VARIOUS ARTISTS – Rockplock (Talking Music, 1980)

Featured artists: Dynamis / Vackert Väder / The Information / Kyrkstöt / Rubbet
Swedish vocals
International relevance: *

Compilation of five Christian bands contributing two tracks each, on the Talking Music label. The five bands featured are Dynamis, Vackert Väder, The Information, Kyrkstöt and Rubbet. While no band is fullblown progg but more in a pedestrian AOR and hard rock vein and of little interest, there are proggish undercurrents in Vackert Väder's and Rubbet's contributions. Kyrkstöt's ”Hårda krav” is a boneheaded boogie number, but the lyrics take a welcome dig at the fashionable politics of the day even if it's from a severely Xian perspective.

Kyrkstöt released a 45 also in 1980, while the other bands all had at least one album under their own name.

Full album playlist

LARS KIHLBOM – Spegelryttaren (Talking Music, 1981)

 
Swedish lyrics, instrumental
International relevance: **

Little-known or at least rarely mentioned album by not very productive singer/songwriter Lars Kihlbom. My guess is that Ola Magnell and Marie Bergman were among his prime inspirations. Kihlbom, however, was never even within grasp of Magnell's talent. The songs often deal with interpersonal relations but fail to engage. I simply don't care about Kihlbom's pedestrian observations of mundane situations. The best tracks are the short instrumentals – the opener ”Introduction” is by far the most interesting 35 seconds on the entire album along with the Debussy drenched flute closer ”Israel” clocking in at less than a minute and a half. The album title is quite poetic though, meaning "The Mirror Horseman".

Talking Music was a seemingly Christian Gothenburg label which released several singles and albums by a variety of little-known acts such as Kyrkstöt, Ben Antell Band and Dynamis. They were also the distributor of Tomas Ernvik's/Vatten's Gutta label.

Lars Kihlbom released a non-album 7” in 1981, plus a couple of albums later in the 80s. In a strange turn of events, he also record a 45 in 1988 with tennis pro Mats Wilander as part of his less than successful musical career. There are also a couple of much later albums up on Youtube by one Lars Kihlbom which I assume is the "Spegelryttaren" guy.

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