RALPH LUNDSTEN & THE ANDROMEDA ALL STARS – Complete albums 1977-1982

A curious character, this Ralph Lundsten guy. His career somehow parallels that of Ragnar Grippe, as Lundsten started out as an electro-acoustic composer and then gradually moved towards more commercially accessible music. A wider attention came in the mid 70's with his series of so called nature symphonies taking inspiration from Swedish nature and folklore. Lundsten became something of a new age music pioneer, recording many of his albums in his Andromeda studio in a house painted pink. He was on a massive ego trip, seemingly only liking his own music. Most of his many many albums are cheesy and aimed at the crystal healers market. To be fair, a lot of his un-commercial early stuff (from the late 60's and early 70's) is quite superficial too but at least somewhat more interesting to listen to.

With the 70's drawing to a close, Lundsten assembled an amorphous band called The Andromeda All Stars and rarely has the term ”all stars” been more to the point. Plenty of name performers passed through, too numerous to mention in all, but a few would be Bernt Rosengren, Ahmadu Jarr, Tommy Körberg, Jojje Wadenius, Monica Dominique, Wlodek Gulgowski, Björn Inge (November et al), Björn J:son Lindh, Janne Schaffer, Tomas Ledin, and renaissance music flag-bearer Sven Berger. This massive lot of people helps the four Andromeda All Stars albums into the progg realm.

Universe (Harvest, 1977)
Instrumental, wordless vocals
International relevance: **

The first All Stars album (housed in a truly eye-catching cover) is one of Lundsten's best, although I hesitate to use superlatives when talking about Lundsten's albums, no matter what line-up they flash. It's uneven and still very cheesy, but it has some entertaining moments of gurgling and bubbling sounds where Lundsten probably just fools around with the crazy sound effects because he enjoys it. As typical to his post-EAM albums, there are plenty of synth washes. The best tracks are those that have a rhythmic structure, like ”Harvest In Heaven”, ”Space Funeral”, and the space rock sounding ”The Planet Of Winds”.

Discophrenia (Harvest, 1978)
Instrumental
International relevance: **

With the disco wave sweeping the world in the late 70's, plenty of musicians jumped the danceable bandwagon. Even the self-loving Ralph Lundsten got bit by the bug, but his interpretation of disco is of course different to others. He either mess with it deliberatly, or he misunderstands everything. The title track is in fact rather interesting as Lundsten seems to predict the synth pop still a few years away from public recognition. It actually reminds me a bit of the early Human League albums (those before the girls joined the group and they became MTV darlings with ”Don't You Want Me”) and they hadn't been released yet when ”Discophrenia” came out. The album even spawned a single (with an extended remix of the title track), a rather rare thing in Lundsten's discography.

Alpha Ralpha Boulevard (Harvest, 1979)
Instrumental, English vocals
International relevance: **

The third Andromeda All Stars album falls somewhere between the first two, with characteristics spilling over from both. ”Rendezvous With A Washing-Machine”, ”Ego Love Song” (appropriate title for Lundsten!) and ”Horrorscope” are still discophrenic, while other chunks stick to the wishy-washy synth layers. The album is very inconsistent, and it sounds as if it's cooked up from leftovers from the previous two discs. The all stars concept is beginning to wear thin.

The New Age (Harvest, 1982)
Instrumental
International relevance: **

After a couple of electronic/symphonic works in the beginning of the 80's, Lundsten returned in 1982 with the final album credited to The Andromeda All Stars. Largely new-agey as the title lets you know, but a more coherent work than ”Alpha Ralpha Boulevard”. But it does sound as if the steam had run out altogether of the All Stars project. It's less colourful and crazy than the initial trio, there's no real push to it.

From "Universe"
Universe Calling / The Space Sneaker / In The Shade Of The Purple Moon / The Hot Andromedary / The Blue Planet / Harvest In Heaven / In The Erotosphere / The Celestial Pilgrim / Rhapzodiac / The Planet Of Winds / Lunatic Safari / Space Funeral / Cosmic Song

From "Discophrenia"
Andromedan Nights / Discophrenia / Luna Lolita / Robot Amoroso

From "Alpha Ralpha Boulevard"
Alpha Ralpha Boulevard / Rendezvous With A Washing-Machine / Space Flower Dance / Ego Love Song / Happy Earthday / Horrorscope / Computerful Love / Dancing In A Dream / Lifetide

From "The New Age"
Morning Of Creation / Time Storm / Future Carnival / Trance-Action / The Remembering Castle / Garden Of Delight

TOMMY KÖRBERG – Sjunger Birger Sjöberg (Sonet, 1974) / TOMMY KÖRBERG & STEFAN NILSSON – Blixtlås (Sonet, 1979)

Swedish vocals
International relevance: */**

Tommy Körberg is a huge star even internationally thanks to his appearance in the ”Chess” musical. He's an incredibly versatile performer and a massively gifted singer, but he can also be massively boring and his vocal precision can make him sound cold. Most of his solo works are way outside of progg; his relevance to this blog mainly extends to his recordings with Solar Plexus and Made In Sweden. ”Tommy Körberg sjunger Birger Sjöberg” fits despite not really being progg as it's really a Solar Plexus album in disguise, featuring the entire band minus Jojje Wadenius. The songs are musical adaptions of Swedish turn of the century poet Birger Sjöberg, As expected with the people involved, it's a well performed affair. It's very polished, so polished it's lifeless. There's little or nothing of Solar Plexus's usual frivolous approach to musical genres, and the general feel is that of restrainment and control. The three tracks that rise slightly above the inherent dullness are ”Släpp fångarne loss”, ”Samtal om universum” and ”Bleka dödens minut”. They have vague strains of a suppressed unease if you listen closely – very closely – but still lack the spirit the album is in such great need of.

Tommy Körberg returned to Swedish poetry as a source for inspiration five years later, but his approach was vastly different on "Blixtlås" (subtitled "Svensk 70-talspoesi", 'Swedish 70's poetry'). Featured are  longtime Körberg cohort Stefan Nilsson (Kornet, De Gladas Kapell, Hörselmat) and other people from mainly the jazz and fusion legions (plus a harmonica cameo from Mats Ronander). It has a sound I don't like, but the music and arrangements are still more vivid than on the Birger Sjöberg album. But ”Blixtlås” wasn't made as a companion piece, and taken as a singular work, it simply sounds lika a cold, cerebreal and clinical fusion jazz workout.

Sjunger Birger Sjöberg full album playlist
Blixtlås full album playlist

TOMMY KÖRBERG, ANDERS LINDER, LILL LINDFORS & ANN SOFI NILSSON – Barn i stan (Folksång, 1980)

Swedish vocals
International relevance: *

The featured booklet explains the album: ”This album deals with the condition of children. Some of the songs are newly written, but most of them date back to the turn of the century. You can learn a lot from history. Knowledge of the historical context can help us to greater power of action today.” Needless to say, the lyrics have a strong political bent, and while it's hard to object to the sentiment, the wiseacre approach is as tiresome here as always.

The most interesting thing about the album is the all-star lineup with several of prog stellars including Tommy Körberg (Solar Plexus, Made In Sweden), Anders Linder (all-round performer well-loved for his many children's shows on national TV), Stefan Nilsson (De Gladas Kapell, Kornet, Hörselmat and later on stahlwart with Tommy Körberg), Stefan Ringbom (Mascots, Fria Proteatern) and of course, the everpresent multi-instrumentalist maestro Kjell Westling (Arbete & Fritid, Harvester, Gunder Hägg/Blå Tåget, Vargavinter, Spjärnsvallet...). Still, the music itself isn't very interesting, and ”Barn i stan” stands most of all as merely a historical document from the tail end of the progg movement.

Folksång was Fria Proteatern's label.

No links found.

SOLAR PLEXUS – Complete albums 1972-1975

In terms of sheer musicality, it's hard to beat Solar Plexus. Led by married couple Carl-Axel and Monica Dominique, and featuring Jojje Wadenius and Bo Häggström from Made In Sweden, they could play anything – and sometimes did. They were originally named Bäska Droppar, a name they shared with the traditional Swedish wormwood liqour.

Solar Plexus (Odeon, 1972)

Instrumental, Swedish vocals [Swedish version] / 

Instrumental, English vocals [export version]
International relevance: ***

Funky, jazzy, bluesy, progressive, folky, avant, silly, serious, dull, exciting – all of it is true at one point or another on the album. The sheer musicality of it all is the greatest thing about this album. Sometimes they're actually too clever for their own good, but when it works it's certaonly better than Made In Sweden.

Jojje Wadenius original Swedish vocals for the album were substituted with English vocals by Tommy Körberg for an international launch. Körberg made a guest appearance on the Swedish version of the album, but after re-recording Wadenius's vocals, Körberg became a full time member of the band. Which version you prefer is a matter of taste I suppose. Both have their advantages, but my impression of the export edition is that Körberg doesn't quite feel at home being only a hired gun.

2 (Odeon, 1973)

Swedish vocals, English vocals, instrumental

International relevance: ***

Their second album, aptly titled ”2” and without Jojje Wadenius who had just left Sweden to join Blood Sweat & Tears. Tommy Körberg in turn was here a fully integrated part of Solar Plexus. You win some and you lose some; the band won a powerhouse vocalist but lost some of their curious-minded experimentation. ”2” isn't as adventurous as their first album focusing more on soul styled songs to fit Körberg's vocals. I wish they would have gone further out on a limb like they did on their debut.

Det är inte båten som gungar – det är havet som rör sig (Harvest, 1974)
Swedish vocals, English vocals, instrumental 

International relevance: ***

The album kicks off with the great, funky title track, but loses steam after that. Most of the album lacks real punch; the sound and songs are too polished, and it sounds like just another day at the jazz rock work.

Hellre gycklare än hycklare (Harvest, 1975)

English vocals, instrumental
International relevance: ***

If the previous album was weak, this is even lamer. The band goes through the motions and true inspiration is hard to find. Körberg's vocals sound a bit detached and uninspired, with a style hinting at his future career in musicals. Great rhyming album title though, especially if think of "better a joker than a hypocrite" as a well deserved quib at the increasingly holier-than-thou factions of the music movement.

Solar Plexus appears on several albums outside of their regular discography, most notably on ”Progglådan” that features a radio concert, probably from 1974. (”Progglådan” compiler Coste Apetrea cared as much for proper dates and correct info as he did for liner notes proof reading...) Solar Plexus provided music to actor Beppe Wolgers's children's album ”Gullivers resor” in 1971, appears on one track on Abdo's album ”Salma”, and provided music to comedy duo Hasse & Tage's live radio broadcast ”Öppen kanal – eller stängd?” in 1975, released on LP later the same year.

Although I don't like everything they did, I have the deepest respect for them and particularly the Dominique couple. They had free souls and a huge non-discriminating love for music, which in itself is a grand source for inspiration.

Solar Plexus (Swedish version) full album playlist

Solar Plexus (English version) full album playlist 
Solar Plexus 2 full album playlist
Det är inte båten som gungar full album playlist
Hellre gycklare än hycklare full album playlist

SLIM BORGUDD – Funky Formula (Four Leaf, 1976)

English vocals

International relevance: ***

Originally drummer with Hawkey Franzén's great 60's band Lea Riders Group, then Made In Sweden, then Solar Plexus, Tommy ”Slim” Borgudd turned celebrity studio musician in the 70's and successful Formula 1 driver (hence the cover).

”Funky Formula” is indeed one funky affair –  Borgudd was obviously into James Brown and 70's hard funk. It features Jan Schaffer, Björn J:son Lindh, Jojje Wadenius, Göran Lagerberg and former Lea Riders Group/Made In Sweden bassist Bo Häggström. Three singers also join in: Björn Skifs (known to the whole wide world for fronting Blue Swede who scored a U.S. hit in 1974 with their version of ”Hooked on a Feeling”), Tommy Körberg (Solar Plexus, Made in Sweden) and – surprisingly enough – rock'n'roll singer Jerry Williams. Some might frown in disbelief at the vocalist choices (especially Jerry Williams) but they're all pretty solid in this setting. ”Funky Formula” isn't a top shelf effort but it's OK.

Full album playlist