VARIOUS ARTISTS – Samlade krafter (Avanti, 1978)

 
Featured artists: Mikael Wiehe & Kabaréorkestern / Herr T Och Hans Spelmän / Elektriska Linden / Pierre Ström & Kenneth Kvist / Björn Afzelius / Göteborgs Visgrupp 
Swedish vocals
International relevance: **

A album recorded live in Stockholm Easter 1978 and released to commemorate the 75th anniversary of the formation of the youth organisation KU of the Swedish communist party VPK. Some high profile names here, most notably Hoola Bandoola Band ex-members Mikael Wiehe and Björn Afzelius, both represented with two tracks each. One of Afzelius's contributions is interesting as it's an acoustic cover of Nationalteatern's magnum opus ”Barn av vår tid”. But interesting doesn't necessarily mean good. The bare bones approach with only voice and guitar bereaves the song most of its original prowess. Afzelius's other track ”Nattlig visit” fares better as it's a folk styled number reminiscent of Bob Dylan's earliest narrative songs. I'm not an Afzelius fan but ”Nattlig visit” is actually good, clearly one of his best ever.

Mikael Wiehe's two tracks with his then backing band Kabaréorkestern are also at both ends of the quality spectrum. ”Kärlek, ömhet och disciplin” is bloody awful in a marching band style (and absurdly enough later released as the 'A' side of a 1980 Avanti single backed with Afzelius's ”Nattlig visit”). ”Högt till tak” is much better, unusually heavy for Wiehe and also instrumental with a persistent, groovy drive and a rich horn section almost moving into jazz territory at times. The guitar solo has a nice bite to it as well.

Elektriska Linden's sole album ”Torbjörns dansskola” isn't too impressive, but their sole track here – ”Ugglan far i natten” – is pretty vivid and raucous taking cues from both Nationalteatern and The Rolling Stones. ”Smeden” by long running folkish band Herr T Och Hans Spelmän is more typical to the style you could expect from an album like this, half decent for the style but still forgettable. The two tracks each by Göteborgs Visgrupp and singer/songwriter Pierre Ström on the other hand are exactly as bad as one might suspect.

”Samlade krafter” is too inconsistent but the good or at least decent tracks make this a little better than several other LPs in this vein.

Full album (poor sound)

PIERRE STRÖM – Complete solo albums 1970-1976

Pierre Ström was one of the prime exponents of the wave of Swedish troubadours, or visa singers, in the 60s and 70s that included among others Cornelis Vreeswijk, Fred Åkerström, Thorstein Bergman and Finn Zetterholm. The visa singers rarely went progg full on, but they shared progg's general political sympathies more often than not so there's a loose connection between them.

Ström is already on the blog with ”Joe Hill lever!”, a joint release with Oscar Norrman and Anders Granell. Ström had two more collaborative albums out in the 70s (one with Finn Zetterholm), but this review is for the albums solely credited to him.

I vädurens tecken (Intersound, 1970)
Swedish vocals
nternational relevance: *

After making a sneak debut on a various artists compilation in 1969 and a 7” on MNW subsidiary Green Light, ”I vädurens tecken” was his first full length album. It has it's share of mildly brooding moments but it's generally a more good natured collection than the album cover might lead you to believe. The emphasis on Swedish covers of Tom Paxton, Leonard Cohen and Simon & Garfunkel and the light pop backing sometimes augmented with orchestral arrangements suggest that Ström was more in tune with his times than some of his peers. Pleasant but not hugely exciting.

Pierre Ström sjunger sånger av Leonard Cohen (Intersound, 1971)
Swedish vocals
International relevance: *

The title says ”Pierre Ström sings songs by Leonard Cohen”, and that's exactly what it is, a full disc of translated Cohen songs. Ström never strays far from the original versions, and that perhaps served a purpose in 1971 before the original artist was a household name in Sweden, but 50 years on the album has severely deteriorated into redundancy. The Leslie treated vocals on ”Lavin” (=”Avalanche”) is a nice touch though.

The album was reissued as "Cohen på svenska" (="Cohen in Swedish") by YTF in 1974. 

Rallarvisor (YTF, 1973)
Swedish vocals, a cappella, instrumental
International relevance: *

Two years on and a switch to the visa movement's own label YTF. Still having problems getting original material together, or a lack of interest in such a venture, Ström looked to the traditional songs of the rail layers of old. He obviously felt at home in this material because he sounds much more confident than on his first two albums. The light pop ambitions are gone in favour of a small ensemble consisting of old-timey dance accordeonist Sone Banger, jazz bassist Red Mitchell and folk fiddler Björn Ståbi, giving ”Rallarvisor” a stronger local flavour. A handful of a cappella tracks (or backed with the metallic clang of hammers against railway sleepers) further helps setting it apart from what came before. The problem with thematic albums such as this though is that they can come across as museal, and that goes for this one as well.

På Palmes tid (YTF, 1976)

Swedish vocals

International relevance: **

Finally an album of Pierre Ström originals, and a return to fuller arrangements. Banger and Ståbi are still on board, but the personnel's expanded with drummer Jan Bandel (Atlantic Ocean, Jason's Fleece, Baltik and many more), Bengan Karlsson (Heta Linjen, Svenska Löd AB!) and Björn J:son Lindh (but no Schaffer!). It's not as rockish as one could have hoped for though. Ström's songs are closer to the political progg of the day than say, a Heta Linjen groove although both ”Motströms” and ”Solens gyllne lampa” adds a bit of funkiness to the mix. Best track by far is ”En kväll rätt sent”, politically charged but with a slight mysterious mood brought on by Bengan Karlsson's watery guitar sound and bated playing. A must-hear it is not, but Pierre Ström's best album nonetheless, housed in an eye-catching jolie laide album cover.

I vädurens tid full album playlist
Sjunger sånger av Leonard Cohen full album playlist
Rallarvisor full album playlist
På Palmes tid full album playlist

PIERRE STRÖM, OSCAR NORRMAN & ANDERS GRANELL – Joe Hill lever!!! (Mudist, 1979)

Swedish vocals

International relevance: *

Little did Joel Hägglund know that upon emigrating from Sweden to America in 1902, he would become folk singer hero and member of trade union Industrial Workers of the World Joe Hill before getting executed for murder in Salt Lake City, Utah in 1915. While not quite as widely known and legendary as the legendary Woody Guthrie he inspired, Hill's songs have been recorded by numerous artists over the decades including Pete Seeger and Billy Bragg. There are also several Swedish Joe Hill albums, such as this one by troubadour Pierre Ström and actors Anders Granell and Oscar Norrman on the Mudist label in co-operation with YTF and Riksteatern. The album is a spin-off project to a 1979 stage play about Joe Hill.

Unfortunately, ”Joe Hill lever!!!” fails to instill much fighting spirit in the listener. The interpretations are soft to the point of wimpy.. I have a hard time finding anything memorable here. Why this album's wanted by some is a mystery to me. There must be at least a few die-hard Joe Hill nuts out there.

"Rebellflickan"
"Svarta präster"

"Det är kraft i vårt förbund"
"Det är lång väg att gå i soppkön"
"Världens alla slavar, vakna"