THE ELEPHANT IN THE ROOM: PROGGLÅDAN

You've probably noticed I mention ”Progglådan” (="the progg box") every now and then. It might be a good idea to explain what it is for those who might not really know.

”Progglådan” is a 40 CD (!!!) box set released by the Swedish Radio in 2013, compiling tons of recordings mainly from their weekly Tonkraft show that ran for 11 years beginning in 1972. The show's forerunner was Midnight Hour in the late 60s. ”Progglådan” came in a slipcase containing four smaller boxes with 10 discs each housed in cardboard sleeves. The four smaller boxes are thematically organized. Box A has heavy rock and blues, box B features instrumental and experimental bands, original proggers and punk, box C is folk progg and singer/songwriters, and box D collects melodic rock. A fantastic testament to Swedish progg with the best recordings from Swedish Radio's vast archive of special sessions – or is it?

In reality, it's not as great as it looks at a first glance and nowhere near as great as it could have been. Compiled by Coste Apetrea who said he worked on it for three years as the project constantly grew. It's hard to believe he put three years into it. Had he said a month, I would take his word for it. It's so shoddily done that not only is it disrespectful to the people who forked out quite a sum for it when it was available, but also to the artists involved.

Several names are misspelt which is a big no-no for a credible presentation – don't you think so too, Cotse Arpetea? The liner notes are so littered with completely moronic spelling mistakes that it sometimes looks as if Cesto Paterea just hammered down his fingers on the computer keyboard at random. Did you know your computer has a spellcheck function? It's impossible to read them without getting furious at the carelessness, and some ”words” take some time to figure out what they're actually supposed to be. I know for a fact that at least one person offered his proof reading services for free before the the whole shebang went to print, but Swedish Radio ignored him and obviously thought that this exercise in aleatoric typing would suffice. (I've done some proof reading myself over the years, and I prmoise you I've never seen anything like this.) I once wrote a Facebook comment when some gala celebrating ”Progglådan” was to be held, complaining about the impetuous writing and I just got the response ”it's supposed to be like that”. Talk about adding insult to injury. I don't know if it was Secto Trepaea who replied, but NO, IT'S NOT FUCKING SUPPOSED TO BE LIKE THAT! Don't behave like a complete idiot who doesn't give a shit, and don't be proud of it! Thanks for your consideration.

The recording dates are too often wrong and insufficient. I thought Swedish Radio kept pedantic notes on session details, and if they do, then Tesco Repatae must have ignored them in favour of his own guessing game. I once did extensive research on the correct dates as far as possible, but I've unfortunately lost the document since and I just can't be arsed to do it all over again. Besides, it's not my bloody job to correct some ignorant fucker's deficient work. I don't get paid for it but I'm sure he did.

The editing of the recorded material is sometimes haphazard too. Several of the shows have songs cut from the original sessions and I can live with that even if its irritating, but sometimes a spoken intro to a missing song is left intact. It's like a glitch in the matrix. OK, it's a lot of material to listen through, but if you've worked on it for three years, then you should bloody well have the time to check if it's correct. Right, Tesco Eptarea? Otherwise, work on it one more year to make sure it's right.

 
You can always question the selection done for a compilation depending on your own taste, but some of the choices here are downright dubious. I know that Pugh Rogefeldt was asked to be included, but he failed to reply before deadline why the first disc is wasted on Cosmic Ray, a modern band recorded in Silence's studio in 2012 – not a Swedish Radio recording from the time ”Progglådan” covers, 1967-1985. I suspect this rushed decision has something to with Ocest Ptaaree being the producer of the Cosmic Ray recording... You see, he had a peculiar way of sneaking quite a few of his own recordings on here – De Gladas Kapell, Jukka Tolonen Band, Samla Mammas Manna (appear twice), Ramlösa Kvällar, and Cosmic Rays. It might not look much for a 40 CD box set, but no other musician is that extensively represented. And he never once spelled his own name wrong in the credits...

I don't know how royalties from the sales were shared, but I know – again for a fact – that less known bands weren't payed. And I know at least one musician who shall remain nameless was genuinely pissed off with the crappy presentation of the whole thing, telling me something to the effect of ”'Progglådan' will remain a kind of final statement but we'll have to live with this inferior release forever.' Exactly. This was a one-shot thing, and even though Eosct Aaeeprt at one point opened for a second volume, I doubt that will ever happen. This, I suspect, is what we'll get. A chance blown to produce something excellent and honorable for everyone involved. Including the fans, buyers and listeners.

This is why I've never reviewed ”Progglådan” in detail and never will. I don't think it deserves it. I will continue to mention individual shows in dedicated reviews when appropriate but I won't go through it disc by disc because it pisses me off every time I even look at it on my shelf. If you want to know what artists are included, check Discogs. Some of it is very good music, take your pick and check it on Youtube. Or borrow it from an unlucky friend who bought it and copy the stuff you like. Get it whichever way you prefer to get your stuff. It's your decision. Do what you will. Those responsible for it cared bugger all when it was compiled, so why would anyone care now what you do? If somebody objects, just tell them to send their written complaints to Octse Paertea, in two copies.

VARIOUS ARTISTS – Bara brudar (Silence, 1978)

 

Featured artists: Tösabeat / Søsterrock / Husmoderns Bröst / Anita Livstrand / Feminist Improvising Group / Reis Kjerringa / Tintomara
Swedish vocals, other languages, instrumental
International relevance: **

Recorded live at the Women Festival in Stockholm in August 1978 with the profits going to the Women House Fund. Musicians came from Sweden, Denmark and the UK – one of the Brits is Henry Cow's Lindsay Cooper here appearing with the Feminist Improvising Group. It's a wide array of styles, spanning from acoustic folk to free jazz. Anita Livstrand's ”Dervishen”, otiginally on her fantastic album ”Mötet”, is intense and the high point of the LP, but ”Bara brudar” is overall one of the best feminist albums of the era. Also features contributions from Husmoderns Bröst and Tintomara.

Full album playlist

VARIOUS ARTISTS – Framtid – decentralisering (Centerns Ungdomsförbund, EP 1972) / Gemenskap där alla behövs (Centerns ungdomsförbund, 1976)

An infamous pamphlet published by Oktoberförlaget in 1977 decided that ”the people have never triumphed to the music of the enemy”. Perhaps the youth league of the Swedish Centre Party (the right wing party most to the left) adapted that credo years before the communists did. Or they simply thought that it was unfair that only the leftist groupings should release records to push their politics.

VARIOUS ARTISTS - Framtid – decentralisering (Centerns Ungdomsförbund, EP 1972)
Sparxs / unknown artist 

Swedish vocals
International relevance: *

This four track EP was released already in 1972 and has the incredibly sexy title ”Future – decentralization” (spot the irony). Side A belongs to the otherwise completely unknown Sparxs. “Säga vad man vill” sounds like a Christian song of the 60s while “Vi talar ej – vi tiger” is comparitvely OK. The uncredited performers of side B have nothing going for them however. “Hembygdsmuseet” sounds like an old-timey waltz that certainly doesn't suggest any youthfulness. “Biocider” sounds like any generic attempt at securing a place on the Svensktoppen radio hit list of the 60s. Best thing about the EP is the nice green vinyl.

VARIOUS ARTISTS - Gemenskap där alla behövs (Centerns Ungfomsförbund, 1976)
Björn Scharin / Cheese Doodles / Piteå-Långnäs Programlag / Mats Ohlsson / Rodney Liljeholm / Birgit Wallouch / Karin Stattin / Margaretha Bäckstrom / Tommy Engström / Birgitta Söderström / Folke Antonsson / Freddie Hedman / Gert Ove Lundberg / Karin Stenvall / Marianne Olofsson / Per Stenvall / Anette Apleryd / Ann Hallberg / Berith Gustafsson / Elisabeth Larsson / Marie Hallberg / Yvonne Nilsson / Birgitta Johansson / Eva Hansson
Swedish vocals, spoken word
International relevance: -

1976 was the year when the Social Democratic Party lost the power for the first time in 40 years. The Centre Party was the biggest party in the right wing coalition why the Prime Minister spot went to slow-talking leader Torbjörn Fälldin. I can assure you that this album, released in the very same year, had absolutely no role in their victory. Had more people heard it, they surely would have lost. If a four song EP was too much, then a full album becomes a health issue. With songs taken from various theatrical plays, the style is roughly the same, with old-timey stuff, Svensktoppen dross, and that persistent, rosy-cheeked Christian vibe. New to this album are dashes of debile country music which certainly don't ease the pain. “Best” track is Björn Scharin's “Lokalsamhällen” which sounds like cross between Bernt Staf and an underslept Ragnar Borgedahl.

Framtid - decentralisering:
Sparxs - Säga vad man vill
Sparxs - Vi talar ej - vi tiger
Unknown artist - Hembygdsmuseet
Unknown artist - Biocider

Gemenskap där alla behövs full album playlist

VARIOUS ARTISTS – Samlade krafter (Avanti, 1978)

 
Featured artists: Mikael Wiehe & Kabaréorkestern / Herr T Och Hans Spelmän / Elektriska Linden / Pierre Ström & Kenneth Kvist / Björn Afzelius / Göteborgs Visgrupp 
Swedish vocals
International relevance: **

A album recorded live in Stockholm Easter 1978 and released to commemorate the 75th anniversary of the formation of the youth organisation KU of the Swedish communist party VPK. Some high profile names here, most notably Hoola Bandoola Band ex-members Mikael Wiehe and Björn Afzelius, both represented with two tracks each. One of Afzelius's contributions is interesting as it's an acoustic cover of Nationalteatern's magnum opus ”Barn av vår tid”. But interesting doesn't necessarily mean good. The bare bones approach with only voice and guitar bereaves the song most of its original prowess. Afzelius's other track ”Nattlig visit” fares better as it's a folk styled number reminiscent of Bob Dylan's earliest narrative songs. I'm not an Afzelius fan but ”Nattlig visit” is actually good, clearly one of his best ever.

Mikael Wiehe's two tracks with his then backing band Kabaréorkestern are also at both ends of the quality spectrum. ”Kärlek, ömhet och disciplin” is bloody awful in a marching band style (and absurdly enough later released as the 'A' side of a 1980 Avanti single backed with Afzelius's ”Nattlig visit”). ”Högt till tak” is much better, unusually heavy for Wiehe and also instrumental with a persistent, groovy drive and a rich horn section almost moving into jazz territory at times. The guitar solo has a nice bite to it as well.

Elektriska Linden's sole album ”Torbjörns dansskola” isn't too impressive, but their sole track here – ”Ugglan far i natten” – is pretty vivid and raucous taking cues from both Nationalteatern and The Rolling Stones. ”Smeden” by long running folkish band Herr T Och Hans Spelmän is more typical to the style you could expect from an album like this, half decent for the style but still forgettable. The two tracks each by Göteborgs Visgrupp and singer/songwriter Pierre Ström on the other hand are exactly as bad as one might suspect.

”Samlade krafter” is too inconsistent but the good or at least decent tracks make this a little better than several other LPs in this vein.

Full album (poor sound)

VARIOUS ARTISTS – Festplatsen 1974 (Happy Cop & Hiphop Bee, 2024; rec. 1974)

 Featured artists: Monica Törnell / Risken Finns / Nynningen / Mikael Ramel / Peps Blodsband / Cornelis Vreeswijk
Swedish vocals
International relevance: ***

”Festplatsen 1974” follows obscure label Happy Cop & Hiphop Bee's overwhelmingly brilliant ”Hälsa på som förr” by Mikael Ramel & Unga Hjärtan, and what it is is best explained by the liner notes: ”Festplatsen (='the festival grounds') was an entertainment show made for both radio and TV and recorded live at small festival grounds in July and August 1973, The music and the talk should, as much as possible, reflect the locality by mixing local talents and invited national and sometimes international personalities.” The show was aired in five episodes and was hosted by Mikael Ramel and Bengan Dalén of Fläsket Brinner and at the time also member of Ramel's band. Satirical duo Risken Finns were musical regulars on the show.

This album has selections from three of the five episodes, and apart from the obvious inclusions of Risken Finns and Ramel himself, there are appearences from Monica Törnell, Peps Blodsband, and Sweden's prime troubadour Cornelis Vreeswijk. There's also an unusual example of Nynningen backing Risken Finns in a wonderfully raucous version of Risken's chestnut ”Du känner väl mig”. If Nynningen's own albums would have been that unhinged they'd have been way better! Risken's two other contributions are good too although more in their usual acoustic vein.

Mikael Ramel's songs with Dalén are more low-key than those on ”Hälsa på som förr” but still absolutely great. These four tracks are an essential addition to his regular albums and the splendid live album mentioned earlier.

I'm a bit disappointed with Peps Persson and his Blodsband though. This was around the time when Peps switched from blues to reggae, and here they occasionally sound as if they're not sure which to choose. Both ”Falsk matematik” and ”Djupt i mitt hjärta” sound confused, especially with the addition of accordeon which seems to have a hard time finding its place in the mix. The Swedish cover of ”Little Red Rooster” – ”Liden rö tocke” – fares better by being a straight-ahead blues, but all four Peps tracks seem a bit off.

The sound quality is excellent mono all through and the album was released in a minimal edition of only 100 copies on vinyl, no CD.

The full fifth episode of ”Festplatsen” is available for streaming on Mikael Ramel's website and has a couple of Kebnekaise tracks not on this album. 

 No links found

VARIOUS ARTISTS – Lajv på Kulan (Kulan Records, 1981)

Featured artists: Big Pats / Enola Gay / Palmons / Rendevu / Ekovox / Hönsgården / Crab Boys / V.B.U (Vem Bryr Sig) / Cauze / Hagiwara / Phaze III / Backbeat / Attention / Ståndaktiga Tennsoldaterna
 Swedish vocals, instrumental
International relevance: *

Recorded live at youth center Kulan in posh Stockholm suburb Lidingö. Mostly punk bands but with three tracks having some progg bearings. Big Pats are the best of the lot with their half heavy rock progg track ”Varför”, Hönsgården are slightly under-rehearsed jazz funk, and Hagiwara are just dull jazz fusion.

Full album

VARIOUS ARTISTS – Sånger och musik från Kvinnokulturfestivalen (Silence, 1977)

Rut Hermansson / Eva Blomqvist / Sabina Kristensen / Monika Lundin / Frankie Armstrong / Lena Ekman / Jan Hammarlund / Marie Selander / Lena Granhagen / Monica Törnell / Andra Bullar / Lava / Ulla Bendrik-Johansson / Turid / Margareta Söderberg / Monica Törnell / Cyndee Peters / Röda Bönor 

Swedish vocals, English vocals, a cappella
International relevance: **

Kvinnokulturfestivalen (Festival of Women Culture) was a three day event held in Stockholm in late October 1977 with many of the usual suspects coming together. This album is a selection of songs recorded at the festival and features Marie Selander, Turid, Lena Granhagen, Andra Bullar, Margareta Söderberg and Röda Bönor to name a few. Most of it is acoustic and most of it sounds exactly as expected, meaning political folk with a righteous message.

A couple of tracks have electric backing and those selections are also the best. Marie Selander's ”Carcara” even manages to work up a physical groove very rarely heard on political albums. Lava, a seemingly temporary grouping assembled specifically for the festival, is Lena Ekman backed by the likes of Sigge Krantz (Archimedes Badkar, Stockholm Norra, Torkel Rasmusson, Lokomotiv Konkret et al) and Ola Backström (Stockholm Norra, Torkel Rasmussion, Dag Vag). Their ”Svartsjuk” starts out a bit trying and uncertain but grows organically as it goes on. Ola Backström's slide guitar isn't exactly Elmore James – more of a slurry Robbie Krieger – but it works to good effect and pushes the song almost to the six minute limit. And Monica Törnell is far better here than on any of her own albums from around this time.

The performers are perhaps more interesting than the performances, but as said above, the album isn't entirely without musical merits. It's not a great album by any means, but remains one of the better feminist albums from the period, for what it's worth.

Full album playlist

A SEVEN INCH SPECIAL, VOL. 1: 3 POLITICAL SINGLES

Three political various artists singles with a strong local flavor.

VARIOUS ARTISTS – Historien går igen (Manifest, EP 1977)
Featured artists: Ted Ström / Thores Trio / Magnus Nilsson
Swedish vocals
International relevance: *

A four-track EP released on Manifest – the premier label of Northern Sweden – to raise money for a feature length documentary on the fate of small town Karlsvik, directed by Kerstin Wixe and Ylva Mårtens. The subtitle for ”Historien går igen” is ”Stöd filmen om Karlsvik!” (=”support the Karlsvik movie!”). An early example of fundraising.

Karlsvik is a very small town, a village really, just outside of Luleå (home of the Manifest label), with a population of then only 280, and once dependent on the local ironworks before it was blown-up in the early 20th century which almost forced the village to shut down completely. The same thing was about to happen again in the late 70s (hence the title ”Historien går igen”, ”history repeats itself”) when the local grocery store was about to shut down. According to the EP's liner notes. a municipal commissioner says in the movie that they'd prefer if they just could let Karlsvik cease and desist altogether. This was actually not uncommon in Sweden during the 70s when many a rural area bled both financially and populationwise to the bigger cities in the South. Several artists, especially from the affected regions, dealt with it in their songs, most notably Bernt Staf and Ted Ström. Not surprisingly, Ted Ström contributes to the lead-off title track to this EP, an acoustic number also included on his ”Kärva lägen” album.

The remaining three tracks are shared between obscure band Thores Trio (who had one full album out in 1981), and Magnus Nilsson who gets two songs. Nilsson was actually a member of Gothenburgians Text & Musik, and although none of the tracks on this EP is any good, Nilsson's ”Den första butiken” is the best. The style of all four selections is rather typical political songs, and if I am to point out any certain value of this release, it would be exclusively historical.

If the movie and its accompanying EP had anything to do with it is beyond my knowledge, but the village of Karlsvik still exists; population 232 in 2020. 

VARIOUS ARTISTS – Norrbottenplattan 1 (Manifest, 1977)

Featured artists: Anton Swedbergs Swängjäng / Contraband / Thores Trio / Norrlåtar / Håkan Rudehäll
 Swedish vocals, other languages
International relevance: *

The second of the two volumes of ”Norrbottenplattan” is already on this blog. This first volume was released a year earlier than volume 2, in 1977. Featured on both releases are Anton Swedbergs Swängjäng, the nebulous musical collective who had different members on any given occasion. Their track here is one of their weakest – ”Playa Plannya” is several songs in one mixing show tunes with trad jazz, like a miniature cabaret.

Contraband is featured with a song named ”Euskefeurat” which soon also became the name of the band. As such they had a long career which earned their mix of folk sounds and comedy quite some popularity for reasons that will remain obscure with me.

Thores Trio is back again here with a track in the same sort of old timey folk vein and just as forgettable as the one on ”Historien går igen”.

Norrlåtar is the most credible band in this lot but their contribution is among their weakest tracks.

Håkan Rudehäll released at least one album on his own, and at one point contributed an essay on the lack of work in Northern Sweden to an anthology book published in 1973. His track on ”Norrbottenplattan” is a jolly ditty of which there are seemingly thousands in the field of political song. And none of them is worth hearing.

All in all, this is for local patriots only. Others should steer clear.

VARIOUS ARTISTS – Livet i Kvarnbyn / Vi bygger landet (no label, 1982)

Featured artists: Pär Holmertz / Leif Moe / Maria Samuelsson / Mats Sköldberg / Stefan Sporsén 
Swedish vocals
International relevance: *

Quite possible one of the most obscure and secretive releases on the blog, this was a local release from Mölndal, a neighbouring town to Gothenburg. The two songs on the single was culled from a stage play about the labourers movement's development in the Mölndal region in the early 1900s. Info on this release is scarce to say the least; it's not even listed on Discogs and I don't recognize most of the names on the cover either, but it appears that Leif and Ole Moe (brothers, assumably) later had a couple of private releases out, and Pär Holmertz (guitar, bass, drums) could possibly be the Per Holmertz who later did some engineering work for bands in the Gothenburg area. Trumpeter Stefan Sporsén however has had a long career afterwards, playing with several of Sweden's best known artists in more recent times. Not that any of this really matters because it's nothing worth hunting down. ”Livet i Kvarnbyn” is an undistinguished track that reminds me of equally undistinguished Christian singer/songwriter rock from the same time (but without the Christian message). B side ”Vi bygger landet” sounds like any old laborers movement song, and without any proper songwriter's credit here it might very well be. The production is pretty good, especially for a release like this, so I assume somebody put a little cash into its realization.

from Historien går igen:
Ted Ström - Historien går igen
Thores Trio - Hit kom dom

from Norrbottenplattan 1:
Contraband - Euskefeurat
Anton Swedbergs Swängjäng - Playa Plannja
Thores Trio - Norrbottenssången
Norrlåtar - Lakkolaulu Pajalasta

Livet i Kvarnbyn:
No links found.

VARIOUS ARTISTS – Vad gör egentligen algerna på vintern? (Scam, 1974)

Featured artists: Stamp Från Kön / Di Sma Under Jårdi / Jan Ekedahl / Anders Peedu / Smaklösa / Olle Karlsson / Gotlands Jazzband / Pax Teatern / Gotlands Teater / Folklynnet / Ramlösa Cykelklubb / Peter Jankert / Lejonklösa / Unknown artist / Tranz
Swedish vocals, English vocals, instrumental
International relevance: *

A serious contender for strangest album title: ”What do algae actually do in the winter?”. The music within won't answer the question, it actually raises more questions, like ”Why does this album even exist?”. I assume it's an attempt to present the early 70s Gotland scene – Gotland being Sweden's biggest island well known for its unusual rock formations called rauks (and also the home of the godlike Cement).

The Scam label have an obvious place in progg history, having released 45s by acts such as Great Ad, Raunchy and 4 Ever, not to mention Solid Ground's sole album ”Made In Rock”. Although I'm not a fan of ”Made In Rock”, such a release schedule nevertheless raises the expectations a few notches. But almost the entire LP consists of various acoustic acts, several of them aspiring to comedy which isn't funny. A couple of them became rather famous years later, most notably Smaklösa and Di Sma Under Jårdi with the latter scoring a major hit with the appalling ”Snabbköpskassörskan” in 1985. Anders Peedu in turn had been in 60s freak rock band Friends who released a number of garage rock fuelled 45s of now legendary status. However, his contribution ”Rallarvisa” shows no traces of his noisy, ramshackle past – it's a traditional navvy song.

Everything on this album is bad with one striking exception. After sitting through terrible stabs at moronic humour, bad versions of trad songs, limp trad jazz and what might be the worst Bob Dylan cover ever recorded, the whole things goes out with a bang. ”Gamarnas sång” by Tranz is a riff heavy hard rock track mangling away for 7 minutes. If the vocals leave a bit to be desired, then the guitars fully make up for it. Thankfully, the track was salvaged from obscurity when it was included on the second volume of the marvellous ”Swedish Meathballs” comp in 2022, rendering ”Vad gör egentligen algerna på vintern” completely redundant.

Tranz - Gamarnas dans

VARIOUS ARTISTS – Ljud från Friberga (Bröderna Surf, 1978)

Chilly Chimes / Fifth Avenue / Overdoze / High Voltage / Santa Luzia / Superstition 
Swedish vocals, English vocals
International relevance: *

A case of 'progg by association', as the main motive for including ”Ljud från Friberga” is that it has two exclusive tracks by Chilly Chimes that eventually developed into Mörbyligan. Two bad tracks at that, sounding like revved-up singalong second rate rhythm & blues. Santa Luzia has vague progg credentials too sounding like an electrified youth recreation center version of Röda Bönor. The album's often classified as punk, and while some of the six bands on this short disc have a punky edge, some of them sound more like garage rock bands lost in time. One of those is also the best of the lot, Fifth Avenue which comes off as a lingonberry version of British band The Cannibals.

The album was released in two versions, the first (in 400 copies) had a yellow background and brown picture, the second edition had a brown background with a yellow picture. The first edition seems rarer but the second edition is rather scarce too these days, but the album's not really worth looking for.

Full album

3 POLITICAL TAPES ON KULTURFÖRENINGEN SPARTACUS

If the LP's won't get me, the cassette tapes will. They might very well be the death of me.

Kulturföreningen Spartacus was an association run by Kommunistiska partiet i Göteborg ('the communist party of Gothenburg'), previously KPML(r) who ran the Proletärkultur label originally. I suppose Kulturföreningen Spartacus as a label was just Proletärkultur in disguise. What belonged to who and who belonged to what political branch of the comminist tree is a mess, and quite frankly, I'm to tired of it all to bother finding out the exact threads and links and affiliations. In the end, it's all the same anyway.

 
VARIOUS ARTISTS – Rädda varven! En temakväll i Göteborgs konserthus valborgsmässoafton 1978” (Kulturföreningen Spartacus, 1978, MC)
Harald ”Bagarn” Andersson / Dan Berglund / Warschawjanka / Spartacuskören / Spartacusrevyn / Takt & Ton / Gamlestan-Lundens Sånggrupp
Swedish vocals, spoken word
International relevance: -

This was the first cassette-only release on Kulturföreningen Spartacus. It was recorded at a charity concert for the workers in the Gothenburg shipyards in 1978. Two of the performing artists of the evening are known from the Proletärkultur roster, Harald ”Bagarn” Andersson and Dan Berglund.

VARIOUS ARTISTS – KPMLr:s Valrevy 1979 Botten Upp! Revy Ex-Huset Heden 24/8-9/9 (no label, 1979)
KMPLr / CO Evers / Birthe Stridbeck / Harald ”Bagarn” Andersson / Anders Lönnbro & Bodil Mårtensson / Sven Wollter / Niklas Falk
Swedish vocals, spoken word
International relevance: -

Although no label is given on the cassette card and the catalogue number differs slightly from their other tapes, there's no reason to not assume this is just another Spartacus release. ”Bagarn” Andersson is here again, as is actor Sven Wollter.

WARSCHAWJANKA FRÅN GÖTEBORG– Solidaritetssånger (Kulturföreningen Spartacus, 1979)
Swedish vocals
International relevance: -

The third tape in this lot is a single artist release by vocal group Warschawjanka and so a bit different to the various artists compilations above. I wouldn't say better because it's still flag-and-fist waving galore with several typical communist anthems. A bit more on the folky side similar to FNL-grupperna and Freedom Singers.

None of these tapes seem very easy to find, but they're only interesting to the most seasoned Marxist listener anyway. If you still want to get a taste of this stuff, just pick any easy-to-find album in the ilk, they all sound the same and they're all interchangable.

A third/fourth Spartacus release appeared in 1981, ”10 års kultur i partiets tjänst”.

ÄdSGbviou opu sudpoOOoonmsn posduu

(Sorry, that was my death rattles.)

Rädda varven full album
Botten upp! full album
Warschawjanka full album playlist

VARIOUS ARTISTS – Låtar från Knuff (MNW, 1973)

Kabikiklas / Kenneth Nyström, Lars Garpenfeldt, Kurt Skoog & Finn Sörensson / Eftertryck Förbjudes / Urban Nilsson & Per-Olov Åström / Finkelmans Lakejer / Risken Finns / Hem Igen Med Maritha / Thomas Fahlander & Mats Rendahl / Konjak Och Ljummet Vatten / Halv Sex / Kul 67-gänget / Bristande Vardag
Swedish vocals
International relevance: **

This early MNW release is most notable for featuring the vinyl debut of Risken Finns, predating their first LP. ”Knuff” was a TV series discussing ”sex, gender roles, unemployment, school, life in the big city, and what it is like being young, for example” as the liner notes read. The track ”På strövtåg genom björnens dungar” by Bristande Vardag had previously been featured in radio show Bandet går but wasn't included on the ”Blandat band” album. ”Låtar från Knuff” is like a cousin to ”Blandat band”, as most of the featured artists were non-professionals and never released anything beyond this volume. The three Risken Finns tracks aren't actually the best on the album – that award goes to the quartet of unknowns Kenneth Nyström, Lars Garpenfeldt, Kurt Skoog and Finn Sörensson whose ”Tacka mina vänner” is anti-capitalist storytelling at its musical best, while Hem Igen Med Maritha's ”Den stora maskeraden” is a feminist intervention, oddly catchy with its light groove – much better than what political pamphlets usually are. Eftertryck Förbjudet in turn delivers a slice of pretty heavy proto-punk on "Vi är ju endast produkter".

Obviously not a masterpiece, this is still a valuable peak into a bygone era (with some sentiments still valid). At least if you know Swedish. In the ear of a non-Swede, this will probably sound just like an occassionally bad, sometimes decent and in a few cases very good compilation of bands and artists mostly long lost to oblivion. Which it is.

Eftertryck Förbjudes - Vi är ju endast produkter
Hem Igen Med Maritha - Den stora maskeraden
Risken Finns - Sexualdebatten
Konjak Och Ljummet Vatten - Över-rock

VARIOUS ARTISTS – Blandat band (Tibet -46, 1974)

 

 Ragnar Borgedahl / Sanitetsgruppen / Leif Ljung & Lennart Andersson / Ralph Onegård, Rainer och Reino Santi & Dan Jedenfeldt / Jämmer & Elände / Sjön Suger / Per Lönngren, Roger Wannberg & Bernt Lööf / Bernt Lööf & Jan Eriksson / Jemerton Jönssons / En Liten Ters / Equador Trampe & EVRF / Jaj Magnusson, Tore Söder & Alice Eriksson
Swedish vocals
International relevance: **

”Bandet går” (”tape's rolling”) was a Swedish radio programme riding the airwaves throughout the 70's, starting in autumn 1971. True to the 'play your own song' ethos of the then burgeoning progg movement, it provided a public slot for unsigned DIY artists who sent their often crude home recordings made on reel-to-reel or cassette tapes, hoping to get their short time in the spotlight presented by well-known pop presenter Kersti Adams-Ray and long time music asset Stefan Wermelin. Many – most! – never got any further, but a few artists later rose to fame and even fortune. Among the contributors were Philemon Arthur & The Dung (the epitomic band of home recordings), Per Gessle (later to become a international mega star with Roxette), Ulf Lundell and Joakim Thåström of Swedish punk legends Ebba Grön and arena postpunkers Imperiet.

With Stefan Wermelin's involvement and never-tiring passion for off-pist music, selections from the radio show were released on the Tibet -46/Musiklaget label co-operated by him. Most participants never released anything outside of ”Blandat band” (”mixed tape”), but Ragnar Borgedahl had great success with the irresistably catchy ”Hum, hum från Humlegårn” when re-recorded for his debut LP. Sjön Suger managed to release a full four albums in the years to come, while Jemerton Jönssons had only one album in 1975.

But the best tracks both feature Bernt Lööf. One along with Per Lönngren and Roger Wärnberg whose ”Alla här på jorden” has a slight Christian vibe but is a really good full band track. The other track is with Jan Eriksson entitled ”Kan ljuset vända åter?”, a semi-psychedelic jewel that was rightfully brought to new life on the excellent ”Swedish Meatballs” heavy rock compilation. Two really good songs that have me hoping for a full archival release of these guys. They certainly deserve it.

The rest of the material is, as suggested above, much less impressive. Choose between misguided stabs at humour that probably wasn't funny even in 1974, C grade singer/songwriters with hardly any merit at all, and some sing-this-all-together crap typical of its time.

Ragnar Borgedahl - Hum hum från Humlegårn
Bernt Lööf & Jan Eriksson - Kan ljuset vända åter?

VARIOUS ARTISTS – Vi har rätt till jobb! (Slå Tillbaka!, 1978)

 
Featured artists: TBC / Checkpoint Charlie / Steve Roper Band / Rikets Affärer / Burträskar'a / Gnid Och Drag / Pertti Och Aimo / Paddy Perssons Grop / Ålidhems Nyfolkliga Dansorkester
Swedish vocals, other languages, instrumental
International relevance: **

Slå Tillbaka! (”fight back”) was apparently not a record label per se, but an organisation working against unemployment, racism and drugs but released this one album. ”Vi har rätt till jobb!” (”we have the right to work”) was recorded live in Umeå 1978 during a one day festival to support the cause of the organisation. It features ten acts, none of them particularily well-known outside of this album. The best known (or should I say the least unknown) bands make up the first side of the album: TBC, Steve Roper Band (performing a cover av Röda Ropet's ”Spring Lasse spring”, Checkpoint Charlie and Rikets Affärer. They all play straighforward rock with a slight hard rock bent and an even minor punk touch, and they're all decent for what they are. Side 2 is entirely different, focusing on folk music and singer/songwriter styled material that fail to impress. It's doubtful that the same person would appreciate both sides, but the heavy side might appeal to genre collectors. It's neither a very rare nor expensive album, so anyone possibly interested in it will be able to pick it up cheap.

No links found

VARIOUS ARTISTS – Göteborgsrock/Ytterrock (Pang, 1982)

 
Swedish vocals, English vocals
International relevance: *

A ghastly various artists compilation released on the infamous Pang label in 1982, consisting of B grade Gothenburg bands. As often with albums of this kind, it's stylistically all over the place, with really terrible middle-of-the-road rock by Midnight, some spineless reggae by Malta Feber, hard rock by Nya Ambulansen that only deaf people can enjoy, and some untalented new wave/punk by F.K.M. I doubt that there's anything like Blå Schäfer completists in this world, but if there are, their two tracks are surely the most interesting in this lot (but they suck too).

Full album

VARIOUS ARTISTS – Grammofon-missionen: A Collection Of Swedish Jesus Music 1967-1982 (Subliminal Sounds, 2023)

Featured artists: John Three Sixteen / The Vergers / Heaven Liners / Beryllen / Höjeteamet / Glorymen / Carina / The Destination Of Life / Fågel Fenix / The Aaltos / Young Deacons / Mums / Ekot / Dolos / The Smusics / Music Males / Sven-Olof Nilsson / Size Boys
Swedish vocals, English vocals
International relevance: *

A digital-only release by Subliminal Sounds, this might at a first glance look like a follow up to Subliminal Sounds's excellent ”Frälst!” compilation of Swedish Christian music in the 70s. But those who expect a second volume of psych inclined religious grooves will likely be disappointed. ”Grammofon-missionen” is a musical addendum to the book ”Grammofon-missionen: Swedish Jesus Music Aesthetics 1960-1990” written by Carl-Henrik Olsson and Stefan Kéry, documenting the domestic Jesus music movement from three decades. Much of the music here is way more primitive (not in a good sense) than what's on ”Frälst!” and has a less accomplished feel. Bordering on outsider music, this takes a different listening approach, but even then, I don't find much, if anything, to match Subliminal Sounds's previous and successful attempt to document the Swedish Jesus music. Some of it is very influenced by bad Swedish commercial 60s pop but with substandard even terrible execution. I'm not against outsider music but it has to have at least something more going for it than bad playing to be interesting,

The striking exception here is Finnish band active in Sweden Aaltos, and also the only band here featured with two songs. The Aaltos has gained some reputation among record collectors and charity shop scavengers over the years, and both their tracks, ”Känner du en vän” and ”Pray”, explain why. They have a peculiar dissolved feel, especially on ”Pray” which steer right into the psychedelic domain with its unearthly harmony vocals and brooding, ominously breathing organ.

Still, I appreciate this compilation on an historic/academic level. Swedish Jesus music has long been neglected and categorically dismissed – so much of it is indeed painfully terrible, and it takes someone dedicated to find the exceptions. ”Grammofon-missionen” is an attempt at just that, so it gets an A for ambition but a facepalm for content.

Full album playlist

VARIOUS ARTISTS – Swedish Meatballs Vols. 1 & 2: The Psychedelic Hard Rock Underground 1970-1977 (Subliminal Sounds, 2022)

 
Featured artists: Älgarna / Högtryck / Styv Kuling / Rabatt / Strike / Jan & Bert / Frozen Fire / Fire / Tranz / Paul Edoh's Class Breakers / Mogens Klyvare Hose Band / Ohlssons Grova / I Blomm
Swedish vocals, English vocals, instrumental
International relevance ***

Long before these two compilations were released, I was hoping that someone would get their hands dirty and get the work done. Who else would but Subliminal Sounds? Two volumes of Swedish 70s hard rock singles ranging from the rare to the impossible, some names completely unknown to me and most likely to a lot of others too. Some of it has been available in crappy rips on Youtube, but who the hell were Jan & Bert (Resonans), Paul Edoh's Class Breakers, Mogens Klyvare Hose Band and I Blomm? Among the better known names I spot Älgarna, Rabatt, Högtryck and Ohlssons Grova.

Released as two separate volumes but they should really be considered one entity. The first volume covers 1970 to 1977, the second 1971 to 1977, i.e. the golden age of Swedish hard rock, the years before squealing heavy metal washed over Sweden from the UK. Not to say that there wasn't any good heavy metal during the NWOBHM era and the Swedish counterpart FWOSHM (the First Wave Of Swedish Heavy Metal) because there was, but if I have to choose I'd go for the pre-HM years. (Those who want to dip their toes in the more obscure waters of FWOSHM might want to try ”Jobcentre Rejects, Vol. 4”.)

As always the case with comps like these, there are tracks you'd rather have swapped for something else, but the duds are few here and not that terrible so it's not really something to get hung up about. I'm more than delighted to see both tracks from Rabatt's exceedingly rare 1971 single here, ”X:et” and ”Look Till You Find”, which also happens to be the most psychedelic sounding on offer. Älgarna's ”Crowned King” sounds almost like Nature on a dark night (and better than Nature if you ask me), while Jan & Bert's ”Kan ljuset vända åter” is a tasty blend of psych, heavy rock, West Coast singing, jazz and progressive. Ohlssons Grova's ”Strange Infection” is a marvellous piece of blues-inflected heavy rock, while ”Mäskaktigt” by I Blomm is a proto-doom instrumental that hints at Black Sabbath and the underworld shadings of Bobby Liebling's Pentagram. I could go on naming names, but you get the drift: These are two volumes unmissable to anyone into 70s heavy rock, and to others as well.

Full album playlist (both volumes)

VARIOUS ARTISTS - ...Hör en susande vind (Viking, 1973)

 
Featured artists: Monica Nielsen / Bertil Norström / Stig Ring med Do-Re-Mi-kören / Lasse Bagge med trio / Medlemmar ur Sveriges Radios symfoniorkester
Swedish vocals, English vocals
International relevance: *

Included mainly as a warning, as the album might seem like a progg album. But it's only thematically related to progg – the music displays no progg credentials whatsoever unless you count the presence of Monica Nielsen who appears on several similarily styled albums from the 70s including one with Tommy Körberg (Solar Plexus, second incarnation of Made In Sweden). Members of the Swedish Radio's symphony orchestra provide extensive backing. The songs are drawn from the songbook of the labour movement which means you get two (!) more versions of ”The International” plus Swedish takes on ”There's Power In A Union” and ”Which Side Are You On”. ”We Shall Overcome” also slips in seamlessly into the predictable mix. The Viking label was a commercial imprint, best remembered for having put out two Lee Hazlewood albums in the 70s plus one by Hawkey Franzén.

No links found

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

VARIOUS ARTISTS – Jazz & Rock (Caprice, 1979)

Featured artists: Barabbas / Stetson Cody Group / Ramaskri
Swedish vocals, instrumental

International relevance: **

Caprice Records have always been tireless flagbearers for Swedish contemporary and historic music, but then again, being the record outlet for the Rikskonserter organisation, they were on a mission from the Swedish Social Democrat government in the 70's. While that might sound dull, more often than not it wasn't, as their catalogue of jazz, folk and classical music is as almost as qualitative as it is quantitive. Don't forget that their series of annual volumes of ”Jazz in Sweden” gave us both Sevda and Rena Rama back in the day. While Caprice have graced ”Jazz in Sweden” with CD and/or digital reissues, of the informal trilogy of ”Jazz- Och Rockstipendiater 1976”, ”Tvärsnitt” and ”Jazz & Rock” only the latter resurfaced as a (digital) reissue for the time being. Similar in spirit to ”Jazz in Sweden”, these three volumes are different insofar they also present rock oriented bands.

On the live recorded ”Jazz & Rock”, the most out-and-out rock – or progg – band here is Ramaskri. Their three tracks remind me of a more rudimentary ”Hej på er!” era Trettioåriga Kriget, which means I'm not at all impressed by them. Very dull.

Only marginally better are Stetson Cody Group whose four tracks are more varied. ”Kraftrock” suggests King Crimson or perhaps some lesser RIO act. Then they go from undistinguished prog over pseudo-symphonic rock to 'complicated' and pretty embarrassing funk fusion. Worth mentioning is that this was Kjell Hilding Lövbom's first band. He later changed his name to Kee Marcello and made it big with hair metal band Europe.

Barabbas round off the album in a slightly more pleasing manner with two rather energetic free jazz/post-bop outworks. While not top of the heap, they're at least OK.

All in all, this is far from any of Caprice's most memorable releases. Europe completists (if there's such a thing) need it, but hardly anyone else.

Full album playlist