PETER ERICSON – Rouge (Piglet, 1980)

 

Swedish vocals

International relevance: *

Ex-singer/guitarist of Mobben and sometimes known as Peter R. Ericson. This was his first album released under his own name, but using three backing bands, Uppsala Rouge, Åby Hot Rats and the better known Teddybjörn Band. Released on the ever unpredictable Piglet, this is one of the label's most straightforward rock albums. Most of it isn't very good, but it does have a couple of songs that are above the rest. ”Så ska vi vinna” has a hard driving Bo Diddley-like beat and an urgency that I can't help but falling for. The second notable track is ”Söta Klara (La Luna)” which is a most unexpected two chord garage psych paraphrase with prominent organ.

Less surprisingly, there's some good guitar playing here as Ericson was a driven axe slinger who later joined brilliant rock singer/songwriter Anders F. Rönnblom's band. He has released several more solo albums.

Full album playlist 

TEDDYBJÖRN BAND – Teddybjörn Band (Piglet, 1980)

Instrumental, Swedish vocals

International relevance: **

A late-coming wannabe progg band based in Uppsala with a stupid name to boot ('Teddybear Band'). Teddybjörn Band released their sole folk shaded progressive styled album on the baffingly inconsistent and diverse Piglet label, home to Jonas Palm and others.

Opening track ”Toradans” is half decent as a lead-foot Samla Mammas Manna rip-off, but marred by stiff drumming and a synth sounding as if it was nicked from ABBA. The drumming is in fact a problem to the entire album, which is perplexing once you realize there are three different drummers playing here; Hasse Bruniusson (Samla Mammas Manna), Ingemar Bergman (Kaipa), and Per Gulbrandsen (Sub-gruppen, Störningen). It's not easy to tell them apart as all of them offer up such stiff performances they make a pile driver sound like a James Brown 45.

The vocals are mostly overwrought and overbearing and the worst singer of them all is Ann Chabaan who appeares on a couple of tracks. She takes the lead on ”Du har gett upp”, sounding like a bad dream to ruin even vibrato wobbler Jan Hammarlund's sleep.

To top it off, the production is clinical, almost sounding like a Nacksving album.

Teddybjörn Band tries contortionally to come up with something worthwhile but constantly lose themselves in a morass of clichéd pretentiousness.

One of the singers in the band, Frans Mossberg, did the cover painting and released 1982 solo album "Tystnader", also on Piglet.

Full album