FRIA PROTEATERN – Vi blir fler / Tänk dej ett Stockholm (Folksång, 7", 1973)

  
Swedish vocals
International relevance: -

Despite my deep disdain for Fria Proteatern, this is such an interesting release that it needs an entry of its own, not being lumped in with other 45s in one of my singles specials. This is a symbol for a lot more than music alone, why the background story is all important.

When José Feliciano entered the San Remo Festival (the Italian forerunner to the Eurovision Song Contest) in 1971, he came in second place with ”Che sarà”, a song written by the two Italians Jimmy Fontana and Franco Migliacci. The song became very popular and was translated into several languages across Europe. The Swedish lyrics were written by ABBA manager Stikkan Andersson, a prolific lyrics translator in his day and one with a certain knack for storytelling, more often with humanist (even feminist) political overtones than the he was acknowledged for. ”Che sarà” became ”Aldrig mer” which means ”never again” in English, a song that dealt with the often debated regional depopulation in Sweden at the time. The song gave Björn Ulvaeus's pre-ABBA band The Hootenanny Singers a huge hit in 1971.

However, the progg movement was quick and happy to mock Andersson's lyrics for being too nostalgic and resigned – ”we can't change what's happening, it's no use trying”. Especially as Stikkan Andersson was the capitalist devil himself to the progg cognoscenti who rather arrogantly thought only themselves to have the ultimate truth at hand. Then, in 1973, Fria Proteatern wrote their own lyrics to it and released it as a standalone single. Their words are clearly based on ”Aldrig mer” but turned the original message on its head. ”Vi blir fler” argues that the more people unite the greater the possibility to stop the negative process. Same song, same topic but coming to the opposite conclusion: you can improve society if you get together and fight for it. I don't object to that particular assertion, but I say that both sides make valid observations. 

Fria Proteatern of course represented the politically progressive phalanx, but I think Stikkan Andersson's sentiments towards the depopulation problem were closer to what people outside the affected regions thought. The Social Democratic Party governed at the time, and it was their aim to concentrate the population to the large city areas, thus emptying the smaller cities, many of them situated in the north. And I'm afraid a lot of people believed that Olof Palme, then Sweden's prime minister, knew what he was doing and that there wasn't anything that the so called 'ordinary people' could do about it anyway. That's resignation.

We mustn't forget that Stikkan Andersson grew up in a sparsely populated area and kept his pathos for what happened in such places. I believe that ”Aldrig mer” was a heartfelt lament. Add to that that ”Aldrig mer” wasn't an exception. There had already been a significant number of Swedish hits through the decades with lyrics looking through the rose-coloured glasses of safe nostalgia, celebrating the good ole days when life was easy (conveniently forgetting it really wasn't).  

But contrary to popular belief, quite a few Swedish commercial songs in the 60s and 70s had social concerns, a fact that the politically toughest proggers would never have admitted to. And if they did, they would have written them off anyway as cynical attempts at capitalizing on the zeitgeist. Much of the commercial music was crap, no doubt about it, but not all was. There are examples of commercial songs with genuinely concerned lyrics, albeit not phrased for a Proletärkultur or Oktober release. But you don't have to applaude Stalin to have honest intentions. Actually, I prefer if you don't.

My point is, there are nuances. Not all so called commercial music is inherently bad and meaningless, and not all progg is inherently good and meaningful. There is no such law of nature. It's just not that simple.

From this perspective, this is Fria Proteatern's most interesting effort. It's firmly dependent on the context, even if that hardly will make any sense to a non-Swede even if you know about its background. I happen to like the melody myself even if it's a bit of a tearjerker, but that is really irrelevant as the value here doesn't lie with the music, but what their version symbolizes in relation to the version it alludes to. It's a talking point where the music itself is subordinate.

The B side ”Tänk dej ett Stockholm” (=”imagine a Stockholm”) has strong environmental concerns, with lyrics painting a utopic picture of a Stockholm without pollution, noise and unfriendly atmosphere. It's very much like an afterthought to the elms battle, but musically it's just as chunky and lyrically blocky as your typical asinine Fria Proteatern original.

Vi blir fler (through kallelind.se, scroll to the end of the article and click the link)

BJÖRN EHRLING – Utan gräns (YTF, 1976)

  
Swedish vocals, a cappella
International relevance: *

Visa singer Björn Ehrling is previously represented here with his second and final album ”Frihetens fantomer” from 1978. ”Utan gräns” is highly political as shown by Swedish versions of the anti-fascist ”Los Gallos” and the oft-recorded ”Venceremos”. The album has a Spanish and Chilean slant, but there are also songs of Soviet, East German and Swedish origins. The best song however is ”Till Allende” written by Troels Trier from Danish agitprop band Røde Mor.

”Utan gräns” is mostly a singer/songwriter (or visa) album but it has a few proggish features thanks to Björn J:son Lindh's and session drummer Claes Wang's presence. Final track ”Uppmuntran” even has some spacey electric piano effects. It's a tolerable album overall, especially coming from the overtly political side, but it's a long, long way from essential.

Full album playlist 

VARIOUS ARTISTS – JAZZ- OCH ROCKSTIPENDIATER 1976 (Caprice, 1976)

 

Featured artists: Text & Musik / Krokus / Sonant Space
Instrumental, Swedish vocals, other languages
International relevance: **

These three bands were all awarded a Swedish Concert Institute grant that included a nationwide live tour, sessions for the Tonkraft live radio series; and an LP release split between the bands. The concert institute's own label Caprice Records were responsible for the album release.

Krokus were improvisation jazz, Sonant Space fusion, and Gothenburgers Text & Musik had rock leanings. Of the three grant holders, only Text & Musik went on to a recording career, including two albums for the Nacksving imprint. Krokus however had a trombone player that later became very famous in both the national and international fields of soul, pop, funk and jazz, namely Nils Landgren. Krokus appear with one long track that moves from spiritual jazz to 'organized free jazz' before ending in an almost folkish, lyrical fashion slightly reminiscent of Arbete & Fritid. Their portion is the best on the disc.

Sonant Space (later known as just Sonant) played a complex mix of prog rock and funk, and clearly ambitious, they were a bit too ambitious. Their two tracks are unnecessary complicated, and Sonant Space sounds like a young band (which they were) that really wants to prove something. Obviously technically skilled but like too many bands in that ilk, they go so hard at it the results become messy and unfocused. Some sections are just fine, but with so much nervously going on, their contributions sound more like exercises in high level mathematics than focused music. (A third track from the same Tonkraft session as these selections is available on Youtube.)

The three songs by Text & Musik are very different to each other. ”Ibo-Le-Le” is a Haitian voodoo song, ”Ljusen har slocknat i Shanghai” (co-written by Andreas Aarflot) is like a mini-play featuring spoken bits, fusion jazz and Latin infused cocktail jazz, while ”Det måste gå” features lyrics by poet Göran Sonnevi. They're not very smooth to sing. But while the lyrics are too unweildy for vocals, the track features some nice, fluent guitar work from Thomas Carlsson. All three tracks were recycled for the band's debut album "Jaguaren".

With two otherwise undocumented bands, ”Jazz- och rockstipendiater 1976” is all in all more interesting from an academic perspective than a musical one.

Sonant Space
Nogleckt (from bassist Tommy Riboe's website)
Tapto (from bassist Tommy Riboe's website) 

HÄXFEBER – Häxfeber (MNW, 1980)

 
Swedish vocals
International relevance: **

This is one of those albums I thought would entirely different than I suspected it would be. Long before I heard it I thought this would be a jazz album somewhere between Tintomara and Salamander. But Häxfeber proved to be a rock progg band but was probably the all female line-up that fooled me because it was still more common with women jazz groups than rock ditto in Sweden in those days (although punk changed some of that).

Häxfeber weren't the best of instrumentalists. Especially drummer Karin Fält should have practised her drum fills a bit more before putting them on permanent record. ”Avenyn” is one of the most evocative tracks on their eponymous album, but the drum stumbles somewhat spoil the mood that the vaguely reggae influenced beat and the heavily reverbed guitar create. Another snag is the vocals, as if the singers felt they had to proclaim the feminist themed lyrics with too much urge to get heard (which might have been perfectly true). Then again, we mustn't forget that 1980 was a landmark year for Swedish punk, and Häxfeber were clearly aware of what was going on around them.

I do like guitarist Birgitta Larsson though. She isn't flashy (that doesn't automatically equals good anyway), but her licks and leads are quite tasteful, and she's also good at finding suitable sounds. The albums doesn't hold up all through, but there are several good, effective songs that would have been even better with a generally more proficient execution.

”Häxfeber” is a decent album with both flaws and strengths, a bit of an unfulfilled promise. Häxfeber had some talent but not the time to develop it – they disbanded after this album, and only Birgitta Larsson appeared shortly in another band, the obscure Scandal Beauties who had two songs on V/A compilation ”Vilda vanor” in 1985.

Med blåprickig slips  
Syntesen

ENERGIOPERANS KÖR & ORKESTER – Den femte naturkraften (Lilla Räven, 1980)

 
Swedish vocals
International relevance: **

This is the most unusual anti-nuclear album I've heard. A real one-off thing on a private, one-off label. The music were made for a street theatre performance in 1980 called "Energioperan" and involved 23 musicians and 46 singers, collectively known as ”The Energy Opera's Choir & Orchestra” in translation. The best known names are probably Anita Livstrand (Vargavinter, Bitter Funeral Beer Band, solo), Margareta Söderberg (Arbete & Fritid) and Catarina Abelli (Hot Boys, and Torbjörn Abelli's half sister -- she also did the cover art for this album).

It ought to be a well established fact that I have serious problems with political albums where a thousand singers insist on singing their slogans all at once, and true that ”Den femte naturkraften” (=”the fifth force”) has its share of appalling tracks. But a fair bit of it is actually rather captivating. The choir provides an ethereal feel to some of the numbers, and a few selections are really toned down with Oriental and Balkan folk shadings. Especially the bewitching ”Siarens sång”, sung and co-written by Anita Livstrand with a snaky melody framed by flute, tablas and 'acid folk' acoustic guitars. (I don't like that term, but it's highly applicable here.)

So if you navigate past the odd rock track and one or two dreadful political shouties, there's quite a few moments well worth investigating here. And with an Anita Livstrand runaway track like ”Siarens sång”, it's definitely worth spending some loose change on it. 

No links found

A SEVEN INCH SPECIAL, VOL. 12: Various

DEN TRETTIONDE FEBRUARI – Den trettionde februari / Harley Davidson (Ljudspår, 1976)
Swedish vocals
International relevance: ***

I wanted to hear this one-off 45 for a very long time, but it proved elusive. I had no idea what to expect from it but I still had the feeling it might be good.

The lyrics were written by later on awarded radio journalist Olle Hägg while an unidentified Hungarian keyboardist using the pseudonym David Oliver was responsible for the music. The two songs were recorded in Acke & Gurra's studio providing a not too flashy but adequate, slightly spacious underground-ish sound. That comes in particularly handy on the track sharing its name with the band itself. ”Den trettionde februari” is a faintly funky track with a very effective, flanged and nervy guitar. The flanger adds an electric sitar quality to the solos, and a persistent moog adds to the semi-psychedelic quality. It's a really enjoyable piece that somehow seems a bit overlooked. ”Harley Davidson” is more of a singer/songwriter styled half-ballad that fails to make the same impression as the main track, but it's well worth seeking out for the A side!

DOM SMUTSIGA HUNDARNA – För din nakenhets skull / Visa i Molom (MNW, 1977)
Swedish vocals
International relevance: **

Released to generate interest for the then forthcoming debut ”Vårdsjuk blågul fanblues” by this Gothenburg band, but only the A side ”För din nakenhets skull” is on the album. The B side is exclusive to this single, a cover of visa singer Alf Hambe's best known song, the folksy and mystical ”Visa i Molom”. It's vastly different in the hands of Dom Smutsiga Hundarna. Gone is the fragility of the original. It's definitely rock, with a peculiarly pulsating rhythm underlined by a watery organ, an odd drum section and a wailing fuzz guitar taking the lead. ”Visa i Molom” would have been out of place on the album, but as a quirky B side it's really quite great. If you're a fan of ”Vårdsjuk blågul fanblues”, this is an excellent addition to your collection.

RONNY ÅSTRÖM – Maskin nr. 1 / PEPS PERSSON – Maskin nr. 2 (Sonet, 1979)
Swedish vocals
International relevance: **

The two friends Ronny Åström and Peps Persson on a split single, with the B side being Peps's wellknown track from the ”Spår” album. The sentiment is the same on both tracks, with lyrics addressing the mindless mass production of superfluous things, two statements against the consumerist society. Åström's side is unique to this 45, and it's one of his very best tracks. Set to the monotonous rhythm of a book packing machine, a monophonic synthesizer fill in with a naive, plastic melody behind Åström's gruff voice singing an almost circular melody that could go on forever, just like the sameness of the boring work in a soul-destroying factory. The minimal synth framework makes the point perfectly – beneath the alluring surface of childlike charm, there's a heartfelt critique against the modern, commercialized Western world. 

RIGHT BAND – Keep On Wailing / Natural Vibes (Liphone, 1978)
English vocals
International relevance: **

A not very sought-after single on the long running and increasingly unpredictable West Coast based Liphone label. The band had Per Giöbel on vocals and guitar, and he also wrote ”Keep On Wailing” for the A side. Giöbel is known from Hausswolff and Claes Ekenstam & Sista Bandet, as well as ”Snacka går ju”, one of Motvind's later albums. Pretty far removed from Right Band's 7” which is more in a funk rock style. ”Keep On Wailing” is the better song, revealing some inspiration from Little Feat and late 70s Zappa. Very competent for a local band that only released one single but still not very interesting
.

STETSON CODY GROUP – Eyes / Det var du (SCG, 1979)
Swedish vocals, English vocals
International relevance: **

Best known for having guitarist Kjell Lövbom in their line-up years before he became Kee Marcello in multi-million selling hair metal band Europe. Which says nothing about Stetson Cody Group, as everyone who's heard the various artists album ”Jazz & Rock” will know. That particular album featured four Stetson Cody tracks, but this self-financed single was the only outpouring under their own name. The style is similar, a test tube blend of funk rock, jazz fusion and a bit of prog rock. It's competent and tight but not fun to listen to. At all. 

ULF PETTERSSON – Summershores / This Kinda Shit (no label, 1979)
Instrumental
International relevance: **

With a dude looking like the entire Blue Öyster Cult on a bad hair day, one could easily think this would be a hard rock one man band, but nothing could be further from the truth. This is a very rare predominantly electronic DIY effort with hints at sequencer krautrock, Giorgio Moroder and French cosmic disco. ”Summershores” is a relaxed, laidback piece that comes with Pettersson's listening instructions ”Sit down in your favourite armchair and light your pipe”. And as he promises you that ”This Kinda Shit” can help you ”fly away to an alien planet”, you know this is really some guy. The kitsch level is high.

Both tracks were recorded in Mora Träsk's studio in Gävle, and most of the 500 copies were sold at Pettersson's dad's work, a local shipping company! The last remaining copies went in 2024 when there was a sudden outburst of interest in it among DJ's and collectors. Subliminal Sounds reissued it digitally in 2026.

INJECTION – Mountain Side / Mozarts 40:e (Liphone, 1979)

English vocals

International relevance: **

A symphonic band of only one single, released on the aleatoric Liphone label. They try hard but can't live up to their ambitions. The singer sounds strained and flat on ”Mountain Side”, the time changes are underrehearsed and the synth licks have a tremulous glissando that's very irritating. The B side is an adaption of Mozart's Symphony No. 40. With a perky country & western beat and ending with ”I Wanna Be Like You” from ”The Jungle Book”, it's just corny. It might be funny if you think that a drunk Emerson, Lake & Palmer twisting their legs in a serious need of pee is funny. What the hell were Injection thinking?!

MOBILE – Swedish Magazines / Truck (MOB, 1980)
English vocals
International relevance: ***

A rather unusual sounding band (from Kivik in the south) that makes me think of a basement version of British art rockers Cardiacs. Very tight performances which can possibly be explained by the fact that three of the four members were brothers with a tight connection. Dan, Sven and Jörgen Bornemark were sons of Gullan Bornemark who wrote a large number of extremely annoying children's songs in the 60s. I wouldn't say it's a very good single but it's nevertheless interesting as so few Swedish bands actually sounded like this. Worth hearing but perhaps not buying. On the other hand, it's not a very expensive item – it seems to be rather unknown.

LUFTGROUP – Pornografi / Det kostar på... (Musikkällan, 1981)

Swedish vocals
International relevance: **

This Värnamo seven-piece had hopes for the future. The short liner notes on the back of the cover read: ”This single is an exclusive amateur release documenting that 1980 musically moved at all air bearings, also on basement level. With the next disc, we'll move into the light.” That never happened – this was the only thing they ever released. Most of the members seem to have disappeared without any further musical traces at all which seems a bit odd as Luftgroup sounded rather good. Especially for being a local underground band. Anti-porn A side ”Pornografi” is rather catchy, a bit like Fiendens Musik although not as hard-edged. ”Det kostar på...” reminds be a bit of ”Knockin' On Heaven's Door” with a rich Hammond organ fleshing out the sound and a fat fuzz guitar in the short solos. It's not a 'lost masterpiece' but I kind of like this 7”. It has some urgency to it, and I'd be interested hearing more of Luftgroup. I suspect they ought to have been a pretty good live band. 

NORRSKENET – Sången om Norrskensflamman / Norrbottenssången (Flame, 1981)
Swedish vocals, spoken word
International relevance: -

This is abysmal even for a political record. Northern communist news magazine Norrskensflamman (today known as Flamman) released this in 1981 celebrating themselves with A side ”Sången om Norrskensflamman”, an incredibly cringy track with a long spoken intro so deadly serious that it turns into full-blown parody. It's so embarrassing that it makes Fria Proteatern sound like a really nifty rock'n'roll combo. And when the choir enters with their local patriotism I just want to sink through the floor never to rise again to the realm of the living. The only good thing I have to say about the equally ”Norrbottenssången” on the second side is that it at least lacks the recital. The singing is debile and the backing music is so twee a teddy bear could be mistaken for Charles Manson in comparison. Bloody amazing really how appalling music can actually be!

ROCKVINDAR – Lys upp mitt mörker / Ann-Louie (Metronome, 1982)
Swedish vocals
International relevance: *

Last release from actor Thorsten Flinck's band following two years after their only album. The album wasn't too impressive, and the same goes for the two sides here. Energetic performances but still plain standard rock with mild new wave aspirations and Clarence Clemons styled sax on both tracks. No need to bother.

Ulf Pettersson full single playlist (Bandcamp) 
Injection full single playlist (Spotify)
Gog full single
Rockvindar full single
Ronny Åström / Peps Persson
Maskin nr. 1 (poor sound) / Maskin nr. 2
Dom Smutsiga Hundarna
För din nakenhets skull
Luftgroup 
Det kostar på...  
Norrskenet
Sången om Norrskensflamman / Norrbottenssången

Den Trettionde Februari / Right Band / Stetson Cody Group / Mobile no links found

MONICA NIELSEN & TOMMY KÖRBERG – ...med hjärtat fyllt av trots: Arbetarrörelsens kampsånger (A Disc, 1977)

Swedish vocals
International relevance: *

Monica Nielsen was mainly a busy movie and television actor but as a singer, she was the perpetual co-artist. She only ever released one album of her own and that was back in 1966, with her other vocal participations including merely the odd single, appearances on various artists and duo albums with high profile performers. ”Med hjärtat fyllt av trots” is one of those, focused on Labours movement songs and recorded with Tommy Körberg. Now an internationally widely celebrated singer, but back in the day best known domestically for his early pop albums, Solar Plexus, and the reformed Made In Sweden.

Körberg isn't the only renowned musician here. On the contrary, the credits are littered with names like Janne Schaffer, Ulf Adåker, Egil Johansen, Björn J:son Lindh, Pekka Pohjola and Rune Gustafsson, and the arrangements were written by much beloved bassist, composer and former Jan Johansson cohort Georg Riedel. While this all points to a thoroughly executed project, we have to remember that the album was released by A Disc, the Social Democrats' imprint known to dampen any kind of artistic enthusiasm. Thus the album title meaning ”with a heart full of defiance” seems like impossible wishful thinking, and it is. It's all very well played, well sung and well arranged – in short, technically and musically impeccable – but if you're looking for any inspiration to defiantly fight the powers that be, this is not the place to go. Unless authorities can be fought with sleep, but I for one have never heard of any revolutionary naps. It ought to be wellknown to all by now that I don't ask for any fistwaving loudmouths, but a little more oomph hadn't hurt...

Motsträvigt och med hjärtat fyllt av trots / Arbetsmannen / Oss alla unga / Kom med oss kamrat / Vårt vapen heter solidaritet / Ingen rubbar oss / Arbetets söner / Signalen / Ett enat folk / Det unga gardet / Solidaritetssång / Internationalen

NYNNINGEN – 50 (Eggmusic, 2023; rec. 1972-2021)

   
Swedish vocals
International relevance: **

I never understood what the fuss with Nynningen was all about. I've always thought they were a more overtly political but less talented little brother to Nationalteatern. A couple of OK songs, most notably ”För full hals”, but mostly just mediocre Gothenburg progg rock. Furthermore, I think their canonized singer Totta Näslund was a bore. Still, Nynningen's music has such staying power to many that they reformed by the end of 2016, even releasing new music to this day (obviously without Näslund who passed away in 2005).

”50” is a compilation album released in 400 copies to celebrate their 50th anniversary in 2023 (which is odd as their first album came in 1972). It contains previously unreleased recordings, both old and new, with five out of the eleven songs being recorded between 1972 and 1979. Only one track has been available before albeit in a longer version, ”Ungkarlslåt” which was released on Nacksving comp ”Ett samlat grepp från Götet”.

The strange thing about ”50” is that I think it's much better than any of their proper albums. Even more surprising is that some of the tracks from 2016-2021 are among the better on the album, especially a vivid, extended live take of ”Atlantiska oceanen” (originally on ”För full hals”). But more interesting to this blog are of course the 70s tracks. We get a loose and unleashed ”För full hals”, and a much more urgent ”Balladernas konst” from a 1972 radio/TV simulcast, with hard lead guitar substituting the album version's flute. Also, an unexpected Swedish cover of Roy Harper's ”I Hate The White Man”, recorded in 1979 and named ”Jag hatar maktens herrar”.

Given the broad time frame, the sound variations, and the fact that new tracks are mixed in with old tracks, ”50” is pretty inconsistent and doesn't hold up as a cohesive album. But it was never meant as such to begin with but as an alternative overview of Nynningen's career. It's not intended as a substitute but as a complement. The jumbled chronology bothers me a bit, but with a few relevant and/or superior versions of some of their better tracks, it's still well worth hearing. 

Full album playlist 

PIERRE STRÖM & FINN ZETTERHOLM – Första maj: 11 socialistiska sånger (YTF, 1973)

   

Swedish vocals
International relevance: *

Neither Pierre Ström nor Finn Zetterholm are strangers to this blog, but this is the only album they did together. Not that I mourn that fact, because I'm not a fan of any of them and this one double bill effort is more than enough.

The album title means ”First of May (11 Socialist Songs)”, and it's entirely dedicated to songs associated with Labour Day and the labour movement. And it sounds just like a political rally, with Ström & Zetterholm predictably opening with ”L'Internationale” before yelping their way through Swedish versions of Socialism's Greatest Hits like ”Bandiera Rossa”, ”The Partisan” and ”Warschawjanka” (one of the better songs in this field). Despite utilizing the talents of usual suspects Janne Schaffer, Göran Lagerberg, Jan Bandel and a handful of other experienced studio faithfuls, most of it sounds pretty much like any album of this ilk. "Warschawjanka" has some wah-wah guitar colour and there's somewhat unusual drum pattern at the end of ”Bandiera Rossa”, but it's only details that can't save the album.

Cover variations exist, some with a sticker with album title and the artists' names on front, some with no such info at all on the front sleeve.

Första maj / Partisansången / Bandiera Rossa / Världens alla slavar vakna  / Komintern  / Warschawjanka / Riegohymnen/ Socialisternas marsch 

VARIOUS ARTISTS – Spanien 75: Solidaritet mot fascismen (YTF, 1976)

 
Featured artists: Malin Ek / Jeja Sundström / Eva-Lisa Lennartsson / Narren / Jan Malmsjö / Stefan Demert / Björn Ehrling / 27 Septembergruppen / José Barba / Monica Nielsen / Lasse Johansson / Stog Järrel / Kristina Adolphson, Grynet Molvig & Lis Nilheim
Swedish vocals, other languages, spoken word
International relevance: -

A charity album for Swedish Spanish Volunteers' Companions' Association Solidarity Fund (say that fast ten times) recorded live at an anti-fascist meeting against the Spanish Franco regime in 1975, the same year Franco died. The performers came from various genres. There's visa singers Jeja Sundström & Stefan Demert and Björn Ehrling, singing actors like Jan Malmsjö and Grynet Molvig, and a couple of acts closer to progg such as Monica Nielsen and Narren. Poetry recitals mix with Spanish and Swedish songs, and none of it is interesting to listen to fifty years on. As with basically every album such as this, it's a document frozen in time and it hasn't aged well at all. There's not one single track on this album worth hearing now. Once the proceeds from this album were transfered to the Swedish Spanish Volunteers' Companions' Association Solidarity Fund, ”Spanien 75” died just like artefacts of a purely temprary value die.

José Barba & 27 Septembergruppen - Julián Grimau 

VARIOUS ARTISTS – Så här är det... (Frihets Förlag, 1975)

 
Featured artists: Eld I Berget / De Nya Gesällerna / Trots Allt / Mats Fjanters / Röda Röster / Tabasco
Swedish vocals
International relevance: *

As if it wasn't bad enough with the torturous number of records on the Social Democrat label A Disc, their youth division had their own outlet in Frihets Förlag. Thankfully, their catalogue is slim with only two singles and two albums between 1974 and 1977. (At least that's all I've seen proof of, but I hope it's correct.) ”Så här är det” (=”this is how it is”) was their first full length release and features six acts, three of them coming together on the Victor Jara penned closing track ”Ett enat folk” (=”a united people”). Not that you could tell them apart, because they all sound just like the guitar strumming, bongo beating, slogan shouting typical to albums such as this. Formulaic songs with awkward melodies to lyrics insensitive to details such as singability and syllable amount. The only tracks that remotely recalls some actual musicality is ”Fantasi” by De Nya Gesällerna, an unusually toned-down track with soft guitar picking and flute. 

Eld I Berget - Det var längesen 
De Nya Gesällerna - Deltar oundvikligen
Trots Allt - SKUMLr eller Baude och 
Trots Allt - Rotlös 
Eld I Berget - Än är det inte för sent

PETER WARTIN & CLAES NORDENSKIÖLD – Claes Nordenskiöld & Peter Wartin (PETCLA, 1978)

 

Swedish vocals, instrumental
International relevance: *

Claes Nordenskiöld isn't a too familiar name, but Peter Wartin was in semi-hard rockers Baron Bult who released two 45s, and later still in the imperatively ignorable synth poppers Super Tele Group.

This duo album shows only little of what was to come in only a few years. The foundation is vocals and acoustic guitars – no drums – with some electric guitars, piano, soprano sax. One track even have a fusion violin that sounds like a garage take on Jean-Luc Ponty. The few short (semi-)instrumental tracks scattered across the album has a slight relaxation music vibe, but there are in fact a couple of boogie styled numbers that reveal that Wartin had some premature Baron Bult inclinations already at this stage. But apart from those, there's very little resembling actual rock music here. 

Being recorded in the internationally renowned Decibel Studios in Stockholm the sound and production is on a high level, but the album nevertheless retains a slight underground feel I can't quite put my finger on (I guess the homemade looking album cover helps). The songwriting is indistinct, some lyrics lightly political, and the album as a whole feels vague and unsharp. And with neither Wartin nor Nordenskiöld being particularly memorable singers, the album just passes more or less unnoticed.

Hur mycket är lagom 
Väntan 

GAARDA BAND – Vi bygger landet (A Disc, 1980)

  
Swedish vocals
International relevance: *

Another A Disc album to test your patience. This time by Gaarda Band, an acoustic three-piece stylistically somwhere between hootenanny folk singing and jolly Swedish visa. All lyrics are in Swedish and rich with the usual bland political platitudes typical to A Disc releases. Bad to begin with it gets even worse with embarrassing stabs at ”humourus” portrayals. ”Om det händer mig nåt” is surprisingly enough a pretty good song, but there's no way it can outweigh the otherwise ropey songwriting and singalong message ditties.

Full album (poor sound)

RÖDA RÖTTER – Kom igen (Röda Rötter, 1982)

 
Swedish vocals
International relevance: -

But for fuck's sake...

This is a perfect example of an album I wouldn't even touch with a twelve feet stick and eight pairs of gloves if it wasn't for this blog. It's a private pressing released by Röda Rötter (="red roots"), a women's choir affiliated with the local Social Democratic section of Staffanstorp in the south of Sweden. So expect the sloganeering to be a bit more watered down than on your regular Stalinist shout fest. Also, the acoustic guitars are swapped for accordeons (not a positive thing). The B side has a couple of solo performances but of course they suck too.

Now if you excuse me, I have an album to smash.

No links found 

A SEVEN INCH SPECIAL, VOL. 9: Political, religious & theatrical

 
JOINT EFFORT – Du, värld / I morgon (Kyrkoton, 1969)
Swedish vocals
International relevance: ***

A very rare single from a very obscure Christian trio, so obscure it's not even listed on Discogs at the time of writing. Released on the Kyrkoton label who also gave us the collectable Vergers which should pique the interest of some readers. Not that it needs any pull from others because it stands up well on its own. The B side is the weaker track of the two, although that one's OK as well with a Sir Douglas Quintet styled organ and a pretty catchy drive. But the real treat is ”Du, värld” which is just excellent, a rare Swedish example of what's internationally known as moody garage. Absolutely haunting with brooding organ, reverbed rimshots and a mesmerizing atmosphere created by a slow, almost ghostlike, harmonized melody. In a time when everything appears excavated, discovered, comped and reissued all over again, it's a mystery how this one slipped through the cracks. It's not even of Discogs at the time of writing. It's one of the best Xian tracks I've ever heard from Sweden, almost up there with New Creation's ”He Is There”.

Joint Effort later changed their name to Mission Possible and as such released another Kyrkoton single in 1971. The A side, in a style similar to ”Du, värld”, is featured on the ”Frälst!” compilation.

 

VARIOUS ARTISTS – Jubileum SSU 60 år (Frihets Förlag, 1977)

Swedish vocals

International relevance: -

Four tracks recorded for the ”Democratize Sweden” conference in January 1977 and released to celebrate the 60th anniversary of the Social Democrats' youth association SSU the same year. The focus is obsviously on the message, delivered by singing groups Nacka-gänget, Nya Gesällerna and Lasse-Maja. The music was written by Göran Blomqvist known from some other Social Democratic releases, with words by journalist Bernt Rosengren (no, not that Bernt Rosengren). A couple of the songs – with hot titles such as ”Var börjar socialismen” (=”where does socialism begin”) and ”Socialismen är solidaritet” (=”socialism is solidarity”) – appear rooted in the Eisler/Weill tradition but are melodically paralyzed. The whole thing just sounds unmusical, but it wouldn't surprise me if some perverted hipster DJ takes a liking to ”Du duger” (=”you're OK”) because of its, ahem, 'funkiness'.

 

FRISKT VATTEN – Tågsång / Marknadsföring (A Disc, 1980)

Swedish vocals

International relevance: *

Two non-album tracks released inbetween Friskt Vatten's last two albums. ”Tågsång” is a ballad of sorts, unpleasantly close to yacht rock but with some fine piano playing. ”Marknadsföring” speaks out again mindless consumption and shares the sentiment with Peps Persson's ”Hög standard” but lacking Peps's ability to transform observation to sharp-witted lyrics on his level.

KYRKSTÖT – No Smoking / Dr. Jekyll (no label, 1980)
Swedish vocals
International relevance: *

A Christian hard rock band familiar from the V/A comp ”Rockplock”. This single was the only other outing from Kyrkstöt. The A side is competent but entirely uninteresting boogie rock, while ”Dr. Jekyll” is radio friendly pop rock that feels overlong despite being of 4 minute standard length. Best avoided.

 

SKOGSNÄSKOLLEKTIVET – Odlad jord ska förbli odlad (Ljudbarrikaden, 1980)

Swedish vocals

International relevance: ***

The title of this single is ”Odlad jord ska förbli odlad” (=”cultivated land should remain cultivated”) but the song titles are actually ”Fattig på de fattigas planet” (=”poor on the planet of poors”) and ”Den trygge” (=”the safe one”). It was recorded within the long running environmentally concerned and anti-capitalist Skogsnäs community in the Northern Sweden.

I was afraid ”Odlad jord ska förbli odlad” would be just another fingerpointing pamphlet progg release, so I was completely taken aback when ”Fattig på de fattigas planet” proved to be an outright fantastic minor key folksy track in a Townes Van Zandt vein, augmented with a wonderful, gnarly fiddle like straight out of cult movie ”The Wicker Man”. Even the children's chorus sounds good (!), adding another emotional layer to the splendid track. The guy who wrote it is Kåre Wigforss who I think is still musically active (judging by a Youtube channel dedicated to Kåre Wigforss Band) although I can't find any proof of him having released anything apart from this one knockout track.

The B side is credited to the band Ryktet Går and while their ”Den trygge” isn't on par with ”Fattig på de fattigas planet”, it's still better than expected. It's more of an early 80s folk rock track with jangly guitars – think a slightly more garage-y but relaxed early R.E.M. and you're not exactly correct but going in the right direction.

MUSIKGRUPPEN NEJRÖSTERNA – Solen och vinden och vattnet och jorden / Kärnkraftsman (Live Studio Lane, 1980)
Swedish vocals
International relevance: *

A twelve-piece band formed in late 1979 when the Gothenburg fraction of The Anti-Nuclear Movement needed music during their meetings. (”Nejrösterna” means ”the no votes”, referring to the nuclear referendum held in Sweden in March 1980). Two songs were recorded in November 1979 but the release was belated by the pressing plant until early 1980 when the single was finally released in an edition of a 1000 copies (with about half of them sold by the band). The lyrics for the A side were found in a leaflet distributed during an anti-nuclear protest march, while the words for the B side used The Beatles' ”Nowhere Man” as a source inspiration. Let's get it over with right away: This sounds nothing like The Beatles. It doesn't sound like anything you'd want to hear. As opposed to Skogsnäskollektivet above, this is exactly the kind of stuff that makes me want to rip my ears off my head. Ten people singing at once in a smug tone, backed by flutes, bongos and accordeon and an unnecessary large number of maracas. My only question now is how far this piece of shit will fly if I throw it from a cliff.

SKOTTES MUSIKORKESTER / THOMAS WIEHE, PER DUNSÖ, OLA STRÖM & TRULS – Antikärnkraftverk (Källan, 1979)
Swedish vocals
International relevance: *

The resistance against nuclear power was well spread in the cultural world prior to the referendum mentioned above. Plenty of actors, musicians and artists spoke out against it in 1979-1980 as proven by several charity singles and albums released at the time. This one gathered Skottes Musikorkester, and Thomas Wiehe together with Per Dunsö, Ola Ström and Ström's nephew Truls. Per Dunsö and the two Ströms were known from TV where they produced appalling children's shows, and their track ”Vaggvisa fem i tolv” (=”lullabye five to twelve”) could very well have appeared in one of them. The clarinet and the fiddle are pleasant features, and the acoustic framework is nice enough, but the song itself is oddly formless. And there's way too much Truls singing.

Skottes Musikorkester in turn contribute a klezmer styled track with a few instrumental turns that are quite nice but it's spoiled by the overzealous vocals.

CHECKPOINT CHARLIE – SUSB / Pyret (CC Records, 1979)
Swedish vocals
International relevance: **

Checkpoint Charlie formed in 1976 and had a few active years before eventually disbanding in the early 80s. In the meantime they appeared on the various artists comps ”Vi har rätt till jobb” and ”Umeå Rocks, Vol. 1”, but had only one single out under their own banner. Heavily rooted in the semi-heavy rock style of the Umeå/Luleå region as represented by Rekyl and Kylans Rockorkester. The title ”SUSB” is short for Stiftelsen Umeå Studentbostäder (Umeå Student Housing Foundation) with some wonderfully acidic lyrics against the local lack of housing. The track is credited to guitarist Urban Bergman, but it's so much Chuck Berry that it's almost a cover of every Berry song in the style of ”Johnny B. Goode”. Still, the hard driving performance and the great lyrics (if you can understand them) have a certain appeal. ”Pyret” slows things down a bit, a dark observation written from a two-year-old's perspective. Some heavy guitars and a couple of progressive sections are nice features, but it's not as effective as the rousing A side.

 

TURMANS BAND – Bluesen kommer från Tierp (Mistlur, 1980)
Swedish vocals
International relevance: *

Three songs recorded in 1979 and released the next year by the Mistlur imprint that at the time, early in their existence, was one of the companies that most strategically documented progg's extension into punk. As the title of this EP suggests (meaning ”the blues come from Tierp”, Tierp being the band's hometown situated between Uppsala and Gävle), Turmans Band dealt with blues, but not very proficiently. There's no real edge to it, and the main focus seems to be on the lyrics (also printed on an insert) that address a dull everyday life, unemployment and the troubles getting somewhere to live. The vocals could have strengthened the pedestrian performance but they're too weak to help the cause.

Mora Träsk's Thomas Örstrand appears on harmonica, and the EP title is a nod to Mora Träsk's album "Rocken kommer från Gävle" (="the rock music comes from Gävle"). 

MIKAEL WIEHE, NYBERG, FRANCK & FJELLIS – Gökungen / Livet efter 30 (Amalthea, 1981)
Swedish vocals
International relevance: **

”Gökungen” was later included on Wiehe's 1983 album ”Lindansaren”, one of the best tracks off that album. It has a a scary, sinister atmosphere and is by far one of the best tracks on that album. The B side is unique to this single and it's easy to see why it was left off the album. A weak track with an ironic lyric about the ”joys” of turning 30 when your body has been broken down by hard work (although the hard work bit is merely implied).

SÄTRASKOLANS MUSIKTEATERGRUPP – Tjejsans nya kläder (no label, 1981)
Swedish vocals
International relevance: *

A real oddity with seven songs taken from a school play performed at a suburbian Stockholm school. (The title is an impossible to translate wordplay on the "emperor's new clothes" expression.) Probably of interest mainly to those participating in the play (about fashion peer pressure among youths), but several of the songs actually have pretty cool solo guitar. A couple of surprisingly catchy performances, especially on ”Mode, mode, mode”. But there's also a couple of tracks which suggests some of the songwriters (teachers?) had listened too much to political progg in the 70s. The EP is generally better than I expected, but not worth looking for unless you're a collector of school projects.

The track "Discolåten" was included on "Annorlunda Underground", a CD-r compilation released in 2000.

 

ETOS – Den nakna sanningen / Skulden (A Disc, 1981)
Swedish vocals
International relevance: *

One of very few singles released on the pathologically humdrum A Disc label. That this is one of their best releases says way more about the label than the music on this disc. It's very commercial sounding with some hard rock aspirations mixed in with the lacklustre pop rock and ska influences, but they fall flat due to a submissive production. Minus also for the shouty singer and the A Disc-typical bland lyrics.

 

PISTOLTEATERN – Reggae från Torsgatan (Alice, 1982, EP)
Swedish vocals
International relevance: **

Pistolteatern (=”the pistol theatre”) is probably best known to proggsters as a venue where bands such as International Harvester and Fläsket Brinner played. But their main purpose was of course that of an independent theatre group, and their progressive stance has made them legendary. The four tracks on this seldom seen 33 rpm EP all come from the play ”Alive”, and features the busy Göran Lagerberg on bass and Sven Bjärhall (Solen Skiner, Jan Hammarlund) on lead guitar. Guitarist/keyboardist Håkan Möller also appeared on a late Thomas Mera Gartz album. The vocals are shared by Jonas Uddenmyr (later appearing on a cassette-only release by Thomas Tidholm) and Lars Källenius. All tracks are suprisingly solid reggae numbers, much more credible than I expected from their ephemeral origins. There's a relieving lack of ”jokiness”, but one of the songwriters is Lars Naumborg, friend of Aston Reymers Rivaler, and thus respectful and knowledgeable enough of reggae not to waste his efforts on any unserious silliness. Can very well be of interest to those into Swedish reggae.

Friskt Vatten full single playlist
Etos full single playlist (Spotify) 
Musikgruppen Nejrösterna 
Solen och vinden och vattnet och jorden (poor sound) 
Jubileum SSU 60 år
Ditt eget ansvar / Socialismen är solidaritet / Du duger / Var börjar socialismen
Skottes Musikorkester
Frihetens eko 
Turmans Band
Till arbetsmarknadens förfogande blues / Bostadsblues 
Mikael Wiehe
Gökungen / Livet efter 30 
Sätraskolans Musikteatergrupp
Brain Tango / Mode, mode, mode / Discolåten / Sången om Tom / Pia Jansson / Barbies sång

Joint Effort / Kyrkstöt / Skogsnäskollektivet / Checkpoint Charlie / Pistolteatern no links found

BLÅ TÅGET – På Fågel Blå (MNW, 1982)

 

Swedish vocals

International relevance: *

I suppose a lot of people assumed that when Blå Tåget disbanded in 1974, that was the end of it. The revamped version called Stockholm Norra was more like an afterthought, and besides, it wasn't the original band anyway. A one-off Blå Tåget reunion in 1980 was just that, but they returned again for several concerts in 1981. The first one was at Fågel Blå, resident stage of theatre group Tidningsteatern, and ended up on a double album the year after.

They performed several new songs (or at least songs never previously recorded), but the whole thing feels more like a nostalgia show. The playing is more accomplished than during their original years, but that means they lost much of their original amateurish appeal. Here they sound like a bunch of cabaret entertainers delivering dance band-like renditions of the Gunder Hägg/Blå Tåget repertoire – imagine The Fugs playing a backstreet Las Vegas joint with ”Nothing”, ”Kill For Peace” and ”I Couldn't Get High”. What a hoot. (Actually, thinking of it, that would be more interesting to hear.)

The original line-up is intact with one glaring exception: Roland Keijser isn't here and with him gone, it becomes ever so obvious that he indeed was one of the most important members of the group. At the same time, I'm happy he didn't lend himself to this. 

Full album playlist

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

A SEVEN INCH SPECIAL, VOL. 5: Political and religious

THE VERGERS – Se dig för / Fader vår (Celesta, 1969)
Swedish vocals
International relevance: *

”Se dig för” is included on ”Frälst!” but B side ”Fader vår” remains uncomped. Not a very good one, weaker than the A side, so there's no need to look for this 45 if you have ”Frälst!”. This was the last of The Vergers' four singles.

 

FRIA PROTEATERN – Chile (Folksång, 1974)
Swedish vocals:
International relevance: *

Two tracks unique to this Chile solidarity single, although side one's ”Ett enat folk” is available in a live version on ”Koncert I København Okt. 1973”. Side B has ”IB, ÖB och SÄPO” about the political scandal described in some detail here. For Fria Proteatern fans only.

OPPONER – Alfa blues / Till min make (Opponer, 1975)
Swedish vocals
International relevance: *

Two tracks not on Opponer's full length album. ”Alfa blues” is exacrly that, a blues number of no particular merir, while ”Till min make” is a traditional tune with new lyrics by Opponer singer Anna Olofsson and bassist Mats Sönnfors. A much better song with that sweet melancholy typical to the best Swedish folk tunes. Released with the aid from the workers at pump facorty Alfa Laval.

ELEVER PÅ MUSIKLÄRARSKOLAN SÄMUS I GÖTEBORG / FRIA PROTEATERN – Vietnam Kambodja befriade (Befria Södern, 1975)
Swedish vocals
International relevance: *

As the Vietnam war ended in 1975, so did the stream of releases from De Förenade FNL-grupperna and their cohorts. This was the last of those, a three track EP split between Fria Proteatern and Elever på musiklärarskolan SÄMUS i Göteborg (students at the Gothenburg school for music teachers). Released to celebrate the war's end, it's typical political stuff very much in line with the other Vietnam albums and singles, and so best ignored. Fria Proteatern's ”Balladen om Rune Henry Johansson” is also on ”Sånger från ljugarbänken”.

BJÖRN AFZELIUS BAND / NATIONALTEATERN – Kamrater, Bodenarbetare / Rädda varven! (Nacksving, 1978)
Swedish vocals
International relevance: **

Two exclusive tracks, one by Björn Afzelius Band and one by Nationalteatern. Afzelius's ”Kamrater, Bodenarbetare” is in support of the strikers at Boden's car factory in 1978. It's a pretty good track with slight folk rock shadings, good especially for Björn Afzelius. Nationalteatern's ”Rädda varven!” is a call to save the Gothenburg boatyard threatened by shutdown which eventually happened. A weak track in an undistinguished Gothenburg/Nacksving rock style.

EN RÖD KÖR OCH SÅNGGRUPPEN DEN MÄNSKLIGA FAKTORN – Säj nej! (no label, EP 1980)
Swedish vocals
International relevance: *

A privately pressed single released in 1980, the year of the Swedish nuclear power referendum and has anti-nuclear message. It has two acts, the choir En Röd Kör and vocal folk group Den Mänskliga Faktorn, although it's hard to say if it all involves the same people. Acoustic as it is it could easily fall into the Fria Proteatern trap but there's something very charming and disarming about the unpretentious atmosphere. The rock & roll pastiche ”The Sysselsättning Rock” is pretty terrible but the other songs are in fact rather catchy. Well, perhaps I wouldn't call the title track exactly catchy, but it's a quite atmospheric adaptation of a Czech herding song. It's nothing I would particularly recommend, but I've heard far worse and way more self-important examples of political songs than these.

The Vergers:
Se dig för (Bandcamp)
Fader vår
Fria Proteatern:
Ett enat folk (El Pueblo Unido)
IB, ÖB och SÄPO
Opponer:
Alfa blues
Till min make
Vietnam Kambodja befriade:
SÄMUS - Vietnam är befriat
Fria Proteatern - Balladen om Rune Henry Johansson
SÄMUS - Kambodja är befriat 
Björn Afzelius/Nationalteatern:
Björn Afzelius Band - Kamrater, Bodenarbetare
Nationalteatern - Rädda varven!
En Röd Kör och sånggruppen Den Mänskliga Faktorn:
no links found