Jackie Fountains "Jackie Fountains" 1965-66 (rec) 2003(comp)***

I had never heard of this band before buying their record. So why did I? I guess it was a throwback to previous times; when I was in my mid-20's I'd blindly get any garage rock album I could find for an affordable price - something that I rarely regretted. So I found this, along with other stuff, in an Athens record store. Judging by the cover only, I thought I might like it, and asked to listen to a couple of excerpts ; right from the beginning I went yeah, this is exactly what I expected. Pretty good, but also pretty standard, mid-60's garage rock - only these guys come from Smalltown Sweden (i.e. Gnesta) rather than USA. Gnesta, aparently, also doubles as the fictional town of Hedestad in the 2009 film The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo. The things that happen in those small quaint Swedish towns, eh? Nazis, murder, incest... and garage rock. Though, of course, only the latter will concern us now. The liner notes offer a detailed history of the band, but here's the gist: The Jackie Fountains started in 1964 as an instrumental band modelled on The Shadows; pretty soon they teamed up with singer Lasse Kjellström, a former a sailor who had traveled to England often, spoke English well and knew the lyrics to a lot of pop songs. He took them to a more R&B/R'nR direction, and they cut some demos together in 1965. Lasse unfortunately fell into some trouble with the law, and was replaced after a few months by a well-traveled Yugoslavian kid called Bob Yell (a.k.a. Boris Jelovic). The band released two singles in 1966 for a local label (Love Time / Bad Girl and You Better Look Around / Let's Make A Love) before calling it quits the next year - there's a coda to that story, which we'll get back to. A few, previously unreleased, songs were included in a weird spoken word album, also released by Dollar Records in 1969. This Swiss compilation (a limited pressing of 1000 copies) appeared in 2003, and contains 3 sides from their singles, plus the 4 tracks from the spoken word album, and a few more demos. It opens with "You Better Look Around" an accomplished garage folk composition, which is followed by a raw R&B cover of Animals hit "Club A Go Go". "Love Time" sounds more like early Kinks (nice piano by"Mimi" Matisic). "Listen Girl" and "Your Love" are a couple of garage pop gems worthy of inclusion in any volume of the Pebbles series. With the exception of "Club A Go Go" these are all original compositions, and there's not a dud among them; even the ballad "Sentimental Blues" (nice harmonica here) is emotive without being sappy, while the big pop production that closes the album ("Bad Girl") sounds like it should be the theme to a Swinging London movie. Side 2 features 5 songs of the Lasse period of the band; it opens with an energetic, very lo -fi, live version of "Buckle Shoe Stomp" (The Snobs), followed by an excellent cover of Vince Taylor's "Brand New Cadillac", Yardbirds-inspired original "Why Did You Leave Me?" and Chuck Berry rock'n'rollers "Bye Bye Johnny" and "I'm Talking About You". Great guitar and harp by "Hasse" Wärmling who also wrote most of the originals. A few years later (here's the coda I promised) Hasse was working as a nurse at a university hospital together with visiting biochemistry PhD student Hugh Cornwell. The two youths bonded over music, and left together for London where they co-founded a rock band they called The Guilford Stranglers. Hasse´s work permit expired sometime in '75, and he left before the band made any waves. Bad timing, because next year they'd re-invent themselves as punks, shorten their name to The Stranglers, and go on to have a long and successful career. Including a top ten hit with the re-recording of a Wärmling tune called "Strange Little Girl". The sounds in this comp are very typical of US garage rock circa '65-66, and yet made in a small Swedish town. If you like that period in music -and you can bet that I do- it won't disappoint you. Curiously, but happily for collectors, that original limited edition release hasn't sold out yet; even 20-something years later, new and unplayed vinyl copies are available online, some even for less than €10. 

**** for You Better Look Around, Club A Go-Go, Listen Girl, Brand New Cadillac, Why Did You Leave Me?

*** for Love Time, Your Love, Sentimental Blue, Buckle Shoe Stomp, Bye Bye Johnny, I'm Talking About You, Bad Girl 

Europe "The Final Countdown" 1986 🏀🏀🏀

I'd bet that those first few notes of the keyboard intro are instantly recognisable all over the globe, this was after all a No.1 hit in most of Europe, also entering the Top Ten in the US. But nowhere -not even in their native Sweden- do they generate the emotional response they do in Greece. In the summer of 1987, Greece hosted the European Basketball Championship. We hoped our national team would do respectably playing in front of the home crowd, but the end result seemed unavoidable: unless Yugoslavia managed to steal the win, as they had done on three occasions in the past, the championship would go to the sole European athletic superpower: since they had first entered the competition forty years previously, The Soviet Union had almost always returned home with the cup. The Greek team nevertheless performed a miracle by eliminating stronger opponents one by one, finally triumphing over the Soviets at overtime with 103-101. This was an incredible, unbelievable, victory. At the time, Greece was thought of as this poor, backwards corner of Europe. At sports, we had no distinctions whatsoever. Yet for once we stood tall and dared to look the giant in the eye, and bravery won the day. No-one who watched this game -which includes the whole country- will forget the feeling of elation of that day, or the song blasting from the stadium speakers as the referee blew the final whistle: Europe's "The Final Countdown".

Somehow the band didn't capitalize on their popularity in Greece by touring there - had they done so in the late 80's or early 90's, it would have been a huge event; even when I caught the band live (at the Lokerse feesten in Belgium, more than 3 decades after that EuroBasket final) this album's title song stirred something in me. Nowadays, of course, "The Final Countdown" -especially the keyboard part- is considered the ultimate cheese. Even people reviewing the band semi-favorably in forums bypass the title track and name a couple of other songs as their favorites. At the time, though, everyone who bought the album did it for the big hit; by 80's standards, it wasn't cheesy, it was anthemic. The second most popular track off this LP was "Carrie", a typical 80's power ballad that also sounds very much of its time. Truth be told, it's not that different from Aerosmith ballads of the same period, yet Aerosmith retain some credibility while Europe are ridiculed- not so much for their songs, mind you, as for their haircuts. The third big song off the album was "Rock The Night", a nice rocker in the vein of Bon Jovi. The band knew these three songs were their biggest bets for success, and frontloaded the LP by placing them at the beginning of Side 1. This has the unfortunate effect of making the rest seem like filler: nothing else sticks out - but on the bright side, nothing annoys either. The vocals are a matter of taste: the lead singer employs lots of sustained high notes, and frequent oo-oh's and yeah-yeah's. The choruses consist, more often than not, by group harmonies on endless repeat. The keyboards have that dated synthetic 80's feel, but you do get the impression that the keyboardist is more ambitious; a wannabe Jon Lord who got stuck with an overtly commercial producer and crappy sounding equipment. The guitarist is an accomplished soloist, and he's given the chance to shine without dominating the songs, while the rhythm section also do a good job. The production may be a bit too slick for some, but it all adds up to a well crafted AOR album that often sounds like a cross between Asia and The Scorpions. Apart from the starting three, special mention should be given to "Cherokee", a commercial hard rocker about the plight of American Indians, sort of a softer analogue to Iron Maiden's "Run To The Hills". Here, as well as on the Side 2 closer "Love Chaser", there's a proggier note akin to Joe Lynn Turner-era Rainbow. "Danger on the Track", "Heart Of Stone", and "Ninja" are decent AOR rockers, while "Time Has Come" is a forgettable power ballad. "On the Loose" kicks off with a heavy riff and features a shredding solo - it's the closest The Final Countdown gets to heavy metal, which really isn't that close at all. So, should you add this album to your collection? Only if you feel nostalgic for 80's FM radio... or if you're a Greek eager to relive a fleeting moment of glory. Decent, but dated - 3,5* really.

**** for The Final Countdown, Rock the Night, Cherokee

*** for Carrie, Danger on the Track, Ninja, Heart of Stone, On the Loose, Love Chaser

** for Time Has Come

Various "Pushing Scandinavian Rock To The Man! Volume 3" 2002(comp)***

Now why the hell would you be interested in an album entitled Pushing Scandinavian Rock To The Man! Volume 3? Have you even heard Volume 1 or 2? I have an excuse for buying it: I used to suffer from a compulsive buying disorder which compelled me to get any garage record or CD I could get my hands on for a reasonable price. I would then blast it on my car player while driving to work and fantasize I could part, Moses-like, the slow-moving sea of cars around me and step on the gas to the tune of earsplitting rock'n'roll. I have therefore a whole slew of neo-garage compilations, from the most essential (I take it you all have Voxx's Battle Of The Garages Volume 1, 2, 3 and 4?) to the most specific like this one, catering to a geographical corner of a niche of a subgenre. Don't be deceived by the Blaxploitation cover art: there's no funk here, the music moves strictly between Sonics-style 60's garage and Stooges/MC5 hi-energy rock'n'roll, with a dash of surf and punk. The cover art is a reference to the name of the Danish label Bad Afro (there has to be a funny story behind that name) for which this compilation presumably acts as a sampler. The timing of its release couldn't have been better: Garage rock was back in vogue thanks to the commercial success of The Strokes, while the British music press was waxing lyrical about a Scandinavian garage band called The Hives. But despite the good timing and their apparent chops, none of these bands managed to follow The Hives into international success. Many of their albums did find their way to my collection, though, thanks to my aforementioned affliction. This is how I know that The Royal Beat Conspiracy's Standells/Electric Prunes tribute "Try Me" is the gem in an otherwise unremarkable record, or that Baby Woodrose is a remarkably productive group reminiscent of, but not comparable to, The Fuzztones and Monster Magnet. Their track "Never Coming Back" borrows heavily from The Moving Sidewalks' classic "99th Floor". Who Cares? It rocks, doesn't it? Other bands playing Nuggets/Pebbles 60's pastiche include Stockholm's The Maggots and Oslo's Launderettes who give a female twist to The Human Beinz's "Nobody But Me". The other girls here are Helsinki's Thee Ultra Bimboos with a dirtier sound that reminds me of The Pandoras. Their compatriots Flaming Sideburns sing, for some reason, the verses in Spanish and chorus in English. The Defectors offer more 60's style Farfisa sounds, The Mutants instrumental surf, and Vegas V.I.P. a cool exotica/surf piece with nice sax. The rest of the bands adopt a harder sound: The Chronics, On Trial, Species, and Flaming Sideburns all play MC5/Radio Birdman-like hi-energy rock, Sweatmaster sound a bit like The Dirtbombs, while The Borderlines and Burnouts are more punk rock a la Hives. All in all this is a cool bunch of songs from a region with a penchant for loud and dirty rock'n'roll (think Nomads, Hellacopters, Turbonegro etc). See? you did have a reason to check this out after all!

**** for I Am A Demon And I Love Rock N' Roll(Sweatmaster), Try Me(The Royal Beat Conspiracy), Nightrider(Vegas V.I.P.), Nobody But Me(The Launderettes), Leave Me Alone(The Maggots), The Flaming Sideburns(Blow The Roof)

*** for Never Coming Back(Baby Woodrose), Slippin' And Slidin'(The Chronics), Higher(On Trial), Ram It Up(Species), Come On, Hold On(The Borderlines), Kung Fu(The Mutants), You Lose (The Burnouts), Live To See Your Face Again(The Defectors), No Man's No Good/Pms 666 (Thee Ultra Bimboos)

Jerry Williams "Sweet Little Rock'n'Roller" 1974**

Hi again. I'm still on holiday in Antiparos, and posting from my drafts folder. Just relaxing, taking in the sun, swimming and tasting the local delicacies. If you find yourself in Greece remember that every region has its own dishes based on local products. Don't play it safe and go for pizza or burgers, and don't waste your time with gyros and moussaka which you can get at any Greek restaurant in your city. Order instead one of the local specialties, like this beauty from the Paros region: "Gouna" is a way of cooking rather than a specific fish, though mostly they'll use mackerel. The fish is sliced in half and hang to dry for a few days on the summer sun and sea breeze, then grilled and lightly sprinkled with an oil and lemon sauce. An ancient recipe meant to preserve fish for a longer period (as opposed to salting or smoking it), you won't believe how good it tastes. Try it with ice-cold ouzo or raki to watch all your worries evaporating into thin air. 
This is another album I only bought because it was cheap and had an inadvertently funny cover. I just thought the guy on it wasa hilariously clueless pseudo rocker. Everything from the red leather jacket (over a see-through shirt) to the gleaming razor blade in his hand and his even more shiny motorcycle tries to emulate "dangerous teddyboy gangbanger" and does so less convincingly than if he had dressed for a 50's themed costume party. And why exactly is the chick next to him dressed like a showgirl in an Al Capone movie? Anyway, I purchased this LP hoping it'd either be some wild rockabilly or incompetent enough to laugh at. Unfortunately neither case is true - it's just an unremarkable retro pop album. It's telling that the title song isn't a cover of the same-named Chuck Berry tune but of a contemporary Joe Dolan pop hit. Catchy maybe, but not rock'n'roll. Country oriented "Sittin' And Thinkin'" and "Lazy Mornin'" sound more heart-felt but the retro ballads "Love Me" and "Three Steps To Heaven" are just perfunctory. Still they're not as bad as the album's low point, disco-like "Tower Of Strength".

On the Southern soul-influenced "Prisen" the singer tries to sound like Elvis covering Tony Joe White but he just manages to sound like a Johnny Hallyday imitator. After some more Elvis pastiche (the tame rockabilly of "Lonely Weekends" and "It's Worth Believin'") the record closes with the only song worth hearing twice, a rootsy soul rock cover of The Righteous Brothers's "Little Latin Lupe Lu". The album has never been re-released either on LP or CD, so it has some period value, but it's otherwise of little interest. Given how mediocre it is, I was surprised to learn Jerry Williams is considered a bona fide rock legend in his native Sweden. I hope this was just a misstep in his discography, otherwise that's kind of sad for Swedish rock.

*** for Sittin' And Thinkin', Lonely Weekends, Lazy Mornin', Little Latin Lupe Lu

** for Sweet Little Rock'n Roller, Love Me, It's Worth Believin', Three Steps To Heaven, Prisen (colinensinainciusol)

November "En ny tid är här...1970*****/ 2:a November 1971****" 2003(comp)

Swedish Rock...one would think that's not too big a category - I mean population-wise Sweden isn't that big, plus it's isolated somewhere at the edge of the world and who remembers any Swedish bands other than ABBA anyway? Well, this website mentions no less than 600 famous bands, and some of my favorites are still missing. Where are The Creeps, Randy or Anekdoten? Even The Nomads barely made the cut at no.506. I wasn't surprised by the absence of today's subject, as they are one of the few Scandinavian bands singing in their own language. It was bound to place obstacles in their gaining world recognition, but I found out I like listening to hard rock in Swedish. So what if I don't speak a single word of their language? One look at the tracklisting had me imagining it's about the saga of the Viking Ragnar Lothbrok and his sons, although November were ostensibly a politically progressive pacifist band. Well, I can nevertheless imagine that they sing, like Led Zeppelin did, "We come from the land of the ice and snow/From the midnight sun where the hot springs flow/Hammer of the gods will drive our ships to new land/To fight the hordes, and sing and cry/Valhalla I am coming". It'd fit them, too. November's bluesy hard rock style is very close to early Zeppelin (as well as Free, Cream, Black Sabbath etc). An early incarnation of the band featured English blues guitarist Snowy White, but by the time of their debut "En ny tid är här..." (1970) they were down to a trio. Opener "Mount Everest" was also the lead single, and it's the equal of anything produced in the UK at the time - It actually wouldn't sound out of place in Cream's Disraeli Gears. "En annan värld" is even heavier, a fast Uriah Heep-like number with a rolling bass line. "Lek att du är barn igen" is prog with some jazzy flute reminding me of Jethro Tull. "Sekunder (förvandlas till år)" and "En enkel sång om dej" are electric boogie rock. "Åttonde" is almost funky and "Varje gång jag ser dig känns det lika skönt" sports some heavy Sabbath riffs. "Gröna blad" and "Ta ett steg i sagans land" are classic hard rock and "Balett blues" is a short instrumental closer. All in all, a veritable lost classic with terrific guitar by Richard Rolf. At the moment I can't think of a better non-English language hard rock album.

***** for Mount Everest, Lek att du är barn igen, Sekunder (förvandlas till år), En enkel sång om dej

**** for En annan värld, Ta ett steg i sagans land

*** for Varje gång jag ser dig känns det lika skönt, Gröna blad, Åttonde

** for Balett blues

Their second LP 2:a November (1971) is introduced with the soft piano-led "Sista resan", but after that things get heavy with the Sabbath-y "Men mitt hjärta ska vara gjort av sten". "Mina fotspår fylls av vatten", "Mouchkta" and "Ganska långt från Sergel"are funky hard rock a la Hendrix, "En lång dag är över" bluesy and "En ny tid är här" a rolling boogie. "På väg" has heavy riffs Sabbath-style and acoustic passages like...now that I think of it, Sabbath did those, too. "Och så en morgon..." and "Asthamahgurchk" are two instrumental interludes, the former light and atmospheric and latter playful and funny. 2:a November is another excellent classic rock album, though probably slightly inferior to their debut. They would release one more LP before splitting up in '72. According to their Wikipedia page (bassist/singer) Christer Stålbrandt started the group Saga, (drummer) Björn Inge joined jazz rockers Energy, and (guitarist) Richard Rolf was one of the forming members of Bash and later on joined Nature. In the 00's they have reformed a few times to play some gigs (see clip here) but otherwise they seem to keep a low profile and never got the international recognition they deserve.

***** for Men mitt hjärta ska vara gjort av sten, Mina fotspår fylls av vatten

**** for Sista resan, Môuchkta (Drömmen om Malin), Ganska långt från Sergel, På väg, En ny tid är här

*** for En lång dag är över, Och så en morgon...

** for Asthamahgurchk - den fjottegangere

  

Opeth "Pale Communion" 2014****

Yesterday I sat through 3 hours of an Opeth concert and got this nice souvenir on the way out. I actually hovered by the T-shirt stand for a few minutes trying to answer the eternal question: T-shirt or CD? They had some pretty nice T's, sorta gothic and dark designs with the elaborate Opeth logo, but in the end the music usually wins out. Not to mention I didn't take any Opeth albums with me when I moved to Brussels and I was itching to write about them. All CD's on sale were either autographed by the band members or vandalized by a kid with a permanent marker. I'd like to think the former is true. I chose their latest "Pale Communion" as it has the reputation of their proggiest, most melodic outing - to the disappointment of their metalhead fans. IMO this description is better suited to their Steven Wilson-curated "Damnation" album. "Pale Communion" is more like Dream Theater i.e. heavy metal with progressive rock influences. But it's (thankfully, for me) free of Åkerfeldt's death metal growls that plagued their earlier albums. There were enough of them in the concert to satisfy old fans, as it was of retrospective nature: The first 80something minutes consisted of the onstage recreation of their "Ghost Reveries" album, marking its 10th anniversary. It's a highly rated record that I hadn't heard before. Judging from yesterday's concert it must be a dark, brutally atmospheric affair characterized by Opeth's trademark gentle/aggressive duality: beautiful introspective moments alternating with death metal attack. The musicianship throughout the first part of the concert was excellent and Åkerfeldt's ability to sing in two contrasting styles was most impressive. But it didn't convince me to buy the record; I own "Blackwater Park" and that's enough of that particular Opeth facet for me. The second, equally long, part of the concert was a greatest hits selection to commemorate the band's 25th anniversary. During this part, the band seemed less concentrated and looser, with lots of between-song banter and tantalising snippets of songs abandoned after a few seconds. It featured both melodic and heavy music and at least a couple of songs from "Pale Communion".

Opener "Eternal Rains Will Come" was one of them, hard to miss with its complicated drum patterns and imposing organ. The vocal harmonies here are as different from their previous demonic growls as possible. "Cusp of Eternity" was the album's lead single, a straight-ahead hard rocker with Åkerfeldt's best-ever vocals reminding of Led Zeppelin, an Eastern melody a la "Gates Of Babylon" and an old school metal guitar solo. If I'm not mistaken it's very uncharacteristic for Opeth, but very well executed. 11-minute "Moon Above, Sun Below" is a prog metal epic which goes through many changes including some grandiose heavy riffing and a acoustic section of delicate beauty. Speaking of delicate, "Elysian Woes" is a majestic ballad that will puzzle old fans with its melancholic Olde-English folk sound. "Goblin" is an even more unexpected move, an electronic jazz-fusion instrumental with Joakim Svalberg's Hammond to the fore. "River" is yet another surprise, with its country-tinged first half dominated by acoustic guitars and CSN&Y harmonies. After the 4-minute mark it turns into a hard rock jam with guitar/organ duels reminiscent of the heroic days of Deep Purple. "Voice of Treason" is a complex heavy prog composition underscored by dramatic organ and strings. "Faith in Others" also has strings, but of a mellower variety. Together with piano and guitar they build a very melancholic mood in line with lyrics like "The dream of our youth is up ahead/Life has become a burden/Move in circles of suppressed despair/Waiting for the sun..." Then it veers towards grandiose Muse territory for a while and returns to the swooning strings, closing the album in cinematic splendor. Now, I sympathize with fans of Opeth's previous direction: They were, indeed, unique at that light/shadow-angel/demon combination. But it seems they've outgrown their Death Metal origins and are better for it. I'm looking forward to their next move...

Opeth live at the Ancienne Belgique, Brussels 15/10/2015: More candlesticks than the average Orthodox church

**** for Eternal Rains Will Come, Cusp of Eternity, Elysian Woes, River, Faith in Others 

*** for Moon Above, Sun Below, Goblin, Voice of Treason  

Randy "The Human Atom Bomb" 2001****

Today is a day of grave mood in my country, Greece. Six months of incessant diplomacy and negotiation between Greece's left-wing government and other governments and Eurocrats culminated in a weekend of brutal aggression on the part of Germany and EU. Monday morning found prime-minister Tsipras succumbing to blackmail and signing his surrender: 3 more years of crushing austerity for the poor in return for yet another "rescue" package to ensure that the banks keep working and that the IMF, ECB and other creditors get their loans back with interest. For those who believed that change is possible, it feels like a shattering defeat, but the only thing shattered here is illusions. The illusion that people are free to make their own choices, that we live in a democracy and that the EU is actually a union based on cooperation, solidarity and equality (Boy, did I choose the wrong time to go and live in the proverbial belly of the Beast!). We were basically told that our opinion doesn't matter, the governments we choose are voiceless and powerless and that we're forever chained in perpetual debt bondage. In truth, there can only be one answer to that: The fight must and will go on! If elections cannot change anything, so be it - The fight will move from the parliament halls and government buildings back to the streets! And Randy is one of the bands that can help provide the soundtrack, with their music being both joyous and rebellious and lyrics full of conviction and certainty that If we unite we can break them ("If we unite"). As they say "Come on everybody sing with me/This is a song about being free/Days of submission, oh no, won't last long/This is a freedom song"(Freedom Song). Sloganeering, you say? I guess so, but I'd still rather sing that tune than the poor man's blues.

Randy come from Sweden and their brand of melodic punk rock is as populist (and as good) as that of their American counterparts Green Day and Rancid. Like them, they draw inspiration from the Ramones, Clash, Who and Stooges. And like them, they write catchy choruses that can easily be chanted back at them by huge crowds at football stadiums - only in this occasion, they won't. It doesn't matter how commercial their music is, they come from the wrong continent. And, more crucially, their subject matter isn't one the public is very likely to warm up to: Swedes can get Americans to sing about Dancing Queens but Proletarian Hop? Isn't that a bad word? Frankly, it never seizes to amaze me that so many bands of the Marxist persuasion (e.g. Randy, International Noise Conspiracy) come from this moderately socialist country with the smallest class differences in the world. How do you get radicalised growing up under the comfort and security of the welfare state? On the other hand, a good education, free time and access to information via books and the Internet can also be an eye-opening combination. You don't have to see your neighbour searching for food in the garbage cans (like it's happening in Greece lately) to draw the conclusion that there's something wrong with capitalism. Of course, Randy's not all about politics: They also sing about the thrills of rockin' out (the rockabilly/hardcore of "Chicken Shack", Rancid-meet-AC/DC of "Punk Rock City", Dropkick Murphys-like of "Rockin' Pneumonia and the Punk Rock Flu", Eddie Cochran-referencing "The Heebie Jeebies/Dial 911"). They sing the praises of early rock'n'roll idol Little Richard ("The Human Atom Bombs"), male friendship ("Summer of Bros") and modern slackerdom (the double-speed rockabilly of "Shape Up"). The Buzzcocks-like "Addicts of Communication" is a satirical jab on their generation's mobile phone and Internet fixation. "I Don't Need Love" reverses the Beatles' message to adjust it to the 21st Century, while the Hives/Stooges garage punk of "Keep Us Out of Money" accuses stock market-types for the perpetual poverty of the working class. The Green Day-ish "Karl Marx and History" is about turning protest marches into a joyful celebration driven by the certainty of final victory, because "...so says Karl Marx and history". Thankfully they don't forget to exhibit some self-mocking humour with lines like "We got all kinds of freedom fighters gathered here/We got our friends in the corner over there drinking beer". But the real gems here are a trio of songs that sound as if they've come right out of The Clash's London Calling (and I can't think of any higher praise than that). The same mix of punk rock, ska, latin and rockabilly licks and left-wing sloganeering. On "If We Unite", you could even mistake singer Stefan Granberg for Joe Strummer himself as he sings with conviction "If we unite we can break them". "Freedom Song" is another Clash carbon copy (in the best sense possible) and a mighty enjoyable one, complete with bells chiming and singalong Rama lama ding dong's . "Proletarian Hop" has a ridiculously catchy chorus and guitar riff that would be guaranteed to make it the ultimate frat party anthem, if it wasn't for the lyrics. The song draws a straight line from the Spanish Civil War to today, effectively equating the fascists to today's neo-liberals and urging us to continue the fight: "They say it ended that last year/But the fascists are still here/The war ain't over and the battle ain't won/The struggle, baby, has just begun/It's a war between the classes/The privileged few against the masses/Spanish anarchists said: No pasaran!/I say we stick to that until the war is won". Amen to that!

**** for Addicts of Communication, Karl Marx and History, If We Unite, Proletarian Hop, Rockin' Pneumonia and the Punk Rock Flu, Freedom Song, The Human Atom Bombs

*** for Punk Rock City, Keep Us Out of Money, Summer of Bros, I Don't Need Love, Shape Up, The Heebie Jeebies (Dial 911)

** for Chicken Shack, Whose Side Are You On?, Win or Lose, I Believe in the Company

Anekdoten "Chapters" 2009****(comp)

The name "Anekdoten" makes me think of people sitting around a fire and exchanging amusing stories. So I slipped the CD in my player, grabbed a beer and got ready for a good laugh. And so it began: "Hear me breathe/From the other room/So which of all the lies you told/Should I keep as my own?/The metaphors are lost on me/What I see is what I see/The earth is moving - time to say goodbye?/Only sky ahead/Love's so hard to find...". If that is Scandinavian humor, it's totally lost on me. But to be honest "funny" is not the word most associated with this band. I believe that that would be a tie between "mellotron" and "KingCrimson". For those unfamiliar with mellotrons, they are a form of primitive synthesizer mimicking the sound of a symphonic orchestra. The Beatles have used it on occasion but some bands have based their sound on it: The Moody Blues, Genesis and...King Crimson. After listening to the first CD, I have to say I don't see that many similarities to the latter group (other than the omnipresence of mellotrons). The sound is much more contemporary, reminding me more of Porcupine Tree, Anathema or Marillion. Opener "Ricochet" is atmospheric alternative rock while "The Great Unknown" is more progressive with flute and mellotron fills, heavy guitars and melodic vocal."From Within" and "In For A Ride" are heavy prog with loud guitars while "The War Is Over" is a gentle psychedelic piece with acoustic guitars and light percussion. "A Sky About To Rain" juxtaposes heavy Sabbath riffs with synths and segues seamlessly into the instrumental "Every Step I Take". "Groundbound" and "Gravity" are two more experimental psychedelic tracks and "When I Turn" an excellent ballad with beautiful piano and a full sound courtesy of the grandiose yet warm mellotron. When I started on the second disc, my expectations were rather lower. After all it's mostly demos and previously unreleased songs, something to hook in the completists. Well, I was right about this: It was different from the first. For one thing, I found out where the King Crimson comparisons come from. Half the songs sound like the spiritual child of KC's "21st Century Schizoid Man" but the opener "Sad Rain" is like a new "In the Court of the Crimson King". And I absolutely loved it. To think that the band had it previously exiled to the Japanese-only edition of their debut...presumably for being too derivative? It was the very first track written by them and they probably still wore their influences on their sleeve. The next two are also from the band's debut "Vemod" and include Opeth's Per Wiberg on piano. They are well suited to the "prog" label as they are really dense compositions. Lead vocals are handled by the bassist Jan Erik Liljestrom who has a more romantic and operatic voice than guitarist Nicklas Berg who handles most of the vocals on disc 1. "Wheel" has a lonesome horn playing in the background that is absolute genius. The rest of the songs are demos from the albums "Nucleus" and "A Time Of Day" although it may be more accurate to call them alternate versions, since they're fully realized songs. They're loud and complex compositions alternating from fairy-like to nightmarish and verging on the prog-metal of Tool or the aforementioned Opeth. Closer "Prince Of The Ocean" is an atmospheric song with a gentle acoustic intro and a combination of male and female vocals. Overall an album highly recommended to fans of Porcupine Tree and modern prog in general.

***** for Sad Rain

**** for The Great Unknown, The War Is Over, A Sky About To Rain, When I Turn, Prince Of The Ocean

*** for Ricochet, From Within, In For A Ride, Groundbound, Wheel, The Old Man & The Sea, Nucleus, Book Of Hours, 30 Pieces

** for Monolith, Every Step I Take, Gravity, This Far From The Sky