as ”On Our Way To Love” in 2024.

One can only wonder what would have happened if the album had been released as originally intended. Because the thing is, it's a quite beautiful album of progressive pop with symphonic touches. The songs are really lovely and well-composed, the arrangements are lucid and Tillberg's vocals are the best I've heard, sincere but relaxed and respectful to the melodies. I sense a light touches of Moody Blues in Shekina's music and lyrics but without the Moodies' strains of self-pity.

I didn't know what to expect from Shekina on beforehand, but I was pleasantly surprised. The album has a mellow sweetness and melodic care that I find rather irresistable. As a matter of fact, it's a little gem that really should have been released already 50 years ago.

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DAN TILLBERG – Complete albums 1979-1981

Another name from the ”you may also like” list at the end of Tobias Petterson's book ”The Encyclopedia of Swedish Progressive Music”, but unlike some of them, Dan Tillberg at least has some progg bearings, if not so much stylistically so historically. He was, for instance, in Änglabarn. 

Gatstenar (Bellatrix, 1979)
Swedish vocals
International relevance: *

An album consisting exclusively of Rolling Stones covers translated to Swedish by Mats Zetterberg (Fiendens Musik) and Dan Hylander (Raj Montana Band). This is one bizarre beast of an album and probably one of the most uninhibited albums you'll hear in a while. I wouldn't exactly call it good, but the over the top energy, perhaps more akin to punk than progg, is perversely fascinating. Eyewitness reports from the studio sessions promise no intoxicants were involved but they manage to give the whole thing a sloshed street fight vibe, even on the slower tracks. Try ”Hur var det med din morsa, tjejen (kom hon i skymundan)?” (=”Have You Seen Your Mother, Baby, Standing In The Shadows?”) or ”Din första kollision” (=”19th Nervous Breakdown”) and I think you'll see what I mean.

Two sleeve variations exist, one brownish yellow and one turqouise with the brownish one being the original.

Mors och fars kärlek (Axiom, 1980)
Swedish vocals
International relevance: -

Mostly originals second time around with only a couple of stray covers of Bob Dylan, Swedish garage rockers Problem, and a Chip Taylor penned number. A couple of tracks are co-written with Ronny Carlsson of Rockamöllan and Onna Taas Band. Nowhere near as hysterical as ”Gatstenar” which unfortunately means the skewed appeal of the predecessor is all gone. ”Mors och fars kärlek” most of all sounds like a bad Raj Montana Band album. Best track by far is ”Det är okej” still has a very long way to go to even lick the shoes of Problem's original version, even though Problem main man Stefan Ahlqvist appears on guitar. Partly recorded in Silence's studio, but you couldn't tell from the cold, bony, artificial production.

Kärlek minus noll (Axiom, 1982)
Swedish vocals
International relevance: -

Back in covers land again, this time Bob Dylan. But it's better to read the album than to listen to it (if you know Swedish, and even so if you don't). The production is as 80s as it gets already in 1982 – unbearable. But some of the translations are among the best Swedish Dylan interpretentions you'll ever see. Two of them are by Ronny Carlsson, one by Dan Hylander, but most of them – the best ones – are by man of words Mats Zetterberg.

Dan Tillberg made a few more albums in the 80s.

Gatstenar full album playlist
Mors och fars kärlek full album playlist
Kärlek minus noll full album playlist