JOHN HOLM – The 1970's albums

The music of John Holm is very dear to my heart. Writing about him is more than anything something private. His darkness touch on a personal darkness I don't necessarily want to be reminded of. But that's also his strength. He sees when I do not dare to see for myself. But for the same reason, his music is also a consolation, a spell to cast at the unconsolable. How do you measure something like that? How do you turn that into a simple post to a blog? How do you put that to word without bargaining with your integrity?

I, for one, don't. I, for one, can't. But maybe it doesn't matter.

Sordin (Metronome, 1972)

Swedish vocals
International relevance: **

After releasing an album with The Underground Failure and two marvellous solo singles for small label Tibet -46, John Holm scored a contract with Metronome thanks to producer Anders Burman's reliable ear for unique talent and original voices. John Holm had both. David Bowie's description of Bob Dylan's voice, ”like sand and glue” fits John Holm even better. His voice isn't exactly nasal, but peculiarly thin and raspy deep at the same time. It's a voice of experience, the voice of the incurable soul. It adds an imperative truth to the dark and riveting lyrics, may they be of longing spurred by loss, or the icy loneliness of someone dying in a hospital bed.

”Sordin” is dimly lit, like a single candle in a room caught by the night. You're allowed to pass through, like a hardly visible ghost. Perhaps you'll find yourself trapped there.

Lagt kort ligger (Metronome, 1974)

Swedish vocals
International relevance: **

Ranked #7 on the blog's Top 25

”Sordin” is softer around the edges whereas ”Lagt kort ligger” is heavier. More desperate. The lyrics are even bleaker than before, cutting through the heart like a surgical knife. ”To pity the child with the entire life ahead” (my translation) to mention just one line, from ”Min mening”. Then there's the five minute rebuke of the Christ John Holm doesn't believe in, ”Frågor bland många”. Holm asks questions, knowing there are no answers, just more or less fruitless attempts at enduring.

Most people seem to prefer his debut album to ”Lagt kort ligger” but the latter is the John Holm album that I have no way whatsoever to defend myself against, even if I wanted to. ”Sordin” grabs me by the heart, but ”Lagt kort ligger” grabs me by the heart and throat.

Veckans affärer (Metronome, 1976)

International relevance: **

Swedish vocals

John Holm is said to have been infuriatingly hard to work with, always seeking impossible perfection. He had several fallouts with Anders Burman over sound and arrangements – Holm was so much of a nitpicker that he even impressed Frank Zappa with his live sound when he supported Zappa in the 70's.

Somehow this excessive attention to details got the best of Holm on ”Veckans affärer”. Everything here is so perfect, every sound so impeccable that it makes the album cold. I'm sorry to admit it, but ”Veckans affärer” fails to touch me, fails to move me. I want to love it, but Holm doesn't leave anything for me to be part of. ”Veckans affär” exists without really caring if I'm there or not.

A cancelled tour made John Holm put off music until 1988 when he made comeback album ”Verklighetens afton”, a very bad album so caught up in a seriously terrible 80's production that it's simply unlistenable. Then it took him another eleven years before releasing the country inspired ”Vägen till Californien”, a much better album than its predecessor, but nowhere near the albums of Holm's heyday in the 70's. Box set ”Främmande natt” includes all his original albums up until ”Verklighetens afton” plus a number of rarities and previously unreleased recordings. A great concert for Tonkraft is featured in ”Progglådan”. In 2017, 2CD set ”Kuriosa” was released with previously unreleased demos, live tapes and early mixes from 1971 to 1999.

"Sordin" full album playlist

Lagt kort ligger full album playlist 

Veckans affärer full album playlist

Tonkraft 1975 full album playlist (tracks 8-12) 

45's:

Svarte kungen/Nalen blås (1971)

Ett enskilt rum på Sabbatsberg (1972)

THE UNDERGROUND FAILURE – The Underground Failure (Black Light, 1971)

English vocals

International relevance: ***

The Underground Failure album is best known for showing the unusual talent of John Holm for the first time. Only a year later, he released the classic ”Sordin” which properly launched his irregular and often intriguing solo career. Other members also became well known although not as musicians. Lasse Ermalm became a record cover designer on many a label's payrolls, and Stefan Wermelin later on became one of Sweden's most prominent radio producers.

The Underground Failure started out in the late 60's, and as John Holm's first solo single was released in 1971, it's a safe bet that they disbanded the very same year. Their sole album was recorded in Wermelin's apartment between 1968 and 1971, and most notably features Holm's mellow and reflective songs. Many, if not most, people consider ”The Underground Failure” a weak effort (even Tobias Petterson, author of ”The Encyclopedia of Swedish Progressive Music” dismissed the album in an interview), but I disagree. Although not on par with Holm's later achievements as a solo artist, it certainly has an original feel that is strangely addictive. The primitive recording circumstances makes for a certain otherworldly atmosphere. Compared to Malaria which served as the main inspiration for The Underground Failure to release their own album, this is a stunning masterpiece. But then again, that doesn't say much.

Apart from Holm's slightly Dylanesque tracks, there's a slew of twisted country songs that have a charm of their own. It might be that selections such as ”Boil On My Mind”, ”All Night Looking Lonesome Blues” and the admittedly overwrought blues of ”Make Your Own Kind Of Music” disappoint the progg and folk psych diehards, earning the album its less than favourable reputation. The main part of the album however is an introspective and intimately recorded affair with John Holm's acoustic guitar at the core. A track like ”How Unpleasant To Meet Mr. Elliott” is nothing short of excellent and wouldn't have been out of place on some UK folk private of the highest order. ”The Weekend Masquerade” suggests the excellence to come in John Holm's near future, showing many of his melodic typicalities he's recognized for. ”Spring” sounds like a Fugs track in the vein of ”Morning, Morning” and ”Ah, Sunflower Weary of Time”, i.e. mysteriously serene and lysergically romantic.

The biggest problem with the album isn't the material but the decision to sing in English. Quite honestly, it's one of those examples of Swedes trying to speak English ending up sounding like complete fools. The pronunciation is a thorough disapproval of the Swedish schools' English language education back in the day.

The album was released in an original edition of 150 copies, never sold in shops, but a further 70 were pressed in 1974. The paste on cover showed a bunch of Russian musicians; the picture came from a postcard. There was also a bootleg reissue in the 80's, but it didn't do much for the album's availability. It's an extremely rare album today, as it was upon its release, but thankfully it can be heard on a limited edition CD nowadays.

Contrary to the general opion, ”The Underground Failure” is an appealing, and sometimes excellent, example of early underground singer/songwriter folk from the time when psychedelia was folding and progg was yet to properly flourish.

Outtakes from the album were released on the John Holm retrospective box set "Främmande natt" in 1997, along with a couple of solo demos in the same vein.

Full album playlist