GÖSTA LINDERHOLM – In kommer Gösta (Metronome, 1973) / Göstas skiva (Metronome, 1975)

Anyone familiar with Gösta Linderholm (and that includes just about every Swede of a certain age or inclination) surely wonders if I've lost it completely by including him here. He's something of a laughing stock found in every charity shop bin across the nation. I doubt many people take him seriously, and he actually has himself to blame after the dreadful mega hit ”Rulla in en boll och låt den rulla”, a 1978 faux cajun song that plagued the airwaves here for an eternity. And me, I never once thought he'd be something I'd offer any progg blog space. Until I took a closer look at his first two albums, that is.

In kommer Gösta (Metronome, 1973)
Swedish vocals
International relevance: *

After an early career with trad jazz band Sveriges Jazzband (best known for their 1970 song ”Brittas restaurang”), Gösta Linderholm made his solo debut with an album taking its title from a Philemon Arthur & The Dung song. He immediately established himself as a happy-go-lucky troubadour with a warbly voice. But, hang on – is that tablas in opening track, the droning ”Herr Fantasi”? It is indeed, played by Jan Bandel. And there's Björn J:son Lindh in his best ”Ramadan” mode. ”Påtalåten”? Yes, an Ola Magnell cover recorded the same year as Magnell's own 45 version. And that bassist Stefan Brolund, wasn't he in Pop Workshop and later EGBA and Oriental Wind? He was.

”In kommer Gösta” isn't a great album and rather typical Metronome label singer/songwriter fare along the lines of the aforementioned Ola Magnell and, for better or for worse, Marie Bergman.
But it nevertheless shows that there was a wee bit more to Gösta Linderholm than he gets cred for. 

Göstas skiva (Metronome, 1975)
Swedish vocals
International relevance: *

Not surprisingly, both Magnell and Bergman pop up on Linderholm's second album along with Thommie Fransson and, again, Björn J:son Lindh. The style is similar to the debut but with a few better songs and slightly darker shades, as on ”I natten” and the Magnell/Linderholm co-composition ”Kom liv”. I remember "Herr Fantasi” from my radio listening childhood days, so I have a certain nostalgic relation to that particular track. But the best track here is the album's most unexpected inclusion.

Guitarist Finn Sjöberg appears prominently on the album and that might explain Kvartetten Som Sprängde cover ”Gånglåt från Valhallavägen”. Originally an instrumental track but here with added Linderholm lyrics, and I can promise there's nothing else in his ouvre to prepare you for this. It's a bleak, actually apocalyptic depiction of a winter's day in Stockholm, soaked in alienation, internal turmoil and impending chaos. Junkies are dying in the streets and a hysterical Lady Luck screams out in agony. This track is truly a lost progg gem hidden in plain sight.

Linderholm made many albums after these two, some of them with credible musicians helping him out such as Kebnekajse's Mats Glenngård on ”Blå ballader & gröna demoner” from 1977. Some of them even have a half OK track or two, but there's really no point in getting into them in detail. A thumb rule is that the later it gets, the more Linderholm lived up to his own caricature.

In kommer Gösta full album playlist
Göstas skiva full album playlist

MARIE BERGMAN – Complete albums 1974-1980

 

Marie Bergman is one of those artists too far from progg to belong here and too close not to do so. She's 'progg-by-association' but she's basically a singer/songwriter with the oft-hired Swedish studio mafia of the 70s backing her, granting her a couple of commercial successes in the second half of the decade. Her cover of Kate & Anna McGarrigle's ”Complainte Pour Ste-Catherine”, translated to Swedish by her good friend Ola Magnell as ”Ingen kommer undan politiken”, was a radio staple in and around 1977, and her version of Kjell Höglund's ”Lugnare vatten” was also on a rather heavy rotation a couple of years later. She appeared as a backing singer on all three of John Holm's 70s albums, as well as on discs by Ola Magnell, Rolf Wikström, Björn J:son Lindh, Pugh Rogefeldt and several others less progg related artists. In short, she was a stahlwart on the Metronome label led by producer Anders Burman's instincts and nose to sniff out off-kilter yet still commercially viable signings. Well, she was actually on Metronome already earlier as a member of the very successful vocal group Family Four which she joined in 1969.

Mitt ansikte (Metronome, 1974)
Swedish vocals
International relevance *

Her first album after leaving Family Four sounds a bit like a crossbreed of Ola Magnell and Joni Mitchell, the latter absolutely permeating the track ”Tiden”. The American West Coast sounds also come through in her cover of Neil Young's ”Helpless” (translated by Magnell). The title track and ”Villiga Ville” however are two funky tracks in sync with the times, while ”Sånger” is a loungy throwback to the Family Four style.

Närma mej (Metronome, 1977)
Swedish vocals
International relevance *

It took her three years to deliver her second solo album, but marked a breakthrough to a wider audience. It features ”Ingen kommer undan politiken” and her sensitive take on Ola Magnell's ”När vällingklockan ringde” from his ”Höstkänning” album released the very same year. ”Närma mej” is an album very much in the same style as her debut albeit with the funk substituted for novelty-of-sorts duds like ”Sången om den eviga lyckan (Johan)” and ”Mål eller miss” (the latter actually a cover of American folk singer and activist Odetta). The ”Blue” era Joni Mitchell influence is still evident though, especially on the piano based title track. Also included is a Swedish cover of Little Feat's ”Roll Um Easy” as ”Vänj mej varsamt”. Say what you will, she had good taste!

Iris (Metronome, 1979)
Swedish vocals
International relevance *

Third album and more of the same, only with a glossier production. This time the covers are by Swedish songwriters only, namely Björn Afzelius and his ”Balladen om K”, and the aforementioned Kjell Höglund's ”Lugnare vatten”. ”Lugnare vatten” is the best track on the album along with the surprisingly anguished (for Bergman) ”Lägg inga plåster på såren”. The most obvious ersatz Joni Mitchell this time is called ”Lekvisa”.

MARIE BERGMAN & LASSE ENGLUND

Jorden är platt (Metronome, 1980)
Swedish vocals
International relevance*

A joint venture between Bergman and much respected guitarist Lasse Englund; they also married the following year. It's a children's album and also the most interesting installment in Bergman's discography. Some songs are rather strange, and it seems that the idea of making music for kids pushed both Bergman and Englund out of their comfort zones. One track – ”Mammas stora säng” – even shows a faint resemblance to psych collector Hawaiian darlings These Trails. All in all, this is the Bergman album that comes closest to progg. But despite that, and despite being the most interesting album of hers, it's still not good enough to recommend. It's a bit of a curiousity, but not much more than that.

All these albums have their moments, but too few to recommend. From a progg perspective, they remain very minor footnotes. Bergman's recording career continued to 2013 when her, for now, last album was released. Her style hasn't changed much over the years and the sound of her albums have been very anxious to follow the production trends. When her early albums, her best ones, aren't very good you can imagine the rest.

Mitt ansikte full album playlist
Närma mej full album playlist
Iris full album playlist
Jorden är platt full album playlist

VARIOUS ARTISTS - 2 anti-nuclear compilations

It was an era of engagement and activism. You were expected to stand for something, and what people stood for was sometimes good, sometimes not. Standing up for environmental issues was one of the best things you could do – if more people had done it, perhaps we wouldn't be where we are today, with on one hand a scorched earth and on the other a flooded one. The anti-nuclear movement was particularly strong towards the end of the 70's and early 80's, engaging several artists. Two 'no nukes' various artists albums were released, one in 1975 and one in 1980.

Vi kan leva utan kärnkraft (Silence, 1975)

Featured artists: Bernt Staf / Tore Berger / Elektriska Linden / Turid / Roland von Malmborg / Nynningen / Røde Mor / Thomas Wiehe / Thomas Tidholm

Swedish vocals

International relevance: **

Silence put out this album in 1975, with both label acts and non-Silence artists. All tracks were recorded specifically for the album. Qualitywise it's a bit hit and miss, but stylistically it's surprisingly coherent despite the disparate contributors. The oddest ones out in this predominantly acoustic lot are Røde Mor, actually a Danish band but here augmented by Nynningen's Totta Näslund on vocals. Roland von Malmborg provides "Stoppa all atomkraft", one of his best songs, and Thomas Tidholm's ”Fortsättning följer” is a great and moody way to end the album. 

Nej till kärnkraft! (MNW/Silence, 1979)

Featured artists: Lill Lindfors / Anders Linder / Monica Dominique / Ola Magnell / Marie Bergman / Robert Broberg / Dag Vag / Monica Törnell / Bernt Staf / Lasse Tennander / Hjördis Petterson

 Swedish vocals

International relevance: *

 

A referendum on the future use of nuclear power was held in March 1980. There were three alternatives to vote for. No. 1 was a definite yes to nuclear power, supported by Moderata Samlingspartiet (The Moderate Party, right-wing). No. 2 stood for a slow phase out of nuclear energy, and was supported by Socialdemokraterna (The Social Democratic Party, left-wing) and Folkpartiet (The People's Party, right-wing liberals). No. 3 represented a definite no and wanted a quick stop to the use of nuclear power, and it was supported by Vänsterpartiet Kommunisterna (The Communist Party, left-wing obviously) and Centerpartiet (The Centre Party, right-wing). Alternative no. 2 won but the phasing out still hasn't happened.

A vast number of artists supported the third alternative, and to raise money for the no nukes campaign, the two most notable progg labels MNW and Silence joined forces for a mutual release in 1979, ”Nej till kärnkraft!”. If ”Vi kan leva utan kärnkraft” has a diverse line-up, it's nothing compared to this release. Bringing together mainstream artists such as Lill Lindfors and Marie Bergman, actress Hjördis Petterson who had her heyday in the 1930's-50's, progg singer/songwriters like Bernt Staf and Ola Magnell, the one-of-a-kind visionary Robert Broberg, and jazz singer Monica Dominique (previously in Solar Plexus) to mention but some of the participants sure makes for a spastic listen. Which is not to say it's without merits. Most notably, it has ”Många gånger om”, one of the best track the excellent progg/rock/reggae band Dag Vag ever did. But the album is certainly subordinated to the cause and I can't think of anyone who would actually enjoy it from start to finish.

From Vi kan leva utan kärnkraft

Roland von Malmborg - Stoppa all atomkraft 

Nynningen - Det löser sig 

Thomas Tidholm - Fortsättning följer

Nej till kärnkraft full album playlist

OLA MAGNELL – Complete albums 1974-1981

Ola Magnell is one of Sweden's finest songwriters and lyricists. Largely influenced by Bob Dylan, his lyrics are well written with a strong poetic feel, and dealing with inner doubts as well as sharp observations of society. His political songs are never bogged down by cocksure slogans or stubborn fingerpointing, and being contracted to 'commercial' label Metronome way into the 80's, he was never really embraced by the music movement. He was too ambiguous to those preferring dogmas and simplistic explanations. In a translation of Kate & Anna McGarrigle's ”Complainte pour Ste-Catherine” for fellow Metronome artist Marie Bergman, he stated that ”ingen kommer undan politiken”, ”no-one can escape politics”, adding ”no-one can ignore the polemics, no matter if you're tired every night”. A music movement outcast, Magnell certainly knew what he was talking about.

Magnell's work in music actually began with translating songs for various Swedish vocal stars in the 1960's, something he kept doing even after his own recording career began in 1973. He grew increasingly tired of it however, feeling uncomfortable with getting the original lyrics in the evening and having to deliver a finished translation the next morning. Magnell's meticulous writing needs time, and is after all best represented on his own albums. Unfortunately, this means foreign listeners miss out on a lot not knowing Swedish, even if Magnell's songs have tuneful and highly appealing melodies.

Some may consider Ola Magnell's voice a bit too 'twangy', but if you're new to him, don't let that stand in the way because there's so much here worthy of discovery and enjoyment.

Påtalåtar (Metronome, 1974)

Swedish vocals

International relevance: *

Magnell's solo debut appeared in the 7” format in 1973, with ”Påtalåten” which became an instant success. Much to the record buyers' chagrin, the song wasn't included in its hit form on Magnell's album debut the following year. The song was on the album, but in an semi-instrumental 'party' version. The original 45 was released on the Telefunken label, and not to breach the copyright, they decided to leave it off the album. (”The music business still had some honour left in those days,” Magnell later remarked in an interview for the Swedish Radio. He also added that he thinks the album version is fun, ”but I might be the only person to think so...”)

But while ”Påtalåtar” doesn't feature a worthy version of the title track, there's still a whole lot here to rejoice over. It has the charm of a first album from someone knowing what he wants but who hasn't yet achieved it. It's a bit rough around the edges, but it has several fine moments, like the xylophone laced ”Vals i Hades” and the excellent ”Sångerna vrenskas”, one of his best ever songs (later re-appearing on 1979's ”Straggel och strul”).

In late 1974, Ola Magnell joined Pugh Rogefeldt and piano player Janne 'Lucas' Persson for a package tourin 1974, documented on the double album ”Ett steg till” the following year.

Nya perspektiv (Metronome, 1975)

Swedish vocals

International relevance: *

Magnell had matured considerably for his second album, displaying a greater amount of self-confidence. ”Kliff” soon became one of his best loved songs, and rightly so. ”Ungmön dansar” is a beautiful stripped down ballad utilizing the instrumetal fluency of British fingerpicking guitarists. ”På snespår” is a beautiful example of Magnell as Sweden's premiere Dylan translator and interpreter; the original song being ”Lily, Rosemary and the Jack of Hearts”. He also throws some Loudon Wainwright III into the mix, ”När jag dör” ("Unrequited to the Nth Degree"). ”Min nye magister” might not be his finest song but it's a much needed slap in the fundamentalist face of the sectarian left. (It's just my guess but I suspect that Mikael Wiehe of Hoola Bandoola Band is the song's main target.)

Höstkänning (Metronome, 1977)

Swedish vocals

International relevance: *

Magnell's best album up to that point, with a string of excellent songs – ”Rulltrappan”, ”Vällingklockan”, ”Fåfängs sång”, ”Höstkänning” and the heart-wrenching ”Pappa” about Ola Magnell's dad. The album was partly recorded in the States with American musicians including blue eyed soul legend Eddie Hinton, but it still sounds like a genuinely Swedish album. A classic.

Straggel och strul (Metronome, 1979)

Swedish vocals

International relevance: *

Even better than ”Höstkänning”, this is Magnell's best album. Like ”Höstkänning”, ”Straggel och strul” consists of original songs only but the marvellous opening track ”Damen i svart” shares quite a few melody lines with Bob Dylan's ”Sara”. ”Mammons hage” is a lilting country number that fits Magnell's voice perfectly, ”Sångerna vrenskas” is a welcome rerun of the song from his first album, ”Tidsdåren” captures Magnell's certain brand of melancholy, ”Hos kuratorn” is a funny funk spoof with disco handclaps and a perky clavinet, and ”Skomakarvals” finishes off the album in a beautiful and touching way, Another classic.

Europaväg 66 (Metronome, 1981)

Swedish vocals

International relevance: *

The Dylan references are obvious, with the album title alluding to ”Highway 61 Revisited” and the cover art hinting at the promo clip for ”Subterranean Homesick Blues”. The album has a slicker sound than Magnell's previous releases and the calypso touch on ”Tungeltoken” is questionable, but the songs are often strong with ”Tomma tunnor” and ”Dimman igen” being the obvious highlights. Also featured is ”Ta det kallt, det är allt”, likely the best ever translation of ”Don't Think Twice, It's All Right”.

Like many 70's artists, Magnell's transition into the synthesizer glossy 80's wasn't very smooth. His albums from that dreadful decade is a hard listen today. From the 90's on, he's been less productive, with only three albums released between 1993 and 2010. Interviews from that period have sometimes suggested Magnell inhibiting a bitterness over the lack of attention, but in recent years, younger artists have begun to acknowledge him as the great songwriter he is. He also played live more often again in his final years (he died in 2020). His knack for memorable songs and intelligent and poetic (but not pretentious) lyrics is a rare thing that should be praised accordingly.

"Påtalåten" original single version

"Försommarland" single B side

Påtalåtar full album playlist

Nya perspektiv full album playlist

Höstkänning full album playlist

Straggel och strul full album playlist

Europaväg 66 full album playlist

PUGH ROGEFELDT – Complete albums 1970-1977

Pughish (Metronome, 1970)

Swedish vocals, English vocals, other languages

International relevance: *** 

Pugh Rogefeldt is widely acknowledged for being the first one to make a rock album in Swedish, but he was also the first artist so sing in Pughish. No wonder – he invented the language himself and it can be heard on the track ”Aindto”. The rest of the album is in Swedish with parts of it in English.

As on debut album ”Ja dä ä dä”, Janne Carlsson appears on drums and Georg 'Jojje' Wadenius supplies bass. It's a very different album to his first LP however, somewhat darker in tone with a greater melancholy permeating the breezier tracks like ”Sail With Me, Come on and Try – I Love You” and the aforementioned ”Aindto”. ”Föräldralåten” rocks out a bit more (but isn't very good), while ”Om du vill ha mej” and ”Stinsen i Bro” have a bluesier sound (although the two part ”Stinsen i Bro” really is hard to pinpoint in style). Remaining track ”Klöver Linda” is a summery track, not unlike ”Små lätta moln” on ”Ja dä ä dä”.

”Pughish” is Pugh's second album (housed in an eerie cover) and so a part of his classic informal 'trilogy' beginning with ”Ja dä ä dä” and ending with ”Hollywood” in 1972. It's a good album but it has something oddly insular about it that makes it harder to connect with. My guess is that Pugh wanted to try something entirely different this time, and while he succeeded doing so, he wasn't exactly sure what he was aiming at. ”Pughish” drifts off in so many peculiar directions that it's hard to percieve it as a coherent work. It's mystifying and intriguing, but mostly I play only a few tracks off it.

Hollywood (Sonet, 1972)
as Pugh

Swedish vocals

International relevance: ***

 

If ”Pughish” was a bit confused, this is the product of a much clearer vision. Great songs with the fantastic ”Jag är en liten pojk” leading the way to ”Jag har en guldgruva” (where Pugh shows his remarkble blues harmonica skills), ”Till gröna skogar” and the heavy ”Home, Home” to mention but a few.

With a different set of musicians to his first two albums – no Jojje Wadenius or Janne Carlsson here – it's obvious already one beforehand that ”Hollywood” is different in nature to ”Ja dä ä dä” and ”Pughish”. It's tighter and more lavish sounding, but without losing in strength one bit. There are moments I actually think this is even better than some on ”Ja dä ä dä”.

Pugh on the Rocks (Metronome, 1973)
as Pugh
Swedish vocals

International relevance: * 

It's sometimes said that a live album or a covers album is something you put out when creativity is running low. That's of course not always the case, but I dare say that it's a much valid assertion when it comes to Pugh Rogefeldt's ”Pugh on the Rocks”. With three excellent albums behind him, why would he bother with something like this had he more top notch material to choose from?

The title is supposed to be funny I guess, referencing the album's content of only translated rock & roll classics made famous by the likes of Chuck Berry, Elvis Presley and Little Richard. But the other meaning of the expression is even more appropriate, because Pugh is really on the rocks with this one.

I love old rock & roll, I think the 50's were one of the true and few really golden ages of rock, but I already have all the aforementioned artists and I don't need somebody hyperventilating his way through versions of their songs. I can't even pick one track here that's even decent but if you point a gun to my head and threaten to lock me up in a cupboard and play the complete works of Guns 'n' Roses on repeat, then I'd probably say ”Långsamma timmar” (”Seems Like a Long Time”) but only to escape the inhumane torture.

An outtake from the sessions was released on Gump compilation ”Voice of the Wolf”.

Bolla och rulla (Metronome, 1974)
as Pugh Rogefeldt & Rainrock
Swedish lyrics

International relevance: **

There's something about this album that makes me feel very unpleasant. Maybe it's the profound discomfort the hit song ”Dinga Linga Lena” provokes in me – with a 27 year old man lusting for a 15 year old girl – that rubs off on the rest of the album, but I think there's someting more (if the paedophiliac vibe of the aforementioned track wasn't disturbing enough). Maybe it's in the way Pugh's then newly formed backing band Rainrock plays (it sounds like fake rock), maybe it's how Pugh sings with a sleazebag sneer, or maybe the songs just aren't very good. Except for the title track and perhaps and ”Kajans sång”. Whatever the reason, I can't stand listening to ”Bolla och rulla”.

Just to make it clear: Pugh gave up playing ”Dinga Linga Lena” live many years ago, for the same reason I find it disagreeable.

Ett steg till (Metronome, 1975)

as Pugh & Rainrock, Ola Magnell, Lucas Persson

Swedish vocals, English vocals

International relevance: ***

Following the release of "Bolla och rulla", Pugh took his new band Rainrock on a package tour that also featured newly baked record artist Ola Magnell and veteran pianist Janne 'Lucas' Persson. It was probably a great show to attend, but the surviving tour document is very uneven. Lucas Persson is basically a Swedish Elton John (make what you will of that), Ola Magnell wasn't an entirely convincing live artist this early on, and Pugh's contributions are a bit hit and miss. He sings with that sleaze voice he developed for "Bolla och rulla", but some of his contributions work quite well in this setting, such as the acoustic "Hog Farm" and old chestnut "Små lätta moln". New track "Storseglet" is the highlight in this collection, a towering and gut-wrenching track that goes on for a full ten minutes without ever letting go of the grip.

Bamalama (Metronome, 1977) 
as Pugh

Swedish vocals, English vocals, instrumental
International relevance: *

OK, so this dull exercise in AOR rock with the occasional stab at disco and country (the obvious mix, no?) doesn't quite belong here but I didn't want to miss the opportunity to bring some attention to Rogefeldt's excellent Swedish language version of Woody Guthrie's ”Vigilante Man”, entitled ”Vår kommunale man”.

The 4CD box set simply entitled "Pugh" features several demos, alternate takes, live recordings and singles from his golden years. He was also supposed to be included in "Progglådan", but failed to approve his participation in time, why he was left off the set.

Pugh Rogefeldt has released plenty of albums after "Bamalama"; some of them are OK, others are not, but none of them comes even close to what he did in the early days of his career.

Pughish full album playlist
Hollywood full album playlist

Pugh On The Rocks full album playlist

Bolla och rulla full album playlist 

Ett steg till full album playlist
Bamalama full album playlist
"En gång tog jag tåget bort" with Nature full single playlist

"Slavsång" with Nature full single playlist