KLARA EXPRESS – 1975 (no label, 1975) / WASA EXPRESS – Live At Jarlateatern 1976 (no label, 1976)

Instrumental
International relevance ***/***

The seeds of Wasa Express were already in the ground by 1975, although their debut album wasn't released until 1977. They recorded an LP's worth of material as Klara Express in 1975 in the legendary Decibel studio in Stockholm where myriads of albums have been recorded. If these recordings were made as demos or if they were in fact intended for release I don't know, but they remained locked away for decades before getting a digital-only release.

Klara Express was a very different-sounding band than when turning into Wasa Express, and this incarnation featured EGBA trumpeter Ulf Adåker and trombone player Nils Landgren who both left early on. They were obviously a balancing force in the band, as those Klara Express tapes top everything made after their departure. Instead of the daredevil gymnastics that make Wasa Express such an overbearing band, Klara Express focused on the groove. Åke Eriksson is a drummer well-known for his skills, and here he pulls out every funky trick in the book to great success. The syncopes blare away with precision but also all of the feel it takes to make it swing, groove and funk. It's fusion music alright, but it's in the higher legion of jazz funk, much better than most albums in the same mould. It's a pity these recordings weren't released back in the day, and even greater pity what the loss of Adåker and Landgren did to the band.

”Live at Jarlateatern 1976” is an early document of Wasa Express, and while it still has remnants from their early Klara characteristics, they were already heading for their typical style where it was more important to dazzle and baffle the audience with instrumental acrobatics than to present something with emotional substance. And even in those moments where they emphasize the funk bits left over from the Klara Express days, it sounds dull and calculated. ”Jarlateatern” isn't quite as terrible as their later properly released albums, but it's still dead boring and clinical.

None of these albums have been released physically. Both of them were originally available for free download from Åke Eriksson's website, but are now available for streaming on the regular platforms.

Klara Express full album playlist (Spotify)
Live At Jarlateatern full album playlist (Spotify)

WASA EXPRESS – On with the Action (Sonet, 1978) / Till attack (Sonet, 1978) / Schack matt (Sonet, 1979)

On With The Action (Sonet, 1978)

English vocals

International relevance: *

Their debut album is absolutely terrible but if you thought it couldn't get any worse, think again. ”On with the Action” is a set of nine tracks, each one worse than the previous. They were so competent players they obviously felt the need to dumb themselves down to a 'funny' level where Jim Carrey looks like the overlord of comedy. Clown hard rock meets clown disco meets clown surf punk and the result is an insult to all clowns around the world (and I'm usually not the one to defend clowns).

Till attack (Sonet, 1978)

English vocals, Swedish vocals

International relevance: *

One side live, one side studio, one full album of crap. Charter travel fusion, trailer park boogie and office party disco. No redeeming qualities.

Schack matt (Sonet, 1979)

Swedish vocals, English vocals

International relevance: *

If Wasa Express ever had anything even remotely reminiscent of something not entirely unlike a strictly hypothetical concept of qualities, that was definitely long, long gone by the time of ”Schack matt”. Everything I said of the two previous albums goes for this one as well, only to a higher degree. The version of The Balloon Farm's garage classic ”Question of Temperature” is the worst ever. The only interesting thing here is that the first part of their ”Midnight to Six Man” cover sounds like ”Nevermind” Nirvana more than a decade earlier.

On With The Action full album playlist
Till attack full album playlist
Schack matt full album playlist

WASA EXPRESS – Wasa Express (Sonet, 1977)

Instrumental

International relevance ***

Let me get this straight: This is progg at its most unlistenable worst. Yes, it's true that they are technically driven musicians; Åke Eriksson for instance is one of Sweden's most skilled drummers. But that's all there is to it. It's all about technique. The whole point with the music is showing off. Nothing else. To further stress how incredibly competent they are, they add ”humour” to their instrumental perfection. Thing is, it's not funny. It's just silly. ”Does humour belong in music”, Frank Zappa asked, and I see no reason why it shouldn't, at least under controlled circumstances, but when it is used only as an excuse to make things more complicated than they need to be just because they can, I just say grow up, guys.

If you need an example how funny they are, take a look at the cover. Yeah, funny. Send in the clowns. Oh, they're already in.

Stylistically, we're talking fusion. There's a whole slew of jazz in there of course, some funky moves and a bit of stupid rock music. The absolutely worst example of the latter is the cover of ”Cadillac”. Why? To show how connected they are to their rock'n'roll roots when they're so far removed from anything rock'n'roll whatsoever? So it's hard to decide whether they are at their very worst when they ”jokingly” throw an old rock standard into the mix, or when they go for extreme jazz rock gymnastics. In both cases it's so dull that it takes fifteen gallons of coffee to even stay awake.

Maybe the most disgusting thing about Wasa Express is the cheesy, studio ”funk” synthesizer handled by Bo Hallgren. His keyboard runs could outdo Usain Bolt anyday in terms of rapidity. That kind of speed might be impressive in sports, but not in music. In music it's nerve grating, plain and simple.

This, their debut album, was in its original LP format of standard album length but it feels as long as a week. And remember, this is their best effort. I don't know what crime the general public had collectively committed to get punished with three further Wasa Express albums during the 70's, all of them gradually worse. As if it wasn't enough, they even reformed briefly in the mid 80's, then again in the 00's. They still perform and have released two albums with the new line-up. Have mercy on our souls.

Eriksson was also in fusion band Egba, and later on he played the drums in Attack who scored a major hit in Sweden with the stinker ”Ooa hela natten”.

Full album playlist