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

HAUSSWOLF – Bark & is (Sista Bussen, 1980)

 

Swedish vocals, wordless vocals, spoken word
International relevance: *

Carl Michael von Hausswolf has been a driving force in Swedish underground culture for a long time, being a sound composer, visual artist and founder of one of the most important Swedish record labels in the 80s, Radium 226.05. His first appearance on record was as the bass player and guitarist on Claes Ekenstam & Sista Bandet's ”Sista tåget till Tasjkent” in 1979. His first solo album appeared as ”Bark & is” the following year featuring several Sista Bandet members.

The 'B' side points to his future of ambient tape compositions with the side long ”Is” (=”ice”). It does create some tension with chilly sounds, the spooky timbre of a zither, wailing free jazz sax and dead pan recitals of poetry, but it definitely overstays its welcome at 25 minutes. The first side is more rock oriented with traces of The Velvet Underground and the late 70s San Francisco scene with Chrome and MX-80 Sound. The noisy semi-psych tracks ”Forensisk buss” and ”Ljusa lockar” work fine but the most self-consciously affected bits are pretentious and pseudo-artistic in the same way that a lot of the period's industrial music is. Still an interesting historical artefact from a time when not a lot in this vein were made in Sweden – the closest might be parts of the much more improvised album by the mysterious Imp.Ink, also from 1980.

Carl Michael von Hausswolff is father of internationally acclaimed singer Anna von Hausswolff.

No links found 

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)

COMMUNICATION – Communication (Grammofonverket, 1974)

 Instrumental, English vocals, wordless vocals
International relevance: *

Featured in the also-rans list in Tobias Peterson's Swedish progg encyclopedia, but really too un-progg to conveniently fit here. Bassist Red Mitchell is at the helm of this constellation, and he rarely went for very adventurous sounds. Communication briefly touches on soul jazz in ”Cirrus” and give a nod to Coltrane in ”Pamukkale”, but apart from that, this is mainly standard jazz. Well executed but not very interesting.

The album was reissued on CD in 2015 as a Red Mitchell album with a new cover art.

Full album playlist (Spotify)

THOMAS MERA GARTZ – Luftsånger = Cloudsongs (Silence. 1984; rec. 1978-82)

Instrumental, wordless vocals
International relevance: ***

Those expecting anything like Träd Gräs & Stenar or Thomas Mera Gartz's solo album ”Sånger” will possibly be disappointed and definitely surprised by ”Luftsånger” (or, if you prefer its English subtitle, ”Cloudsongs”). Mixed and constructed in 1983 and released the following year through Silence Records, it was recorded during the course of four years just prior to that. It's much more of a kaleidoscopic mood piece than a song oriented collection. Not divided into separate tracks, the two untitled album sides combine field recordings, ambient sections, chunks of percussion of unknown origin, humming drones... From the liner notes: ”You can hear stormwinds, sheet-metal tub with water, happy birds in a forest glade, wooden gardenchair, grass being eaten by sheep, wheel-barrow, crickets (both normal and speeded down), a dead pine-stem, the circular sawblade of a firewood cutter, tubes rolling at the floor, kerosene tank, 'play-it-yourself' music festivals, the sound of a cigarette being rolled, the song of retarded Lasse, the vast sky in which an airplane is disappearing and much more”. There's only one segment that resembles music in the traditional sense, a kraut-like section fading in (or rather, coming out of the storm) halfway through side 1, sounding like an unusually energetic Popol Vuh rehearsal.

”Luftsånger” is one of those albums that, much like Joakim Skogsberg's ”Jola Rota”, is so set apart from everything else that it's pointless to even try measuring it by any good/bad scales. It's an entity of its own, not music of harmonics, melodies or metres but more like a state of mind. Some parts are indeed enjoyable, others (particularly the percussion bits) are terribly annoying, but they're all part of the uncategorizable whole. If you take one bit out of it, it won't be the same anymore and there's a certain strength in that. Make what you will of it, but it's certainly worth hearing at least once.

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

SAMLA MAMMAS MANNA – Måltid (Silence, 1973) / Klossa knapitatet (Silence, 1974) / Snorungarnas symfoni (MNW, 1976)

It probably says more about me than about guitarist Coste Apetrea that the two Samla Mammas Manna albums I like the best don't have him in the line-up, the one they did before he joined the band, and ”Familjesprickor” by the Zamla Mammaz Manna incarnation. Most people would say that the 1972-1976 is their prime period and it's generally acknowledged as their most classic era.

Måltid (Silence, 1973)

Instrumental

International relevance: ***

”Måltid” is the first album to feature Apetrea, and needless to say it's a much different album to the band's eponymous, guitarless debut. With Apetrea, the music lost most of the mysterious aura that surrounds their maiden work. Instead they developed their famed complexity and patented humour. Sometimes it's far too much of that make-a-funny-face sing-with-a-silly-voice thumbs-up tomfoolery. And sometimes, it's very good, as in "Folkvisa i morse". Often within the same song. And that's why I find ”Måltid” so frustrating to listen to.

Klossa knapitatet (Silence, 1974)

Instrumental
International relevance: ***

Coste Apetrea's influence on the band was really beginning to show here. A greater amount of fusion was beginning to creep into the slapstick music, with constant time changes (”heh heh, funny, eh?”) and over-complex compositions (”aren't we clever, eh?”). I can't shake off the feeling that they do it just because they can, to impress. It's peacock prog. Again, some good moments but on the whole, well, juvenile really.

Snorungarnas symfoni (MNW, 1976)

as Gregory Allan FitzPatrick/Samla Mammas Manna
Instrumental
International relevance: *** 

Greg FitzPatrick wrote ”Snorungarnas symfoni”, an extended work in four movements. Considering Samla Mammas Manna's considerable skills, it was a natural thing to let them perform it. Augmented by a horn section, they toured with ”Snorungarnas symfoni” and recorded it for MNW in 1976. Although it has parts that allow Samla Mammas Manna to show off and despite its grander scope, it's less overwrought and not as hysterical as Samla's regular albums. The downside is that it's not imaginative enough to warrant a 34 minutes playing time. Some parts could easily have been cut down to make for an overall more effective piece. 

After ”Snorungarnas symfoni”, Samla Mammas Manna took a break during which Coste Apetrea left the band (good riddance). Eino Haapala stepped in as his replacement, and the band officially reformed as Zamla Mammaz Manna.

Måltid full album playlist
Klossa knapitatet full album playlist
Snorungarnas symfoni full album playlist

LASSE FÄRNLÖF – The Chameleon (RCA Victor, 1969) / Svit Cachasa (SR, 1973)

Instrumental, wordless vocals

International relevance: ***

Lasse Färnlöf (misspelt as ”Fernlöf” on the cover to ”The Chameleon”) was a trumpeter known for his many soundtracks, and portions of this album were originally conceived for Torbjörn Axelman's 1969 movie ”Kameleonterna” (”the chameleons”). The album was recorded with musicians not credited on the album, such as Palle Danielsson, Rune Carlsson, Bobo Stenson and Bernt Rosengren.

Parts of the album are OK (particular the modal "Bertil Broström"), but not enough to match ”The Chameleon's” reputation. The addition of strings and sitar to the title track sounds pretty cheesy. Also, it's not as groundbreaking as some make it out be. Using 'non-jazz' instruments in jazz music had been tried before Färnlöf did it, and to better effect than here. In short, a very overrated album.

A Mellotronen reissue exists with the complete session for the album (including studio chatter between tracks), with Färnlöf's namn corrected.

Svit Cachasa (SR, 1973)

as Lars Färnlöf, Radiojazzgruppen, Stefan Abeleens Kvintett

International relevance: **

Instrumental

Färnlöf wrote ”Svit Cachasa” and recorded it with Swedish Radio's inhouse jazz group Radiojazzgruppen and pianist Stefan Abeleen's quintet live in Södertälje (home of Blueset, Sven Zetterberg and Friskt Vatten). It's not spectacular and is really too close to big band jazz for my taste, but it still sounds less contrived than ”The Chameleon”.

The Chameleon full album playlist
Suit Cachasa:

Mörkret ler 

La Bergerie I

La Bergerie II 

Cachasa

Delta Queen

SPLASH – Ut på vischan (Polydor, 1972) / Splash (PLA, 1974) / Splash (PLA, 1978)

Splash was a band founded in Söderhamn 1969, initially with a strong influence from Blood Sweat & Tears and similar acts, but their music grew increasingly intreresting by each album. Their debut however was an unremarkable self-produced single in 1972, ”Gobby's Train” b/w ”Way Up North”. Their full length debut followed later the same year and they soon earned a dedicated following in Norway, Belgium and former Czechoslovakia. 

 Ut på vischan! (Polydor, 1972)
Swedish vocals

International relevance: **

 

Signing to Polydor, Splash benefitted from the higher production values after the relatively primitive debut single. ”Ut på vischan!” is competent in every regard. It has a few prog moves, but has vague hints at Kebnekajse styled folk harmonics on the best track ”Smutsig jord” (with some appealing guitar work). But there's no mistaking early Splash was a horn rock band at heart, with ”Ut på vischan!” sounding like a poor man's Solar Plexus. It ought to please genre fans but others should listen before paying the relatively high prices asked for the album, and better yet, look out for their later albums.

Splash's Polydor deal ended abruptly after a truly terrible 45 of two cover choices including Edgar Winter's ”Keep Playin' That Rock'n'Roll”.

Splash (PLA, 1974)

Instrumental, wordless vocals
International relevance: ***

Splash released their first of two self-titled albums on their own PLA imprint. Self-released, it sounds professional enough, and here it's clear they were aiming at a new style. The side-long ”Karottorokokrockokrokorock (Elephant Nilson)” (say that fast) touches on Uriah Heep (not good), symphonic rock, prog, jazz and avantgarde during its 20+ minutes, while ”Tiokronorspolskan” adapted from Hjort Anders Olsson's vast catalogue of classic fiddle tunes is similar to Skäggmanslaget with Contact backing them. ”Sambahmadu” adds an Latin-cum-African flavour thanks to percussionist Ahmadu Jarr. Overall a much more interesting and rewarding effort than ”Ut på vischan!” Brilliant and eye-catching cover art by Ardy Strüwer.

1974 also saw the release of two Splash seven inches. The first of them featured more Uriah Heep heaviness on ”Orangutang Boomerang”, backed with the rather excellent ”Sunday Ride”, with lyrics by German born Swede Linus Kal X Blue (who made garage rock history with Something Wild's ”Trippin' Out” 45 in 1966). The second 1974 Splash single was recorded as a backing band to the incredibly annoying folk singer Maritza Horn.

Splash (a.k.a. Splash 2) (PLA, 1978)

Instrumental

International relevance: ***

Four years down the line and Splash's music had developed a lot. Opening track ”Variations on polska & hoppdans” is an occasionally atonal clash of styles – traditional folk tunes, fusion, cajun and what not. ”Nina” is furious fusion that works. ”El Greco” sounds like Zappa in the Near East. ”Hueå” is back in horn rock territory, but with a twist (of Zappa). The only relatively straight track here is ”Snusa” which also happens to be the least exciting selection (but with still more Zappa in the guitar department). Engineered by Mikael Ramel and hands down their most satisfying album.

Another Maritza Horn single appeared in 1975 (funky but bad), and a 1974 Tonkraft session circulates in good sound. Splash disbanded in 1979. A meaty 5CD box set of their complete recordings plus previously unreleased material was released in 2018, "Splash 1970-1979 (Samtliga inspelningar)" The archival stuff includes some rather splendid live recordings.

Ut på vischan full album

Splash full album playlist

Splash 2 full album playlist

JOAKIM SKOGSBERG – Jola rota (Gump, 1971)

Wordless vocals

International relevance: ***

 

One of the most original and visionary progg albums of all times, a truly singular statement not sounding like anything else. Released by Gump in an edition of 1,000, only 3-400 copies were sold originally. The album was withdrawn and the remaining copies melted down – the vinyl was recycled for later Gump releases which has only added to the mystique surrounding the album. And it was mysterious already to begin with.

There's no proper way describing this album. The six tracks are built around drones, dictated by Skogsberg's vocals, a kind of a hum somewhere between Sami yoik and Indian classical dhrupad singing, deeply inspired by Skogsberg's love of nature. His repetitous vocals make the music sound shamanic and the tracks overdubbed with cello, guitars, bass, violin and other instruments by Kebnekajse's Thomas Netzler and Mats Glenngård, producer and Gump honcho Pugh Rogefeldt, and Göran Lagerberg are ritualistic.

The best track is the relentless ”Offer rota”, also insufficiently excerpted on Carsten Regild's bizarre ”Voice of the Wolf”, but the entire album has a profound drive that is captivating. Hypnotic. Some have called it psychedelic but ”Jola rota” goes deeper than that. It operates on a primordial level that's got nothing to do with fads or fashion. Is it good? Is it bad? Questions like that are irrelevant because ”Jola rota” doesn't move along that scale. It shouldn't just be heard, it should be experienced.

Full album playlist

BJÖRN J:SON LINDH – The 1970's albums

Björn J:son Lindh's name pops up everywhere on this blog. No wonder – he was part of the core staff of studio musicians, and remained so for decades, often performing with guitarist Janne Schaffer. His 'Credits' section at Discogs has almost 600 entries, and there are probably more albums featuring J:son Lindh still not listed. He was well-versed in multiple genres, wrote music for movies and television, and more important his breathy and sometimes even aggressive flute style was distinct and original. He remained active up until his death a few days before Christmas in 2013. Still many Swedish casual listeners have a limited view of J:son Lindh's scope, largely based on the romantic and new age tinged 1980 hit ”Brusa högre lilla å”. While true a lot of his albums beyond the 1970's are best avoided, some of his earliest solo works are pretty great. 

Some of his albums were released internationally under the moniker Jayson Lindh.

Ramadan (Metronome, 1971)

Instrumental

International relevance: ***

 

First solo outing from Björn J:son Lindh features the likes of Kenny Håkansson, Jojje Wadenius, Jan Brandel and jazz men Bobo Stenson and Palle Danielsson. ”Ramadan” touches on funk, renaissance music, Swedish folk, Eastern scales, jazz and multiple points in-between. The exuberant ”Love March” was culled from the album and the single quickly became a radio favourite. The warm sounding production, typical to Metronome albums of the 70's, ensures a rewarding listen even today. 

Från storstad till grodspad (SR, 1971)

Instrumental, Swedish vocals

International relevance: ***

A very different, interesting but nevertheless largely parenthetical release in J:son Lindh's early ouvre, recorded with a symphony orchestra and released through Swedish Radio's imprint. The experimental and collage-like ”Från storstad till grodspad” has its admirers and the first side – devoted in full to the suite ”Musik från en storstad” – may interest fans of early Mothers of Invention. Side two is all over the place, with prog (”Grytnäs sväller”), jazz and modernist art music. Hawkey Franzén appears on ”I grodspadet”. It's a diverse album, or more precisely way too inconsistent.

Cous Cous (Metronome, 1972)

Instrumental, wordless vocals
International relevance: ***

The proper second album isn't quite as cohesive as ”Ramadan” but it's still a must if you like the J:son Lindh's debut. Highlights includes ”El Henna” in vivid Oriental colours, and the minute track ”Abdo” which sounds a bit like the long tracks off US Kaleidoscope's magnificent albums. Both tracks feature Egyptian lute player Abd al-Rahman al-Khatib (who also lends his rich baryton hum to ”Abdo”). There are other great moments here, but these two tracks alone would still make ”Cous Cous” a mandatory listen.

Sissel (Metronome, 1973)
Instrumental 

International relevance: ***

 

His third Metronome album moves in the territory staked out by ”Ramadan” and ”Cous Cous” but hasn't quite the same amount of emanating mystique. Still an album to own for the funky groove of ”Your Own House” and the fast moving title track which is a most meritorious example of what later would develop into fullblown fusion. Along with ”Ramadan” and ”Cous Cous”, ”Sissel” makes up an informal trilogy that together stands as Björn J:son Lindh's finest hour.

Boogie Woogie (Metronome, 1974)

Instrumental

International relevance: ***

Things definitely began to slide with ”Boogie Woogie”. With it J:son Lindh took a further step towards the fusion amalgam, adopting a studio sound that pretty much killed the graceful mysticism of his previous albums. Only closing track ”Pivo” retains the Oriental influences to good effect, making it the self-evident high mark of ”Boogie Woogie”. Released as ”Second Carneval” in the US.

Raggie (Metronome, 1976)

Instrumental

International relevance: ***

Take a look at the cover and you've heard the album. The pink fuzz and soft focus of the sleeve is also prevalent on the album itself and turns the music into an unengaging smear – smooth perfection over musical content. The sole exception is ”Anniversary March” with Mats Glenngård's fiddle adding a much needed spirit. The softer tracks try to capture the low-key sense of wonder familiar from the 'trilogy', but they end up as hopeless slippery new age drivel. 

Bike Voyage II (Sonet, 1978)

Instrumental

International relevance: ***

After signing with Sonet, J:son Lindh appeared with this album which is marginally better than ”Raggie”, largely thanks to a couple of tracks with a pronounced Oriental feel like the traditional ”Billathi Askara”, enhanced by Egyptian Nāgi al-Ḥabaši fervent cello playing, and ”Ah Q” with a guest appearance from Okay Temiz on tablas. But it's ”A Day at the Surface”, ”Hotel and Drumsticks”, ”Colwyn Way”, and ”Boathouse Club” (the latter with an absolutely horrendous synth part) that define the album as just another bloodless fusion album, as stone dead as the granite bust on the cover. Released as ”A Day at the Surface” in the UK.

Ramadan full album playlist
Från grodspad till storstad full album playlist
Cous Cous full album playlist
Sissel full album playlist
Raggie full album playlist
Bike Voyage II full album playlist

MERIT HEMMINGSON – Huvva! (EMI, 1971) / Trollskog (EMI, 1972) / Bergtagen (EMI, 1973) / Balsam (EMI, 1975)

There's something cheesy about a lot of what Merit Hemmingson has released over the years, but when her blend of Hammond jazz, pop and Swedish traditional music worked in her favour, it certainly has an appeal that is hard to resist.

Hemmingson began her recording career in the 60's, releasing a few albums including two on RCA Camden. Songs like ”A Taste of Honey”, ”Watermelon Man”, ”Can't Take My Eyes Off You” and ”Little Green Apples” saw her trying to make a name for herself in the instrumental soul jazz/easy listening mould. It wasn't until her first album for EMI that she found the folk music based style that made her popular act in Sweden with numerous TV appearances and respectable album sales. Her best albums are still highly rated by quite a few, and she even had a bit of a renaissance in recent years, and did a few shows with Kebnekajse.

Huvva! – Svensk folkmusik på beat (EMI Columbia, 1971)

Instrumental, wordless vocals

International relevance: ***

With the help from luminaries such as Jojje Wadenius, Slim Borgudd, renaissance musician Sven Berger and noted folk fiddler Ole Hjort, Merit Hemmingson brought her vision to life. Leaving the crowd pleasing easy listening chestnuts behind in favour of exclusively traditional tunes, she carved out a niche that at the time was entirely her own. Her reputation of being the groove queen of Sweden began here, with swinging renditions of ”Gånglåt från Ovanåker” and the much loved ”Gammal jämtländsk brudmarsch”. But ”Huvva!” (a word in northern dialects roughly meaning ”crikey!”) has a fair amount of reflective moments too – the short ”Gammalståschans hjärtesuck” is laced with mournful wordless vocals, and ”Vindarna sucka uti skogarna” touches on Hansson & Karlsson at their most sombre.

Although ”Huvva!” is her fourth album, it feels like her debut. And a strong 'debut' it is.

Trollskog (Mer svensk folkmusik på beat) (EMI Columbia, 1972)

Instrumental, Swedish vocals, wordless vocals

International relevance: ***

”Trollskog” continues where ”Huvva!” left off, taking some of predecessor's musicians along. Added to the studio line-up is Björn J:son Lindh on flute, guitar wiz Janne Schaffer and percussionist Sabu Martinez and others. The partial personnel changes made for a somewhat funkier style, and even attributed a psychedelic tinge to some of the tracks. Almost as good as "Huvva!".

Bergtagen (EMI, 1973)

International relevance: ***

Instrumental, wordless vocals

After releasing ”Det for två vita duvor – folkton i Vikens kapell” together with impossible-to-pinpoint larger-than-life comedian/poet/childrens' TV host/thinker/eccentric Beppe Wolgers earlier in 1973, (Wolgers also appears on a couple of tracks on "Trollskog".) Hemmingson returned with an album made with newly formed three-piece backing band Folkmusikgruppen. It's a self-assured album and she obviously feels at ease with having her own band as opposed to working with seasoned studio musicians, but at the same time the concept was slowly beginning to wear thin. The sense of pioneering exploration that made her first two proper folk albums so appealing is waning off (she even re-recorded ”Gammal jämtländsk brudmarsch” or the album), and the prevalent jazz influences are oddly enough stifling to the music. ”Bergtagen” has a couple of fine tracks (including the contageously groove ”Domaredansen”) but it's far too uneven to compete with ”Huvva!” and ”Trollskog”. Having said that, I still think it's an OK album to have, especially to complete the informal trio of folk albums that began with "Huvva!".

Balsam (EMI, 1975)

Instrumental, English vocals, wordless vocals

International relevance: **

 

By the time of ”Balsam”, Hemmingson obviously realized she couldn't take the hitherto successful concept much further without repeating herself too much. Bringing more scat singing, harmonica, synthesizers, strings etc, plus a more expensive sounding production to the table, ”Balsam” is in some way a return to her pre-”Huvva!” years, with a greater emphasize on easy listening, only grander in scope. Unfortunately it meant a step completely in the wrong directions, with Hemmingson losing her tracka altogether. An atrocious discofied version of soul classic ”I Heard It Through the Grapevine” proves my point well enough.

 

Hemmingson has continued performing and making albums through the years, but with ”Balsam” painfully marking the end of an era, there's no reason for this blog to go further down her discography.

 

Huvva! full album playlist
Trollskog full album playlist

Bergtagen full album playlist
Balsam full album playlist