MWENDO DAWA – Basic Line (Sonet, 1979) / Free Lines (Dragon, 1981)

 

Basic Line (Sonet, 1979) 

Instrumental
International relevance: **

The first of many albums from these Gothenburg jazzers who carved out a fusion jazz niche of their own with Susanna Lindeborg's mini moog. However, it hadn't yet found its natural place in the music this early on, and it sounds a bit like it was added when the others had done their parts, like an afterthought. Mwendo Dawa was to a fair degree tenor saxophonist Ove Johansson's band, but it was Lindeborg's keyboards that gave them their special character. ”Basic Line” sounds as if they're still searching for their unique sound, like they still are getting to know each other musically. It took some time still before they got there. Recorded in 1978.

 

Free Lines (Dragon, 1981)

Instrumental, wordless vocals

International relevance: **

Two years and a couple of albums later, Mwendo Dawa had lost guitarist Ulf Wakenius which proved beneficial. ”Free Lines” is a much tighter work signified by a greater collective self-assurance. Ove Johansson plays with great ease here occasionally touching on free jazz, but the most striking leap forward comes from drummer David Sundby who's very powerful on ”Free Lines” giving the music a the much needed push that the debut lacked. Even the album's more lyrical moments are tenser and denser. And while Susanna Lindeborg may not have a leading role here, her keyboards slip much more smoothly into the music. 

from "Basic Line":
Important Level
Basic Line

from "Free Lines"
Maria

ROTPULS – Rotpuls (Amalthea, MP 1981) / Rotpuls (Amalthea, 1982)

Swedish vocals, English vocals
International relevance: *

A reggae band from Lund in Skåne with a very hands-on Peps Persson involvement. They had released two singles before making their 12” debut with six-track mini LP ”Rotupuls” in 1981, produced by Peps and also featuring musical contributions from him. They had a few less likeable traits in common with  Peps as displayed on his albums with Ronny Åström and ”Fyra tunnland bedor om dan”, i.e. silly songs of a traditional Skånish type. Then again, there are a few good tracks on both the mini album and their first and only full-length, confusingly enough also entitled ”Rotpuls” and again with Peps producing and playing. ”Stig Andersson” from the 12” and ”Vik ut dig” from the LP are fine enough, but the best track is the spacious organ-laced reggae cover of John Coltrane's ”A Love Supreme” which works really well, not only as a cool idea but as a cool piece of music. Too uneven to be considered essential, but the good tracks would make a pretty OK short LP length compilation. Plus there were so few Swedish reggae bands from this period, and the Peps relation makes Rotpuls worth mentioning.

Rotpuls (1981) full album playlist
Rotpuls (1982) full album playlist

BLÅ TÅGET – På Fågel Blå (MNW, 1982)

 

Swedish vocals

International relevance: *

I suppose a lot of people assumed that when Blå Tåget disbanded in 1974, that was the end of it. The revamped version called Stockholm Norra was more like an afterthought, and besides, it wasn't the original band anyway. A one-off Blå Tåget reunion in 1980 was just that, but they returned again for several concerts in 1981. The first one was at Fågel Blå, resident stage of theatre group Tidningsteatern, and ended up on a double album the year after.

They performed several new songs (or at least songs never previously recorded), but the whole thing feels more like a nostalgia show. The playing is more accomplished than during their original years, but that means they lost much of their original amateurish appeal. Here they sound like a bunch of cabaret entertainers delivering dance band-like renditions of the Gunder Hägg/Blå Tåget repertoire – imagine The Fugs playing a backstreet Las Vegas joint with ”Nothing”, ”Kill For Peace” and ”I Couldn't Get High”. What a hoot. (Actually, thinking of it, that would be more interesting to hear.)

The original line-up is intact with one glaring exception: Roland Keijser isn't here and with him gone, it becomes ever so obvious that he indeed was one of the most important members of the group. At the same time, I'm happy he didn't lend himself to this. 

Full album playlist

RADIO BALKAN – Radio Balkan (Mistlur, 1981) / Direktsändning (Mistlur, 1983; rec. 1981-1983)

Instrumental, Swedish vocals

International relevance: **

Before Anton Karis became a domestically well known radio journalist, he played the flute in Berits Halsband and also made a guest appearance on obscure band Occident's only album. After Berits Halsband disbanded, Karis went on world music band Radio Balkan who had two albums plus one single (with a non-album 'B' side) on the Mistlur imprint in the early 80s.

While there's nothing particularly wrong with any of them, they're a bit lacking. I'd love to hear a bit more oomph, it's too polite to really capture the real spirit of Balkan music. The first half of ”Direktsändning” was recorded live in 1982, and it's a bit better – the live setting probably triggered them a bit – but it's still not enough. The 'A' side of their single, ”Ella min vän” from 1981 is included, while remaining four tracks were recorded in 1983.

Radio Balkan full album playlist
Direktsändning full album playlist

KENNY HÅKANSSON – Beno's ben (Silence, 1981)

 

Instrumental, Swedish vocals
International relevance: **

A peculiar album lacking both direction and ideas. Those who expect electric folk rock à la Kebnekajse or Håkansson's first solo album ”Springlekar och gånglåtar” will be sorely let down. A couple of tracks sound like a heavier Isildurs Bane, including the best one here, ”Existensproblem”. Another in turn is an approximation of sequencer Tangerine Dream but with guitars instead of electronics. ”Om döden” is better in Dag Vag's live version on ”Almanacka”. The oriental touches in”Egna ben” can't hide it's really just an inferior postpunk song but still better than the pseudo melodic heavy metal of ”Encore”. All sounds like song sketches that should best have been left on hissy 4 track home tapes and not turned into a full, officially released album. I love Kenny Håkansson but this album just isn't any good.

Full album playlist

GRASSROOTS – Grassroots (Hit-Records Of Sweden, 1981)

 Swedish vocals, English vocals
International relevance: **

Seemingly entirely unknown local release from Landskrona in the Skåne county by an equally unknown eight-piece who only had this one LP out on a shortlived regional label. Singer, guitarist and songwriter Hans Greebach (sometimes Grebach) did some production work in the area and also released a solo single in 1983. The other guitarist and songwriter Sven Kikukel also played on B.L.Magnell's ”Idyllen” some years earlier, and it might be him firing off all those great, heavy leads on ”Grassroots”.

Half of the album is funky rock and has a vibe similar to several American mid/late 70s solo artist private pressings while the other half is decent reggae. It wouldn't be unreasonable to expect a Peps Persson involvement because of it, but the album is actually produced by Hans Greebach, Sven Kikukel and his brother Woffe. Being just a 4-track recording, the production is quite impressive. Although the songs are decent without being excellent, it's the warm sound I enjoy most about the album.

No links found 

THE ELEPHANT IN THE ROOM: PROGGLÅDAN

You've probably noticed I mention ”Progglådan” (="the progg box") every now and then. It might be a good idea to explain what it is for those who might not really know.

”Progglådan” is a 40 CD (!!!) box set released by the Swedish Radio in 2013, compiling tons of recordings mainly from their weekly Tonkraft show that ran for 11 years beginning in 1972. The show's forerunner was Midnight Hour in the late 60s. ”Progglådan” came in a slipcase containing four smaller boxes with 10 discs each housed in cardboard sleeves. The four smaller boxes are thematically organized. Box A has heavy rock and blues, box B features instrumental and experimental bands, original proggers and punk, box C is folk progg and singer/songwriters, and box D collects melodic rock. A fantastic testament to Swedish progg with the best recordings from Swedish Radio's vast archive of special sessions – or is it?

In reality, it's not as great as it looks at a first glance and nowhere near as great as it could have been. Compiled by Coste Apetrea who said he worked on it for three years as the project constantly grew. It's hard to believe he put three years into it. Had he said a month, I would take his word for it. It's so shoddily done that not only is it disrespectful to the people who forked out quite a sum for it when it was available, but also to the artists involved.

Several names are misspelt which is a big no-no for a credible presentation – don't you think so too, Cotse Arpetea? The liner notes are so littered with completely moronic spelling mistakes that it sometimes looks as if Cesto Paterea just hammered down his fingers on the computer keyboard at random. Did you know your computer has a spellcheck function? It's impossible to read them without getting furious at the carelessness, and some ”words” take some time to figure out what they're actually supposed to be. I know for a fact that at least one person offered his proof reading services for free before the the whole shebang went to print, but Swedish Radio ignored him and obviously thought that this exercise in aleatoric typing would suffice. (I've done some proof reading myself over the years, and I prmoise you I've never seen anything like this.) I once wrote a Facebook comment when some gala celebrating ”Progglådan” was to be held, complaining about the impetuous writing and I just got the response ”it's supposed to be like that”. Talk about adding insult to injury. I don't know if it was Secto Trepaea who replied, but NO, IT'S NOT FUCKING SUPPOSED TO BE LIKE THAT! Don't behave like a complete idiot who doesn't give a shit, and don't be proud of it! Thanks for your consideration.

The recording dates are too often wrong and insufficient. I thought Swedish Radio kept pedantic notes on session details, and if they do, then Tesco Repatae must have ignored them in favour of his own guessing game. I once did extensive research on the correct dates as far as possible, but I've unfortunately lost the document since and I just can't be arsed to do it all over again. Besides, it's not my bloody job to correct some ignorant fucker's deficient work. I don't get paid for it but I'm sure he did.

The editing of the recorded material is sometimes haphazard too. Several of the shows have songs cut from the original sessions and I can live with that even if its irritating, but sometimes a spoken intro to a missing song is left intact. It's like a glitch in the matrix. OK, it's a lot of material to listen through, but if you've worked on it for three years, then you should bloody well have the time to check if it's correct. Right, Tesco Eptarea? Otherwise, work on it one more year to make sure it's right.

 
You can always question the selection done for a compilation depending on your own taste, but some of the choices here are downright dubious. I know that Pugh Rogefeldt was asked to be included, but he failed to reply before deadline why the first disc is wasted on Cosmic Ray, a modern band recorded in Silence's studio in 2012 – not a Swedish Radio recording from the time ”Progglådan” covers, 1967-1985. I suspect this rushed decision has something to with Ocest Ptaaree being the producer of the Cosmic Ray recording... You see, he had a peculiar way of sneaking quite a few of his own recordings on here – De Gladas Kapell, Jukka Tolonen Band, Samla Mammas Manna (appear twice), Ramlösa Kvällar, and Cosmic Rays. It might not look much for a 40 CD box set, but no other musician is that extensively represented. And he never once spelled his own name wrong in the credits...

I don't know how royalties from the sales were shared, but I know – again for a fact – that less known bands weren't payed. And I know at least one musician who shall remain nameless was genuinely pissed off with the crappy presentation of the whole thing, telling me something to the effect of ”'Progglådan' will remain a kind of final statement but we'll have to live with this inferior release forever.' Exactly. This was a one-shot thing, and even though Eosct Aaeeprt at one point opened for a second volume, I doubt that will ever happen. This, I suspect, is what we'll get. A chance blown to produce something excellent and honorable for everyone involved. Including the fans, buyers and listeners.

This is why I've never reviewed ”Progglådan” in detail and never will. I don't think it deserves it. I will continue to mention individual shows in dedicated reviews when appropriate but I won't go through it disc by disc because it pisses me off every time I even look at it on my shelf. If you want to know what artists are included, check Discogs. Some of it is very good music, take your pick and check it on Youtube. Or borrow it from an unlucky friend who bought it and copy the stuff you like. Get it whichever way you prefer to get your stuff. It's your decision. Do what you will. Those responsible for it cared bugger all when it was compiled, so why would anyone care now what you do? If somebody objects, just tell them to send their written complaints to Octse Paertea, in two copies.

TRETTIOÅRIGA KRIGET – Archival releases 1998-2020 (rec. 1970-1981)

Trettioåriga Kriget's archives have been trawled through several times over the years by mainly Mellotronen. Together these releases make up a parallell history of the band, with both live tapes and other sorts of material, covering Trettioåriga Kriget's entire lifespan, also including the years following their reformations in the 90s and the 00s. 

Glorious War (Mellotronen, 2004: rec. 1970-1971)
English vocals, instrumental
International relevance: ***

The most interesting of those archive clear-outs is ”Glorious War”, for the sole reason it doesn't sound much like we know Trettioåriga Kriget's style. Consisting of tapes from the very earliest days of their existence, they hadn't yet taken to the adolescent philosophical rants of their later Swedish lyrics, and they were still too sloppy performers to live up to their own musical pretentions that make most of their records sound so constipated. They try hard, but fail which is relieving to hear. Not that ”Glorious War” is very good – parts of ”Konserten”, overlong at its ridiculous 18 minutes are OK – but it's amusing to hear them make such fools out of themselves. The bass solo of ”Assimilation” is the worst I've heard since Malaria. The track ”Thirty Years War” sounds like a nod to the early Mothers Of Invention but without Zappa's brain. ”Gloriwas War” is 53 minutes of pure spiteful fun.

War Years (Mellotronen, 2008; rec. 1971-2007)
Swedish vocals, instrumental
International relevance: ***

The entire second disc of this double CD is dedicated to the 00's so I leave that aside. Disc 1 covers the band's original ten years. It starts off with a crappy sounding 1971 live recording in the same klutzy vein as ”Glorious War” before moving on to a couple of 1974 selections. The Trettioåriga Kriget sound is beginning to fall into place but the recordings are unbalanced and out of tune which hardly makes the band a favour. Remaining recordings on disc 1 are from '76-'77 amd '79-'81 and tell us what we already knew, that the band went from ostentatious prog rock stuck up on its own holiness to bad new wave.

War Memories (Mellotronen 1998, rec. 1972-1981)
Swedish vocals, English vocals, wordless vocals, instrumental
International relevance: ***

The first compilation of Trettioåriga Kriget's unreleased material appeared already in 1998 and is a mish-mash of studio recordings, radio sessions, live tapes and what have you. So inconsistent and haphazard it's hard to make any sense of it. An early stab at hard rock, later era synth pop and yodeling. (Literally, that is – I'm not talking about Robert Zima's twisted scrotum falsetto.) It does however have early song ”I've Got No Time” which sounds like at least a half decent late 60s/early 70s American rural rock band.

Konserten -73 / King Eric (no label, 2010; rec. 1972-1973)
Instrumental
International relevance: ***

A CD-r single released in 100 copies. ”Konserten” is a trimmed down 1973 recording of the piece from ”Glorious War”, slightly better because it's shorter. ”King Eric” is a crap-fi 1972 recording which starts out as bad jazz before ending in a complete unlistenable mess.

War Diaries, Vol. 1 (no label, 2018; rec. 1974)
War Diaries, Vol. 2 (no label, 2020; rec. 1976)
Swedish vocals, English vocals, wordless vocals
International relevance: ***

Two volumes released through Trettioåriga Kriget's Bandcamp only. The cover for volume 1 says 1974 but some of it is actually from 1975. The four tracks from ”Progglådan” are here too which means that ”Progglådan's” 1973 date is wrong (as is a lot of info in that mess of a box set). Mostly live recordings in good radio sound, plus one demo in OK rehearsal space fidelity.

The second volume is a complete concert recorded Swedish Radio's Tonkraft series in November 1976. The dreaded yodel reappears, but it's still quite possibly the best ever live document of Trettioåriga Kriget, even to my ears, with a focused performance and a well-rounded sound. It's certainly the best to surface officially, head and shoulders above any of the Mellotronen releases. Why this wasn't released first of all is a mystery.

Glorious War full album playlist
War Years disc 1 full album playlist (Bandcamp)
War Memories full album playlist (Bandcamp)
Konserten -73 (first track only)
War Diaries, Vol. 1 full album playlist (Bandcamp)
War Diaries, Vol. 2 full album playlist (Bandcamp)

CARL-ANDERS DEXTER – Sån't som får mig att ilskna till (Contra, 1978) / En sång om friheten (Contra, 1981)

Swedish vocals
International relevance: *

Carl-Anders Dexter is a truly rare bird in the progg universe. He hates everything from the political left, and he really hates communists. I mean he really hates them! He hates them so much that he recorded two albums in 1978 and 1981 respectively just to tell everybody how much he hates communists. And then he released them on Contra, a publishing company known for really hating communists.

Dexter (if that's his real name - ”dexter” is Latin for ”right” and it seems a little too appropriate if that was his birth name) was obviously a Merle Haggard fan. There's two Haggard songs on ”Sån't som får mig att ilska till” (=”things that makes me angry”). One of them is, needless to say, ”Okie From Muskogee” which may or may not be ironic on Haggard's part, but here every trace of possible irony is gone. There's a bit of country in Dexter's original songs too, but filtered through the jiggly sound of Swedish dance bands. With the difference that Dexter's songs are so musically stiff that I can't imagine anyone actually wanting to dance to them.

And then there's his vocals. His prosody is peculiarly squeaky and his articulation is so exaggerated that the whole thing almost comes off as parody – his rolled Rs are so overly clear that he sounds like a singing vibrator.

But there's no parody involved here, and if Dexter has anything like humour in him, it only comes out as coarse assaults. It's like listening to an inverted Knutna Nävar. They are both equally intransigent, only coming from the extreme opposites of the political spectrum. Except that Knutna Nävar actually had one or two pretty good songs and they sometimes even, probably by mistake, could swing a bit.

Carl-Anders Dexter's two albums were later reissued as ”Dexter ilsknar till igen”, a CD-r again on the Contra label with a few songs omitted plus one previously unreleased radio session (how on earth did he get on the radio?!). He also had a privately released cassette out in 1992. His albums are cheap and not too hard to find, but they're best left to wither away in the flea market bins or wherever you may find them.

From Sån't som får mig att ilskna till:
Sagor som sagor
Bekämpa kommunismen

From En sång om friheten:
En sång om friheten
Tjejer

YALSA BAND – Life Vest Under Your Seat (Nacksving, 1981)

Swedish vocals
International relevance: *

Late to the game Gothenburg band with Hannes Råstam of Blåkulla and Text & Musik, and Motvind's Göran Ekstrand. Parts of this is horrendous disco rock while other parts sound like a Nynningen gone completely bad. ”Allt medan älven drar förbi” is a stillborn cover of Bob Dylan's ”Watching The River Flow” while ”Om blixten slår ner i datan” is an Ulf Dageby song he had the good sense of not recording himself.

No links found

BENGT SÄNDH & FINN ZETTERHOLM – Complete albums 1969-1977

 Hemtjörda visor (Sonet, 1969) with Finn Zetterholm
OBS. täxten (Sonet, 1969) with Finn Zetterholm
Världens minnsta LP (YTF, 1971, 33 rpm 7") with Finn Zetterholm
Folklår – våra allra fulaste visor (YTF, 1977) with Finn Zetterholm
Swedish vocals
International relevance: -

Bengt Sändh is a troubadour with a life story much more interesting than his music. He grew up in orphanages and foster homes where he was sexually assaulted by the carers before eventually moving to his grandfather. He went to nine different schools in three years, and was repeteadly held in custody and reformatories. He ran away from one of them, as did he from military service for which he spent a month in open prison. He reputedly stole 46 cars in ten days and had forty different jobs in the course of a few years, including pall bearer, locksmith and mannequin maker. His recording debut came in 1965 with an album together with fellow troubadours Stefan Atterhall and Finn Zetterholm. Zetterholm came to be Sändh's most frequent collaborator over the years, both being controversial figures with a taste for songs and subjects on and over the edge of the commonly morally acceptable. (He also released a couple of albums with two other troubadours, Rune Andersson and Jeja Sundström, plus two solo albums up to 1981 but they're not included here.) 

Rudeness and drinking were two regular characteristics. Always at odds with society and its norms as a person and a performer, his albums were honestly meant manifestations of his denial of acceptability rooted in a disappointment with social rules. But in the end, they're all about shock value. Once the effect wears off which it immediately does, they just sound pueril and empty to an outsider. And with the music being bad too it's absolutely nothing to waste your time on.

After leaving the music scene, Sändh became a snuff producer (not as in snuff movies, but as in tobacco).

Hemtjörda visor full album playlist
OBS. täxten full album playlist
Världens minnsta LP full 7"
Folklår full album playlist

A SEVEN INCH SPECIAL, VOL. 4: Late era progg

 BALL
Leaving (For A New Land) / Ballgame (Philips, 1977)
Busker / Frida's Bank (Hi-Hat, 1978)
English vocals
International relevance: *

A Finnish-Swedish band active in Stockholm. They only made two singles, the first one also released in Finland on Hi-Hat with sides reversed and a different cover, the second one only released in Finland. They are mentioned in ”The Encyclopedia of Swedish Progressive Music” but none of them is very proggish at all. Ball was more of a classic rock band who probably thought they were very metal, but only ”Ballgame” could possibly be called hard rock. Bass player Kaj Söderström and drummer Henrik ”Hempo” Hilldén were previously in Splash and later went on to the rhyming Trash, a heavy metal band who made two albums in the 80s. Hilldén also played with Pugh Rogefeldt and Mikael Ramel in the 70s and later had an international career. 

 

SYDKRAFT – Surfway / Så tung, så lång (EMI, 1978)
English vocals, Swedish vocals
International relevance: *

Two tracks both on Sydkraft's bad full length album but in different and better versions. ”Surfway” works vastly better as the surf punk number it's here than as the terrible fake reggae track on the LP, If you want great neo-surf pop, please go to UK band The Barracudas debut album instead. Flipside ”Så tung, så lång” has more energy in this early version than on the re-recorded album version. Yes, better, but still not good.

 

 

HETS – Uran / Valutatango (Alternativ, 1979)
Swedish vocals
International relevance: -

Peripherally interesting for being on Kjell Höglund's Alternativ label. The 'A' side is an anti-nuclear song and the 'B' side is a cabaret styled song against tax refugees. Not worth the effort. Another single exists plus a full album, both on Alternativ.

STAFFANS LÄRJUNGAR – Tures trumpet / Dresden '45 (Staffan Records, 1979)
Swedish vocals, instrumental
International relevance: **

Private 45 from a Gävle band with no further releases. ”Tures trumpet” sounds a bit like an inferior early Dom Smutsiga Hundarna track, with a whacky trumpet solo at the end. ”Dresden '45” is a bit more interesting, an instrumental with a bit of atmosphere with organ and clumsy guitars. Recorded in two days in Mora Träsk's studio. Bassist Bengt-Olof Tedeborg later went to other Gävle bands including new wave band Grenzfall. Trumpeter and organist Jan Lindström later changed his surname to Berglin and became one of Sweden's most brilliant cartoonists.

STEVE ROPER BAND – Freda'n är här / Betonglåten (Opel, 1979)

Swedish vocals

International relevance: **

Umeå band with Lars Gillén on drums. Gillén later co-founded Umeå label Garageland Records that did some early reissues of Lea Riders Group and Friends. ”Betonglåten” is the best and most proggish track of the two with some prominent guitar playing. ”Freda'n är här” is more pop oriented, and later Steve Roper Band releases are mediocre power pop. They also have a track on V/A compilation "Vi har rätt till jobb".

 

ALDRIG I LIVET – När Hyland sjunger lalala... / Brända barn (Fest Produktion, 1981)

Swedish vocals

International relevance: **

Yet another act from the north of Sweden, this time from Luleå. The 'A' side is a forgettable ska track but ”Brända barn” is OK, not entirely unlike a slow Nynningen or late Nationalteatern track in style. I suspect Tomas Forssell might have been an inspiration here as he moved to Luleå after Nynningen's demise.
 

 

DOM SMUTSIGA HUNDARNA – Festen är över / Sista dansen (Nacksving, 1982)
Swedish vocals

International relevance: *

Second to last outing from this Gothenburg band, only followed by their final album ”Framtiden rusar emot dig” in 1983. By this time they had lost their early scruffy appeal and become just another Nacksving band, and hadn't it been for the saxophone, this could have been any mediocre band of 1982.

 

GOTLANDS TEATER

Knark (Noon, EP 1982)

Rockpojken / Tonys sång (Noon, 1982)

Swedish vocals

International relevance: *

Gotlands Teater was a theatre ensemble who made its vinyl debut already in 1974 with single-sided LP ”Modell /74”. Eight years later three singles appeared, including five track 33 1/3 EP ”Knark” and ”Rockpojken”. Obviously styled after the edgier side of Nationalteatern, most of it is just unexceptional rock music. Best track is ”Horor och knarkluder” from ”Knark”. 

"Rockpojken" was released with three different covers. 

Worth noting is the theatre's creative director and actor Anders T. Peedú who was in garage band Friends in the 60s. 

 

CRUT

Efter 5 långa år / Tunnan (Ljudbarrikaden Spartacus, 1978)

Jönköping / Balladen om puben Lycka (Skivbolaget Sjöbo, 1980)

Hååvee / Grande Finale (Sjöbo Påpp, 1981)

Swedish vocals

International relevance: *

Crut is already on this blog with their album ”Världspremiär”. ”Jönköping” and ”Grand Finale” are both on the album in very similar versions, while ”Balladen om puben Lycka” is an entirely different recording. The basement hard rock of ”Efter 5 långa år” is the best thing they ever did while ”Hååvee” is absolutely moronic crap. Remaining tracks fall somewhere inbetween, but closer to crap.

GUNNAR EDANDER – Musiken ur ”Kameliadamens kärlek och död” (Skådebanan, 1981)
Instrumental
International relevance: **

Gunnar Edander composed the music for ”Kärleksföreställningen”, ”Jösses flickor”, and ”Sånger om kvinnor" to name but some of his best known work. This seven-inch belongs to his most obscure efforts however. It's two instrumental tracks from a play based on Alexander Dumas' ”The Lady of the Camellias” (also knowns as simply ”Camille”) and performed at Stockholm City Theatre in 1981. ”Kameliavalsen” (with French subtitle ”La Valse aux Camélias”) is almost akin to 20th century modernist piano music. Or perhaps even a spastic unknown recording by a completely psychotic Lars Hollmer. B side is the title track from the play, ”Kameliadamens kärlek och död” (”L'amour et la Mort de la Dame aux Camélias”) and a very different thing. Starting off like a variation on ”Fûr Elise”, it soon expands into a romantic, spacious piece with strong melancholic underpinnings. A very moody composition and quite captivating. This is by and large the most intriguing music I've ever heard from Gunnar Edander and it's a shame it remains virtually unknown.

Sydkraft full single 
Hets full single
Staffans Lärjungar full single 
Aldrig I Livet full single
Dom Smutsiga Hundarna full single
Ball:
Leaving (For A New Land)
Ballgame 
Busker
Frida's Bank
Steve Roper Band:
Freda'n är här
Betonglåten
Gotlands Teater:
Knark full single
Rockpojken full single
Crut:
Efter 5 långa år full single playlist
Jönköping full single playlist
Hååvee full single playlist
Gunnar Edander no links found

ANDRA BULLAR – I krig och kärlek... och Göteborg (Silence, 1981)

Swedish vocals, a cappella

International relevance: *

The first album was like a low-calory version of Röda Bönor, lacking everything that make Röda Böners fun to listen to, especially their humour and even self-irony. For their follow-up, rhey've lost the little enthusiasm they had which obviously makes for an even duller album. Not even Kenny Håkansson can save ”I krig och kärlek... och Göteborg” from being an insipid sign of a progg movement sorely losing steam. It's almost as if Andra Bullar didn't really believe in their own feminismist manifesto anymore which in turn makes me wonder if even their first album was a simply a gold-digger's attempt at political bandwagon jumping. Röda Bönor knew how to make me listen, Andra Bullar just knew how to make me want to turn it off.

Full album playlist

KATTEGATT – Alla barnen går en sväng! (Selma Rec, 1981)

 Swedish vocals, instrumental
International relevance: **

A Gothenburg band that's not widely known today although they commissioned music for Ungdomsradion (=”the youth radio”) for the Swedish national broadcasting company in the late 70s. The songs commented on current topics with blatant political lyrics.

The members were only around 15 years old when Kattegatt began in 1976/77, all self-taught and making up their songs collectively during endless rehearsal sessions in the Gårda part of Gothenburg. Their 'modest' ambition was to make a kind of music no-one had ever heard before... but being inspired by the likes of Genesis, Frank Zappa and Samla Mammas Manna, it was clear they ended up with something well adjusted to progressive rock. But teenagers sometimes grow apart as the years go by, and once it was time for their lone, self-released album, they had all developed divergent interests. So the curiously titled ”Alla barnen går en sväng!” (=”all children go for a stroll!”) was really the beginning of the end and not the start of a continious recording career..

The many hours spent in their rehearsal room must have payed off quite well because the LP is a pretty accomplished work roughly in a fusion style. You can clearly tell the influence from 70s era Zappa from the sudden time shifts here and there, and there are indeed dashes of skewed Samla Mammas Manna humour.

Not everything here is successful. I could have done without the Caribbean moves on the first two selections, and the vocal tracks on side 2 drag a bit. But Kattegatt's joy of playing shines through on most tracks which makes this curious LP one of the more entertaining examples of Swedish fusion. They're certainly not choking on their own self-importance simply because they don't take themselves too seriously. There, an anachronistic lesson to be learnt here by many other fusionists so full of themselves that they forgot how to smile the very second they picked up their instruments.

Not a brilliant album, but one fun enough to pull out every fourth year or so.

Drummer and percussionist Mårten Tisselius actually joined Samla Mammas Manna's Von Zamla incarnation later on before joining Lars Hollmer in his Looping Home Orchestra together with Kattegatt keyboardist Sven Jansson. Singer/guitarist Staffan Ahlbom had a couple of solo singles out in the mid 80s on Transmission (the reformed version of Nacksving) before turning to studio production along with Sven Jansson recording some rather well-known Swedish bands in the 90s and 00s. They also had the Helikopter label connected to the studio and released quite a few albums in the early/mid 90s.

All previous members have stayed in touch and they still meet for some unpretentious jamming at their old rehearsal space. A full-time Kattegatt reunion is ruled out according to themselves, but a compilation of thirteen tracks called ”The Gårda Tapes” was released digitally in 2023. Still quirky, but nowhere near as charming as their original LP.

Full album playlist

HARDDA KU HARDDA GEIT – Je får aller dans me' stårsom (Jämtängen Musik Produktion, 1981)

Swedish vocals
International relevance: -

A band centered around ex-Hemkört member H.P. Burman. Based in Uppsala but with Jämtland themes, Jämtland being a Northern Swedish region. Their name is in the Jämtland dialect meaning ”half cow, half goat”. Everything on their privately released debut album ”Je får aller dans me' stårsom” sounds like they're just fooling around and faking it. They're definitely more of a comedy act than a proper band. Their rock'n'roll pastiches are particularly irritating, with Swedish versions of ”Route 66” and ”Stand By Me” plus an insulting take on Graham Parker's ”New York Shuffle”. They must presume I'm a complete idiot to think this is fun.

Hardda Ku Hardda Geit made two more albums in the 80s. H.P. Burman also released a couple of solo albums.

Full album playlist

BLOMMAN – COMPLETE ALBUMS 1977-1982

Små knepiga låtar (Mercury, 1977)
Om jag lira munspel i Winnipeg Jets (Mercury, 1978)
Jag har fått en elefant (Mercury, 1979)
Blommans epistlar (Planet, 1981)
Stockholm mitt i (Apollo, 1982)
Swedish vocals
International relevance: -

Mentioned in ”The Encyclopedia Of Swedish Progressive Music” in the section for suggested further listening which is the absolutely only reason why I include Blomman's output here. None of his albums is worth approaching in detail as they're all low on proper progg content, so consider this post dutiful and strictly parenthetical. 

Bosse ”Blomman” Blombergh got off to a rough start in life with an extensively troubled childhood. Being unable to properly deal with it, he took to drugs and alcohol with a life of crime following. That includes pimping and wife abuse for which he spent six months in jail. After being released he had a massive tax debt following his successful years as a musician when he managed to release a total of five albums 1977-1982. His albums were generally met with some acclaim, and he even had a couple of decent hits including ”Dom borde tjacka spikskor” off his debut album ”Små knepiga låtar”. His forte was the lyrics, and he had in fact published a book as early as in 1972. Songwriting wasn't his thing however, so he often wrote Swedish lyrics for songs by the likes of Dire Straits, Graham Parker, Randy Newman and J.J. Cale – ”Små knepiga låtar” actually has a full seven Cale compositions!

He may have been a certified arsehole but he wasn't entirely bereft of talent. Many of his translations are rather witty, acidic observations of his time, with wry pokes at the authorities and general stupidity. But if they worked well in his era, some of them feel pretty dated today, and with his earliest albums in particular consisting of non-original material, there's really no need to bother.

"Blommans epistlar" has liner notes by Sweden's most excellent singer/songwriter Cornelis Vreeswijk. One track on "Stockholm mitt i" is co-written with Thommie Fransson who also plays on the album.

Blomman died in 2008, 64 years old.

Små knepiga låtar full album playlist
Om lag lira munspel i Winnipeg Jets full album playlist
Jag har fått en elefant full album playlist

From Blommans epistlar:
Lämna mig inte ensam
From Stockholm mitt i:
Holmen
Rakt in i dimman
Gör nånting
Dan före dan
non-album 'B' side
Lilla Marie

ELVÄRKET – Het vinter (Slick, MLP 1981)

Swedish vocals
International relevance: **

Released on the Slick imprint, home to Elegi and Mögel, this was the final outing from Elvärket following two seven-inches in 1979 and 1980. ”Het vinter” isn't a full-length album either, but a six track 45 rpm mini album. Like many a Slick disc, ”Het vinter” moves somewhere between new wave and late era progg. Had they been a Gothenburg band instead of a Stockholm one, they would certainly have been part of the Nacksving roster alongside Huntington Band and Dom Smutsiga Hundarna.

Nothing here is particularly striking although the title track is rather appealing. Then again, there's nothing here that makes me want to turn it off in frustrated anger either. It is what it is, a rather unpretentious but not unambitious blend of the aforementioned styles. Some talent is certainly involved but not so much to make ”Het vinter” essential.

Several members went on to form soul band Mr. Soul And His Marshmallows after Elvärket broke up not too long after the release of ”Het vinter”, by way of long forgotten band D.O.R. who only had two songs out on cassette-only Slick compilation ”Mun-mot-mun-metoden” in 1982.

Maskin/Jag vill leva

THORES TRIO – Thores Trio (Kulturföreningen Källan, 1981)

  
Swedish vocals, other languages, instrumental, a cappella
International relevance: -

Vastly ignorable late era album on obscure label Kulturföreningen Källan which as far as I know only had one 7” in their catalogue outside of this Tomas Forssell produced LP. Thores Trio weren't particularly prolific on record either – they're featured on two various artists EP's on Manifest. Which is not to say they didn't have a long history because they did. As a matter of fact, they're most likely the longest running band ever to be featured on this blog.

Starting out in the tiny Northern town of Båtskärsnäs in 1933 (!) as Thor-Allans Trio, they changed their name to Thores Trio in 1936. Originally specializing in foxtrot, tango and various Swedish dance types, they stayed true to their style until the very end in 1996 when original member and accordeonist and fiddler Tore Allan Nilsson passed away at the age of 82. Singer Nanna Helin and her husband bass player Erik continued playing as a duo afterwards.

They might seem like an unlikely band to be embraced by the progressive movement, but as self-confessed communists, their politically charged lyrics with a strong local connection fell in well with the progg alumni. The Swedish version of Hanns Eisler's ”Einheitsfrontlied” speaks volumes, less so the puzzling inclusion of German schlager "Bei Mir Bist Du Schön". 

This album's probably charming to the immediate family, a limited number of the remaining 200 inhabitants of Båtskärsnäs, or Tomas Forssell completists, but assumably of very little interest to anyone else. 

"Thores Trio" was re-released with a slightly altered cover in 2021.

Full album playlist

VARIOUS ARTISTS – Lajv på Kulan (Kulan Records, 1981)

Featured artists: Big Pats / Enola Gay / Palmons / Rendevu / Ekovox / Hönsgården / Crab Boys / V.B.U (Vem Bryr Sig) / Cauze / Hagiwara / Phaze III / Backbeat / Attention / Ståndaktiga Tennsoldaterna
 Swedish vocals, instrumental
International relevance: *

Recorded live at youth center Kulan in posh Stockholm suburb Lidingö. Mostly punk bands but with three tracks having some progg bearings. Big Pats are the best of the lot with their half heavy rock progg track ”Varför”, Hönsgården are slightly under-rehearsed jazz funk, and Hagiwara are just dull jazz fusion.

Full album

KENTA – Complete albums 1979-1981

You don't have to be a coldblooded cynic to say that hadn't it been for ”They Call Us Misfits” and ”A Respectable Life”, Edgar Froese lookalike Kenta would never have gotten a recording career.

Kenneth ”Kenta” Gustafsson was born in Stockholm in 1948 to a rough upbringing. Both his parents were alcoholics and Kenta was left to take care of himself. When the Swedish mod scene grew in the mid/late 60s, Kenta was drawn into it. Swedish mods had very little in common with UK mods, with a completely different dressing style and dissimilar values. Most people only knew about the mod subculture from the newspaper headlines of 1965 when mods and raggare (another youth subculture, centered around American cars and music from the 50s) clashed in the city centre of Stockholm. The tumult came to be known as the Hötorget riots after the location where the it happened. Stefan Jarl's 1968 semi-documentary ”They Call Us Misfits”, original title ”Dom kallar oss mods”, portrays the drink and drug-fuelled mod lifestyle with greater compassion and depth, and brought buddies Kenta and Gustav ”Stoffe” Svensson to the public eye. The movie had a follow-up in 1978 with ”Ett anständigt liv” (English title ”A Respectable Life”), a much darker and grittier work than its predecessor. Ulf Dageby's relentlessly bleak soundtrack reflects the the movie with scary accurance, and marks the vocal debut of Kenta who sings on four of the tracks.

Kenta (Metronome, 1979)

Swedish vocals

International relevance: *

Kenta's co-writing partner Aapo Sääsk brought Kenta to ABBA manager and Polar Records owner Stikkan Andersson's attention, but when Andersson got cold feed, Kenta ended up with Anders Burman's Metronome. A much better choice to begin with considering Burman's penchant for odd voices and self-styled songwriters. Production work was delegated to Finn Sjöberg (Kvartetten Som Sprängde) who also plays guitar on a few tracks. As do Kenny Håkansson among several other weathered studio musicians. The instrumental backing is much more lavish and polished than Kenta himself. He sings with great conviction in a slight post-Ulf Lundell fashion, but his barky, gruff voice is certainly an acquired taste. But it serves the lyrical purpose; the words are monochromatic snapshots from life's other side and it's impossible imagining a better singer deliver them with equal confidence. The album may be a minor Swedish classic but truth is it really isn't very good. It's more of a statement entirely dependent on Kenta's persona.

In a strange turn of events, Kenta found himself competing in the Swedish Eurovision Song Contest in 1980. His contribution ”Utan att fråga” ended up as #6 – imagine that happening now! – but what many people were far more concerned with was the T-shirt Kenta wore. Depicting a couple in the sex position popularly known as 69 with the words ”try it you'll like it” had the moral majority choking in front of their TV sets. Despite, or most likely thanks to that, ”Utan att fråga” reached number 2 in the singles charts and was added to later editions of ”Kenta”.

Kan det va' fel på systemet? (Metronome, 1980)

Swedish vocals
International relevance: *

”Kenta” could very well have ended up as a one-off novelty thing, but after his ESC success, he returned with another LP. ”Kan det va' fel på systemet?” (=”could it be that the system's wrong?”) is basically more from the same stock, only a wee bit heavier with a somewhat tighter sound. Again produced by Finn Sjöberg but no Kenny Håkansson this time. More uneven than the debut but with a few better songs including ”Vi behöver hjälp”, a rather heavy track unfortunately spoiled by the vocals. Also featured is ”Bajen”, Kenta's tribute song to his favourite football team Hammarby IF.

August & Kenta (Metronome, 1981)
Swedish vocals
International relevance: *

Third time around and Kenta makes an unexpected move setting music to poems by Sweden's major author August Strindberg. It's also a step away from the large number of studio musicians to a smaller ensemble consisting of for instance Nynningen cohorts Nikke Ström and Bernt Andersson, with electric guitar provided by Ulf Dageby who also stepped in as an arranger. With Stefan Jarl in the rare position of record producer, this is almost a throwback to the ”Ett anständigt liv” soundtrack. ”Esplanadsystemet” even sounds like an outtake from it (which it isn't). At any rate, ”August & Kenta” is probably the Kenta's most focused album. The smaller line-up proves beneficial to the songs, and Kenta the singer sounds more relaxed here than on any of his previous albums. Still not great, but it showed that Kenta had more to give than just his personality.

But as fate had it, this was to be his last album. He appeared in the third installment in Stefan Jarl's Misfits series in 1993, and he popped out as for guest vocals on an album by commercial keyed fiddle player Åsa Jinder in 2002. He provided one track to a V/A tribute album to Hammarby football club in 2001. Kenta Gustafsson died from cancer two years later at the age of 54. Two posthumous albums of previously unreleased songs and demos appeared in 2022/23 in strictly limited vinyl editions.

Kenta full album playlist including "Utan att fråga"
Kan det va' fel på systemet full album playlist
August & Kenta full album playlist