Shawn Phillips - "Spaced" (1977)

Shawn Phillips is described as "the most well kept secret in music business" and "one the most fascinating and enigmatic musicians to come out of the early -70s singer / songwriter boom." I'm therefore forgiven for not knowing who he was until this album landed in my home a couple of months ago. If you read about him on the net, you notice collaborations with names like Donovan, Eric Clapton, Steve Winwood. He sings on the Beatles' Lovely Rita and was assigned the lead role in Jesus Christ Superstar (but withdrew). In total, he has released about 20 albums. So it's still kind of strange that this man has passed unnoticed in my life.

Shawn Phillips was the son of a writer and spent his childhood on almost every continent on Earth, which made him meet lots of different kinds of music. He started playing guitar at the age of seven and is considered a very accomplished musician, he masters various forms of guitars and also plays the sitar. His voice reportedly covers three octaves.

Spaced consists mostly of songs that were deselected from previous albums, often due to an album's limited time frame (according to the text on the cover). The oldest song is from 1969 and was featured on an intended trilogy of albums that never was to be (but was compressed to one record). There are also a few songs from 1977 which I assume were recorded new to Spaced.

I have to my knowledge never heard Shawn Phillips before so I have nothing to compare with, but I like this album. It has really grown from the first listening. I came across the record via a friendly partner in my job, who I was going to lose contact with. It turned out she had a large number of vinyl records she had no use for, and as a farewell gift she offered me to look through the albums and pick the ones I wanted. Such kindness makes you happy.

The music is difficult to define. There is jazz, prog, psychedelia, rock and the album ends with a 16 minute long funk jam. Shawn Phillips' music is described on various sites as folk rock, jazz rock, singer / songwriter, psychedelia, garage, soft rock, etc. Eclectic, to say the least. Apparently you should thank his travelings while growing up for this, since he, in meeting all the different kinds of music, didn't get trapped in the usual musical boundaries. Spaced has the traditional rock instruments like guitar, bass, drums, some saxophone, keyboard / piano of various kinds. No sitar this time. When I hear this album I sometimes get vibes of Tim Buckley. I don't know, maybe it's the voice.

Today, Shawn lives in South Africa and continues to write music. He also works as an emergency medical technician, a firefighter and navigator in South Africa's Sea rescue.

Overall it's an OK album, one thing that bothers me a little, though, is Shawn's words on the inside cover: "Today it appears that almost anyone who puts on a cowboy hat and / or has played an instrument for two or three years can be designated as a musician. All of the people who have played on my albums are musicians who have dedicated the majority of their lives to music. "
In my world it smells a little snobbery, disdain and superiority towards all the hobby musicians who find joy in creating, which darkens the image of Shawn bit. Or is it just me as a half mediocre bassist and a drummer rookie with dreams that feel insulted. But at least I don't wear a cowboy hat. Yet.

Tracklist

Side A
1. Rant 3:25
2. Italian Phases 2:22
3. The Light From Between Your Eyes 4:33
4. Stranded 4:48
5. From All Of Us 3:42

Side B
1. Parisian Plight I 3:42
2. Prelude To A Leaving 2:37
3. All Our Love 1:32
4. I Don't Want To Leave You, I Just Came To Say Good-Bye 16:08

Ravi Shankar - "Inde"

When Ravi Shankar a short time ago ended his earthly life, one must say that it was a legend that left us. Many people associate him with the Beatles and his influence on popular western music through this connection has been great. All psychedelic songs, both contemporary and ancient, where a sitar is included we have Mr. Shankar to thank (and George Harrison who was the man who welcomed this instrument). Yes, even non-psychedelia can actually include a sitar to beautify the experience.

But of course Ravi Shankar had a life before the Beatles and a long and successful career afterwards. You may correct me if I'm wrong, but he is probably the practitioner of traditional non-Western music that has reached out to the most and whose name almost everyone knows. He received the Polar Music Prize in 1998.

I'm no great knower of either Ravi Shankar or the music from India in general. In my collection there are a few titles with traditional Indian music of various kinds, of which today's theme is one. The reason I got these albums were initially simply because I thought it was pretty druggy and fuzzy music. The tones of the sitar and rhythms the tabla created a cozy and mysterious atmosphere. Throw in a nice flute to add some variety and the dish was complete.

On Inde we hear Ravi Shankar play sitar and Chatur Lal on tabla. I don't know what year the album was released, but I guess somewhere in the 60's. The label is Fontana and Inde was part of a French serie of releases with music from different parts of the world, as I understand it. We hear Ravi Shankar play the sitar relatively quickly. It's not an album if you want to lie down, close your eyes and fly away on a floaty Indian sound carpet. Some songs may start at a lower pace, but soon Ravi has increased the speed and his fingers seem to fly over the sitar. Perhaps India's answer to Yngwie Malmsteen? Accompanied only by a tabla, the sitar is in the center of the music.

I think the album is OK. Generally, I like the calmer and slower Indian music better, so sometimes it is a little too fast for me at Inde. But there is no doubt Ravi mastered the sitar to the fullest, it is a dazzling display given. At times one wonders how it's possible to play so many notes in such a short time.

Do I recommend this album? In general I find it difficult to give recommendations on traditional music, just because it's so different. It's more than usual a question of individual taste. But if you like Indian music this is surely an album as good as any other. And in general, I encourage people to explore other continents traditional music as there are lots of exciting discoveries to make.

Tracklist

Side A

1. Kafi-Holi

2. Dhun

3. Mishra Piloo

Side B

1. Raga Puriya Dhanashri

2. Raga Charu Keshi

Darxtar – "Aged To Perfection" (2012)

To get in the right mood for this album the right company is probably a magic mushroom omelette, combined with a well-filled bong. Now, the album ends after about 40 minutes, while the effect of the omelette lasts all day. So I guess you’ll have to listen to the record from the beginning again. Or put on some Hawkwind.

Space rock is a genre I'm not completely familiar with, except a number of albums with Hawkwind my record collection is pretty empty when it comes to this art form. I guess you should be careful to define music too rigid, but I think I have now increased my space rock collection. Darxtar offers music that bears clear similarities with bands like the already mentioned Hawkwind with long druggy space jams, blipping syntheizer sounds, half psychotic violin and fuzzy text themes. A few pinches of psychedelia and the dish is complete. Or is it called neo-psychedelia when a modern band plays "psychedelic" music? And isn’t space rock in itself very psychedelic? Definitions ...

Darxtar is a Swedish band formed in the late 80's by Sören Bengtsson. They have over the years released a number of albums, Aged To Perfection seems to be their eighth, including an obscure live album that was made in 100 copies. Today the band consists of Sören Bengtsson (vocals, guitar), Patric Danielsson (vocals, drums), Marcus Pehrsson (vocals, bass), Fredrik Sundkvist (violin) and Per Hillbom (Synth / Keyboard). They have collaborated a few times with Nik Turner, so the Hawkwind connection is not entirely wrong.

However, there are not only long space jams on the album, there are also more acoustic tracks (with vocals) which is nice as it would become tiresome and boring with only spacey, drawn out jams / sound collages. But I must honestly say that this isn’t really my kind of music today, 20 years ago I would certainly have appreciated it more. I have some issues with songs that continues for 10 minutes and sounds about the same all the time. No matter how good and / or druggy the song is, I get bored. Long songs (usually) need a greater variety to work. Maybe I need a clearer structure in music today. Darxtar’s songs that are more "normal" and not long jams / sound sculptures / sound collages are OK, but not more.
This is what I also think of Hawkwind, in the context a well-known and successful band, and in my ears Darxtar reaches at least the same level of quality as Nik Turner & Co. So seen in its own genre, Darxtar is a good band.

Although this isn’t really my kind of music, I have the deepest respect for Darxtar. This is a genre that doesn’t reach the masses, which was probably bigger in the 70's and now exists in the shadows. 2012 some would even call the genre a relic. Darxtar choose nonetheless to continue to walk this path. I like that. And a song title like Fiska På Gräsmattan (Go Fishing On The Lawn) is fun, makes you wonder. What do they really mean? Surely has something to do with psychedelic drugs, what else?

For people who like to pause from reality with bands like Hawkwind, or Moose Heart Faith Stellar Groove Band (yes, I managed to name drop the other modern space / psych band I know of), Darxtar certainly is a nice trip. Put on your spacesuit, launch the rocket, Saturn - here we come! One way ticket, please.

Tracklist

Side A
1. Aged To Perfection 3:34
2. In Green Heat 5:05
3. Mörkret 2 2:26
4. Tired Nature 8:39

Side B
1. Some Things 3:46
2. In A Time 6:56
3. Moving Along 5:02
4. Fiska På Gräsmattan 11:36

Caravan – ”In The Land  Of Grey And Pink” (1971/2011) 

 2011 was the 40th anniversary of the release of the excellent album In The Land Of Grey And Pink, Caravan's third album. To really celebrate this they released a limited edition of 500 copies of the vinyl. Not only the limited number of albums, each disc had a unique pattern in pink and gray! Can you resist such a thing? Some might call me a victim of vanity or an easy-to-fool consumer, but obviously this was a record I immediately had to own.

I've owned the CD for a long time, but to own this limited edition vinyl made me feel very special. Jehovah's Witnesses claim that 144,000 people will end up in heaven. 500 selected people on the planet own this vinyl. I belong to an extremely rare group.

Caravan belongs to the so-called Canterbury scene that gave us bands like Gong, Camel, Hatfield and the North, Soft Machine, Egg and many more during the years around 1970. What all these bands have in common is that they are from the city of Canterbury in England (or nearby). Canterbury was at the time apparently a very conservative town, the music these bands created was not conservative, though. Rather the opposite.

Caravan is regarded as a progressive band which might scare some people. Fear not, the music they created was really groovy and not at all difficult. In The Land Of Grey And Pink is considered by many to be their best album, which yours truly is prepared to agree on. Who can not love a song like Love To Love You (And Tonight Pigs Will Fly)? Pop prog which makes even the most stiff-legged stamp their feet and take a spin on the dance floor in the living room.

The limited edition vinyl is a double album. The first disc is the original music while the second disc has some of the songs in alternative recordings / mixes / demos and some previously unreleased tracks.
The A-side consists of four tracks, all really great. When you mention progressive music some people frown and think it's difficult music primarily created for other musicians. Caravan's version of progressive music is not so. Many of the songs on this album have a clear pop touch and is fairly gentle music. But be sure, it's not a safe, sun-soaked, clearly mapped path to walk on. The listener is offered interesting challenges, in just the right dose. The songs on side A are all strong cards, with both half silly pop prog and more melancholic moods.

The B-side consists of the almost 23 minute long song Nine Feet Underground. Now again someone may frown and think that 23 minute songs aren't anything that should be on an album. But think again. As usual with songs like these, it's divided into a number of shorter pieces woven together into a whole. The B-side is also a great creation and ends with the really heavy part 100% Proof of that same song.

The second disc contains the already mentioned alternative recordings of some of the songs, as well as some previously unreleased tracks. These songs are also of high quality and don't feel like just some sort of time fillers. It's none other than Porcupine Tree's singer Steven Wilson, who has made these new mixes, which is possibly a guarantee of quality. Although the other disc is also really good and interesting, it is problably the original version I will listen to mostly.

Obviously, I recommend this beautiful album. Now I understand that you are all dying to get this limited edition vinyl, and that feelings of extreme jealousy fill your insides. But if you realise that the feelings that fill my body is extreme pride, joy and superiority, you might feel better.

By the way, it is said that the lower number you have on a numbered vinyl, the better. I've got number 491.

Tracklist

Side A

1. Golf Girl 5:01

2. Winter Time 7:36

3. Love To Love You (And Tonight Pigs Will Fly) 3:04

4. In The Land  Of Grey And Pink 5:00

Side B

1. Nine Feet Underground 22:44

Side C

1. Aristocracy 3:15

2. It’s Likely To Have A Name Nxt Week (’Winter Wine’ Instrumental Demo) 7:48

3. Love To Love You (And Tonight Pigs Will Fly) (First Version) 3:26

4. Frozen Rose (I Don’t Know Its Name Alias The World) 6:08

Side D

1. Nine Feet Underground (Alternate Mix) 22:40

Jefferson Starship – "Dragonfly" (1974)

One of music history's most strange transformations is the 60's Jefferson Airplane becoming the 80’s Starship. From songs like White Rabbit and Rejoyce to pop songs like We Built This City and Nothing's Gonna Stop Us Now. What happened? How was it possible?
The time in between, the 70's, they went under the name Jefferson Starship and released a number of albums. Since I dislike their 80’s music as much as I love their 60's songs, I have always been extremely suspicious of their 70s incarnation. So suspicious that I’ve never bothered to listen to a single song. The similarity in the names Jefferson Starship and Starship was enough to convince me that the garbage can was the right place for their albums.

But one day I thought I should investigate this. What if I was wrong. One of the reasons was that I have some of the singer Grace Slick’s solo albums from the 70's and they are pretty interesting creations. Not at all like We Built This City. Far from it. So when I found a pair of Jefferson Starship albums for a very reasonable price, it was time. Now the question would be investigated in depth.

I must admit that I’ve been unnecessarily harsh and negative against Jefferson Starship. The music on Dragonfly is much closer to the 60s Airplane’s tunes and Paul Kantner’s and Grace Slick’s solo albums than commercial radio hits. It’s somewhat like the dark psychedelia Jefferson Airplane brought the world, the harmonies of the songs are recognizable and Grace Slick’s texts are as special as always. And like before a lot of different people help out with the music and lyrics. For the eight songs there are 12 composers, half of whom were members of the band. What is missing on Dragonfly are the more experimental songs that can be heard on the 60's albums and the solo records that were made. Here all the songs are relatively "normal" which isn’t necessarily a bad thing. There’s also a difference in the sound. It feels a bit more like a 70's production, especially the guitar riffs have a different sound than before. Perhaps a sound a little closer to the mainstream music, although it was still far from a 80’s pop production. The album is more accessible than their previously creations, but they were still loyal to their heritage. I think a Jefferson Airplane fan would like this album.
The science fiction cover isn’t the greatest of covers, and doesn’t represent the music och the album very well. Put it aside, in other words.

Paul Kantner

At the time the band consisted of Paul Kantner, Grace Slick, Craig Chaquico, David Freiberg, Johnny Barbata, Papa John Creach, and Pete Sears. Additionally, the old Jefferson Airplane singer Marty Balin showed up and sang on the song Caroline, which he also wrote the text to. I don’t particularly like that song, as usual, the songs on which Grace Slick sings are the ones I like best. The finishing number Hyperdrive is probably my favorite.

Since so many songwriters have contributed to the music, the album somewhat lacks a wholeness to it. But I still think it's more cohesive than albums they had previously done. From what I understand, the album was recorded after a tour instead before one, which may have contributed positively.

Grace Slick

In conclusion, maybe not a must have in your record shelf, but still an OK album. Much better than I previously had thought of Jefferson Starship. If you like Jefferson Airplane I probably dare to recommend a purchase.
　
Tracklist

Side A
1. Ride The Tiger 5:11
2. That’s For Sure 4:58
3. Be Young You 3:49
4. Caroline 7:29

Side B
1. Devil’s Den 4:03
2. Come To Life 3:46
3. All Fly Away 5:25
4. Hyperdrive 7:44

Procol Harum – ”Shine On Brightly” (1968)

This album has been around for a while in my life, I got it during my teenage years. I still remember the day in the store when I looked through the albums, and how my curiosity and fascination was awakened by its cover. I had no idea who Procol Harum were, didn’t know which year the album had been recorded, but was immediately convinced that this album had to be fantastic. I mean, a shimmering green cover with a naked woman (mannequin?) standing in front of a piano, in a landscape looking like a Salvador Dali painting couldn’t mean anything else.

Were my expectations fullfilled? Yes and no.

Shine On Brightly was Procol Harum's second album, the year before they had had their megahit A Whiter Shade Of Pale, which had opened the eyes of the world for the band. This sequel didn’t sound like anything else I had heard, the sound was different than I thought music from 1968 should sound like. The songs lacked the distinct druggy and psychedelic touch I had expected from the cover, this was initially a disappointment, but I quickly realized the music had a different quality. It's a pretty straight forward sound and the band doesn’t hide behind effects such as backwards guitars and wah-wah pedals, the lyrics don’t refer to mind states induced by illicit substances (to my knowledge), love or world peace. The singer Gary Brooker's voice makes a clear mark on the songs, as it’s in some ways quite rough and undisguised. It’s located in the forefront in the mix, with no choirs, harmonies or other effects.
Even today, this album sounds very different than any other music I have from the years around the late 60's. Many consider this album as an important part in the founding of the progressive genre that blossomed during the 70s, especially the over 17 minutes long suite In Held Twas In I on the B-side is to thank for that.

The A-side consists of five really good songs with many sweeping choruses, a lot of organ, a lot of piano and some mean guitar. I think there’s often a bit dark, melancholy touch on many songs. Before I learned more about Procol Harum, I had a suspicion that it was a Christian band that sang religious songs. I don’t really know what made me think so, maybe I heard similarities with the band Sunday Funnies which I also thought was a Christian band.

The B-side opens up with the melancholy Magdalene (My Regal Zonophone) and then continues with aforementioned In Held Twas In I. The song consists of a number of pieces woven together into a whole, and is a really nice creation. You get everything from dense mystery to circus music. Procol Harum was not the first band with songs like this, but they were among the pioneers.

Summary: An album I can recommend. In many respects a relatively sad and melancholy record, music I'd rather sit and listen to than dance to. On the negative side, I’m not too fond of Gary Brooker's voice, and since it’s an important part of the music it affects the overall felling. I have used the word "psychedelic" in parts of the text today, and it’s difficult to clearly define words like that. Today I would say that there is a psychedelic touch on this album, even if the classic effects you think about are not there. Ask me not further about this, though, as I think I can’t really explain myself.

Tracklist

SideA

1. Quite Rightly So 3:43

2. Shine On Brightly 3:36

3. Skip Softly (My Moonbeams) 3:51

4. Wish Me Well 3:24

5. Rambling On 4:33

Side B

1. Magadelene (My Regal Zonophone) 2:54

2. In Held Twas In I 17:40

Lee Hazlewood – "Requim For An Almost Lady" (1971)

Another one of these cool and beautiful Hazlewood albums. This album is globally seen as something of a rarity as it was released only in Sweden and England, at the time. A reissue was made in the U.S. in 1999, but of course you want the original in your shelf. On discogs.com it says large letters regarding the Swedish press:

Notice: IT IS ILLEGAL TO SELL THIS ALBUM IN THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA AND ITS TERRITORIES, THE UNITED KINGDOM, CANADA AND AUSTRALIA.

The reason for this, I have no idea, but it certainly enhances the mystery surrounding the album. And since I have the Swedish version, I feel a bit like a desperado. Living on the wild side!

As mentioned in previous posts Lee lived in Sweden at the time, which explains why it was released here (and the U.K.), obviously I can count myself lucky (living in Sweden). Many regard this as one of his best records and I’m somewhat inclined to agree. The sound is relatively simple, most songs consist of Lee's vocals, acoustic guitar and bass. No fat string arrangements, no sound effects and no choirs to fill things out. But make no mistake, you don’t miss that. Firstly, and most important, it's really good songs, almost all of them. Secondly, Lee's deep voice makes such a mark on each song that they become something extraordinary. Thirdly, the texts often have some sort of dark twist or semi surrealistic content that entertains and / or interests. The opening song I'm Glad I Never, I first experience as a beautiful love song until the brutal final line is sung, "I'm glad I never ... owned a gun. ". Suddenly the song became something else.

As is customary with Lee the music leans a bit toward Country & Western, but on Requim... it’s just as much singer songwriter like Leonard Cohen, for example. Many of the songs are very delicate and beautiful creations, while there’s always some sort of druggy psychedelic touch that elevates them a couple of levels. But had Kenny Rogers sang them, I'm sure it had sounded just like classic Country & Western music. All songs are introduced by a few spoken lines by Lee.

I highly recommended this album to humanity, just the piece of art the cover is justifies a purchase. I've seen it sold for around 100 USD in my hometown Uppsala, so it felt like a bargain when I found it in good condition for under 30 USD in Gothenburg. Thank you, Gothenburg, we love you.

　
Tracklist

Side A
1. I'm Glad I Never... – 1:04
2. If It's Monday Morning – 3:54
3. L.A. Lady - 2:20
4. Won't You Tell Your Dreams - 3:52
5. I'll Live Yesterdays - 2:50

Side B
1. Little Miss Sunshine (Little Miss Rain) - 2:33
2. Stone Lost Child - 2:02
3. Come on Home to Me - 2:58
4. Must Have Been Something I Loved - 1:40
5. I'd Rather Be Your Enemy - 2:12

John Lennon - "Imagine" (1971)

Another one of these classic albums a record collection worthy of it’s name probably must include, whether you like the album or not. Though I must immediately admit that Imagine hasn’t been long in my collection, just a few weeks. I found it in a store for used record in Gothenburg for the excellent price of 35 Swedish kronor (= 5 USD), a bargain I couldn’t resist. The low price can be explained by the record’s semi shabby condition, but a simple cleaning of the record made it much fresher. The first half of the opening song and also the title track is not possible to listen to, thaks to a small dent (which of course affects the opening track on the B-side in the same way). Who is to blame, the previous owner or the company pressing the album?

Although I haven’t owned the album, I’ve had the music from Imagine at home since my early teens, on the classic and now extinct format cassette tape. My aunt's husband recorded this album and gave me as a Christmas present, so my relationship to the music is long despite the album’s absence in the shelf. And there is a tendency with classic albums like Imagine that you hear the songs in different contexts - radio, television, advertising, in the form of covers, old concert clips, etc. which makes it kept alive.

Imagine is produced by madman Phil Spector together with John and Yoko, and the sound is different from the predecessor John Lennon / Plastic Ono Band. At Imagine the listener gets to hear more spacious productions with fat strings and a large piano sound, something I suspect Mr. Spector should get credit for. Most of the songs are more readily available and the album is on the whole more commercially viable, a bit gentler and nicer than its predecessor. This is not to say that all the songs are easy and straightforward, also Imagine contains its more challenging creations, such as I Don’t Want To Be A Soldier.
The album was recorded in Lennon’s home studio in London, and some extra recordings were made in New York.

The two big hits Imagine and Jealous Guy are in a way quite cheezy songs to be honest. At the same time the former, in its desire for peace and equality, becomes a political statement in a turbulent time, and the latter has a dark undertone consisting of jealousy’s consequences. Although the song Imagine is one of the last hundred years most classic songs, I've heard it too much. I’ve simply grown tired of it. Therefore, the rest of the album is more interesting in my eyes and ears. If you want to hear a couple of other beautiful songs that are not as worn out I recommend How? and Oh Yoko! where the latter is more up-tempo and energizing. At the moment Give Me Some Truth is my favorite song from Imagine, a song that was around already at the time of the Beatles' recording of Let It Be. It’s a song with a political content where you hear George Harrison play guitar.

To be somewhat negative, I’ve never been fond of John’s a bit thin and nasal voice that puts its mark on most songs. To me his voice conveys bitterness, criticism and a somewhat neurotic feeling that creates a picture of a person I problably would find hard to hang out and chill with. This also goes for his more relaxed love songs. Moreover, one can debate whether the texts with an often political content is relevant today. Has the world changed? Unfortunately, a lot of what he sings about is as relevant today as it was then, although some references, eg to Nixon, are outdated. At the same time there are new politicians today representing what Nixon did then, so perhaps Lennon's contemporary criticism is timeless.

In the end, Imagine is an album I would be a sinner if I didn’t recommended. It really is a classical album and a nice piece of history from the early 70's. I don’t think all the songs are great, some are even quite boring, but it’s still a must have in the record shelf (which of course is easy for me to say now, since I finally actually own it). A lot of people claim that Imagine was the high point of Lennon’s solo career.

　
Tracklist

Side A
1. Imagine 3:01
2. Crippled Inside 3:47
3. Jealous Guy 4:14
4. It’s So Hard 2:25
5. I Don’t Want To Be A Soldier 6:05

Side B
1. Give Me Some Truth 3:16
2. Oh My Love 2:50
3. How Do You Sleep 5:36
4. How? 3:43
5. Oh Yoko! 4:20

Lee Hazlewood - "A Cowboy In Sweden" (1970)

I have a fascination for Lee Hazlewood. His deep baritone voice, the slightly twisted half psychedelic country & western music, and his humorous undertone makes me always feel comfortable in his company. This is a record I’ve been looking for, for some time and finally found at a store for used records on the run-down street Andra Långgatan in Gothenburg, of all places. Thanks to a price under a hundred Swedish kronor (around 14 USD) it felt like a good day.
(You can certainly find this LP online, but I have a policy to buy (almost) all my vinyls in physical stores. It's fun to go and rummage in the record shelves and it's easier to check the condition of albums. Moreover, some of the joy of the hunt is lost if you take the easy way out through the internet).

Lee Hazlewood was born in 1929 and died in 2007. For a number of years in the 70's he lived in Sweden. One reason for this choice was that he had become good friends with TV-producer / screenwriter Torbjörn Axelman (who nowdays spends his time in a psychiatric ward thanks to a shooting incident at his home in Brucebo, Sweden. You can’t go around shooting people and police officers without consequences, apparently). Torbjörn’s work included the TV show A Cowboy In Sweden to which today's album was the soundtrack. Lee also starred in the TV show. On the record two female singers are also involved, Nina Lizell and Suzi Jane Hokom, contributing with a fine contrast to Lee’s drawling, deep voice.

Thanks to that Lee lived here in Sweden there are a few albums that are only released here, as I understand it. According to discogs.com this album was only released in Sweden and the U.S in 1970. A reissue was released in the U.S in 1999. The album has a gatefold sleeve, and on the inside you can read:

'Here's some of the music from "A Cowboy In Sweden."

I hope you like the show and the album. It's a part

of my life I'll always remember. I love you, Sweden,

and all you wonderful people. Lee Hazlewood'

Seems to have been a nice man, our Lee.



Lee and Torbjörn

Most of the songs are really good, especially the B-side is filled with beautiful creations. Here and there fat string arrangements present themselves, vibrating electronic organs and soaring flutes also come to visit, while many songs are fairly simple in their sound - acoustic guitar, bass and drums. But thanks to Lee's touch of humor, sadness, irony and psychedelia, it's always interesting. Who can resist such a cocktail? The album and its sound really smells the 70s which in today's text is a compliment.
The album ends with Nina and Lee's collaboration on the song Vem Kan Segla (Who Can Sail). Nina sings it in Swedish and Lee translates. Apparently this was a minor hit, but personally, I’m fed up with this song, I’d heard too many times already in my childhood. How many times did we have to sing it in school? And already then I didn’t like the song - sad, slow and boring.
Cockaburra sits in the old gum tree, eating all the gum drops he can see... Now, that was a song!

Those who previously have heard Lee Hazlewood will recognize the mood. He delivers as always. For those who have never heard him this album is probably as good a starting point as anyone else of his albums. Lee is well known for his collaboration with Nancy Sinatra, but one should certainly not be satisfied with what they did together. Lee had a solo career that was at least as interesting. Should I describe his music it always ends with me reusing a term I have seen others use - psychedelic country & western music. So those who have never heard him will get a perfect understanding of what it is about.


Tracklist

Side A
1 Pray Them Bars Away 3:42
2 Leather & Lace 3:01
3 Forget Marie 2:00
4 Cold Hard Times 2:20
5 The Night Before 3:15
6 Hey Cowboy 3:16

Side B
1 No Train To Stockholm 2:16
2 For A Day Like Today 4:05
3 Easy And Me 2:50
4 What's More I Don’t Need Her 3:28
5 Vem Kan Segla 2:15

Kate Bush – ”The Dreaming” (1982)

Kate Bush's fourth album, The Dreaming, is not the easiest creation to embrace. This was the first album she produced on her own and it’s an album that asks a lot of the listener. Too much?

I've owned this album since my teens and I have the same feeling about it today as then, there is something strange about it. I really like it, but I don’t like it. I enjoy it, but I suffer. I want to listen to it, but do I? It attracts me, and it scares me. Nevertheless, this album has often been spun on the turntable, and many are the times I have let the songs seduce me, and destroy me. In periods, it has been my favourite album, other times I haven’t understood it.
The peculiarity the music conveys comes from the dark sound Kate has created. The sound feels close, neurotic and erratic. Perhaps her former producers / co-producers made sure to keep the music on the right side of the border to madness, but without someone at her side Kate crosses this border and takes the listener on a journey to a dark and somewhat strange place. As is customary with Kate she seems not to care about what she's supposed to do, she does what she wants to do.

On the album there’s the song Suspended in Gaffa, a song I fell in love with the first time I heard it. This love continues, and it’s one of my favourite songs with Kate. Unlike some other creations on the album this song is quite easy to listen to and traditional in its approach. But you also have a healthy dose of mystery, partly through a text that I don’t understand, and partly through a child's voice that says something barely audible before each chorus. I don’t know what it says, though, maybe "You're a fool who bought this record." Mysteriously enough anyway, and especially the younger version of yours truly liked that. This song alone makes it worth owning The Dreaming.

As mentioned, some of the other songs are not as easy to grasp. The songs often take strange turns and Kate sometimes uses her voice in a way that makes the music both more theatrical, unpredictable and makes you wonder if you really like it. She whispers, sings, screams and yells. It makes the music both more interesting but also more difficult. This is not an immediate record, so to speak. As usual, you have to respect Kate for going in her own direction and creating music that may not be completely tailored. It’s even more impressive when you realize that Kate was only 24 years old when the album was released.

I can’t help but recommend this album, but add a few words of caution. It's probably not the first Kate Bush record one should get if one wants to explore her music. It’ better to get to it a bit later in this process, otherwise the risk is that you become frightened and turn away. Listen at your own risk, in other words.

It can be mentioned that David Gilmour plays some guitar on the album, and do some backing vocals on one of the album’s highlights, Pull Out the Pin.

Tracklist

Side A

1. Sat In Your Lap 3:29

2. There Goes A Tenner 3:24

3. Pull Out The Pin 5:26

4. Suspended In Gaffa 3:54

5. Leave It Open 3:20

Side B

1. The Dreaming 4:41

2. Night Of The Swallow 5:22

3. All The Love 4:29

4. Houdini 3:48

5. Get Out Of My House 5:25