TRETTIOÅRIGA KRIGET – Archival releases 1998-2020 (rec. 1970-1981)

Trettioåriga Kriget's archives have been trawled through several times over the years by mainly Mellotronen. Together these releases make up a parallell history of the band, with both live tapes and other sorts of material, covering Trettioåriga Kriget's entire lifespan, also including the years following their reformations in the 90s and the 00s. 

Glorious War (Mellotronen, 2004: rec. 1970-1971)
English vocals, instrumental
International relevance: ***

The most interesting of those archive clear-outs is ”Glorious War”, for the sole reason it doesn't sound much like we know Trettioåriga Kriget's style. Consisting of tapes from the very earliest days of their existence, they hadn't yet taken to the adolescent philosophical rants of their later Swedish lyrics, and they were still too sloppy performers to live up to their own musical pretentions that make most of their records sound so constipated. They try hard, but fail which is relieving to hear. Not that ”Glorious War” is very good – parts of ”Konserten”, overlong at its ridiculous 18 minutes are OK – but it's amusing to hear them make such fools out of themselves. The bass solo of ”Assimilation” is the worst I've heard since Malaria. The track ”Thirty Years War” sounds like a nod to the early Mothers Of Invention but without Zappa's brain. ”Gloriwas War” is 53 minutes of pure spiteful fun.

War Years (Mellotronen, 2008; rec. 1971-2007)
Swedish vocals, instrumental
International relevance: ***

The entire second disc of this double CD is dedicated to the 00's so I leave that aside. Disc 1 covers the band's original ten years. It starts off with a crappy sounding 1971 live recording in the same klutzy vein as ”Glorious War” before moving on to a couple of 1974 selections. The Trettioåriga Kriget sound is beginning to fall into place but the recordings are unbalanced and out of tune which hardly makes the band a favour. Remaining recordings on disc 1 are from '76-'77 amd '79-'81 and tell us what we already knew, that the band went from ostentatious prog rock stuck up on its own holiness to bad new wave.

War Memories (Mellotronen 1998, rec. 1972-1981)
Swedish vocals, English vocals, wordless vocals, instrumental
International relevance: ***

The first compilation of Trettioåriga Kriget's unreleased material appeared already in 1998 and is a mish-mash of studio recordings, radio sessions, live tapes and what have you. So inconsistent and haphazard it's hard to make any sense of it. An early stab at hard rock, later era synth pop and yodeling. (Literally, that is – I'm not talking about Robert Zima's twisted scrotum falsetto.) It does however have early song ”I've Got No Time” which sounds like at least a half decent late 60s/early 70s American rural rock band.

Konserten -73 / King Eric (no label, 2010; rec. 1972-1973)
Instrumental
International relevance: ***

A CD-r single released in 100 copies. ”Konserten” is a trimmed down 1973 recording of the piece from ”Glorious War”, slightly better because it's shorter. ”King Eric” is a crap-fi 1972 recording which starts out as bad jazz before ending in a complete unlistenable mess.

War Diaries, Vol. 1 (no label, 2018; rec. 1974)
War Diaries, Vol. 2 (no label, 2020; rec. 1976)
Swedish vocals, English vocals, wordless vocals
International relevance: ***

Two volumes released through Trettioåriga Kriget's Bandcamp only. The cover for volume 1 says 1974 but some of it is actually from 1975. The four tracks from ”Progglådan” are here too which means that ”Progglådan's” 1973 date is wrong (as is a lot of info in that mess of a box set). Mostly live recordings in good radio sound, plus one demo in OK rehearsal space fidelity.

The second volume is a complete concert recorded Swedish Radio's Tonkraft series in November 1976. The dreaded yodel reappears, but it's still quite possibly the best ever live document of Trettioåriga Kriget, even to my ears, with a focused performance and a well-rounded sound. It's certainly the best to surface officially, head and shoulders above any of the Mellotronen releases. Why this wasn't released first of all is a mystery.

Glorious War full album playlist
War Years disc 1 full album playlist (Bandcamp)
War Memories full album playlist (Bandcamp)
Konserten -73 (first track only)
War Diaries, Vol. 1 full album playlist (Bandcamp)
War Diaries, Vol. 2 full album playlist (Bandcamp)

GEORGE T ROLIN BAND – The Grunden Recordings 1980 (Flymama, released 2019)

English vocals
International relevance: **

Archival release from a band with a pretty solid progg provenance. Three members had been in Scoop, a Södertälje band which also featured Kenth Loong from Blueset. Christer Åkerberg of Trettioåriga Kriget not only brought his guitar to the band, he also let them rehearse at Trettioåriga Kriget's rehearsal space named Grunden (where this session was recorded, hence the album title). George Trolin in turn had made a good impact as a singer for Panta Rei.

But to be perfectly honest: the band's progg connotations are far more impressive than their music. Although tightly performed and executed with serious intentions, they end up rehashing 70's Stones licks and some washed-up Mott The Hoople ideas. And as impressive Trolin was in Panta Rei, well, here he sounds more like a Mats Ronander of Nature doing hungover Mick Jagger impersonations. It's Åkerberg who's the star here, stealing the show with some really elegant and soaring guitar work, on ”Hey Girl” in particular.

While ”The Grunden Recordings” may seem interesting on paper, it's pretty redundant in reality, with their pre-history raising wrong expectations.

George T Rolin Band had one 45 out in 1983, "Sommaren kommer" b/w "Elenor". It's on the CTR label and is neither expensive nor very sought after.

Full album playlist

TRETTIOÅRIGA KRIGET – Complete albums 1974-1981

Prog and symph fan favourites Trettioåriga Kriget were founded in the Stockholm suburb Saltsjöbaden in 1970 as a clumsy gang with ambitions higher than a skyscraper and a competence level sometimes not higher than a newly mowed lawn. But if their band beginnings were humble, their social origins were not – Saltsjöbaden was and is one of Stockholm's wealthiest areas. 

Trettioåriga Kriget (Epic, 1974)

Swedish vocals

International relevance: ***

Trettioåriga Kriget's eponymous album debut came in 1974 and until then they had had the time to rehearse enough for their music to gel. Which unfortunately doesn't make the music better, only terrible in a different way. The ”Glorious War” recordings are largely instrumental, without long standing singer Robert Zima . Once he's present, there's someone to sing the impossibly pretentious lyrics. Really, they're unbearable, hopeless boy's room existentialism. Sad to say, the music has the same swanky feel. This is intellectually constipated arty-farty adolescent dross in a black polo shirt. Still, their best.

Krigssång (CBS, 1975)

Swedish vocals

International relevance: ***

 

Same thing over again, only with a breathier production. The vocals are highly-strung and egocentric, and worse still, they're occasionally 'augmented' by Zima's Uriah Heep falsetto. This album is like a yoga position known as 'head up your arse'. Strenous and full of itself.

Hej på er! (Mistlur, 1978)

Swedish vocals

International relevance: ***

 

Three years later and a new label. Trettioåriga Kriget stayed with Mistlur until disbanding in 1981. For ”Hej på er!” they downplayed their pretentiousness a little bit which could have been a good thing hadn't it turned them into some kind of proto new wave ”Solo” era Kaipa instead. And Robert Zima still annoys me to the verge of breakdown – and lets out his tortured cat falsetto in ”Natten som alltid”. The title track is a decent pop tune of sorts though.

Mot alla odds (Mistlur, 1979)
Swedish vocals 

International relevance: *

 

The 'proto new wave' reference above wasn't chosen at random, as Trettioåriga Kriget moved closer towards a contemporary late 70's style with each Mistlur album. Diehard fans usually dismiss the later albums, and I can see why – Trettioåriga Kriget's new found new wave influences didn't sit well with the expectations of fans of their former style. It worked for Van der Graaf Generator on ”Vital Live”, but it only makes Trettioåriga Kriget sound ridiculous. I mean, more ridiculous than before. Just look at the album cover – who did they suddenly want you to believe they were? The Ramones? Pathetic.

Kriget (Mistlur, 1981)

as Kriget

International relevance: *

Swedish lyrics

Following the release of ”Mot alla odds”, internal conflicts arose which led to Trettioåriga Kriget's demise in 1980. Very soon after some of the members reunited. Most importantly Robert Zima was gone, leaving the vocal duties to bassist Stefan Fredin. He's not a great singer, mediocre, but at least he isn't as nerve-grating as Zima was. Not being the same band anymore, neither in line-up nor style, they shortened their name to Kriget. As such, they released their final album in 1981. It's not very good, mostly standard fare turn of the decade pop/rock that other bands did so much better, but a little irritating than their other pompous drivel.

Trettioåriga Kriget full album playlist
Krigssång full album playlist
Hej på er! full album playlist
Mot alla odds full album
Kriget full album playlist