Extra vagansa (Ljudspår, 1974)
Swedish vocals, instrumental
International relevance: ***
With ”
Till dej” occupying slot #5
on my Top 25 list, it should be obvious I have a special place in my
heart for Mikael Ramel's music. Then again, it's hard to top an album
like that, or even make another album on the very same level. But
fear not, ”Extra vagansa” is a brilliant effort! Several tracks
would have fit perfectly on the debut – ”Flödet”, ”Så
länge're svänger” and the title track rival the best parts of
”Till dej”. This is a meticulously crafted album, but never as
meticulous it loses swing and emotion. With ”Till dej,” Mikael
Ramel promised to be one of the greatest Swedish artists of the 70's,
and with ”Extra vagansa” he fulfills the promise.
3:e skivan (YTF, 1977)
Swedish vocals, instrumental
International relevance: ***
And he wasn't kidding the second time
either. ”3:e skivan” may be less exuberant and more reflective
than ”Till dej” and ”Extra vagansa” but beneath the surface,
it's just as thorough and playful. ”Gurus att anamma” is an
untranslatable word play referring to the lyrics' questioning of
religious (and for that matter, political) leaders. A tribute to the
power of independent thinking. ”Strax dax” is beautifully
decorated by an ”Eleanor Rigby” inspired string quartet providing
further melancholy to an already wonderful track. And so on. ”3:e
skivan” may not be as immediate as Ramel's earlier albums; it's
more of a slow burner that wins in the end. Three strikes in a row!
Rycker dej i svansen (Sonet, 1979)
as Mikael Ramels Musikband
Swedish vocals
International relevance: ***
With the initial trilogy getting most
of the attention, ”Rycker dej i svansen” has become unjustly
overlooked. It has a different sound than its predecessors, and
perhaps some people are scared off by the rhythmic sensibilities of
the album, with loans from funk, reggae and Latin. But what a sorry
shame if things like that get between the listener and the music
because this is a lovely album, as essential as Ramel's previous
three. ”Förpackningar” is one of the best songs he's ever
written. And Bosse Skoglund is as masterful with the syncopation as
always. And
Kenny Håkansson's here too. In short: another dazzling
disc from Mikael Ramel.
Strömavbrott (Sonet, 1982)
as Harru Lust med Mikael Ramel
Swedish vocals
International relevance: **
A single with a Swedish version of Johnny Clarke's masterpiece "Roots Natty Congo", intended as a poke at everybody that jumped the reggae bandwagon in the early 80s but still being a highlight track in Ramel's ouvre as "Patriotidioten" held a lot of promise for him and his new band Harru Lust. The following album was however problematic. The
translation of Chuck Berry's ”No Particular Place to Go”, ”Små
partiklar i min Pernod” is witty but the album in general is
surprisingly lacklustre. The songs aren't quite as sharp as before
but the two biggest problems are that a) backing band Harru Lust
sounds stiff and b) that the dull production makes Harru Lust sound
even stiffer. ”Strömavbrott” is a victim to the era, with too
loud bass and drums in a typical early 80's fashion. I'm not the one
to call out for remixes and other fiddling with once finished albums,
but this one sure could use a careful overhaul.
Extra vagansa full album playlist with bonus tracks
3:e skivan full album playlist with bonus tracks
Rycker dej i svansen full album playlist
Strömavbrott full album playlist
"Patriotidioten" + "Bättre och bättre"