MA CONNECTION – 8691 (Brute Force, 1981)

 
English lyrics

International relevance: **

Semi-professional sounding private release from this Umeå band which existed from 1980 to 1982 and toured with other local bands as well as being support act to wellknown Luleå band Rekyl. More of a heavy rock outfit somewhere between early ZZ Top (only better, which isn't too hard to be!) and other somewhat less boogie-inflicted contemporaries. Despite the year of release, there are surprisingly few signs of Ma Connection taking cues from the then burgeoning NWOBHM scene. Progressive moves are prevalent albeit faint; they're much more steeped in the pre-heavy metal hard rock of the 70s. Although I'm not much of a genre fan (although not entirely dismissive of it either), I won't deny there's something decidedly appealing about the curiously titled ”8691”. The performances – eight tracks in total – are passionate and the playing is tight and spirited. The vocals are only so-so but they add a down-to-earth blue-collar gutter vibe to the music which in fact is pretty tasty.

The songs aren't bad at all, especially in their field. I find myself tapping my feet and nodding my head to ”Mighty Men Of Power” and the gritty ”You Will Care” which, to top it off rather nicely, sports some Eastern-sounding guitar work. All tracks are originals, and given the high quality of the material, that is in fact pretty impressive. Only album closer ”Aching Heart Disease” is a bit 'meh”, being a rather pedestrian blues (and at almost 7 minutes, overlong).

Only 300 copies were pressed, and on the rare occassions ”8691” comes up for sale, it has a rather hefty pricetag attached to it. I can see why: genre fans must drag their drooling tongues on the ground over this! This one is certainly ripe for a proper reissue. Shadoks, are you listening?

Ma Connection also had a live cassette out, ”Live At Elvira”, of which I know nothing.

For those who may wonder, the cryptic album title refers to Martini Bianco.

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MOLLRÖR – Med muskelmun och mannarap (Brute Force, 1982)

Swedish vocals, instrumental

International relevance: *

 

I was actually completely unaware of this album until it recently began to make the Internet rounds. Mollrör grew out of Umeå band Peppe & The Popping Peanuts, formed in around 1973. While they never released a record, they did manage to get on Swedish TV with their song ”Killa mig på Kilimanjaro”, with the lyrics being a poem by Sixten Landby, a Umeå heavy weight lifter and strongman turned poet. Peppe & The Popping Peanuts were shunned by the progg movement (something they apparently weren't that unhappy with) but known locally for their semi-surrealist live shows, thus drawing comparisons to Danish rock theatre group Røde Mor.

I'm not sure exactly when Peppe & The Popping Peanuts developed into the curiously named Mollrör (roughly meaning 'minor tube', with 'minor' as in minor scales or chords). Their sole album, the equally curiously entitled ”Med muskelmun och mannarap” ('with muscle mouth and manna belch'), was released on local label Brute Force in 1982 in an edition of 337 copies and including a booklet. During the label's short existence – apparently founded in 1981 and closed down in 1983 – Brute Force Records mainly released punk related singles, most of them featuring label head and Mollrör drummer Lars Gillén.

”Med muskelmun och mannarap” is a rather strange album waving its fists in all quirky directions. Unfortunately, most songs fall in the pastiche category with a humorous flair (probably inherited from Peppe & The Popping Peanuts) which is more annoying than funny. Only a couple of songs is kept safe from the dated attempts at satire and parody. ”Rönnskärsverken” is a slow, angst-ridden track with a strong environmental pathos – decidedly the most successful track in this collection. ”Must och märg” is in a somewhat similar vein and the album's second best track. Of the pastiches, ”Desperate Prairie” is the most successful, an instrumental cowboy/surf track with garage psych touches provided by Roger Broman's swirling organ. Speaking of garage rock, ”Leker med eld” is a Swedish translation of The Seeds' classic ”Pushing Too Hard” but let's just say you hardly need to substitute your ”Nuggets” for ”Med muskelmun and mannarap”...

People specifically interested in the rock history of Northern Sweden, or any rare album regardless of what it sounds like might find this interesting. On strictly musical terms, it's nowhere near satisfying and is best avoided.

Lars Gillén passed away in March 2020 at the age of 66 after several years of fighting cancer. After Brute Force Records, Gillén founded the Garageland label who rose to some notoriety as a reissue label as well as the home of his neo-psych/space rock band Jukon Speakers.

Full album