MONICA TÖRNELL – Don't Give A Damn (Philips, 1975) / Bush Lady (Mercury, 1977)

English vocals
International relevance: *

Monica Törnell's first two albums are sadly underappreciated examples of Swedish folk rock. Not one to adapt to expectations, she turned away from what was a perfect setting for her wonderfully raspy voice sounding much older and more mature than she actually was. Her third album came in 1975, a collection of hollow sounding studio funk with English lyrics. It's a sad change, and although Törnell tries hard to fit in with the music, she sounds lost and desorientated. An artistic decline has rarely come as fast between two albums like this. The only interesting (not good, interesting) track here is the pained and totally spaced-out album closer ”Hangover”.

Her next album was ”Bush Lady” appeared two years later and continues along the lines of its precursor. The sound is a bit fuller, but the music is still ill-fitting  for Törnell. Her Van Morrison cover ”Into The Mystic” might appear an inspired cover choice on paper, but unfortunately she ruins it with oversinging. There are other moments like that on the album; it's as if she suddenly thought she was some Betty Davis. Thing is, Davis expressed her personality, a sexually frustrated flamboyant funk freak of the highest order which Törnell was not. It sounds entirely misguided and overreaching, almost on the brink of self-depracation. It gets a tad better when she cools it a bit on ”Catastrophie” [sic!] and ”Snowcold Day”, but it's much too little much too late.

Monica Törnell claimed she didn't give a damn, fine, but maybe she should have. After the initial promise, these two albums are a huge letdown and a serious waste of talent. But maybe she eventually realized it too, as neither of the albums are available on her official streaming channels other than partly in re-recorded versions.

from 'Don't Give A Damn'
(People) Don't Give A Damn 
Time Will Bring Us Together
Long Long Weekend
Give It Back

from 'Bush Lady'
Into The Mystic

MONICA TÖRNELL – Jag är som jag är... (Philips, 1978) / Ingica Mångrind (Philips, 1979)

Jag är som jag är... (Philips, 1978)
Swedish vocals
International relevance: **

After two English language albums, Monica Törnell returned to Swedish with ”Jag är som jag är...”, produced by Björn J:son Lindh and featuring Okay Temiz on percussion on ”Lotus och Casanova”. Some samba, some jazz, some fusion, some folk, some blues, all with the typical session musician sound of the day, clean and perfect and ultimately very dull.

”Progglådan” features a live show from around the time of ”Jag är som jag är”.

Ingica Mångrind (Philips, 1979)

Swedish vocals
International relevance: *

Törnell's last album of the decade is even worse than ”Jag är som jag är...” with too much production sheen and hopelessly lifeless perfomances. Worst of all is the Swedish Dylan cover of ”Like a Rolling Stone”, and the disastrous take on The Beatles' ”Drive My Car”. 

Jag är som jag är full album playlist

"Vita om hösten" from "Ingica Mångrind"

"Nationernas visdom" from "Ingica Mångrind"
Tonkraft 1978 from "Progglådan"

MECKI MARK MEN – Complete albums 1967-1979

Mecki Mark Men are among the most important early Swedish underground bands and a transition between what was and what would be. Led by singer Mecki Bodemark, the band featured such luminaries as Kenny Håkansson, Pelle Ekman, Bella Linnarsson (all previously in Baby Grandmothers, all later in Kebnekajse), and Thomas Mera Gartz (later to join Träd, Gräs Och Stenar). Heavily influenced by Jimi Hendrix (supporting him on his 1967 Swedish tour by his request), Mecki Mark Men were one of the true contemporary psychedelic bands in Sweden.

Mecki Mark Men (Philips, 1967)

English vocals, instrumental

International relevance: ***

After non-album 45 ”Midnight Land”, Mecki Mark Men made their full length debut with this eponymous album featuring sitars, tablas, organs, horns and anything that could emphasize the drugged-out feel of it. And that's the problem with the album – the atmosphere is stronger than the songs, and Mecki Bodemark's vocal Hendrix complex is silly bordering on the ridiculous. There's a lot of empty gestures riddling the album, but if you ignore the superficiality, the album can still be oddly alluring.

Above the American Limelight Records release with different cover.

Running in the Summer Night (Limelight, 1969)

English vocals, instrumental
International relevance: ***

Their second album was only released by U.S. label Limelight that had already released their debut stateside. The album was remixed for the American market, with the Swedish mix not made public before Mellotronen's CD edition in 2004. The Swedish version is a tad better but it doesn't really matter because Bodemark's Hendrixisms still annoy and the heaviness is still there to conceal that the songs are rather empty. The best track part three of the ”Life Cycle” suite, a new version of Baby Grandmothers' moody ”Being Is More Than Life”.

Marathon (Sonet, 1971)

English lyrics, instrumental

International relevance: ***

 

Recorded on holy blues ground in the Chess studios in Chicago in 1970 and released the following year, this time in Sweden only. Still a mess of contemporary heavy rock mannerisms, it does feature the acoustic two part ”Ragathon” with acoustic guitar, sitar and a stoned-out-of-his-mind Bodemark giggling into his flute. The songs are somewhat more distinct, making this their best regular effort, although far from an essential one.

Stonehorse (Vesper, 2010; recorded 1971)

Lars Johan Werle & Mecki Mark Men

 Instrumental

International relevance **

 

Ballet music written by modernist composer Lars Johan Werle and performed by Mecki Mark Men. Needless to say, it's very different to the band's regular albums, and it also went unreleased until Vesper Records released the whole session on CD in 2010. 'The whole session' meaning you also get quite a lot of directionless jamming apart from centrepiece, Werle's 20 minute ”Stonehorse” suite. That one's quite good, much more experimental and satisfying than anything Mecki Mark Men did on their own.

Flying High (Kompass, 1979)
English vocals

International relevance: **

 

Not a reunion but a completely different incarnation with entirely difference musicians including noted jazz saxophonist Tommy Koverhult on horns and flute, and Kebnekajse's Mats Glenngård on violin among others. ”Flying High” is lesser known than Mecki Mark Men's three original albums and rightly so. This is lame jazz rock with AOR touches. If you see a copy of it, toss it into the abyss.

New Mecki Mark Men recordings appeared on Vesper in 2007, "Livingroom". A couple of poor sounding audience tapes from Stockholm 1970 also circulate.

Mecki Mark Men full album playlist with bonus tracks

Running In The Summer Night full album playlist with bonus tracks
Marathon full album playlist with bonus track

Stonehorse full album playlist
Flying High full album playlist

MOUNT EVEREST – The 1970's albums

Mount Everest was one of the most important bands to grow out of the fertile jazz and improvisation soil of Gothenburg, formed by the marvellous saxophonist Gilbert Holmström who also was the only constant all through Mount Everest's everchanging line-up.

Mount Everest (Philips, 1972)

Instrumental, English vocals
International relevance: ***

At the time of Mount Everest's maiden work they were eight people which perhaps suggests it's a wild and expressionistic affair. But it's actually a comparatively reflective and withheld effort, slightly in the vein of the first Egba album. The method of harnessed energy creates some tension, but some tracks feel out of place. ”Torero” sounds as if it belonged to another album altogether, and the last two, ”Afrodolphia” and ”No Other Choice” (the only vocal track) feels more like session outtakes than an integrated part of the album.

Waves from Albert Ayler (LIM, 1975)

as Mount Everest Trio
Instrumental

International relevance: ***

Three years later and Mount Everest was a trio with Holmström on sax, Kjell Jansson on bass and Conny Sjökvist on drums. The album title is appropriate – although only ”Spirits” is an Ayler composition, the entire album is in the spirit of the free jazz pioneer. Only ”Orinoco” and ”Elf” take it down a bit, the rest is powerful and violent free jazz with especially Holmström and Sjökvist in good shape. Fewer musicians work up a higher energy level on an album that is much better than their debut.

The album was reissued with bonus tracks by Atavistic in 2000.

Jazz i Sverige '79 (Caprice, 1979)

Instrumental
International relevance: ***

In 1979, the trio turned into a quartet and was awarded 'best jazz group of the year' why they were that year's installation in Caprice's ”Jazz i Sverige” (”jazz in Sweden”) series. Again they had a new line-up, this time a quartet including piano. Unfortunately they also swung towards fusion and that seriously diminished the music's impact. The most imaginative track is ”African Daybreak”, but even that is far from Mount Everest at their best.

The 70's Mount Everest can also be heard on various artists comps "Tonkraft 1972-74", "Det nyJAZZte från Göteborg" (1972), and "LIM – Levande improviserad musik från Göteborg" (1975). They released two further full length albums on Four Leaf imprint in 1981 and 1983 respectively, "Latin Doll" and "Latin Blue".

from Mount Everest

Mind at Ease

Waves From Albert Ayler full album playlist

Jazz i Sverige full album playlist

ANTHONY 'REEBOP' KWAKU BAH – Anthony 'Reebop' Kwaku Bah (Philips, 1973)

 
Instrumental, English vocals, other languages
International relevance: ***

Percussionist Anthony 'Reebop' Kwaku Bah (usually spelt Baah) made a couple of albums for Island Records (including ”Welcome to the Canteen” with Traffic members in 1971) but this was his only uniquely Swedish album, with a stellar cast of Fläsket Brinner members, jazz pianist Bobo Stenson, the everpresent Jan Schaffer. and Maffy Falay of the mighty Sevda. It's an eclectic jazz effort with well proportioned ingredients of American and African funk, prog, and even dashes of psych. It's tempting to compare it to early 70's Don Cherry and while not entirely wrong this album has a stronger fusion feel (this time not meant as chastisement) than what Cherry usually had. It's a vital concoction, highlighted by the merciless groove of ”Lovin' You Baby” and the sexy ”200 to 500 Years Ago” that goes on for nine funky and hypnotizing minutes. Essential.

Full album playlist

TELGE BLUES - Telge Blues (Philips, 1975) / BLUE FIRE - Blue Fire (MIstlur, 1978)

TELGE BLUES – Telge Blues (Philips, 1975)

English vocals

International relevance: **

BLUE FIRE – Blue Fire (Mistlur, 1978)

English and Swedish vocals

International relevance: **

In my very first post to this blog, I said that Södertälje was a blues city, with Sven Zetterberg being of paramount importance. Zetterberg rose to local stardom in the 70's before earning international reverence in the 80's and beyond. Deservedly so, as he was a great harp blower, an even better guitarist and as years went by became one of the most soulful singers ever to come out of Sweden.

Zetterberg moved from his native town of Skärblacka to Södertälje in the late 60's, and in 1972, he founded Telge Bluesorkester with excellent drummer Stefan ”Stoffe” Sundlöf among others. (Telge is an older name for Södertälje.) The following year the band did a session for the Tonkraft radio show, bringing the yet unsigned band to national attention. This in turn led to several commitments as support act to international blues stars visiting Sweden. In 1975, Telge Bluesorkester, with their name abbreviated to Telge Blues, Philips Records signed them for what was to become their only album. (For those taking notes, the drawbridge seen on the album cover is one of the best known local landmarks.)

 

Although ”Telge Blues” can't compare with Zetterberg's later victories (his solo albums in particular), it's a rough and ready urban blues effort. Tracks like ”Wish Me Well” and Billy Boy Arnold's ”I Wish You Would” are too crude to make their point, but ”Act Like You Know Me”, ”Hard Road” and ”Checkin' Up” are credible enough.

After the demise of Telge Blues, Zetterberg and Sundlöf went on to form Blue Fire who later changed their name to Chicago Express and became Sweden's prime blues band for fifteen years. Blue Fire were a more self-assured band and an all around more efficient machinery than Telge Blues. Zetterberg grew as a singer, and while his greatest achievements were still years ahead of him, his and the band's potential was already evident in slower numbers, ”Suicide Blues” in particular.

”Telge Blues” was the first ever album released on the Mistlur label, later home of Trettioåriga Kriget, Thomas Almqvist, Torkel Rasmusson and other progg acts, as well as several noted Swedish punk bands.

Special thanks to Tor-Björn Lyrhed for his kind permission to use his early 70's pic of Sven Zetterberg.

Telge Blues full album playlist
Blue Fire no links found