RÖDA ROPET – Spänn bågen (Ungkommunisters Förlag, 1975)

Swedish vocals

International relevance **

One of Gothenburg's better communist affiliated bands, featuring future Sky High main man Clas Yngström (also of Soffgruppen) on guitar. Some songs were written by Dennis Huntington of Love Explosion and Huntington Band, in addition to a couple of translated versions of Muddy Waters and Chuck Berry songs, plus ”En yngling” written by singer/songwriter Dan Berglund. 

The alternately male and female vocals are a bit overenthusiastic at times but never quite fall into the trap of smug conceit too many others got chewed up in. Sure it has its fair share of proselytizing, but ”Spänn bågen” is a pretty rocking thing, highlighted by the raging ”Ge mig sanningen” and closing track ”Pedro”. It's an OK album, taken for what it is.

Nynnat och sjungit 

Dom e dom 

Spring Lasse spring 

En yngling

Lite borta ska man va

Ge mig sanningen

Pedro

SOFFGRUPPEN – Greatest Sits (Nacksving, 1975)

Instrumental

International relevance: ***

You'd be hard pressed to guess that guitarist Clas Yngström appeared on Röda Ropet's ”Spänn bågen” the same year Soffgruppen released their sole album by listening to any of them, and there's certainly nothing about his later ZZ Top boogie with successful act Sky High to reveal his Soffgruppen past.

”Greatest Sits” kicks off with the free jazz title track before moving into more tranquil territories with the second track ”Jag tänker”. These are the two extremes ”Greatest Sits” darts between, with Yngström more or less constantly bouncing off against Matz Nilsson's jittery bass and Pierre Swärd's paroxystic piano and organ, all the while Anders Kjellberg provides volcanic drum patterns one minute and a steady and funky beat the next. Yes, they add some groove along the way, and some would perhaps define the album as fusion, and well, if you'd accept that description, insufficient as it is, then this is one of the most hard-edged and best fusion albums to come out of Sweden, with some similarities to Terhe Rypdal's Min Bul. It's also one of the few really worthwhile Nacksving releases. Ironically, it almost put the newly founded Nacksving out of business before they got it started, as few could relate to the uncompromising sounds within the wonderfully creepy cover.

Full album