KENNY HÅKANSSON – Beno's ben (Silence, 1981)

 

Instrumental, Swedish vocals
International relevance: **

A peculiar album lacking both direction and ideas. Those who expect electric folk rock à la Kebnekajse or Håkansson's first solo album ”Springlekar och gånglåtar” will be sorely let down. A couple of tracks sound like a heavier Isildurs Bane, including the best one here, ”Existensproblem”. Another in turn is an approximation of sequencer Tangerine Dream but with guitars instead of electronics. ”Om döden” is better in Dag Vag's live version on ”Almanacka”. The oriental touches in”Egna ben” can't hide it's really just an inferior postpunk song but still better than the pseudo melodic heavy metal of ”Encore”. All sounds like song sketches that should best have been left on hissy 4 track home tapes and not turned into a full, officially released album. I love Kenny Håkansson but this album just isn't any good.

Full album playlist

VARIOUS ARTISTS – Bara brudar (Silence, 1978)

 

Featured artists: Tösabeat / Søsterrock / Husmoderns Bröst / Anita Livstrand / Feminist Improvising Group / Reis Kjerringa / Tintomara
Swedish vocals, other languages, instrumental
International relevance: **

Recorded live at the Women Festival in Stockholm in August 1978 with the profits going to the Women House Fund. Musicians came from Sweden, Denmark and the UK – one of the Brits is Henry Cow's Lindsay Cooper here appearing with the Feminist Improvising Group. It's a wide array of styles, spanning from acoustic folk to free jazz. Anita Livstrand's ”Dervishen”, otiginally on her fantastic album ”Mötet”, is intense and the high point of the LP, but ”Bara brudar” is overall one of the best feminist albums of the era. Also features contributions from Husmoderns Bröst and Tintomara.

Full album playlist

ANDRA BULLAR – I krig och kärlek... och Göteborg (Silence, 1981)

Swedish vocals, a cappella

International relevance: *

The first album was like a low-calory version of Röda Bönor, lacking everything that make Röda Böners fun to listen to, especially their humour and even self-irony. For their follow-up, rhey've lost the little enthusiasm they had which obviously makes for an even duller album. Not even Kenny Håkansson can save ”I krig och kärlek... och Göteborg” from being an insipid sign of a progg movement sorely losing steam. It's almost as if Andra Bullar didn't really believe in their own feminismist manifesto anymore which in turn makes me wonder if even their first album was a simply a gold-digger's attempt at political bandwagon jumping. Röda Bönor knew how to make me listen, Andra Bullar just knew how to make me want to turn it off.

Full album playlist

THOMAS MERA GARTZ – Luftsånger = Cloudsongs (Silence. 1984; rec. 1978-82)

Instrumental, wordless vocals
International relevance: ***

Those expecting anything like Träd Gräs & Stenar or Thomas Mera Gartz's solo album ”Sånger” will possibly be disappointed and definitely surprised by ”Luftsånger” (or, if you prefer its English subtitle, ”Cloudsongs”). Mixed and constructed in 1983 and released the following year through Silence Records, it was recorded during the course of four years just prior to that. It's much more of a kaleidoscopic mood piece than a song oriented collection. Not divided into separate tracks, the two untitled album sides combine field recordings, ambient sections, chunks of percussion of unknown origin, humming drones... From the liner notes: ”You can hear stormwinds, sheet-metal tub with water, happy birds in a forest glade, wooden gardenchair, grass being eaten by sheep, wheel-barrow, crickets (both normal and speeded down), a dead pine-stem, the circular sawblade of a firewood cutter, tubes rolling at the floor, kerosene tank, 'play-it-yourself' music festivals, the sound of a cigarette being rolled, the song of retarded Lasse, the vast sky in which an airplane is disappearing and much more”. There's only one segment that resembles music in the traditional sense, a kraut-like section fading in (or rather, coming out of the storm) halfway through side 1, sounding like an unusually energetic Popol Vuh rehearsal.

”Luftsånger” is one of those albums that, much like Joakim Skogsberg's ”Jola Rota”, is so set apart from everything else that it's pointless to even try measuring it by any good/bad scales. It's an entity of its own, not music of harmonics, melodies or metres but more like a state of mind. Some parts are indeed enjoyable, others (particularly the percussion bits) are terribly annoying, but they're all part of the uncategorizable whole. If you take one bit out of it, it won't be the same anymore and there's a certain strength in that. Make what you will of it, but it's certainly worth hearing at least once.

Full album

VARIOUS ARTISTS – Sånger och musik från Kvinnokulturfestivalen (Silence, 1977)

Rut Hermansson / Eva Blomqvist / Sabina Kristensen / Monika Lundin / Frankie Armstrong / Lena Ekman / Jan Hammarlund / Marie Selander / Lena Granhagen / Monica Törnell / Andra Bullar / Lava / Ulla Bendrik-Johansson / Turid / Margareta Söderberg / Monica Törnell / Cyndee Peters / Röda Bönor 

Swedish vocals, English vocals, a cappella
International relevance: **

Kvinnokulturfestivalen (Festival of Women Culture) was a three day event held in Stockholm in late October 1977 with many of the usual suspects coming together. This album is a selection of songs recorded at the festival and features Marie Selander, Turid, Lena Granhagen, Andra Bullar, Margareta Söderberg and Röda Bönor to name a few. Most of it is acoustic and most of it sounds exactly as expected, meaning political folk with a righteous message.

A couple of tracks have electric backing and those selections are also the best. Marie Selander's ”Carcara” even manages to work up a physical groove very rarely heard on political albums. Lava, a seemingly temporary grouping assembled specifically for the festival, is Lena Ekman backed by the likes of Sigge Krantz (Archimedes Badkar, Stockholm Norra, Torkel Rasmusson, Lokomotiv Konkret et al) and Ola Backström (Stockholm Norra, Torkel Rasmussion, Dag Vag). Their ”Svartsjuk” starts out a bit trying and uncertain but grows organically as it goes on. Ola Backström's slide guitar isn't exactly Elmore James – more of a slurry Robbie Krieger – but it works to good effect and pushes the song almost to the six minute limit. And Monica Törnell is far better here than on any of her own albums from around this time.

The performers are perhaps more interesting than the performances, but as said above, the album isn't entirely without musical merits. It's not a great album by any means, but remains one of the better feminist albums from the period, for what it's worth.

Full album playlist

JAN HAMMARLUND – Järnvägsräls - Live (Silence, 1982)

Swedish vocals
International relevance: *

As always with Jan Hammarlund's albums, it's a lot more fun to see who appears on them than it is to listen to them. This time, Kenny Håkansson joins forces with Ye Olde Helium Warbler. A live document recorded on various locations in the early summer of 1982, it's a set of songs not appearing on any other Hammarlund albums up to that point. With mostly band accompaniment, it has a fuller sound than other albums of his, but as many of the musicians (Håkansson included) adopt an up-to-date early 80's sound, it still sounds slicker than a lot of his prior work, especially with Dane Niels Hofman on fretless bass (not a good thing).

The album is notable for featuring a first ”Jag vill leva i Europa” that became something of a signature song for Hammarlund, especially when re-recorded a couple of years before the Swedish EU referendum.

Full album playlist with bonus track

COSMIC OVERDOSE – Dada Koko (Silence, 1980) / 4668 (Silence, 1981)

 
Swedish vocals
IRG **

Where to draw the line? What is progg and what is not? I prefer to use the 'benefit of doubt' principle here on the blog, and gladly let through albums that some people sometimes deem controversially un-progg. But an ambition of mine as your humble blog owner is to widen the idea of progg, to trace influences and entwine threads in order to see patterns and relations even in unexpected places as long as they appear within the time frame of the Swedish Progg Blog. This is not as much an apology as it's a declaration of objectives. That said, I was long undecided if Cosmic Overdose belong here but was convinced by some blog followers to let them in. Those people reminded me of the benefit-of-doubt principle.

After all, Cosmic Overdose sure had some progg credentials working for them. Two of the members used to be in Älgarnas Trädgård and Anna Själv Tredje, Dan Söderqvist and Ingemar Ljungström respectively with Ljungström performing as Karl Gasleben, sometimes Terminalkapten Gasleben.(Söderqvist was also in Ragnarök.) Originally inspired by David Bowie's ”Heroes” and Wire's game-changing debut ”Pink Flag” in 1977, they came together as Cosmic Overdose the following year. Their name was chosen ironically but had an equal krautrock and synth punk ring to it. That's telling enough.

Upon seeing Sheffield's haunting industrial band Cabaret Voltaire and maverick Fad Gadget live in London in 1979, the Cosmics expanded their line-up to a trio, adding Kjell ”Regnmakaren” Karlgren on drums. Already affiliated with Silence Records (home of both Älgarnas Trädgård and Anna Själv Tredje), the label released their debut single ”Observation galen” in 1979. Backed with ”Isolatorer”, it wasn't an entirely convincing start. The 'A' side especially is a revved up number, more akin to fellow Gothenburgians and post punk outfit Kai Martin & Stick! – it even took use of a saxophone on the verge of a nervous breakdown similar to what Gomer Explensch did in Kai Martin's band – than the future style of Cosmic Overdose. Peter Bryngelsson from Ragnarök also joined in with his easily detected guitar playing.

It wasn't until their first full-length 1980 album ”Dada Koko” that Cosmic Overdose found the style in which they truly excelled. Tempos were slower, synths and drum machines dominated the sound that could easily be dubbed coldwave with a more modern, after-the-fact term. Added to the chilly electronics was the sometimes space rock-floating sometimes chunky and punkish guitar; the mix of contemporary synthetic sounds and the humanly fleshy guitar created an unnerving ambiguity. Never as uninhibited as say Métal Urbain or serial killer neurotic as Suicide, Cosmic Overdose carved out a niche of their own in the all too small synth punk genre, constantly permeated by their kosmische progg past in Älgarnas Trädgård and Anna Själv Tredje.

”Dada Koko” is a fullblown masterpiece. You'd be hard pressed to find a bad track among the eleven that constitute the album. If there is one, it would be closing track ”Råttan”, but preceeded by tracks such as the uneasy ”Investera”, the jittery ”Moderna dadaister”, the menacing (and slightly Tubeway Army-inflected) ”Vit yta” and the threatening ”Turs”, they had already won.

Following a great seven-inch released later the same year, the English language ”To Night”/”Dead”, the album follow-up to ”Dada Koko” was released in 1981, with Regnmakaren substituted by Jimmy Cyklon (real name Thomas Andersson). ”4668” is a tighter sounding album, but it has some tracks that come off as a bit underdeveloped and not as distinct as the selections on ”Dada Koko”, It still has a lot going for it though. ”En av dom” has a few vocal parts that remind me of French Wagnerians Magma (!). The icy ”Oktoberfragment” ought to get your skin crawling. But the real blast here is album opener ”Bomber”, a stone-cold Cosmic Overdose classic that would have stood up well for itself even on the just about impeccable ”Dada Koko”.

Cosmic Overdose attracted international interest and amazingly enough, even the States were keen on them. (Remember, they were no ABBA or Blue Swede, and for a band as small as Cosmic Overdose to make waves there was no mean feat.) An American 'best of' with the lyrics translated to English and the chosen tracks remixed was planned but ultimately shelved. Instead, a cassette-only album named ”Final KoKo” was released on Gothenburg label Xenophone International, consisting of the recordings intended for the stateside market. The U.K. too wanted to lay their hands on the band, but the Brits insisted on a name change. A personnel change later, they settled for Twice A Man as their new name. As such, they embarked on a second career that lasts to this very day, including numerous releases in various formats. But with the name change, the original dark magic of Cosmic Overdose was lost.

In 2016, the Cosmics were given the box set treatment when Progress Productions released ”Total Koko”, a 3CD set including both their original albums in full plus a bonus CD featuring the 45 exclusives as well as several previously unreleased recordings.

So, is it progg or not progg? It really doesn't matter, because regardless of what label you want to slap on the music, Cosmic Overdose's small ouvre stands out as something very, very special. The only word you really need for it is 'essential'.

"Dada Koko" full album playlist
"4668" full album playlist
"Final Koko" full album playlist
"Observation galen" single playlist
"To Night" single playlist

KEBNEKAJSE – Ljus från Afrika (Silence, 1976) / Elefanten (Silence, 1977)

Ljus från Afrika (Silence, 1976)

Instrumental, other languages

International relevance: **

The later Kebnekajse albums are largely ignored (the Kenny-less dung pile ”Vi drar vidare” should be ignored, with a vengeance). By the time of ”Ljus från Afrika”, they had moved away from the Swedish folk rock that brought them love and attention, and towards Africa as the title of this 1976 album declare, ”light from Africa”. I don't have a problem with that per se, but most of ”Ljus från Afrika” is too close to West African highlife music for me. However, it does have ”Tigerdans/Wind”, a Kenny Håkansson driven spaced-out track firmly rooted in the darker side of afro funk, and heavy rocking closing track ”Brudarnas parti” that is too good to be lost to oblivion. 

Elefanten (Silence, 1977)
Instrumental
International relevance: ***

Kebnekajse's last original album with Kenny Håkansson on guitar (and new drummer Åke Eriksson taking Pelle Ekman's place) is much closer to prog rock than what ”Ljus från Afrika” is. The African influence is kept to a minimum, but unfortunately, it has two horrible Mats Glenngård tracks pointing towards the style of ”Vi drar vidare”, ”Saab Mustang” and ”Grabbarnas afton”, totalling 18 painful minutes. Also, Håkansson must have caught the fusion virus on ”Elefantens strävan mot Nirvana”. Last track ”Halling från Ekshärad”, a traditional tune, is a throwback to Kebnekajse's folk rock years and is, after all, ”Elefanten's” high point.

”Elefanten” is the work of a band who wants to take their music further but without quite knowing where to go. The album does have its moments, but it would be a filthy lie to call it a Kebnekajse classic. It's a billion times better then ”Vi drar vidare” though...

A sleeve variation exist, with the 'J' in the band name being larger on some copies. 

Ljus från Afrika full album playlist

Elefanten full album playlist

ÄLGARNAS TRÄDGÅRD – Delayed (Silence, recorded 1973-1974, released 2001)

Instrumental, Swedish vocals

International relevance: ***

The history's full of albums that have become legendary in their absence. The fewer that have heard an unreleased album, the better it gets in the imagination of those who haven't. Only rarely, albums like that can live up to the expectations.

Recorded in 1973 and 1974, the recordings subsequently released as ”Delayed” was meant for a follow up to Älgarnas Trädgård's highly regarded debut ”Framtiden är ett svävande skepp förankrat i forntiden” from 1972. During the mixing sessions for the album, cracks began to show within the band which led to them disbanding before the work was done, leaving the recordings unfinished until 2001 when Silence finally released it on CD with its appropriate album title.

If ”Framtiden är ett svävande skepp” was spacey, ”Delayed” is much less abstract with only ”My Childhood Trees” reminiscent of the debut. ”Delayed” is heavier in a more typical contemporary prog rock fashion. Unfortunately, when members Dan Söderqvist and Jan Ternald mixed it for the posthumous release, they added tons of reverb which make the album sound more anachronistic than I believe it would have if released as originally projected. I don't think the music is particularly good to begin with, but it would have been better if given a drier mix. Now it's still something of a lost album.

Full album playlist

KEBNEKAISE – III (Silence, 1975)

Instrumental, Swedish vocals, other languages

International relevance: ***

After releasing what is my all time favourite progg album "II" in 1973, I obviously don't hold "III" in euqally high regard. Which is not to say it isn't good album, because it is. Half of it is very similar in style to their preceding LP, with cherry-picked traditional tunes Kebnekaise's bearing their unique hallmark. ”Leksands brudmarsch” is actually on the same level as their second album and a definite high point of tbe band's career (and thus, better than Merit Hemmingson's version).

The album also reveals a band looking to expand their sound, particularly examplified by percussionist Hassan Bah's African flavoured ”Mariamá”. Unfortunately it feels a bit like a democratic inclusion and detracts a lot from the rest of the album, making it feel out of place in this collection, even if it's the last track on the original album. That changed though when it was reissued on CD, when "Gånglåt från Dala-Järna" was added as a secret bonus track. This trad tune was previously only available on the eponymous compilation released by Silence in 1990.

Despite a few objections, ”III” is essential Kebnekaise. No progg collection should be without it.

Full album playlist

KENNY HÅKANSSON – Spelar springlekar och gånglåtar (Silence, 1978)

Instrumental
International relevance: ***

When Kenny Håkansson's former band Kebnekajse smeared their name with shame with the ”Vi drar vidare” album, Håkansson himself made a solo album that was truer to the Kebnekajse spirit. ”Kenny Håkansson spelar springlekar och gånglåtar” – to use the full title – is split between traditional and original material, with two songs written by Arbete & Fritid affiliate Anders Rosén, ”Springlek” and the excellent album opener ”Gånglåt”; and one track written by Håkansson himself, ”Halling”. Also included is ”Trettondagsmarschen” by legendary fiddler Hjort Anders Olsson.

Håkansson recorded the album all by himself using overdubbing until he had built a wall of sound with only guitars and plenty of distortion, compression, feedback and Håkansson's timbre sensitivity. Swedish fiddle music never sounded quite like this until ”Springlekar och gånglåtar” and has probably never sounded like it since.

It's not as good as Kebnekajse but it's fine post script to their 70's discography and, I say it again, way more honorable than ”Vi drar vidare” is.

Shortly afterwards, Håkansson joined 'transcontinental rock reggae' band (their own term) Dag Vag, adopting stage name Beno Zeno. He also released solo ”Benos ben” under that name in 1981, an album best avoided.

An unreleased but only so-so Tonkraft recording by Kenny Håkansson Band from 1977 also exists.

Full album playlist

SAMLA MAMMAS MANNA – Måltid (Silence, 1973) / Klossa knapitatet (Silence, 1974) / Snorungarnas symfoni (MNW, 1976)

It probably says more about me than about guitarist Coste Apetrea that the two Samla Mammas Manna albums I like the best don't have him in the line-up, the one they did before he joined the band, and ”Familjesprickor” by the Zamla Mammaz Manna incarnation. Most people would say that the 1972-1976 is their prime period and it's generally acknowledged as their most classic era.

Måltid (Silence, 1973)

Instrumental

International relevance: ***

”Måltid” is the first album to feature Apetrea, and needless to say it's a much different album to the band's eponymous, guitarless debut. With Apetrea, the music lost most of the mysterious aura that surrounds their maiden work. Instead they developed their famed complexity and patented humour. Sometimes it's far too much of that make-a-funny-face sing-with-a-silly-voice thumbs-up tomfoolery. And sometimes, it's very good, as in "Folkvisa i morse". Often within the same song. And that's why I find ”Måltid” so frustrating to listen to.

Klossa knapitatet (Silence, 1974)

Instrumental
International relevance: ***

Coste Apetrea's influence on the band was really beginning to show here. A greater amount of fusion was beginning to creep into the slapstick music, with constant time changes (”heh heh, funny, eh?”) and over-complex compositions (”aren't we clever, eh?”). I can't shake off the feeling that they do it just because they can, to impress. It's peacock prog. Again, some good moments but on the whole, well, juvenile really.

Snorungarnas symfoni (MNW, 1976)

as Gregory Allan FitzPatrick/Samla Mammas Manna
Instrumental
International relevance: *** 

Greg FitzPatrick wrote ”Snorungarnas symfoni”, an extended work in four movements. Considering Samla Mammas Manna's considerable skills, it was a natural thing to let them perform it. Augmented by a horn section, they toured with ”Snorungarnas symfoni” and recorded it for MNW in 1976. Although it has parts that allow Samla Mammas Manna to show off and despite its grander scope, it's less overwrought and not as hysterical as Samla's regular albums. The downside is that it's not imaginative enough to warrant a 34 minutes playing time. Some parts could easily have been cut down to make for an overall more effective piece. 

After ”Snorungarnas symfoni”, Samla Mammas Manna took a break during which Coste Apetrea left the band (good riddance). Eino Haapala stepped in as his replacement, and the band officially reformed as Zamla Mammaz Manna.

Måltid full album playlist
Klossa knapitatet full album playlist
Snorungarnas symfoni full album playlist

BO HANSSON – Ur trollkarlens hatt (Silence, 1972) / Mellanväsen (Silence, 1975) / El-Ahrairah (YTF, 1977)

 Ur trollkarlens hatt (Silence, 1972)

Instrumental
International relevance: ***

It's impossible for anyone to follow up a masterpiece like ”Sagan om ringen” with something equally good, Bo Hansson included. Therefore, his subsequent albums will always stand in the shadow of his monumental debut. You almost have to forget you've ever heard ”Sagan om ringen” – at least, that's what I had to do to fully appreciate ”Ur trollkarlens hatt”. Truth is, it's a very loveable album, not as dark as its predecessor (see? now I'm comparing it to ”Sagan om ringen” again!), more like drinking dewdrops in the morning with the sun shining through the foliage of trees. It's a wonderful album, meaning both incredibly beautiful and full of wonder.

The album was released abroad as ”Magician's Hat” with cover variations.

Mellanväsen (Silence, 1975)
Instrumental

International relevance: ***

There's something about ”Mellanväsen” (international title: ”Attic Thoughts”) that makes it more intangible than Hansson's previous albums. It has more guitars (courtesy of Finn Sjöberg of Kvartetten Som Sprängde, and Kenny Håkansson) that somehow seem to restrict the album, and with more syntesizers in use, it also has an unbecoming coldness to it. Also, Hansson's regular session drummer Rune Carlsson has a stiffer way of playing here than before. It's also a bit worrying that the music at times veers towards fusion, only a tiny bit as if it doesn't want you to notice, but you can't help but doing it anyway. ”Mellanväsen” isn't a bad album but somewhat unsatisfactory.

The international cover seen above is eye-slicingly terrible. The drawing of Hansson makes him look like a mean-spirited caricature of Sweden's then prime minister Olof Palme.

El-Ahrairah (YTF, 1977)

Instrumental
International relevance: ***

Another album based on a book, this time Richard Adams's ”Watership Down” (the album's international title is ”Music Inspired by Watership Down”). ”El-Ahrairah” also saw Bo Hansson signing with a new label, YTF. My concerns with ”Mellanväsen” are even greater here. It's further down fusion road and despite several excellent names in the credits list – Kenny Håkansson, Bosse Skoglund, Sten Bergman, Göran Lagerberg et al – the music just won't come to life. The best track is the first part of ”Flykt” which sounds like the music to a porn scene in an Italian horror movie. I want to like this album more than I do, but unfortunately, there's too little here to invite me into the music.

The cover art was again mutilated for the album's international release:

”El-Ahrairah” is the last of the 'real' Hansson albums. He made ”Mitt i livet” for Silence in 1985 but that one doesn't count.

Ur trollkarlens hatt full album playlist with bonus track
Mellanväsen full album playlist with bonus track
El-Ahrairah full album playlist with bonus track

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

KEBNEKAISE – Resa mot okänt mål (Silence, 1971)

Instrumental, Swedish vocals

International relevance: ***

Kebnekaise's debut was originally intended as a Kenny Håkansson solo album. In retrospect, that would have made as much sense as releasing it as Kebnekaise. It's very different to anyhting they subsequently released, far removed from the folk rock the group is known for and closer to hard rock with Hendrix influences spilling over from Håkansson's and bassist Bella Linnarsson's days with Baby Grandmothers and Mecki Mark Men. It's an interesting artefact, highlighted by ”Frestelser i stan”, but the energy is sometimes exhausting. All in all, it's not up to the group's later standards.

Full album playlist

DAG VAG – Complete albums 1979-1983

Dag Vag was one of the bands bridging the declining old and the burgeoning new. They called their music 'trans-continental rock reggae' and that explains their music pretty well. Frontman Stig Vig (real name Per-Åke Odeltorp) was previously known as Per Gud and used to hang around with Träd Gräs &Stenar (TG&S). He recorded several of their gigs and released two TG&S albums on his own Tall label, ”Djungelns lag” and ”Mors mors”. Stig Vig's first band was God's Sideburns which he founded in 1966. He was in several other bands in the early 70's including the music theatre group Blomkraft with members from Archimedes Badkar and TG&S. In 1978, he released the single ”Dimma” as Dag Vag & Svagsinta, a raw and fantastic solo DIY effort with its roots in progg but punk in attitude that eventually led to him forming a full band, keeping the name Dag Vag. In the early 00's, Stig Vig said in an interview that he wanted Dag Vag to be fun and joyful alternative to the increasingly narrow-minded politicized progg, and with consciously simple lyrics.

Dag Vag (Silence, 1979)
Swedish vocals

International relevance: **

 

Already known to Silence Records as the live engineer for Tråd, Gräs Och STenar, it was only natural that Dag Vag scored a deal with the label. The album opens with an excellent cover of ”Sanningens silverflod” from TG&S's green album, and features two more translated covers, The Fugs' ”I Couldn't Get High” (”Jag blev inte hög”) and Bob Dylan's ”Tombstone Blues” (”Snorbloos”). However, the best track on this splendid album is the original number ”Idioterna” that captures the band's 'trans-continental rock reggae' at its best.

First edition was released with clear vinyl. 

Scenbuddism (Silence, 1979)

Swedish vocals, instrumental

International relevance: **

When original guitarist Olsson left (real name Ola Backström, known from albums by Stockholm Norra, Torkel Rasmusson, Tore Berger, Lena Ekman et al), Kenny Håkansson of the recently disbanded Kebnekajse stepped in. His first vinyl appearance with the band (as Beno Zeno) was the live album ”Scenbuddism”. Covers of The Modern Lovers' ”Egyptian Reggae” and a translated ”Wild Thing”, but mostly terrific original material including the classic reggaefied version of ”Dimma” . Håkansson delivers some of his best guitar work ever but perhaps he shines brightest on 8+ minutes closing track ”Tokna & galna”.

Palsternacka (Silence, 1980)
Swedish vocals

International relevance: **

 

Still good but not as consistent as their first two albums. The lovely ”Jag har drömt” has lyrics adapted from Swedish poet Dan Andersson and collectively set to music by the band. Highlights also include ”Rulla på” and ”Lång väg”.

7 lyckliga elefanter (Silence, 1982)

Swedish vocals

International relevance: **

The weakest of their original early period albums, with too many highlife and new wave influences, including a translated version of Generation X's ”Dancing with Myself” (”Dansar med mej själv”). ”Min pappa” is however brilliant, written by Zilverzurfarn (real name Johan Zachrisson). 

Almanacka (Silence, 1983; recorded 1978-1981)

Swedish vocals

International relevance: **

Dag Vag disbanded in 1983 and released this live compilation as a farewell album, recorded between 1978 and 1981 and including a trippy version of ”Snorbloos” and a very dubby version of ”Tokna & galna”. Also Kenny Håkansson's brilliant and otherwise unavailable ”Om döden”. Features Don Cherry on several tracks. The expanded CD reissue has different cover art:

Dag Vag also released a number of non-album 45's and has a track on the ”Nej till kärnkraft” comp released in 1979, the great original version of ”Många gånger om” (re-recorded in a lesser version for ”7 lyckliga elefanter”). All stray tracks were later added to the CD reissues along with previously unreleased tracks.

The band reunited in the late 80's with several disbandings and reunions following over the years. Stig Vig died in 2012.

Dag Vag full album playlist with bonus tracks
Scenbuddhism full album playlist with bonus tracks
Palsternacka full album playlist with bonus tracks
7 lyckliga elefanter full album playlist with bonus tracks
Almanacka full album playlist with bonus tracks

VARIOUS ARTISTS – Festen på Gärdet (Silence, 1971; recorded 1970)

Featured artists: Original Homesick Band / Östan Sol, Västan Måne / Fire / Stockholms Spelmansgille / Love Explosion / Låt Tredje Örat Lyssna In & Tredje Benet Stampa Takten / 2000 Spenar / Det Europeiska Missnöjets Grunder / Turid / Samla Mammas Manna / Grönsakslandet / Solen Skiner / Charlie & Esdor / Fläsket Brinner / Gudibrallan / Brownsville Jug Band / Södra Bergens Balalaikor / Old Timey Stringband / NJA-gruppen / Handgjort / Träd, Gräs Och Stenar

Swedish vocals, English vocals, instrumental

International relevance: *** 

It's hard to imagine an album with a greater symbolic significance than the 2LP set ”Festen på Gärdet”, recorded at the second of the two festivals held at the Gärdet field in Stockholm in 1970, with Träd Gräs Och Stenar and especially Bo Anders Persson as the driving force behind them both.

Those festivals are often regarded as the starting point of the music movement. It's convenient having a fixed date of course, but as with any historical event, it was the product of a process, with one thing evolving into something else. So while the date isn't historically valid, the Gärdet festivals' importance to the music movement is unquestionable. This was the first time that several of the soon to be most important bands presented themselves to a larger audience. Most bands didn't have a record contact at the time, and some of them would never get one, such as Det Europeiska Missnöjets Grunder and Låt Tredje Örat Lyssna In & Tredje Benet Stampa Takten.

With the huge cultural impact of the festivals, it may be a bit hard to separate the actual music from the historical importance of the recordings included herein. How does ”Festen på Gärdet” actually sound if the layers of legend are peeled off and the music is judged solely on its own terms?

First of all, it's a lot more varied than one who's never heard it may think. It's not all Träd, Gräs Och Stenar, Fläsket Brinner and Samla Mammas Manna. For instance, the album suggests there was a pretty lively American old-timey music scene in Sweden during this period, here represented by The Original Homesick Band, Brownsville Jug Band and Old Timey Stringband.

Second of all, it's full of the joy of playing and pioneering spirit.

Third of all, the sound quality isn't very enjoyable.

Fourth of all, the music ranges from the unlistenable to the great. Love Explosion and NJA-gruppen/Fria Proteatern are crap as usual. Turid is more annoying than usual. Låt Tredje Örat Lyssna In... sounds like a drunk acoustic Velvet Underground. Träd, Gräs Och Stenar sound like they always do. Gudibrallan might not be featured with their finest hour but they're still as who-gives-a-shit anarchic as I want them to be. Samla Mammas Manna's in their infant stage and it's interesting hearing them this early on. Fläsket Brinner are great but their appearance (with ”Bosses låt”) unfortunately suffers a fair bit from the low fidelity. Etc.

So, all in all, the documentary value is impossible to deny, but the music often leaves a whole lot to be desired. It sure has its moments, but they are few and far between.

A radio documentary about the Gärdet Festival was broadcast in 1970 with otherwise unavailable performances and is included in "Progglådan". A 30 minute TV documentary was also made and can be seen on Youtube (part one, part two).

The album was released in two editions, the first in coloured vinyl with inner sleeves, the second in black vinyl and no innersleeves.

Fire - Nu är det sommar

Samla Mammas Manna - Tripp Harley

Fläsket Brinner - Bosses låt

ÄLGARNAS TRÄDGÅRD – Framtiden är ett svävande skepp, förankrat i forntiden (Silence, 1972)

Instrumental, Swedish vocals

International relevance: ***

Ranked #19 on the blog's Top 25

Perhaps Gothenburg's Älgarnas Trädgård should have been German because they were more 'kosmische' than most. Träd, Gräs & Stenar's music have been declared 'meditative', but that's an adjective I'd rather save for Älgarnas Trädgård. Because their kind of meditation works without serial flubs and fuck-ups. They even manage to use sitar and tablas on ”Det finns en tid för allt, det finns en tid då även tiden möts” without getting silly and cheap-sounding.

”Framtiden är ett svävande skepp, förankrat i forntiden” sounds just like band member and painter Jan Ternald's absolutely stunning artwork looks. The album is a trip deep into inner space, an intergalactic mind journey but at the same time firmly rooted in ancient soil through the folk sounding passages as ”Möjligheternas barn” with vocals by Margareta Söderberg, and ”Tristans klagan” based on the renaissance dance ”La Rotta” (title corrected on later editions). The music's an altered state full of secrets, conundrums and enigmas, reaching out in all directions, inwards, outwards, upwards, downwards, sideways, ahead and back – its scope is almost unfathomable. ”Framtiden är ett svävande skepp” is a work of wonder.

When reissued on CD, the album was expanded with live recordings made at Gothenburg's Museum of Art in 1972. More live recordings exist, including one from Stora Teatern in Gothenburg in 1973. A second Älgarnas Trädgård album was also recorded, but as the band dissolved during the mixing sessions, the release was cancelled. Silence eventually put out it out as ”Delayed” in 2001.

Full album playlist with bonus tracks

ROBERT BROBERG – The 'Zero' years 1979-1981

Motsättningar (RKOB, 1979)
as Circle O Zero on Uma N.E

Swedish vocals

International relevance: **

After fighting mental issues, Robert Broberg invented a new persona. Perhaps to escape himself, or perhaps to become himself. He chose Zero as his new moniker, but the full unwieldy artist name on ”Motsättningar” is "Robert Broberg presenterar (= ”presents”) Circle O Zero on Uma N.E", and the album contains songs written between 1974 and 1979, including one translation of a track from ”Tolv sånger på amerikanska”. ”Would You Like to Be My Object for Tonite?”, here entitled ”Vill du vara mitt sexualobjekt ikväll?”

Possibly due to the timespan of the songs and maybe because some of them are recorded live, the album is all over the map. There's funk in ”Sprucken i tusen bitar” and ”Farbror Anders funk”, blues in ”Du har Pinochet i garderoben!”, a bit of Little Feat in ”Doktor Jekyll och Mister Hyde”, circus music in ”Cirkuslåten/Två knappar längst ner!”, an a capella waltz named ”Jag tar ofta på mig min kofta” etc. The best track however is the very beautiful and melancholy ”Jag ska inte ligga lik” – actually one of his best ever songs.

The diversity of the music is most likely a reflection – conscious or not – of Broberg's fragmented mind at the time. The album title is certainly telling enough: a possible translation of ”Motsättningar” would be 'conflicts'. So, not a consistent album but a revealing one.

Kvinna eller man (Silence, 1981)

as Zero

Swedish vocals, English vocals

International relevance: *

After a decade of self-released albums, Robert Broberg/Zero joined the Silence roster in 1980. Perhaps the proper record deal helped him get a hit with ”Vatten – sta'n är full av vatten”, for a while overplayed by Swedish Radio. The track is relatively representative of the album as whole; ”Kvinna eller man” is Broberg's most accessible album since the 60's. The most interesting tracks are the final two, the English language ”Don't Lean Out of Your Head”, like many of the album's tracks dealing with self-image and identity, and ”Tom Top” which is by far the weirdest song here, pointing towards Broberg's next effort ”Am I Your New Toy”. ”Tom Top” became a novelty hit when released as the album's pilot single in 1980. 1980 also saw the release of the fine Paul McCartney inspired non-album single ”Nothing's Gonna Stop Me Now”.

Am I Your New Toy (Silence, 1982)

as Zero
English vocals

International relevance: ***

 

One of Broberg's quirkiest albums, and given his earlier ones that says a lot. Broberg plays all instruments himself, using a drum machine for rhythm keeping. A certain Devo influence can be traced on tracks like ”You Make It Happen” and ”Your Clothes Talk”, but don't forget to add Brian Wilson's most bizarre Beach Boys moments and sprinkle a bit of Paul McCartney's 1980 album ”McCartney II” on top.

But the crucial element is of course Broberg himself. This album doesn't sound like anything else, at least nothing made by a well-known artist. It's as if he took pieces of familiar music, put them in a telepod from the 50's horror movie ”The Fly”, teleported everything to the other telepod. looked at the curious product of his experiment and then released it on record. Of course the album soon entered obscurity, and few casual listeners probably know it even exists.

After this album, Robert Broberg propelled back into full-scale stardom with sell-out shows and the love of the people. But once he did, he lost a fair bit of the peculiar grandeur of his extended 'forgotten' decade.

Motsättningar full album playlist
Kvinna eller man full album playlist

Am I Your New Toy? full album playlist
"Nothing's Gonna Stop Me Now" full single playlist

VARGAVINTER – Vargavinter (Silence, 1976) / Röster från alla land (Ett Minne För Livet/MNW, 1980)

Vargavinter (Silence, 1976)

Swedish vocals, English vocals, other languages, instrumental
International relevance: ***

After the demise of Låt & Trall, singer Marie Selander became part of 'super group' Vargavinter, featuring members from Archimedes Badkar, Iskra, Södra Bergens Balalaikor, Spjärnsvallet and, through Kjell Westling, Blå Tåget/Arbete & Fritid and others. And not to be forgotten, the brilliant Anita Livstrand.

The title of Vargavinter's second album is ”Röster från alla land”, ”voices from all countries”, and that's a good description even of their live recorded eponymous debut. Vargavinter performed music from just about all around the globe. They were a bit in your face politically but the multitudinous music is often great. It is a bit uneven, with two or three of the songs sounding as if they're there mainly to fill the geographic quota, but  ”Snart” and the atmospheric ”Rumänsk dansmelodi” for instance are very good.

Röster från alla land (Ett Minne För Livet/MNW, 1980)

Swedish vocals, other languages, instrumental
International relevance: ***

”Röster från alla land” appeared four years after ”Vargavinter” and despite being recorded in the studio, the music sounds looser, or if you will, less focused. Still some good tracks such as ”Bågskytten”, ”Dans från Zalongou” and ”Det omöjliga”, but ”Röster från alla land” lacks a lot of the debut's freshness.

”Progglådan” has a 1980 Vargavinter Tonkraft session, and a mid-70's live version, also made for Tonkraft, can be heard on the double LP ”Tonkraft 1975-76: Levande musik från Sverige”.

Vargavinter full album playlist
Röster från alla land full album playlist
Tonkraft 1980 full album playlist