NATURE – Nature (Gump, 1972) / Earthmover (Sonet, 1974) / LASSE WELLANDER – Electrocuted (Sonet, 1976) / WELLANDER & RONANDER – Wellander & Ronander (Polar, 1978)

Nature was an Örebro blues rock outfit that evolved out of Blues Quality who made one album with blues and reggae master Peps Persson. Harmonica player and singer Mats Ronander's Hendrix styled vocals ais one of their foremost characteristics, with his sidekick Lasse Wellander taking care of the heavy guitar sound. Nature was often hired as a back-up band to artists such as Pugh Rogefeldt and nationally successful singer/songwriter acts Ulf Lundell and Ted Gärdestad. There are two 1972 Pugh 45's co-credited to Nature, and one Lundell album, ”Natten hade varit mild och öm” released around the time of Nature's demise in 1977. 

NATURE – Nature (Gump, 1972)

English vocals, Swedish vocals

International relevance: ***

Mats Ronander's vocals are too derivative and in your face, but that's not the only thing that makes this a pointless album. Nature's blues rock is pedestrian, dull and redundant. It features both English and Swedish vocals, and partly because of the Swedish lyrics, ”Den killen är en stjärna” sounds a bit like power trio November. ”Nature” was produced by Pugh Rogefeldt who worked for Metronome subsidiary Gump who released the album, which alone makes it an expensive item. But that's all there is to pay for: the label, not the music.

 

NATURE – Earthmover (Sonet, 1974)

English vocals, Swedish vocals

International relevance: ***

Their second album has a more luxurious production with additional musicians like Björn J:son Lindh, sax player Bernt Rosengren, pianist Alain Leroux and conga player Malando Gassama expanding the sound. Thankfully Ronander had also toned down some of his Hendrix complex which makes for more 'natural' sounding vocals. But multiple session musicians and Claes af Geijerstam's production Nature makes this an even weaker effort than their debut, and unnecessary cover versions of Lovin' Spoonful's ”Summer in the City” and Dylan/The Band's ”This Wheel's on Fire” certainly don't help. ”Earthmover” is overproduced and too glossy. Best track is the instrumental ”Meating” which sounds a bit like Kebnekajse with Gassama's congas a crucial element.

A couple of unreleased early 70's Nature radio sessions exist, and there's a 1972 recording with Dave Greenslade in ”Progglådan”.

LASSE WELLANDER – Electrocuted (Sonet, 1976)

Instrumental

International relevance: ***

For his solo debut album, Wellander went for ”Earthmover” producer Claes af Geijerstam to get the desired sound. Geijerstam also plays guitar and adds some background vocals on ”Electrocuted”, and other high level session musiciani including Wlodek Gulgowski and Tommy ”Slim” Borgudd appears as well. Even UK keyboard player Dave Greenslade who Nature played with in 1972. Without a singer to balance the music, it's a guitar album through and through. Wellander solos and solos and solos and solos, and just in case, he overdubs himself so he can play solos twice or more at the same time. Sometimes funky, sometimes bluesy, sometimes semi-progressive, sometimes romantic, always boring. Best track is the Kebnekajse pastiche ”Lingonskogen”.

WELLANDER & RONANDER – Wellander & Ronander (Polar, 1978)

Swedish vocals, instrumental
International relevance: *

After Nature's break-up, Lasse Wellander again teamed up with Mats Ronander for an album, this time released through ABBA's label Polar. Constipated blues rock, rheumatic funk, thickheaded hard rock... As great as a heart attack.

Nature full album playlist
Earthmover full album playlist

Electrocuted full album playlist

Wellander & Ronander full album playlist
Tonkraft 1972 full album

MATS GLENNGÅRD – Kosterläge (Gump, 1972)

Swedish vocals, instrumental

International relevance: ***

Often praised, always expensive in its original Gump incarnation, Kebnekajse fiddler Mats Glenngård's first solo album is different to what one might expect, with a prominent Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young vibe and lyrics concerned with environmental issues. The folk influence of course shines through here and there, as on ”Berget heter bonden (Fiollåten)” and ”Tongång till Täby”, but there's little here to remind you of Kebnekajse (although they did occasionally perform the title track at gigs).

The absurd asking prices suggests ”Kosterläge” is a masterpiece which it isn't. It's a good album with several fine tracks, especially the title track, ”Allt på denna runda jord” and ”Djuret” (the latter with a ferocious guitar solo by Glenngård himself), but it's certainly not €300 good. However, the album has been reissued. And it's always great hearing Bo Skoglund drumming.

Glenngård made a second solo album in 1980, ”Violin Race”.

Full album playlist

CARSTEN REGILD / VARIOUS ARTISTS – Voice of the Wolf (Gump, 1975)

Swedish vocals, spoken word

International relevance: *

The final and most peculiar album on the collectable Gump label. Actually, it's one the most puzzling progg related releases ever. It features abbreviated versions of tracks from previous Gump albums by Sten Bergman and Joakim Skogsberg, an extract from ”Mr. Smith in Rhodesia” by sound poet and author Åke Hodell, pieces by avantgardists Sten Hanson, Leo Nilson, and J.O. Mallander (of legendary Finnish experimental band The Sperm) plus several previously unreleased recordings including a not very good outtake from Pugh Rogefeldt's not very good 1973 ”On the Rocks” album. (Metronome artist Rogefeldt was a sort of A&R man for Metronome subsidiary Gump.)

The entire second side of the album is dedicated to Hans Anton Knall's ”Merde”, comprising excerpts from all the tracks on side one, electronically treated by Knall into one dizzying electronic composition. The album was credited to and edited/produced by Carsten Regild at Sweden's leading studio for electro-acoustic music, Fylkingen. Regild had previously released the massively rare ”Be My Baby” 7” on Gump in 1970, and provided graphics to several albums in 70's and 80's (among them ”Alla vi barn” by enfant terrible Tom Zacharias).

As a showcase for Gump it's pretty useless as it only includes a couple of edited tracks from previous Gump LP's. It doesn't work as a general representation of the Swedish experimental audio scene either as the selections are so wildly inconsistent stylistically. It's much more of an aural installation piece. Far from a regular spin but undeniably intriguing on its own terms. 

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

STEN BERGMAN – Lyckohjulet (Gump, 1974)

Swedish vocals, instrumental

International relevance: ***

Sixth album released on Metronome's highly collectable subsidiarylabel Gump. Sten Bergman had been in Atlantic Ocean and Fläsket Brinner and features former band colleagues Per Bruun on bass, guitarist Bengan Dahlén, plus Archimedes Badkar's Christer Bjernelind also on guitar, and Thomas Mera Gartz of Träd, Gräs Och Stenar on drums and violin. ”Lyckohjulet”, however, is a much more straightforward than any of the aforementioned bands. It shows Bergman well acquinted with the American music of the day – think of a more relaxed version of early 70's Jefferson Airplane, the Crosby, Stills & Nash family, The Band and ”Basement Tapes” Dylan, and you've nailed the album pretty well.

Among the weaker tracks are the country tinged title track and ”St. John”, the piano ballad ”Vinterdröm”, and ”Kommer hem” which borrows a little too much from Dylan's ”Like a Rolling Stone” (did Bergman really think no-one would notice?). But the good tracks are really good – ”Människofiskare”, ”Med dej här bredvid”, ”För mycket av ingenting” (”too much of nothing” in English – spot the Dylan reference?), floaty album closer "Sorti" and, to top it off, the marvellous ”Vägen är lång”. In short: It's uneven but good, with one great track. 

Full album playlist

KVARTETTEN SOM SPRÄNGDE – Kattvals (Gump, 1973)

Instrumental

International relevance: ***

Ranked #16 on the blog's Top 25 list

Kvartetten Som Sprängde started out as a quartet just like their name implies but were reduced to a three-piece before making their lone album for the legendary and collectable Gump label. However, the trio format is perfectly sufficient, with guitarist Finn Sjöberg interweaving folk inspired melody lines with Fred Hellman's thick layers of moody organ and the free flowing and pulsating beat provided by drummer and jazz legend Rune Carlsson.

”Kattvals” comes across like a cross-pollination of early Bo Hansson/Hansson & Karlsson, Kebnekaise and Fläsket Brinner – the latter is a particularly valid reference in the case of the stunning ”Gånglåt från Valhallavägen”, evoking the similarly titled ”Gånglåten” from Fläsket Brinner's debut album of 1971. ”Vågspel” offers up more of Hellman's folk derived harmonics, similar to Bo Hansson's "Sagan om ringen", conjuring up mental images of dark Northern forests and twilight goblins. As declared by its song title, ”Andesamba” (”Spirit Samba”) relies on Latin influences (which has provoked some misleading comparisons to Santana) with a forceful drive again prevalent in closing track ”Ölandsshuffle”. But all tracks are worthy of mention really, as the album has no weak moments. ”Kattvals” is a tour de force, a grand moment in progg history. No serious progg fan should live without it.

Unsurprisingly, ”Kattvals” has been reissued a number of times, thus making it obtainable to those who cannot afford the increasingly expensive originals. Sadly, Kvartetten Som Sprängde weren't around long enough for another album but they did join singer/songwriter Bernt Staf as a backing band on his 1973 album ”Valhall”.

However, a four track Kvartetten Som Sprängde radio session exists, made for the weekly Tonkraft show in September 1973. This 30+ minutes session remains unreleased, making it one of the most glaring and unforgiveable omissions from Swedish Radio's shoddily edited and poorly presented box set ”Progglådan”, comprising a total worth of 40 CD's of previously unreleased archival material. Why wasn't the excellent Kvartetten session included? It screams out for a prompt official release!

Fred Hellman had previously been in Zoom who released one 45 in 1968, featuring decent but non-essential cover versions of The Beatles and Traffic. Rune Carlsson's pre-Kvartetten career includes sit-ins with Eric Dolphy, Chet Baker and Krzysztof Komeda among others, and later went on to playing drums for numerous artists mainly in the progg and jazz field. He died in 2013. Finn Sjöberg earned reputation as a session musician, appearing on albums several high profile acts including ABBA. He also made one largely forgettable solo album, ”Finn” in 1978.

Full album playlist

SOGMUSOBIL – Telefon (Gump, 1971)

Swedish vocals, English vocals

International relevance: ***

Sogmusobil were one of the first generation progg bands along with Träd, Gräs & Stenar, Fläsket Brinner and Samla Mammas Manna, starting out as a six-piece curiously known as Telefon Paisa. Einar Heckscher, wild man poet and founding member told the Arkivet podcast/website that they got the name Telefon Paisa ”from the idea that if every person in the world had a telephone and some pocket money for the call there would be peace on Earth (paisa is a subdivision of the Indian rupee where a paisa equals 1/64 of a rupee)”. When three of the original members left the band shortly before recording ”Telefon”, they changed the name to the even more curious Sogmusobil (the origins of the name in question is well documented; it's an abbreviation of ”Stark och god musik utföres snabbt och billigt", roughly meaning ”strong and good music performed fast and cheap” in English).

Sogmusobil's live shows were famed – or infamous – for being shambolic happenings, as confirmed by a surviving live recording from Moderna Museet (the Museum of Modern Art) in Stockholm in August 1970. Noodling and rambling, they sometimes happen to make the music gel, but a lot of the time, they appear so out of it with Heckscher apparently freeforming lyrics over a untogether mess of group noise. Judging by that, it's pretty amazing that they even managed to get an album done.

”Telefon” is indeed an acquired taste. Approaching it for the first time, it helps being accustomed to Red Krayola's 1967 album ”The Parable of Arable Land”, ESP-Disk' act The Godz, and the stoned out freak jams of Hapshash and the Coloured Coat saved for posterity on their debut album. In short, ”Telefon” is very much a product of its time. It does have some appeal if you're in the right frame of mind, but if not and most often, it's merely a nerve-grating endurance test – ”psychedelic” at its worst. "Tjackvalsen" is pretty good but the stand-out track is the hard driving album opener ”Arabic in the Morning”, somewhat resembling Hawkwind and included on the 4CD box set alphabetically chronicling the evolution of progg, ”Pregnant Rainbows For Colourblind Dreamers” (released in 2007, but sadly long deleted).

Vastly overrated, ”Telefon” had an eagerly anticipated limited re-release a couple of years back, not affecting the value of original copies on the Gump imprint – prepare yourself for an asking price of at least €500 for a decent copy. Unless you're lucky enough to stumble across a copy priced based on musical value...

Two years after the release of Sogmusobil's sole album, Heckscher and Norweigan keyboard player Johnny Mowinckel (formerly of Atlantic Ocean and Fläsket Brinner) reformed Telefon Paisa, using yet a new name, Levande Livet. As such they recorded one album, the largely under-appreciated ”Strömmens pärla”.

Mowinckel kept playing music after the demise of Levande Livet but made only a few appearances in public, according to Wikipedia Sweden ”due to a rough life”. Unexpectedly, he released an album of electro-acoustic music in the mid 90's, ”Skisser från Flen”. Mowinckel passed away in 2015 after a period of illness. Colourful character Heckscher on the other hand established himself as a comparably successful author and translator of the works of Charles Bukowski, Jack Keuroac, Thomas Pynchon, Louis-Ferdinand Céline and the likes. In the early 00's, Swedish National Television produced a 47 minute documentary on Heckscher.

Full album playlist