SAREK – Smol 1 (Bastun, 1981) / Ohoj! (Mandarine, 7”, 1980)

 
Swedish vocals
International relevance: *

Sarek (not to be confused with any other band by that name) were distantly related to Splash through multi-instrumentalist Kay Söderström, while drummer Gus Dahlberg appears on Mikael Ramel's all too underrated ”Jag rycker dig i svansen” in 1979. Thommie Fransson in turn was an oft-hired session guitarist who also released a solo album at the tail end of Sarek's existence.

Sarek's debut came with an absolutely appalling 45 in 1980 with the idiot rock of ”Ohoj!” on side 1 and the pseudo yacht rock of ”Alla tiders hjälte” on the flip.

The curiously entitled LP ”Smol 1” followed the next year and is in a similar vein, but it also displays a clear inspiration from contemporary Zappa. The best track on the disc is even a cover of Zappa's ”More Trouble Every Day”, here named "Spüan”. That's a homemade spelling of the word ”spyan” meaning ”the vomit” and gives you an example of Sarek's low rent humour.

I certainly don't recommend it, but if anyone wants to hear Sarek's Tonkraft gig from April 1980, it's available as scattered tracks on this Youtube channel.

Full album + single 

MÖRBYLIGAN – Järtecken (Mistlur, 1980) / No. 003 (Bastun, 1982)

Swedish vocals
International relevance: -

As I mentioned in my review of their first album, Mörbyligan appealed to both proggsters, punks and so called ordinary people. Later albums didn't quite match the popularity of early songs like ”Ensamma Sussie” though. Their debut album ”Mörbyligan” hasn't aged well at all and appears hopelessly cringeworthy today, but already second album ”Järtecken” is worse. It sounds like a third rate Nationalteatern and their wishy-washy social pathos sounds fake. Especially in hindsight as their songwriter Åke Bylund later turned to nationalist politics. Their appropriately titled third album ”No. 003” is along those same lines and is downright dreadful with Mörbyligan going for a radio friendly classic rock sound and even shoddier songs.

from "Järtecken":
Lilla Sussie är död / Patrasket / 1902 (Nygammal kampsång) / Vi tjejer / Johnny Rumpvick / Varje vår / En ny dag / Davy Crockett / ABC för gossebarn / Kojan / Svarta oceaner / Kalles jul / Östermalm 
from "No. 003":
Det är nu som vi måste leva / Japaner, japaner (Vilket drag...) / Du / Frihetsgudinnan Hagen (Det är dags att sova igen) / Hon kunde dansa över ängarna / Lilla Sophie / ID 19 (CV2)

PETER NORDSTRÖM – Ensam och fri (Bastun, 1980)

Swedish vocals
International relevance: *

Little known rock singer/songwriter that worked hard on his Ulf Lundell look on the album cover but sounding more like a lesser version of Swedish country/soft rock singer Lalla Hansson.

Peter Nordström debuted in 1978 with one-off single ”Det kommer nya tider”/”Salongsbolsjeviken” featuring Björn J:son Lindh on piano. He appears on the ”Ensam och fri” album too, plus Kebnekajse's Mats Glenngård, Berndt Egerbladh and a number of seasoned studio musicians such as Jan Bandel, Ola Brunkert and Peter Lundblad.

The album is insignificant and Nordström's lyrics are full of ”lonely man drifting restless through the world” clichés that are quite irritating as he doesn't sound at all like somebody with a romantic hobo lifestyle. Rather like a perfectly ordinary bloke who sends his kids to school in the morning and walks the family dog named Fluffy when he comes home from his boring work at the local insurance agency xeroxing papers no-one really needs.

The best track is ”Det här är mitt liv” but that's a Swedish cover of Danish band Gasolin's hit ”This Is My Life” from a few years earlier. In short, this is a redundant album and the only one Nordström made.

Full album