LEVITICUS – STÅ OCH TITTA PÅ (Stanley & Andrew Music, 12”, 1982)

 

Swedish vocals
International relevance: *

Although Leviticus never acheived the same general success like Jerusalem did, they were one of the major Christian hard rock bands back in the day. Leviticus were closer to heavy metal (where Jerusalem were steeped in the older hard rock tradition), and most of what they did is both too late and too metal for this blog. This debut 12” makes it by the skin of its teeth thanks to the final track of the four. The first three aren't something to waste any words on, but ”Min mästare” is more symph than heavy metal. And with its seven minutes, it becomes rather epic in scope with synths and extended solo guitar. Had it only been better mixed (drums and vocals too low, synths too loud) it could have made more impact though. ”Stå och titta på” is a bit valuable in its original vinyl incarnation and was reissued as a CD EP in the early 00's by a U.S. label, but it's not really worth seeking out. ”Min mästare” is indeed the best track in this set, but still not good enough to motivate a purchase in any format.

Full EP playlist

LOOPING – Sänd mej en ängel (Musiklaget, 1980)

Swedish vocals
International relevance: -

This is pretty much a ”progg by association” album, more than an actual progg album. It features Christer Nahrendorff of Solen Skiner as singer and main songwriter, keyboardist Pierre Swärd of Soffgruppen, fusion band Life, and Mikael Ramel's Harru Lust to name a few, and session guitarist Thommie Fransson. It was also released by Musiklaget, home to Bättre Lyss, The Underground Failure, Bröderna Lönn and several other progg albums from the early 70s and on. Unfortunately the album itself is typical early 80s pop rock with some funky touches. Plus a whole lot of glitzy treble and a fair bit of synth polish. In short, it sounds just like the album cover looks.

The best track is also the longest, the more than eight minute album closer ”Sanning” which might sound like progg if you squint hard with your ears.

There's also a 1979 Looping 7”, ”Den underjordiska rymden”, with two non-album tracks.

No links found 

PÄR LINDBLOM – OFTA ÄR DET MÅNDAGMORGON SÄLLAN LÖRDAGKVÄLL (Four Leaf, 1975)

   
Swedish vocals
International relevance: **

The amazing album title meaning ”It's often Monday morning, rarely Saturday night” was given to Pär Lindblom's second (and last) album. The first one ”I grönsakslandet” is previously reviewed here, and there you can learn a bit more about his background and other activities, so I go straight to the music this time.

This second time around, the songs reveals a little more assertiveness. Janne Schaffer and Ola Brunkert are still along for the ride, but several of the players on ”I grönsakslandet” has changed. Exit Björn J:son Lindh and Stefan Brolund, enter Rutger Gunnarsson on bass, Kjell Öhman on piano and Alain Leroux (John Holm, Anders F. Rönnblom, Nature et al) on accordeon and organ.

”Ofta är det måndagmorgon” is similar to ”I grönsakslandet”, but the album is a bit less tinkling than its predecessor, leaving me with an 'old hat' feeling. What's most thrilling about the album are the two short instrumental tracks where Lindholm demonstrates what a fine acoustic guitar player he is! ”Springlåt från Valbo köpcenter” displays some really dexterous fingerpicking while the slide laced ”Mors lilla islandströja” sounds like it's straight out of the easier chapters of John Fahey's book of tricks (and that is meant as praise). And those longing for some charmingly cheesy funk with a crazy-ass clavinet should lend an ear to the bubbling ”Amsterdam blues”.

Nice infrared photo of Lindblom on the back cover!

No links found 

LÖTSJÖN – Live 1978-1979 (Holmia, 2013; rec. 1978-1979)

 English vocals, instrumental
International relevance: *

Lötsjön released two albums in 1976 and 1982 respectively, and this EP released on streaming platforms some 35 years later shows what they did inbetween, i.e. the same thing they always did. That means playing covers of stuff like ”California Dreaming” and ”Hello Stranger” and the occasional original tune in such a sexless manner they make Peter, Paul & Mary sound like Motörhead. I mean, this is a bunch of gals and pals that would be kicked out from a campfire party for spoiling the mood by being too mawkish. So unprovoking its provocative.

Full EP playlist

PÄR LINDBLOM – I grönsakslandet (RCA Victor, 1973)

 

Swedish vocals, instrumental

International relevance:**

Pär Lindblom has had many ways of earning his living. He started out in music in the early 70s, releasing his first album ”I grönsakslandet” on major label RCA Victor appealingly produced by his old schoolmate Tomas Ledin, made his second album two years later, appeared on Mora Träsk's debut album, turned to acting with Fria Proteatern and Musikteatergruppen Oktober, became a household face after appearing in a lottery TV commercial before becoming an author and illustrator of children's books in the late 90s. He also did a temporary music comeback with two CD singles in the mid 90s.

All songs on ”I grönsakslandet” are originals, and probably thanks to Ledin's involvement, he managed to get a line-up of seasoned studio musicians to back him up. Which means the usual suspects Jan Schaffer, Björn J:son Lindh, Stefan Brolund and Ola Brunkert. Lindholm himself isn't quite up to their level. His songs are OK enough, a bit of singer/songerwriter with some flashes of folk, but his vocals have an everyday feel to them. His voice is a wee bit like Bernt Staf's, but less piercingly nasal. 

But the ordinariness is also the contradictory charm of the album: It's like talking to someone about the weather and the rising cost of living and even though nothing is really said, it's quite pleasant, and then you step on the bus and go home with your grocery bag and you think, ”that was a nice fella”. And this was an unspectacular, nice nice album.

Grönsakslandet
Siw färg-tv

LILLEMOR LIND – Hjortronblom och kärleksört (Proprius, 1978)

 

Swedish vocals, a capella
International relevance: **

Lillemor Lind is a Dalecarlian singer who made her debut on record on the ”Tjejclown” album in 1974. She wrote one of the songs on Lena Ekman's second album in 1980 and also contributed some recordings to a couple of folk albums around the same time. Her full length solo debut came with ”Så draga vi upp till Dalom igen”, with songs from her native Dalarna region, something she passionately researched beside her singing. Lind also had a thorough interest in foreign musics, particularly from Latin America, the Near East and the Balkans as reflected by the two Macedonian songs on ”Hjortronblom and kärleksört”. Both her albums were released through Proprius, known to blog readers from Leif Strands Kammarkör, Lena Granhagen and Elisabet Hermodsson, meaning they have a very particular ambience.

”Hjortronblom och kärleksört” is Lind's most interesting album thanks to the musicians involved. It features Arbete & Fritid key members Roland Keijser and Ove Karlsson, as well as fiddler Anders Rosén who made several albums with Keijser plus took a leading role on ”Sen dansar vi ut”. (A further Arbete & Fritid connection is Rolf Lundqvist who took the group photo on the album cover.) Also present are members from jazz outfit Opposite Corner.

The sound and the arrangements are wonderfully moody and the songs– both traditional and original – are beautiful and melancholy with a prominent archaic character. The main problem is Lillemor Lind herself. Her vocal style has a kind of preciosity to it, as if she was classically trained and had lost some touch with the vernacularity of the songs. It's not a constantly up front problem, but you can always sense it under the surface and now and then it comes through. That spoils it somewhat for me and I can't help but imagining what this would have been like had Marie Selander or Lena Ekman been in Lind's place. As it stands now, it's an intrinsically great album that never reaches its full potential.

Full album playlist

ZÜLFÜ LIVANELI – Complete Swedish albums 1975-1977

Turkish born but of Georgian descent, Zülfü Livaneli is a composer, author, poet and politican who made his album debut in 1973 with a selection of Turkish revolutionary songs. After being held in jail several times during the Turkish military memorandum in 1971, he went into exile in France, Greece, the U.S.A. and for a period in the mid 70s, also Stockholm, Sweden. Here he recorded two albums, plus contributing music for Bay Okan's 1975 movie ”The Bus” largely taking place in Sweden and featuring several Swedish actors.

 

Ballads Of The Thousand Bulls (YE.T, 1975)

Instrumental, other languages

International relevance: **

Recorded in the AV Elektronik studio in Stockholm, this album was also released in Turkey as ”Eşkiya Dünyaya Hükümdar Olmaz” with several artwork variations. Oddly enough, the original title has nothing to do with bulls but means ”bandits cannot rule the world” which is a much better title. Some songs are written by author Yaşar Kemal who later also became a Swedish resident for his political views. Most tracks are Livaneli compositions though, performed on various flutes and lutes and rooted in traditional Turkish music but with an intellectual bent. Livaneli has a rather mellow voice but a commanding delivery, and with the rich ring of the stringed instruments, the music is captivating and won't easily let go of your attention. ”Ballads Of A Thousand Bulls” is an elevated piece of work with a strong emotional vigour.

 

Merhaba (YE.T, 1977)

Other languages

International relevance: **

The second AV Elektronik session is similar to the first but has longer tracks and no instrumentals. The dominating piece is ”Şeyh Bedrettin Destanı”, the 14+ minutes track, almost symphonic in its construction, that takes up most of side 2 and ends the album. ”Ballads Of The Thousand Bulls/Eşkiya Dünyaya Hükümdar Olmaz” is an impressive work, but ”Merhaba” is even better. More stringent, more focused with Livaneli's voice really to the fore which can only be a wonderful thing. This music is humbling and affective on such a deep level. This music is enchanted.
 

Otobüs (Balet, 1977)
Instrumental, Swedish vocals
International relevance: **

The release date of Bay "Tunç" Okan's movie about Turkish immigrants illegaly immigrating to Sweden varies depending on where you look. Some sources say 1974, others 1975. According to IMDb, the Swedish premiere was delayed until 1980. The soundtrack was probably released in 1977 with a reissue following in 1978, both times in Turkey only. Livaneli appears by his two first names Ömer Zülfü only in the songwriter's credits, but he shares the score with one C. Vason. One of two vocal tracks was even co-penned by Rolf Hammarlund of Bättre Lyss and Göran Lagerberg!

The most out of place inclusion is a track by Maria Johansson, better known as Maria på torget (Maria in the square). She was a well-known and annoying character in Stockholm in the 70s and 80s, performing religious songs in the city centre on her electric organ and singing with a cracked and creaky voice to every passer-by not asking for it.

Being a soundtrack, it's not meant as a cohesively constructed album and so it isn't. Livaneli's parts are the best, but some of Vason's easy listening styled contributions detract too much from the experimental nature of the best bits. So very uneven as a whole, but not without merits.

Ballads Of The Thousand Bulls full album playlist
Merhaba full album playlist
Otobüs full album playlist 

LEIF STRANDS KAMMARKÖR – Complete albums 1969-1982

What's a chamber choir doing here? you might ask. A relevant question for sure, but this isn't just any chamber choir. This lot is far more progressively minded than a whole lot of your standard proggers and the five albums they recorded from the end of the 60s up to the beginning of the 80s have some of the most explorative music of the era.

Leif Strand founded the choir in 1965 while still a student at the Royal Academy of Music in Stockholm which he attended from 1960 to 1970. He acquainted several prominent performers on the jazz field such as renowned pianist Jan Johansson, bassist Georg Riedel and clarinetist/saxophonist Arne Domnérus as well as future progg illuminaries Jan Schaffer and Björn J:son Lindh. These friendships proved crucial to Strand as his recording career took on by the turn of the decade.

En skiva med Leif Strands kammarkör (Proprius, 1969)
Swedish vocals
International relevance: **

The title may be unassuming (=”an album by Leif Strand's chamber choir”) but the music is anything but. Promininently featured are the previously mentioned Riedel and Domnérus along with pianist Bengt Hallberg, conga player Rupert Clementine and Lennart Åberg on soprano sax. Composition credits are split between Riedel and Strand with ”Blowing In The Wind” being the Dylan song in an expansive arrangement signed Jan Johansson (who tragically passed away in a car accident the year before this was recorded). It's not that the jazz elements are just tucked onto the classically styled choral arrangements – the exchange is dynamic and works as a truly cohesive unit that's indeed forward thinking and open-minded. Trad jazzer Arne Domnérus particularly surprises coming out as a true modernist.

This is deeply musical and extensively creative music cut from the same cloth as Carl-Axel and Monica Dominique of Solar Plexus, and it's rather surprising they're not involved on any of these Leif Strand records. They would have been a perfect match.

En skiva till med Leif Strands kammarkör (Proprius, 1970)
Swedish vocals, other languages
International relevance: *

The second album has an equally mundane title (=”another album by Leif Strand's chamber choir”) but a tweaked line-up. The Riedel/Domnérus/Hallberg troyka is intact but augmented by tenorist and flautist Claes Rosendahl, guitarist Rune Gustafsson, and noted Norweigan born drummer and percussionist Egil Johansen. The instrumental assets are unfortunately not sufficiently utilized with the emphasis being on the vocals. Too much to the fore and much too operatic bordering on sprechgesang, they make ”En skiva till” the weakest Strand album for me.The high point is probably 8 minute opener ”Gospel”, a chaotic piece of modernist dissonance and intimidating drama.

Sorgen och glädjen (Proprius, 1971)
Swedish vocals
International relevance: **

The albums here aren't particularly rare (or sought-after), but this is one of the most common. It probably sold better and is a lot more easy-going than the previous album. With many of the songs being traditional material and folk chorals, it's rich with melancholy textures reminiscent of the always popular work of Jan Johansson. Which is not to say it's smoothed out – some parts are certainly moving in weird territories. ”Världens frälsare, kom här” even touches on Oriental scales. It's also the album up to then that most successfully merges the choir and the jazz section. A good entry point for the novice.

Allt under himmelens fäste (Proprius, 1974)
Swedish vocals, English vocals
International relevance: **

Released three years after ”Sorgen och glädjen” (=”the sorrow and the joy”), ”Allt under himmelsens fäste” (=”everything below the firmament of heaven”) follows along the lines of its predecessor but has a stronger emphasis on jazz, occasionally even veering towards post-bop. The traditional “Bergkirstis polska” (arranged by Jan Johansson) almost goes off the deep end entirely!

Visa singer/troubadour Göran Fristorp is a new addition here; the album was released the same year as Fristorp's own album “En luffare är jag” that featured the choir. I'm not too keen on his voice, it's a bit too precious, and his contributions spoil the flow a bit. Still, this is the where to go if you want more after “Sorgen och glädjen”.

 

Missa Pro Pace: En fredsmässa (Europafilm, 1982)
English vocals, other languages
International relevance: ***

A seven year recording hiatus was interrupted in 1981 by a collaborative live album on the dreaded A Disc label, with the Chamber Choir's first proper album in ages appearing the following year. A lot had changed since “Allt under himmelens fäste”. Stahlwarts Riedel, Hallberg et al were gone, substituted by the likes of J:son Lindh, Schaffer, Stefan Brolund and Jan Bandel. The personnel change obviously updated the sound and style, and “Missa Pro Pace” (“a peace mass”) is the most overtly proggish album in this lot. Some sections almost sounds like a light version of French band Magma! It's also the first album to utilize other effects than the natural reverb of the recording location. It's the first Chamber Choir album that sounds produced. “Credo” for instance has space echo flute whereas Schaffer's reverb-laiden guitar in “Agnus Dei” isn't that far removed from Terje Rypdal. Most surprising feature though is the electric sitar and tablas in “Gloria” – I didn't see that one coming!

Once you've gotten used to this being a very different album from what you've come to expect, it's actually rather good. Thinking of it, this might be the best first choice to a lot of people coming from progg even if it's not quite in line with Leif Strand's 'original' chamber choir. Then again, it's as free-spirited as any of their work, and that is after all the most striking and important trait of this decidedly imaginative and largely captivating choir.

En skiva full album playlist
En skiva till full album playlist 
Sorgen och glädjen full album playlist
Allt under himmelens fäste full album playlist
Missa Pro Pace: En fredsmässa

GÖSTA LINDERHOLM – In kommer Gösta (Metronome, 1973) / Göstas skiva (Metronome, 1975)

Anyone familiar with Gösta Linderholm (and that includes just about every Swede of a certain age or inclination) surely wonders if I've lost it completely by including him here. He's something of a laughing stock found in every charity shop bin across the nation. I doubt many people take him seriously, and he actually has himself to blame after the dreadful mega hit ”Rulla in en boll och låt den rulla”, a 1978 faux cajun song that plagued the airwaves here for an eternity. And me, I never once thought he'd be something I'd offer any progg blog space. Until I took a closer look at his first two albums, that is.

In kommer Gösta (Metronome, 1973)
Swedish vocals
International relevance: *

After an early career with trad jazz band Sveriges Jazzband (best known for their 1970 song ”Brittas restaurang”), Gösta Linderholm made his solo debut with an album taking its title from a Philemon Arthur & The Dung song. He immediately established himself as a happy-go-lucky troubadour with a warbly voice. But, hang on – is that tablas in opening track, the droning ”Herr Fantasi”? It is indeed, played by Jan Bandel. And there's Björn J:son Lindh in his best ”Ramadan” mode. ”Påtalåten”? Yes, an Ola Magnell cover recorded the same year as Magnell's own 45 version. And that bassist Stefan Brolund, wasn't he in Pop Workshop and later EGBA and Oriental Wind? He was.

”In kommer Gösta” isn't a great album and rather typical Metronome label singer/songwriter fare along the lines of the aforementioned Ola Magnell and, for better or for worse, Marie Bergman.
But it nevertheless shows that there was a wee bit more to Gösta Linderholm than he gets cred for. 

Göstas skiva (Metronome, 1975)
Swedish vocals
International relevance: *

Not surprisingly, both Magnell and Bergman pop up on Linderholm's second album along with Thommie Fransson and, again, Björn J:son Lindh. The style is similar to the debut but with a few better songs and slightly darker shades, as on ”I natten” and the Magnell/Linderholm co-composition ”Kom liv”. I remember "Herr Fantasi” from my radio listening childhood days, so I have a certain nostalgic relation to that particular track. But the best track here is the album's most unexpected inclusion.

Guitarist Finn Sjöberg appears prominently on the album and that might explain Kvartetten Som Sprängde cover ”Gånglåt från Valhallavägen”. Originally an instrumental track but here with added Linderholm lyrics, and I can promise there's nothing else in his ouvre to prepare you for this. It's a bleak, actually apocalyptic depiction of a winter's day in Stockholm, soaked in alienation, internal turmoil and impending chaos. Junkies are dying in the streets and a hysterical Lady Luck screams out in agony. This track is truly a lost progg gem hidden in plain sight.

Linderholm made many albums after these two, some of them with credible musicians helping him out such as Kebnekajse's Mats Glenngård on ”Blå ballader & gröna demoner” from 1977. Some of them even have a half OK track or two, but there's really no point in getting into them in detail. A thumb rule is that the later it gets, the more Linderholm lived up to his own caricature.

In kommer Gösta full album playlist
Göstas skiva full album playlist

LIFE – Life (Coop, 1982)

Instrumental
International relevance: **

Before you gasp in anticipation: this has nothing to do with Anders Nordh's Life. It's a jazz funk album released on the Coop label best known to proggsters for one LP each by Pondus and Sabu Martinez. Speaking of Martinez: Life drummer Conny Lundström can be heard on his legendary ”Afro Temple” as well as Mellotronen's archival Sabu disc ”The Dalecarlia Recordings”. Keyboardist Pierre Swärd is probably the best known member of the gang though, with a curriculum vitae covering Mikael Ramel, Acke and Soffgruppen and plenty beyond that.

But make no mistake: The Life album is a truly futile effort of stiff furniture store fusion devoid of soul, spirit and driving force. Hadn't it been for the band name, this album would show no traces of life whatsoever. It's so empty that I can't even be angry at it – it's just nothing. Zero, zilch, nada and nought. Even the album cover excels in utter voidness.

Albums like this always make me wonder why they even exist. Why did anyone bother to record this? Who bothers to listen to it? Does anybody actually like it? Isn't there a road somewhere that needs filling?

Sheesh.

Full album

RALPH LUNDSTEN & THE ANDROMEDA ALL STARS – Complete albums 1977-1982

A curious character, this Ralph Lundsten guy. His career somehow parallels that of Ragnar Grippe, as Lundsten started out as an electro-acoustic composer and then gradually moved towards more commercially accessible music. A wider attention came in the mid 70's with his series of so called nature symphonies taking inspiration from Swedish nature and folklore. Lundsten became something of a new age music pioneer, recording many of his albums in his Andromeda studio in a house painted pink. He was on a massive ego trip, seemingly only liking his own music. Most of his many many albums are cheesy and aimed at the crystal healers market. To be fair, a lot of his un-commercial early stuff (from the late 60's and early 70's) is quite superficial too but at least somewhat more interesting to listen to.

With the 70's drawing to a close, Lundsten assembled an amorphous band called The Andromeda All Stars and rarely has the term ”all stars” been more to the point. Plenty of name performers passed through, too numerous to mention in all, but a few would be Bernt Rosengren, Ahmadu Jarr, Tommy Körberg, Jojje Wadenius, Monica Dominique, Wlodek Gulgowski, Björn Inge (November et al), Björn J:son Lindh, Janne Schaffer, Tomas Ledin, and renaissance music flag-bearer Sven Berger. This massive lot of people helps the four Andromeda All Stars albums into the progg realm.

Universe (Harvest, 1977)
Instrumental, wordless vocals
International relevance: **

The first All Stars album (housed in a truly eye-catching cover) is one of Lundsten's best, although I hesitate to use superlatives when talking about Lundsten's albums, no matter what line-up they flash. It's uneven and still very cheesy, but it has some entertaining moments of gurgling and bubbling sounds where Lundsten probably just fools around with the crazy sound effects because he enjoys it. As typical to his post-EAM albums, there are plenty of synth washes. The best tracks are those that have a rhythmic structure, like ”Harvest In Heaven”, ”Space Funeral”, and the space rock sounding ”The Planet Of Winds”.

Discophrenia (Harvest, 1978)
Instrumental
International relevance: **

With the disco wave sweeping the world in the late 70's, plenty of musicians jumped the danceable bandwagon. Even the self-loving Ralph Lundsten got bit by the bug, but his interpretation of disco is of course different to others. He either mess with it deliberatly, or he misunderstands everything. The title track is in fact rather interesting as Lundsten seems to predict the synth pop still a few years away from public recognition. It actually reminds me a bit of the early Human League albums (those before the girls joined the group and they became MTV darlings with ”Don't You Want Me”) and they hadn't been released yet when ”Discophrenia” came out. The album even spawned a single (with an extended remix of the title track), a rather rare thing in Lundsten's discography.

Alpha Ralpha Boulevard (Harvest, 1979)
Instrumental, English vocals
International relevance: **

The third Andromeda All Stars album falls somewhere between the first two, with characteristics spilling over from both. ”Rendezvous With A Washing-Machine”, ”Ego Love Song” (appropriate title for Lundsten!) and ”Horrorscope” are still discophrenic, while other chunks stick to the wishy-washy synth layers. The album is very inconsistent, and it sounds as if it's cooked up from leftovers from the previous two discs. The all stars concept is beginning to wear thin.

The New Age (Harvest, 1982)
Instrumental
International relevance: **

After a couple of electronic/symphonic works in the beginning of the 80's, Lundsten returned in 1982 with the final album credited to The Andromeda All Stars. Largely new-agey as the title lets you know, but a more coherent work than ”Alpha Ralpha Boulevard”. But it does sound as if the steam had run out altogether of the All Stars project. It's less colourful and crazy than the initial trio, there's no real push to it.

From "Universe"
Universe Calling / The Space Sneaker / In The Shade Of The Purple Moon / The Hot Andromedary / The Blue Planet / Harvest In Heaven / In The Erotosphere / The Celestial Pilgrim / Rhapzodiac / The Planet Of Winds / Lunatic Safari / Space Funeral / Cosmic Song

From "Discophrenia"
Andromedan Nights / Discophrenia / Luna Lolita / Robot Amoroso

From "Alpha Ralpha Boulevard"
Alpha Ralpha Boulevard / Rendezvous With A Washing-Machine / Space Flower Dance / Ego Love Song / Happy Earthday / Horrorscope / Computerful Love / Dancing In A Dream / Lifetide

From "The New Age"
Morning Of Creation / Time Storm / Future Carnival / Trance-Action / The Remembering Castle / Garden Of Delight

FRED LANE – Vi smida (A Disc, 1977)

Swedish vocals
International relevance: *

U.K. born singer Fred Lane moved to Sweden in 1970 and is in possession of a wonderful folk voice heard on albums by Låt & Trall and Bella Ciao. A multi-instrumentalist, he also plays accordeon on the Tillsammans album. ”Vi smida” however isn't his finest hour. It's a concept album with the concept explained by the subheading ”Proletariatets visor före och under industrialismen” (”songs of the proletariat before and during the industrialism”), and it shouldn't take much imagination to figure out what these songs sound like. It's not surprising that it's on the Social Democrat house label A Disc, quite possible the dullest of all Swedish 70's imprints. Some skilled players appear alongside Lane though, such as Hans Alatalo (Norrlåtar), Lasse Englund and Kjell Westling, but it's not enough to save the album which is best left in the era that made it possible.

Vi smida Side 1
Vi smida Side 2

LOKOMOTIV KONKRET – Stockholm Augusti, 1978 (Urspår, 1979) / Lokomotiv Konkret (Urspår, 1980)

 Instrumental
International relevance ***/***

Lokomotiv Konkret were formed in 1976 by Israeli-born saxophonist Dror Feiler who made his mark in more areas than just music. As an conceptual artist, he stirred up controversy with his installation ”Snow White and the Madness of Truth” in 2004 which had Israeli ambassador Zvi Mazel vandalize the work, followed by a diplomatic crisis between Sweden and Israel. Feiler is one of the driving forces behind Ship to Gaza who attained immediate international recognition in 2010 during another confrontation with Israel. As a member of Vänsterpartiet (the Swedish socialist party), he's run for the Swedish parliament as

well as the EU parliament, and has demonstrated against the far-right Sweden Democrats by blowing his saxophone loudly to disturb their public meetings. A musical activist as well as a political one, Lokomotiv Konkret has declared that their music is ”free improvisations over the fair distribution of the world's resources in an ecologically sustainable society based on democracy, equality and solidarity”.

Lokomotiv Konkret began in 1976 and made their album debut in 1979 with the first-ever release on the Urspår label (later home to Kräldjursanstalten, Von Zamla and Rena Rama). The album, explanatory entitled ”Stockholm augusti, 1978”, is a violent and assault on the audience at the House of Culture, with a strong bond to Swedish free jazz pioneers G.L. Unit and the European scene spearheaded by German wildman Peter Brötzmann. It's a remarkably intense and abrasive performance, guerilla jazz, that hardly eases up even in the quieter moments; the sparser moments hold the tension and are more like a cunning plans for what's about to come again than a relaxation from what preceeded them. “Stockholm augusti, 1978” stands up strong to just about anything that the European free jazz had to offer and truly working on an international level. A must have.

Lokomotiv Konkret's second, and self-titled, album followed in 1980. Also a live document, this time with recording locations shared between Stockholm's Museum of Modern Art and premiere jazz club Fasching in 1979. Bass trombone player Pär Nordfält left and was replaced by highly respected Sten Sandell on piano, the sound of the band changed somewhat and the tracks are shorter. To make required space for the piano, the rest of the ensemble holds back a bit. The direct attack of their debut is less direct here. They harness the energy and kind of distributes it on the width rather than assaulting you straight in a concerted attack. You could say that ”Lokomotiv Konkret” is a more sophisticated effort than the debut LP. It's all down to preferences which one that suits you the best; the frothing outbursts usually get my nod – the uninhibited energy is why I gravitated towards free jazz to begin with, with the (slightly more) reflective side of the genre being more of an occasional complement, so my choice would be the debut album. I'm not saying that “Lokomotiv Konkret” is a lesser album, I'm just saying it's different. In the end, it's an essential album to go along with the relentless ”Stockholm augusti, 1978”.

Seemingly still active off and on, Lokomotiv Konkret has released only three more albums during the course of twelve years, the last one being released in 1995. Although it's outside the time frame of the blog, I'd still like to recommend their third album ”The Sky's The Limit” from 1983 which is the one of theirs closest to ”Stockholm augusti, 1978”. Also worthy of investigation if you can find it is the 1988 one-off album by Too Much Too Soon Orchestra, appropriately titled "Saw - Music For Instruments And Machines". A merciless slab of noise jazz, also notable for being one of the first appearances on disc by free jazz giant Mats Gustafsson.

Stockholm augusti, 1978 full album
Lokomotiv Konkret full album

BRITTA LINDELL – How Would I Like (Prophone, 1973) / Waiting For The Next Sunrise (Caprice, 1981)

Swedish vocals, English vocals, other languages, instrumental
International relevance: **

Certainly one of the most curious entries here, Britta Lindell's music defies any easy categorization. If there was one artist worthy of the buzz phrase 'thinking outside the box', then it might as well be her. It's definitely not jazz, it's not folk, it's not classical, I don't even know if it's prog or progg but it's definitely progressive in the sense it doesn't sound quite like anything else.

Lindell was born in Lisbon in 1943 and moved around Europe, and as a trained alto violinist she had played with several European symphony orchestras before settling down in 1970 in a cottage in Västmanland, an area west of Uppsala and Stockholm. She mastered more than 50 instruments of different kinds including the piembalo, a prepared piano she came up with herself. Over the years, she worked as teacher, and briefly as a choreographer for the Swedish national television, wrote music for the stage and even a contribution the Eurovision Song Contest in 1986 that never got as far as to the actual competition.

Her debut album appeared already in 1973, with ”How I Would Like” on the independent label Prophone. A curious mix of folk music from around the world, baroque and renaissance music, and something that was simply Britta Lindell's own mind, with some lyrics from Swedish poet Nils Ferlin and William Shakespeare. At times she reminds me of both Iva Bittová and Dagmar Krause but with more of a playful tongue-in-cheek humour. Although she draws from a plethora of 'high-brow' influences, she never fell prey to pretentiousness. The album is fun, and Lindell's approach is almost that of a child discovering the world through magical thinking. Through charm she tunes you gently to her wavelength; she makes you not listen to her music, but to listen to it with her.

It took until 1981 before she released her next album, ”Waiting For The Next Sunrise” on Caprice Records. It pretty much follows along the lines of ”How I Would Like”, but it sounds a bit more elaborate, more developed and with a greater emphasis on the renaissance strain. It's still a good album, and still clearly original, but it feels a bit more contained and therefore lacks some of the wide-eyed freshness of the debut. The best track on ”Waiting For The Next Sunrise” might be the last one, the strangely eerie and suite-like ”The Next Sunrise”.

Britta Lindell released one further album called ”Lights” plus a single of her rejected ESC song ”Simsalabim”, both on the Siljum label in 1986.

Lindell passed away in 2000, leaving a slim but highly original and often intriguing recorded legacy behind.

How Would I Like full album

Waiting For The Next Sunrise full album playlist

TOMMY KÖRBERG, ANDERS LINDER, LILL LINDFORS & ANN SOFI NILSSON – Barn i stan (Folksång, 1980)

Swedish vocals
International relevance: *

The featured booklet explains the album: ”This album deals with the condition of children. Some of the songs are newly written, but most of them date back to the turn of the century. You can learn a lot from history. Knowledge of the historical context can help us to greater power of action today.” Needless to say, the lyrics have a strong political bent, and while it's hard to object to the sentiment, the wiseacre approach is as tiresome here as always.

The most interesting thing about the album is the all-star lineup with several of prog stellars including Tommy Körberg (Solar Plexus, Made In Sweden), Anders Linder (all-round performer well-loved for his many children's shows on national TV), Stefan Nilsson (De Gladas Kapell, Kornet, Hörselmat and later on stahlwart with Tommy Körberg), Stefan Ringbom (Mascots, Fria Proteatern) and of course, the everpresent multi-instrumentalist maestro Kjell Westling (Arbete & Fritid, Harvester, Gunder Hägg/Blå Tåget, Vargavinter, Spjärnsvallet...). Still, the music itself isn't very interesting, and ”Barn i stan” stands most of all as merely a historical document from the tail end of the progg movement.

Folksång was Fria Proteatern's label.

No links found.

LOVART – Stormsvalor (Oktober, 1977)

Swedish vocals

International relevance: * 

 

On and on and on it goes.

And on and on and on.

There's simply no end to albums declaiming the horrors of capitalism and the glory of the betrodden working class of the world. Yes, I agree that capitalism eats the less fortunate on a golden plate with caviar and paté and then finish off the meal with a loud burp, but please – stop whining about it! Please. Just stop. Please.

These albums are so formualic and predictable I no longer need to actually listen to them to know just how they sound. But yeah, I listened to Lovart, with a supernatural patience and a glass of wine to relax my poor tried and tested brain. Apart from the standard political sermons, here's the as-shouty-as-always male and female singer hollering some Asian/Latin American/Russian inspired melody (sometimes interspersed by good-timey pastiches that are even worse). Did those 'passionate', 'politically aware' and 'socially conscious' desktop communists pay any royalties to the betrodden people they nicked their tunes from? Or was it all a rip-off in good spirit?

OK, so the Danish traditional ballad ”Herr Tidman” is pretty okay for a song, and most songs on ”Stormsvalor” are in fact originals (according the sleeve at least) but that is beside the point. The point is that this is just another exercise and selfrighteous and thickheaded political shouting. Then again, what did you expect from a label with both Fria Bloody Proteatern and Bruks-fucking-teatern on their roster...

Note to self: Don't forget to take a double dose of meds before listening to the next album with lyrics utlizing the phrase ”majority of the shares”.

No links found.

LÖTSJÖN – Ostbiten (no label, 1976) / Things That Never Die (no label, 1982)

Swedish vocals, English vocals, instrumental
International relevance: **/**

A band from the Stockholm area that released two privately pressed albums of twee usually acoustic and harmony driven folk rock in a mellow British style. Half decent vocals, some nice fingerpicking in the John Renbourn vein and some bad wah-wah guitar (but that alone probably triggers the instincts of collectors worldwide, then call it 'acid folk' and they'll cream their pants).

”Ostbiten” contains a rosy-cheeked cover of Jethro Tull's ”Mother Goose” and a pointless version of Stephen Still's ”4+20”. Second album followed six years later but is similar to the first only with an off-putting 80's sounding Tascam sound.

This is the kind of band that their friends say they love, giving them an inflated self-esteem and prompting them to release ”Live 1978-1979” with previously unreleased live recordings from the gap years between their two original albums. Only for streaming, but still.

I bet you can find Xian albums in a flea market near you that is more exciting than this. Or better yet, get some real UK folk. You don't need this.

From ”Ostbiten”:

Ostbiten

4+20 

Neptun

Mother Goose

”Things That Never Die”:

Full album playlist

LÅT & TRALL – Låt & Trall (Sonet, 1971) / Gamla go'bitar (Europafilm, 1973)

International relevance: **/**

Swedish vocals, English vocals, instrumental

Originally known as Diddlers, this folk outfit changed their name to Låt & Trall when member Sten Erik 'Pyret' Moberg left the band. Not that they had any talent shortage with Kjell Westling, Urban Yman, Marie Selander and the beautiful-voiced Fred Lane in the band.

With Moberg's departure, the band's Irish oriented repertoire expanded to include Swedish tunes as well. ”Låt & Trall” was produced by folk legend Sam Charters and the second one by Bo Anders Larsson and the band, but they basically sound the same mixing instrumental tunes with vocal tracks in an acoustic, down-to-earth style. ”Gamla go'bitar” is a little bit better with richer arrangements, but they're both solid affairs worth hearing to fans of no frills traditional folk.

Från "Gamla go'bitar":

North Sea Holes 

Blackleg Miner

ULF LUNDELL – Vargmåne (Harvest, 1975) / Törst (Harvest, 1976) / Natten hade varit mild och öm (Harvest, 1977)

”Ulf Lundell's not progg!!!” I hear the outraged voices cry. But if John Holm and Ola Magnell should be here, then why not Lundell? Any objections to the inclusion fall in the Tomas Ledin category, i.e. only the prejudicial ear trying to dictate what's right and what's wrong.

Ulf Lundell sent his demo tapes to both MNW and Silence. They rejected him. And it's the same old story: he wasn't political enough. Again the overlords had spoken. So instead, he went to EMI who recognized Lundell's potential and offered him a deal with their progressive subsidiary Harvest. In early September 1975, seven months before his debut novel ”Jack” was published, ”Vargmåne” hit the shops.

Vargmåne (Harvest, 1975)

Swedish vocals

International relevance: **

Recorded in only four days with Finn Sjöberg (Kvartetten Som Sprängde) as an arranger and guitarist, and Mats Ronander of Nature on harmonica. Reputedly, Lundell was unhappy with the finished album, but it's a prime example of mid 70's Swedish rock, with classic tracks such as ”Stockholms City” and ”Sextisju, sextisju”. ”När duellen är över” should be as classic. But the best track is ”Bente”, a claustrophobic tale of a prostitute trapped in the big city netherworld. going down slowly but mercilessly on drugs. The song ends with a chilling question, made even more icy by Sjöberg's guitar, objective like steel, glass and concrete. His arrangement is perfect, and apart from being one of the best songs I know of written in the Swedish language, it's a billion times more thought-provoking than anything to ever come out on labels like Nacksving, Proletärkultur or, for that matter, MNW. But exactly that might the problem here – they didn't want any questions and independent thinking, they only wanted pre-fabricated answers.

With a song like ”Bente”, it doesn't matter that ”Sniglar och krut” and ”Jesse James möter kärleken” are pure crap.

Törst (Harvest, 1976)
Swedish vocals

International relevance: **

 

There's an equivalent to ”Bente” on Lundell's second album: ”Birgitta hon dansar”. It could almost be the sequel to ”Bente”, with the main character having lost her grip of reality and gotten locked up in a psychiatric ward. The claustrophobia is even denser here, like blinding smoke so thick you could touch it like bleeding fingertips rub against a raw surface. This isn't nice and kind music, it stares you straight in the face with reality's bloodshot eyes.

The ambivalent ”USA” deals with the nation of the song title in a credible 'can't live with it, can't live without it' way that's completely foreign to the militant anti-imperialist lot collecting double standards as if it was baseball cards.

The title track and ”Cobra Rax” in turn offer a peek into the same shady regions of the capital city as depicted in ”Stockholms City” off the first album.

”Jag vill ha ett lejon” might be too lightweight, but thankfully that and ”Och går en stund på jorden” provide some relief on an album that otherwise is as dark as the cover art is white. ”Törst” is often overlooked in Ulf Lundell's oeuvre but to me, it's his best and most gripping album.

Finn Sjöberg is still on board here, and Mats Glenngård appears on violin.

Natten hade varit mild och öm (Harvest, 1977)

as Ulf Lundell & Nature

Swedish vocals, English vocals

International relevance: **

This one usually gets general bashing, and I agreed before but I've come to re-evaluate a whole lot with time. It was recorded with blues band Nature (one of Pugh Rogefeldt's signings to the Gump label) on their mutual ramshackle tour of 1976-77. It mixes cover versions of rock standards – ”Route 66” and ”My Generation” sung by Mats Ronander – with chestnuts from Lundell's first two albums plus otherwise unreleased songs. ”Natten hade varit mild och öm” is to Lundell what ”Hard Rain” is to Dylan, i.e. a peculiar and sloppy live document with inferior sound and odd song choices. But that's what makes so intriguing and different to any other Lundell album out there. It's the sound of scruffy hobos thundering across the nation. "Progglådan" contains a Tonkraft show from the same period but while still OK (Lundell sounds nervous), it's a more polite document than this beautiful mess.

”Natten hade varit mild och öm” was reissued on CD in 2000 with five bonus tracks including ”USA” and ”Bente”.

Ulf Lundell went on to record numerous albums and write several books. He's one of the most well-known artists in Sweden.

Full album playlist with bonus tracks

Törst full album playlist with bonus tracks  

Natten hade varit mild och öm full album playlis with bonus tracks

Tonkraft 1976 full album playlist

 

LIFE – Life (Columbia, 1970)

Swedish vocals [Swedish edition], 

English vocals [export edition], instrumental
International relevance: ***

Life's only album was released in two versions, one with Swedish vocals aimed at the domestic market, and one with English vocals intended for export. However, the export edition never reached outside Sweden but is still one of the rarest progg albums ever with only 800 copies made. Both versions have been reissued, the English version with bonus tracks.

I personally prefer the English variant of the album because the vocals, oddly enough, sound better than on its domestic counterpart. But the vocals in general are the weakest point here. Certainly not as good as Anders Nordh's guitar playing.

”Life” isn't as good as its reputation. ”En bit av evigheten/Sailing in the Sunshine” is a fine slice of heavy Sweden, but the album is extremely uneven, constantly losing momentum due to several short but pointless instrumental bits between the proper tracks. And string laden ballads like the ”Jag stod ensam på min väg/Nobody Was There to Love Me” and ”En gång i tiden/Once Upon a Time” almost sound like something David Bowie pulled out of Elton John's wastebasket.

Yes, ”Life” is a classic, and it's reasonable to mention it along with November since both bands were first generation Swedish heavy rockers, but history is history and music is music, and this time history is better.

Full album playlist (Swedish version)
Full album playlist with bonus tracks (English version)