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

CONVALJEN, PELLE, CHRISTINA, JOJJE – Kåklåtar (MNW, 1972) / KONVALJEN – Konvaljen (MNW, 1975)

There was an ongoing debate over prisoners' conditions in Sweden in the early 70's. The correctional facilities were criticized for being too old-fashioned, even inhumane. MNW decided to make a record of inmates performing their own songs telling their own story, and the album ”Kåklåtar” became an important contribution to the public debate, bringing further attention to their cause.

CONVALJEN, PELLE, CHRISTINA, JOJJE – Kåklåtar (MNW, 1972)

Swedish vocals

International relevance: *

A number of progg luminaries help the "Kåklåtar" singers out including Tore Berger, Greg FitzPatrick, Hans Wiktorsson, Tomas Forssell, and Tord Bengtsson. But the important performers are interns Lennart 'Convaljen' Johansson, Pelle Lindberg, Christina Calldén and George 'Jojje' Olsson performing mostly their own songs (some traditional) with lyrics written by other inmates. The importance of the album lies with what's being said and not how it's said. Obviously none of the singers are professionals and it has to be taken into consideration when approaching ”Kåklåtar”. It's unconditionally context-depending; from a strictly musical point, there's nothing thrilling here.

KONVALJEN – Konvaljen (MNW, 1975)

Swedish vocals

International relevance: *

Of the ”Kåklåtar” singers, Lennart "Konvaljen" Johansson became the most popular, and having spent around three decades in prison, he also became the informal spokesman of Swedish prisoners. In 1974, he began working on his solo album together with the likes of Slim Notini, Nikke Ström and Samla Mammas Manna (backing him up on dull blues track ”Resocialiseringsblues”). It was released the following year, with Convaljen's name now spelt Konvaljen. The songs are similar to his contributions to ”Kåklåtar” in an uncomplicated troubadour style with the lyrics being the most important element. You could almost say that the message is the medium. ”Konvaljen” is a wee bit better than ”Kåklåtar” but the songs are still in an uninteresting troubadour style, and there's not much here for foreign listeners to pick up on (unless you're a hardened Samla Mammas Manna completist).

A much better prison themed album is Hawkey Franzén's ”Visa från Djupvik”.

For those wanting to learn more about the tradition of Swedish prison songs, a book was published in 2017, ”Kåklåtar – Fängelsevisor som identitetsmarkör och kulturarv”, written by Dan Lundberg, published by Gidlunds Förlag. An English translation is currently in the making.

Kåklåtar full album playlist
from Konvaljen

Resocialiseringsblues 

Lazzaron 

En billig rymning + Porrblaskan

STOCKHOLM NORRA – Stockholm Norra (MNW, 1978)

Swedish vocals

International relevance: *

A somewhat underrated Blå Tåget spin-off with Tore Berger, Torkel Rasmusson and Leif Nylén at the core. Stockholm Norra continues where Blå Tåget left off with ”Slowfox” but this is a better album. The lyrics are still political and the poetic shimmer is as strong as before, only with a greater sens of self-reflection, almost like an afterthought to the original Blå Tåget years.

Stockholm Norra made live appearances but wasn't around long enough to make another album. A shame because it's a good album, in many ways an easier listen than the Gunder Hägg/Blå Tåget albums. One further song (”Den nyaste regeringen” was released on the 'B' side to their only 45, the Rasmusson penned ”Vad önskar du dig för nånting i julklapp?” and later added to the CD reissue of the album as a bonus track.

The sleeve features a painting by Kalle Berggren and along with the cover art to Nationalteatern's ”Barn av vår tid”, it's probably the best picture to capture the late 70's social zeitgeist in Sweden.

Full album playlist with bonus track

GUNDER HÄGG / BLÅ TÅGET – Albums 1969-1974

One of the most emblematic bands of the progg movement, and crucial to understanding the spirit of progg. Not only did they fully embody the 'everybody can play' ethos, they initiated it. They had a couple of professionals in the band, such as the always excellent Roland Keijser, but most of the members were musical novices. Mikael Wiehe once said that he thought Gunder Hägg sounded so horrendous that he felt compelled to start Hoola Bandoola Band. (In defense of Wiehe, it has to be said that he later admitted that Gunder Hägg/Blå Tåget in retrospect was way more musically progressive than ever Hoola Bandoola Band.)

The band emanated from the Stockholm arts, theatre and literature circuits, with band members Leif Nylén, Torkel Rasmusson and Mats G. Bengtsson already being published authors. Heavily inspired by American underground band The Fugs (although it could be argued they were closer in spirit to The Fugs' ESP-Disk' label mates The Godz), they decided to start a band combining performance art and music. They went by a couple of different names (Tjalles Horisont, Sound of Music) before deciding on Gunder Hägg, after the legendary Swedish athlete by the same name who objected to being related to the band, why they choose Blå Tåget instead in time for their fourth album.

GUNDER HÄGG – Tigerkaka (MNW, 1969)

Swedish vocals, English vocals

International relevance: **

It's easy to understand Mikael Wiehe's frustration with Gunder Hägg's ineptitude when hearing ”Tigerkaka”. The vocals are off, the English lyrics are demolished by bad pronounciation, the playing is clumsy, the songs are amateurish. Wiehe was right: ”Tigerkaka” really sounds terrible. But that's not the point. The mix of styles – trad jazz, singer/songwriter, semi-psych, cabaret etc – is daring to a band that seemingly didn't know the difference between a guitar and a hubcap, and ”Tigerkaka” is a statement of much greater importance than sheer capability: A proof that you can get something across even if you lack craftmanship. Instrumental insuffiency can make an album disastrous and unlistenable, but if the band chemistry's right, it can also make an album work in a way that professionalism not necessarily can (there are several examples of both). And ”Tigerkaka” works. Torkel Rasmusson's title track is wonderful, as is Mats G. Bengtsson's ”I hajars djupa vatten” – one of Blå Tåget's best songs ever. Not only is it a good album on its own terms, its symbolic value simply can't be overrated.

GUNDER HÄGG – Vargatider (MNW, 1970)

Swedish vocals

International relevance: **

Visual artist and film maker Carl Johan de Geer began showing up at Gunder Hägg's rehearsals. He brought his trombone with him, without really knowing how to use it, insisting on playing with the band. They weren't sure if it was a good idea (with their lack of musical comprehension, how could they tell anyway?) but de Geer kept coming back and was soon a self-appointed member. He didn't really elevate Gunder Hägg to a higher level of aptitude... That ”Vargatider” sounds a bit less disjointed than ”Tigerkaka” has probably more to do with the band having played together for a little longer. ”Vargavinter” is an overall more powerful album, highlighted by the two very Fugs inspired tracks ”Alienation” and ”Tio svarta pantrar”, the latter with some great sax from Roland Keijser.

GUNDER HÄGG – Glassfabriken (MNW, 1971)

Swedish vocals

International relevance: **

Their last album before the name change is their most professional sounding up until then, which of course is a relative thing when discussing Gunder Hägg/Blå Tåget. The Fugs' impact on their music was less notable, and instead the album makes extensive use of musical pastiches giving it a stronger cabaret feel that I'm personally not very fond of. The best song by far is the Rasmusson penned title track. A classic track, head and shoulders above the rest of the material here.

BLÅ TÅGET – Brustna hjärtans hotel (MNW, 1972)

Swedish vocals

International relevance: **

With four increasingly self-assured songwriters in the band, a double LP was destined to happen, and it coincided with Gunder Hägg's forced name change to Blå Tåget. Nylén, Bengtsson, Rasmusson and Tore Berger had all developed their own songwriter personalities, and that makes for a rich and varied album. There's still a couple of pastiches here, but they're fewer and blended in with other songs, and work better in this context than on ”Glassfabriken”. There are so many good songs here that it's no wonder ”Brustna hjärtans hotell” is considered a true progg classic. And ”Den ena handen vet vad den andra gör” is perhaps the ultimate progg anthem, and later perhaps the ultimate punk anthem as well when Ebba Grön retitled it ”Staten och kapitalet” and released as an equally classic 7” in 1980. That ought to settle the argument that progg and punk were two entirely different and separated phenomena – they weren't! Punk was simply progg's unruly offspring. I stand by that.

During the ”Brustna hjärtans hotell” recordings, Blå Tåget lost original member Roland Keijser. Keijser remembers:

- I play on a mere three tracks on the LP, all of them taken from the radio play ”Fallet Ramona” that we made in the autumn of '71. ”Winges vals” is the only one of the four ”Ramona” tracks actually recorded at the Swedish Radio, the others are new studio recordings made in early 1972. The original idea was to release them as a mini LP, but that never materialized. New songs were added, and when studio work resumed in May and the beginning of June – by then, yours truly was gone.

 

- You know that picture [by Carl Johan De Geer] where Blå Tåget sits at a table at Winbergs Café in Vaxholm? There's an empty chair up front to the right which I just had left... I'm pretty sure the picture was taken during the ”Ramona” recordings in early 1972.

BLÅ TÅGET – Slowfox (MNW, 1974)

Swedish vocals 

International relevance: **
 

After their double disc tour de force, it took Blå Tåget two years before making what would become their final original album. Sometimes considered a disappointment following ”Brustna hjärtans hotell”, and I guess it's fair to agree – but how could you follow up an album such as ”Brustna hjärtans hotell” maintaining the same quality level? ”Slowfox” is a decent enough album, but the spark isn't quite there anymore. Although it feels a bit dutiful, it does have a couple of fine songs, especially ”Under antaget namn” and ”Mannen på verandan”, the latter written by Torkel Rasmusson together with original and long standing Blå Tåget member Kjell Westling who took over all horn duties when Roland Keijser left the band. 

Blå Tåget disbanded in 1975 but they have reunited several times over the years, also releasing a couple of albums with newly recorded material (the first of those being the half-decent 1981 live album ”Blå Tåget på Fågel Blå”). A partial reunion came already in 1977 when Torkel Rasmusson, Tore Berger and Leif Nylén formed Stockholm Norra who released one underrated album in 1978.

Special thanks to Roland Keijser for shedding some light on his departure, and Carl Johan De Geer for letting me use his classic picture. 

Tigerkaka full album playlist

Vargatider full album playlist

Glassfabriken full album playlist
Brustna hjärtans hotell full album playlist

Slowfox full album playlist

TORE BERGER – Mitt hjärtas melodi (MNW, 1976)

Swedish vocals

International relevance: **

First solo album from Blå Tåget key member Tore Berger (although it could probably be argued that everybody in Blå Tåget were key members). Former band fellows Urban Yman and Kjell Westling appears, and front cover picture was taken by Carl Johan de Geer. Tony Thorén and Carla Jonsson from Piska Mig Hårt/Eldkvarn also join in on bass and guitar.

Berger has always had a melancholy feel to his songs, but it's more evident on ”Mitt hjärtas melodi” when Blå Tåget's aura of amateurishness has been stripped away on an album of solely Berger compositions. It's an introspective collection of thoughtful songs, ranging from calm to understated chaos. Some tracks have tense arrangements that provide them with a jittery unease, such as the panic-stricken ”När vi simmar ut...”, and ”Här är ett rum...” with Berger's screeching clarinet cutting through the increasing unrest like a sudden strike of overwhelming anxiety during the darkest hour.

”Mitt hjärtas melodi” is a sometimes achingly beautiful and always touching album, with many of the songs coming to real life between dusk and dawn. Even Blå Tåget backbiters should give this one a try because it doesn't really sound like them – on the contrary, it's a focused, rather singular album that could only have been made by the very one who made it.

Full album playlist