VARIOUS ARTISTS – Alternative Instrumental Music (Caprice, 1980; rec. 1970-1978)

Featured artists: Kebnekaise / Arbete & Fritid / Bo Hansson / Fläsket Brinner / Tillsammans / Samla Mammas Manna / Spjärnsvallet / Iskra / Archimedes Badkar / Anita Livstrand / Ramlösa Kvällar

Instrumental 

International relevance: ***

An excellent if redundant compilation in Caprice Records' ”Music In Sweden” series. This is volume 7 and just like the title says, focusing on instrumental progg. All tracks are taken from previously released albums so there's nothing exclusive here. But, as a cream-of-the-crop overview, it's carefully selected and sequenced, with great numbers from the likes of Kebnekaise (from their second, invincible album and before their changed their spelling to Kebnekajse), Arbete & Fritid, Fläsket Brinner, Archimedes Badkar, Anita Livstrand, Spjärnsvallet and Bo Hansson. Pretty much the go-to album for a progg newbie interested in the non-vocal side of Swedish progg, as well as a thoroughly enjoyable disc to the ears of the already converted.

An LP sized multilingual booklet with short pieces on the participating groups as well as a introduction to the Swedish progg scene is included.

Kebnekajse - Barkbrödslåten
Arbete & Fritid - Två grekiska låtar
Bo Hansson - De svarta ryttarna/Flykten till vadstället
Fläsket Brinner - Gunnars dilemma
Samla Mammas Manna - Oförutsedd förlossning
Spjärnsvallet - Pojkarna
Archimedes Badkar - Darkpen
Anita Livstrand - Didjeridoo/Kulning
Ramlösa Kvällar - Maskulina mystiken 

SPJÄRNSVALLET – Spjärnsvallet (MNW, 1976)

Instrumental

International relevance: ***

Ranked #19 on the blog's Top 25

Why this isn't considered a stone cold classic is beyond me, a power meeting with saxophonist Christer Bothén, drummer Bengt Berger, bassist Nikke Ström and everythingist Kjell Westling. Breeding eruptive free jazz with reflective and ethnically coloured music, ”Spjärnsvallet” sounds like a blend of Archimedes Badkar, early Arbete & Fritid and Berger & Westling's ”Spelar”. The playing is intuitive but structured and tight like a sailor's knot, the music is forceful yet lyrical, violent yet serene. Whoever keeps this album from being properly reissued will have a rough time on judgement day.

Thankfully, there's another album to satisfy at least some of the desperate need for a reiusse. ”Again & Again” (Country & Eastern, 2014) is a mix of outtakes from the original sessions and newly recorded tracks and believe me, those recordings are absolutely excellent and essential stuff.

The original Spjärnsvallet broke up shortly after the debut album was released. Bengt Berger took off for Ghana. After his return, Spjärnsvallet reunited (sans Nikke Ström, plus Sigge Krantz) for an album with Bella Ciao/Låt & Trall singer Fred Lane entitled ”Till soluppgång och till lycka” (Krokben, 1982).

Full album playlist