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 Still, the music itself isn't very interesting, and ”Barn i stan” stands most of all as merely a historical document from the tail end of the progg movement.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.

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VARIOUS ARTISTS – Röd 1:a maj-fest (Oktober, 1974)

Featured artists: Robert Karl Oskar Broberg / Peps Blodsband / Pepparn / Fria Proteatern / Athenians / Margareta Söderberg / Anders Linder / Lennart Johnsson / Röda Stjärnan

Swedish vocals, a capella, instrumental
International relevance: *

Recorded live on 1 May, 1974 celebrating Labour Day. Wildly uneven and certainly not essential, but with a couple of memorable performances. The majestic Peps Blodsband performs a spirited ”Fem långa år”, a translation of Eddie Boyd's classic blues ”Five Long Years”. They also team up with actor Anders Lind (Kapten Zoom, Ville & Valle & Viktor) for one track.  Hoola Bandoola Band backs up Robert Broberg for ”Vem är det som bromsar och vem är det som skjuter på”.and also appears on their own, with a surprisingly weak take on their otherwise excellent ”Keops pyramid”. Other artists include accordionist Pepparn, an a capella performance by Margareta Söderberg (known from her collaboration with Arbete & Fritid on ”Käringtand”), and three fatiguing tracks by Fria Proteatern.

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ELEKTRISKA LINDEN – Torbjörns dansskola (Avanti, 1978)

Swedish vocals

International relevance: **

A later era progg album that features a massive cast of progg eminences such as Blå Tåget's Leif Nylén and Carl-Johan de Geer, Torbjörn Abelli of Träd Gräs Och Stenar, Anders Linder (Kapten Zoom, Ville & Valle & Viktor) and Mikael Katzeff (later of the revived Gudibrallan). The Torbjörn of the title and album cover is Sweden's right wing prime minister Torbjörn Fälldin, just elected when the album came out. The rich instrumentation of violin, sax, trombone, clarinet, harmonica and string synthesizer makes for a rich timbre palette but the playing is somewhat over-enthusiastic and messy at times, as on opening track ”Uppmuntran” and ”(Äntligen) Tillbaks i stan”. ”Tystnadens kultur” is a bit similar to Anders F. Rönnblom, while ”Bränna Highway 20 med stereo på” and the title track almost sound like a slightly jazzier version of Gudibrallan if you can picture that. Unfortunately, it's a pretty dull album overall.

Elektriska Linden spin-off band Torvmossegossarna released an EP in 1979, the anti nuclear 7” ”Atomkraft? Nej tack” on their own label Skivbolaget EKO. The 45 includes a cover of Knäckebröderna's ”R.R.R.”. Stylistically similar to Elektriska Linden but with a less dry production. Elektriska Linden also had a track on Avanti's 1978 ”Samlade krafter” compilation, and one on ”Vi kan leva utan kärnkraft” on Silence in 1975.

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VARIOUS ARTISTS – Alternativ festival (MNW, 1976)

Featured artists: Fungus (NL) / Amerindios (CHL) / Sume (GRL) / Nynningen / Viltstråk / Anton Swedbergs Swängjäng / Konvaljen / Slim Notini / Margareta Söderberg / Pojkarna Från Storholmen / Harpan Min / Turid / Balkan (DEN) / Arja Saijonmaa / Gregoris Tzistoudis (GR) / Gunnar Thordarsson (ISL) / Ville & Valle & Viktor / Adolf Fredriks flickkör / Silverdalskören / 3 På En Pall / Þokkabót ‎(ISL) / Slim's Blues Band / Solvognen (DEN) / Södra Bergens Balalaikor / Peggy Seeger (UK/US) / Ewan MacColl (UK) / Amtmandens Døtre (NOR) / Risken Finns / Nationalteatern / Sillstryparn

Swedish vocals, instrumental, spoken word

International relevance: **

When ABBA won the Eurovision Song Contest in 1974, Sweden was to host the show in 1975. The music movement responded with a festival of its own under the banner of ”fight against the commercialization of the culture”. Alternativfestivalen, ”the alternative festival”, took place in Stockholm during six days in March 1975. An array of performers from Sweden and abroad (including Greenland!) gathered for the occasion; Anton Swedbergs Swängjäng, Kebnekajse, Nationalteatern, Nynningen, Risken Finns, Solar Plexus, Solen Skiner, Södra Bergens Balalaikor, Hoola Bandoola Band, Konvaljen, Turid, Slim Notini, Margareta Söderberg, Francisco Roca, Fungus, Shit & Chanel, Kevin Coyne, Ewan MacColl & Peggy Seeger... A total of 950 musicians appeared before an audience totalling 12,000 people. The event was recorded for a future double LP on MNW, and filmed for what became the ”Vi har vår egen sång – musikfilmen” documentary, both in 1976. A staggering 5,000 people partook in the protest march against the contest held on Saturday 22 March, 1975, the very same day of the ESC broadcast, which led to the Swedish cancellation of contest the following year.

Alternativfestivalen culminated with Sillstryparn – a character invented by Nationalteatern's Ulf Dageby – performing the acidic satire ”Doin' the omoralisk schlagerfestival” (”doin' the immoral Eurovision Song Contest”) backed by members of Nationalteatern and Nynningen. The song was featured on the album and also released as a 7” and became not only a hit but a progg anthem plenty of people still know today. (The 45 also includes two non-album tracks by Risken Finns and Nationalteatern & Nynningen respectively.)

Featuring such disparate artists, the album itself is a stylistic roller coaster ride. Traditional folk music from several countries, choral music and spoken word performances mix with rock. blues and fusion. It doesn't hold up as an album – the symbolic value as a commemorative piece from the manifestation exceeds the listening pleasure. That said, it has a couple of OK selections. Dutch band Fungus offers up a nice albeit unashamedly derivative slice of Fairport Convention styled folk rock with ”Kap'ren varen”, Nynningen gives ”Skuldkomplexet” a spirited performance, and Danish trio Balkan (led by Bazaar's Peter Bastian) are great. ”Doin' the omoralisk schlagerfestival” is, well, not exactly great but very amusing. Oddly enough, neither Solar Plexus nor Kebnekajse are on the album but they do appear in the movie which is an overall better document than the album. An alternative festival was arranged in the spirit of the original event in 2007 with contemporary artists.

Arja Saijonmaa & Gregoris Tzistoudis - Moderns klagosång 

Ewan MacColl & Peggy Seeger - Song of Choice

Nationalteatern, Nynningen & Sillstryparn - Doin' the omoralisk schlagerfestival