日志

The 70's killed me! Sorry about that... I really just couldn't choose for a lot of these, sorry...

2009 - Still undecided... ( Mono - Hymn to the Immortal Wind, maudlin of the Well - Part the Second, Mastodon - Crack the Skye... ?)

2008 - Esoteric - The Maniacal Vale / Deathspell Omega - Veritas Diaboli in Manet Aeternum: Chaining the Katechon EP

2007 - Deathspell Omega - Fas - Ite, Maledicti, in Ignem Aeternum <- This year was about as good as the 70's but DSO came out on top. Special mention for Ulver...

2006 - Negură Bunget - Om / Agalloch - Ashes Against The Grain / [artistThe Ruins of Beverast - Rain Upon the Impure

2005 - Opeth - Ghost Reveries / Deathspell Omega - Kenose EP

2004 - Deathspell Omega - Si Monvmentvm Reqvires, Circvmspice

2003 - Kayo Dot - Choirs of the Eye / Opeth - Damnation

2002 - Sigur Rós - ( ) / Arcturus - The Sham Mirrors / Agalloch - The Mantle / Porcupine Tree - In Absentia <- Another great year!

2001 - Opeth - Blackwater Park / maudlin of the Well - Leaving your Bodymap / Bath

2000 - Godspeed You! Black Emperor - Lift Your Skinny Fists Like Antennas To Heaven! / Weakling - Dead As Dreams / Porcupine Tree - Lightbulb Sun / Ulver - Perdition City

1999 - Opeth - Still Life

1998 - Opeth - My Arms, Your Hearse

1997 - Emperor - Anthems To The Welkin At Dusk / Radiohead - OK Computer / Godspeed You! Black Emperor - F♯A♯∞

1996 - Neurosis - Through Silver in Blood / Burzum - Filosofem / Katatonia - Brave Murder Day

1995 - Porcupine Tree - The Sky Moves Sideways / Meshuggah - Destroy Erase Improve / Ulver - Kelvdssanger

1994 - Ulver - Bergatt: Et eeventyr i 5 capitler / Emperor - In the Nightside Eclipse / Jeff Buckley - Grace / Mayhem - De Mysteriis Dom Sathanas

1993 - Burzum - Hvis Lyset Tar Oss / Cynic - Focus / Slowdive - Souvlaki

1992 - Alice in Chains - Dirt / Änglagård - Hybris

1991 - My Bloody Valentine - Loveless / Atheist - Unquestionable Presence / Death - Human

1990 - Naked City - Naked City / Psychotic Waltz - A Social Grace / Atheist - A Piece of Time / Lustmord - Heresy

1989 - The Cure - Disintegration / Morbid Angel - Altars of Madness / Voivod - Nothingface

1988 - Metallica - ...And Justice for All

1987 - Dead Can Dance - Within The Realm Of A Dying Sun

1986 - Metallica - Master of Puppets

1985 - Tom Waits - Rain Dogs

1984 - Arvo Pärt - Tabula Rasa / Metallica - Ride the Lightning

1983 - Bacamarte - Depois Do Fim

1982 - King Crimson - Beat / Iron Maiden - The Number of the Beast / Rush - Signals <- Pretty freaking bad year.

1981 - King Crimson - Discipline

1980 - Black Sabbath - Heaven and Hell

1979 - Pink Floyd - The Wall

1978 - Rush - Hemispheres (I can't believe I had to give Rush that year... Shows how mediocre the year was)

1977 - Pink Floyd - Animals

1976 - Rainbow - Rising / Camel - Moonmadness / Van der Graaf Generator - Still Life

1975 - Pink Floyd - Wish You Were Here

1974 - King Crimson - Red

1973 - Pink Floyd - Dark Side of the Moon

1972 - Yes - Close to the Edge

1971 - To hard to choose just 1... see below.

1970 - Black Sabbath - Paranoid / Black Sabbath - Black Sabbath

1969 - King Crimson - In the Court of the Crimson King: An Observation by King Crimson / The Beatles - Abbey Road

1968 - The Zombies - Odyssey and Oracle

1967 - The Beatles - Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band (but also Jimi Hendrix, Pink Floyd, Leonard Cohen, The Doors, The Velvet Underground, etc.)

1966 - The Beatles - Revolver (special mention to Bob Dylan and Frank Zappa)

1965 - The Beatles - Rubber Soul / John Coltrane - A Love Supreme / Bob Dylan - Highway 61 Revisited

1964 - The Beatles - Hard Day's Night (only because it's the only album I've ever heard from this year. It's a pretty mediocre album...)

1963 - Charles Mingus - The Black Saint and the Sinner Lady

1962 - John Coltrane - Olé Coltrane

1961 - Yusef Lateef - Eastern Sounds

1960 - Miles Davis - Sketches of Spain

1959 - Miles Davis - Kind of Blue


So hard to choose for some of those!!! Look at the amazingness the 70's produced!

1975 - Pink Floyd - Wish You Were Here / Led Zeppelin - Physical Graffiti / Bob Dylan - Blood on the Tracks / Van der Graaf Generator - Godbluff / Queen - A Night at the Opera / Frank Zappa - One Size Fits All / Camel - The Snow Goose / Black Sabbath - Sabotage / Steve Hackett - Voyage of the Acolyte ... And more.

1974 - King Crimson - Red / Yes - Relayer / Camel - Mirage / Magma - Köhntarkösz / Focus - Hamburger Concerto ... and way more!

1973 - Pink Floyd - Dark Side of the Moon / King Crimson - Larks' Tongue in Aspic / Genesis - Selling England by the Pound / The Who - Quadrophenia / Black Sabbath - Sabbath Bloody Sabbath / Mahavishnu Orchestra - Birds of Fire / Magma - Mekanïk Destruktïw Kommandöh ... and so many more!!!

1972 - Yes - Close to the Edge / Jethro Tull - Thick as a Brick / David Bowie - The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars / Nick Drake - Pink Moon / Deep Purple - Machine Head / Genesis - Foxtrot / Wishbone Ash - Argus / Premiata Forneria Marconi - Per un Amico / etc ... Ugh, another insanely amazing year!!!

1971 - Led Zeppelin - IV / Pink Floyd - Meddle / Yes - Fragile / Jethro Tull - Aqualung / John Lennon - Imagine / Comus - First Utterance / Van der Graaf Generator - Pawn Hearts / The Who - Who's Next / Caravan - In the Land of Grey and Pink / Yes - The Yes Album / Genesis - Nursery Crime ... AMAZING YEAR!!!

1969 - King Crimson - In the Court of the Crimson King: An Observation by King Crimson / The Beatles - Abbey Road / Nick Drake - Five Leaves Left / Led Zeppelin - I & II / Frank Zappa - Hot Rats ... etc.

Jake

John Hiatt
Aretha Franklin
Skip James
J.B. Lenoir
Blind Willie Johnson
Kokomo Arnold
Elmore James
Four Tops
Ibrahim Ferrer
Joe Walsh
Linda Ronstadt
Rebekah Del Rio
Maria Muldaur
Martha Reeves & The Vandellas
Susan Tedeschi
Johnny Winter
Luther Allison
T-Bone Walker
Jimi Hendrix
Derek and the Dominos
...
и Rory Block - "Crossroad Blues"

IZIA, Wu-Tang Clan, Suprême NTM, Assassin, Nirvana, IAM, Bob Marley & The Wailers, La Spirale, Django Reinhardt, Squarepusher, The Prodigy, Necro, Ill Bill, Cypress Hill, Craig Armstrong, Heather Nova, La Coka Nostra, Scala & Kolacny Brothers, Keny Arkana, Bérurier Noir, Birdy Nam Nam, System of a Down, dead prez, Le Peuple de l'Herbe, Beastie Boys, Busta Rhymes, Alpha & Omega, House of Pain, Seth Gueko, Aphex Twin, Profecy, DJ Krush, Prefuse 73, R.A. the Rugged Man, Rage Against the Machine, Laurent Garnier, Dead Can Dance, Kool Keith, High Tone, Hildur Guðnadóttir, Erik Truffaz, Portishead, Wax Poetic, Johnny Cash, Foreign Beggars, Lady Sovereign, Sinéad O'Connor, Vitalic, Radikal Dub Kolektiv, Lee "Scratch" Perry, Jan Garbarek, Svinkels, Love Spirals Downwards, KRS-One, Dave Clarke, DJ Cam, The Doors, Clint Mansell, Lisa Gerrard, Fat Jon, Les Gourmets, The Beatles, Johannes Heil, KoЯn, Sleater-Kinney, Wax Tailor, B-Real, J Dilla, Filastine, Two Fingers, Asian Dub Foundation, Eminem, Jefferson Airplane, Autumn's Grey Solace, Gym Class Heroes, Shpongle, Herbie Hancock, Radiohead, Rockin' Squat, Mike Patton, Björk, Esbjörn Svensson Trio, Waldeck, Millencolin, Massive Attack, This Ascension, Lordz of Brooklyn, Ensemble Badila, Snoop Dogg, The Problemaddicts, Dub Syndicate, Groundation, Wolf Myer Orchestra, Beth Orton, Oh No, Edward "Kid" Ory, The Offspring, Venetian Snares, Alexander Kowalski, Rageous Gratoons, Noir Désir, Ben Harper, Nas, Ideal J, Verbose, Micropoint, The Black Seeds, Metallica, General Elektriks, Buraka Som Sistema, The Chemical Brothers, Thom Yorke, Lisa Gerrard & Pieter Bourke, Ayọ, EZ3kiel, Amon Tobin, Mano Negra, King of Conspiracy, Bob Marley, Moondog, 25G, Jimi Hendrix, Bauchklang, Moderat, Sigur Rós, DJ Muggs & Planet Asia, Louis Armstrong, Son Doobie, Tryo, Kronos Quartet, Iration Steppas, Looptroop, Mysa, Nine Inch Nails, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Olympic Gramofon, Leftfield, Fairy, Joy Division, 2Pac, Peace Orchestra, Eek-A-Mouse, Snowgoons, Heiko Laux, The Temptations, Le Trio Joubran, Omar Faruk Tekbilek, Guru, Flunk, Earl Hines, Erykah Badu, Burning Spear, Mary Lou Williams, Art Blakey & The Jazz Messengers, Oi Va Voi, 80kidz, Infected Mushroom, Animal Collective, The Quantic Soul Orchestra, NOMAK, Year of No Light, Horace Andy, The Cinematic Orchestra, Red Snapper, Nneka, Leila, NOFX, Lucky Thompson, Cal Tjader, Le Klub des 7, Jeff Buckley, Manu Chao, Wagon Christ, Drummers of the Societe Absolument Guinin, Barney Wilen, Ol' Dirty Bastard, UNKLE, Erik Truffaz & Sly Johnson, The Blue Stars, Underworld, Shurik'N, Arsonists, Madeleine Peyroux, The Kilimanjaro Darkjazz Ensemble, Nostalgia 77, Terry Callier, Medine, Fingathing, Big Daddy Kane, Macka B, Keith Jarrett Trio, Iration Steppas Meet D. Rootical, De La Soul, Chali 2na, Lee "Scratch" Perry & The Upsetters, John Coltrane, DJ Food, Sergent Garcia, Rockamovya, Antonio Vivaldi, Notorious B.I.G., Sidney Bechet et Claude Luter, Tracy Chapman, Angélique Kidjo, EPMD, Ben Harper & The Innocent Criminals, St. Germain, Daft Punk, Fat Freddy's Drop, Fatboy Slim, Johnny Clarke, RJD2, René Thomas, Soul Assassins, Deftones, Kaophonic Tribu, Linkin Park, The Skatalites, Muse, Belleruche, Sunflower Caravan, Les Reines Prochaines, DJ Shadow, Mass Hysteria, múm, Кочани Оркестар, Israel Vibration, Jurassic 5, Gelka, Lionel Hampton, Lost in Hildurness, Hilight Tribe, Shadow Dancer, Elek Bacsik, Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan, Tânia Ârab, Troublemakers, William Orbit, Plastikman, The Specials, CunninLynguists, dead prez & DJ Green Lantern, Mansfield.TYA, Thievery Corporation, Raphael Saadiq, Smooth, Kery James, DJ Muggs vs. GZA/Genius, Love Is Colder Than Death, Miss Kittin & The Hacker, YAS, Chet Baker, Pendulum, Claude Bolling, Hubert Rostaing, Georges Brassens, Refractory, Scarface, Bill Coleman, Funkdoobiest, Telefon Tel Aviv, Lightning Bolt, Morcheeba, DJ Mitsu The Beats, Tricky, Hafdís Huld, Sidsel Endresen & Christian Wallumrød & Helge Sten, Danger Mouse & Sparklehorse, Akhenaton, Alif Tree, Tiken Jah Fakoly, Maurice Meunier, TAT, Carl Craig & Moritz von Oswald, Stéphane Grappelli, Black Uhuru, Kid Loco, Common, Ellen Allien, Roots Manuva, Joris Voorn, Method Man, Jah'licious, Hux Flux, Toots Thielemans, Blockhead, Rokia Traoré, Max Romeo, Cœur de Pirate, Method Man & Redman, RND, Volta & FX909, Venetian Snares & Speedranch, The Rolling Stones, BHASS Project, Orchestre National de Jazz, Pink Floyd, The Jimi Hendrix Experience, Michel Legrand, Sayag Jazz Machine, Emilie Simon, Late Night Fruit, Buddy Banks, Pan•American, Booba, DJ Muggs vs. Planet Asia, The Kumba Mela Experiment, Jeff Mills, Ulytau, ZAMAN 8 & Hafez Modir, Ematom, Harmonic 313, Freestylers, The Gladiators, Control Machete, The Bush Chemists, Twista, Orange Street, The Roots, Michael Jackson, Los Hermanos, Dub Incorporation, RZA, The Ananda Shankar Experience and State of Bengal, Da Taz, Thelonious Monk, Limp Bizkit, Mr. Oizo, 雅-miyavi-, Ella Fitzgerald, Sex Pistols, AC/DC, Minty Fresh Beats, Gus Gus, Gideon, Themselves, Parabellum, K2R Riddim, Easy Star All-Stars, Rhythm & Sound, The Toraia Orchestra Of Algiers, Lee "Scratch" Perry & King Tubby, Keziah Jones, Ataraxia, TTC, Immortal Technique, Coldcut, A Tribe Called Quest, Lali Puna, Rhoda Scott & Kenny Clarke, Iron Maiden, Dizzy Gillespie, Pierre Michelot, Umek, Miles Davis, Gang Starr, DJ Muggs, Orbital, OutKast, Anthony Rother, Donald Byrd Quintet, Diego, Igorrr, Raekwon, Pharoahe Monch, Dream Theater, Anoushka Shankar, Sonny Criss, The Smashing Pumpkins, K's Choice, Massive Attack vs. Mad Professor, The Herbaliser, Blakroc, Lenny Kravitz, Cujo, Cosma, Killarmy, Big Punisher, Jamiroquai, Charles Mingus, Missak, Burial, Bernard Peiffer and his Saint-Germain-des-Prés Orchestra, Albert Nicholas, Édith Piaf, Mix Master Mike, Maceo Parker, Rae & Christian, Steel Pulse, Hocus Pocus, Opeth, Dee Nasty, Tom Waits, DJ Fresh, Manu le Malin, Khoiba, Animaltek, Peter Tosh, Steppenwolf, Alter Ego, DJ Jazzy Jeff, Boards of Canada, Red Hot Chili Peppers9, Bernard Zacharias et ses solistes, Ill Bill & Necro, Sublime, Crystal Distortion, The Dave Brubeck Quartet, GZA/Genius, Salmonella Dub, Harold Nicholas et son Orchestre, Grems, Missy Elliott, Sammy Price & Lucky Thompson, The Herbaliser Band, Ghostface Killah, Cranes, Slaine, Necro & Ill Bill, Lars Klein, Outlines, Saïan Supa Crew, John Dahlbäck, Junior Murvin, Delinquent Habits, Dubians, Arom & Gourmets Beatclub, Afu-Ra, Slide Hampton, Agoria, 2Pac & The Outlawz, Archive, The Alchemist, Somogo, Toots and The Maytals, Philip Glass, Ray Charles, Sia, Marcel et son Orchestre, Trust, Aretha Franklin, Sinsemilia, Public Enemy, Buck Clayton, James Brown, Zenzile & High Tone, The Streets, Adam F, Oscar Peterson, The Abyssinians, Improvisators Dub, Yuksek, Alanis Morissette, Alici, Cake, Up, Bustle and Out, Art Blakey, Scan X, DMX, Etikal Lab, Lady B, Keith Jarrett, David Carretta, Cocteau Twins, Lhasa de Sela, Jacques Brel, Charlie Singleton, Dimitri from Paris, Bonobo, Emmanuel Top, CéU, Kosheen, Jungle Brothers, Del tha Funkee Homosapien, Nada Surf, Cercle Rouge, Monolake, Marilyn Manson, Rachid Taha, Alain Goraguer, Dub Pistols, Jimmy Archey, Pat Metheny, Ravi Shankar and Philip Glass, Jimmy Riley, Wailing Souls, Taigaz, Air, Triston Palmer, Donald Byrd, Promoe, Ice Cube, Gang Gang Dance, Barbara Morgenstern, Technasia, Dubmood, Josh Wink, Eddy Louiss, Africa Combo & Bugge Wesseltoft.

For the past two days, I have literally only listened to The Mars Volta. It made me think about other times i've listened to just one artists all day, and then how I felt after that day had ended. So, without further ado, the following list of artists are ones I've spent all day listening to and how I felt afterwards.

The Mars Volta: It was as though I just finished a marathon (some songs are in the 13-16 minute range). It was hard for me to focus on each track at a time. Would I do it again? In a heartbeat.

Radiohead: Felt like I wanted to kill myself. Maybe I wasn't listening to the right songs to stay in a cheery mood (who am I kidding, of course I was listening to sad songs), but Radiohead has a way of picking away at my heart like no other artist does. That's what I love about them.

Incubus: An all day Incubus session is the equivalent of a day-long pep talk. I felt like I could climb a fucking mountain/tree/ a certain comcast building, etc. It gives you the warm feeling of loving relationships, hating them once they end, and you just feel on top of everything.

White Stripes I felt like a professional drummer, that's for sure. It gave me hope that I could actually amount to something in my little drumming experimentation. And the White Stripes definitely jack me up, much like Incubus does.

Jimi Hendrix: One Word: Enlightenment. What a great day that was. Just a perfect time appreciating greatness at work. I felt better for having listened to him.

Regina Spektor: What a pleasant day this was. Yeah, she can rip my heart out, but she has such a beautiful voice that i sometimes forget how sad a song of hers can be. So if i'm in a bad mood, i focus on how depressing it is; if i'm in a good mood, I focus on how beautiful her voice is. Can't go wrong, really.

I guess I could keep going, but I think I'll leave it at that. Like anyone reads this anyway.

I've read, and heard, time and time again over the years how some Jimi Hendrix fans consider Band of Gypsys their least favorite of his albums. And I'm on the complete opposite side of that argument. Personally, Bandy of Gypsys is far and away my favorite of his albums. Is it because of the different lineup he plays with as opposed to those in,say, The Jimi Hendrix Experience? Perhaps, in part. Is it the fact that it's a completely live album? Again, that fact helps to make it a damn fine listen but it's not the real reason. I don't think so. Nope, what I really love most about Gypsys is the fact that it's a genuine rock and roll album. Okay, yeah, you're right. It's got a lot of funk and blues rock in it. But more than that: it doesn't have hardly any of the psychedelic sounds of the Experience albums and - perhaps this makes me a traitor to my fellow wannabe-hippies- but I Iove it all the more for that very reason. It's an album that after only one listen of the first song I said to myself: "They've really got their shit together"...which is something I can't always say about the other albums Hendrix worked on.

Now, don't get me wrong. I love to sit back with a j and get lost in 1983...(A Merman I Should Turn to Be) but there's only so much psychedelica I can enjoy before my head space wants to be filled with some down and dirty rockin' music. I love the fact that Jimi Hendrix was such an innovator. I love that much of what we call modern rock would not be what it is without his monumental input and impact. I think it's awesome that Hendrix was such a learned, genuine, dedicated musician and songwriter that he wrote songs using the formulae of what we call classical orchestral music. I find it fascinating to compare his works with the great compositions of the past. I recognize all of this and completely respect the man for it. But I'm sure I can't be the only person out there whose favorite song on Electric Ladyland is Crosstown Traffic.

And why is that? Because Crosstown Traffic is what could be called a more "traditional" rock song. It's a rock song that works within the parameters of a tried and true rocker: Intro, verse, chorus, verse, chorus, guitar solo, chorus, chorus, jam, jam, jam or similar. Is it old and played out, cliche or passe? It may be now but it certainly wasn't then. Is it limiting? I don't know and I don't really care. I love the experimental stuff, I really do. But I'm a rock n' roll girl at heart and sometimes I get tired of the existential, hallucinatory, mind expanding hippie stuff and I want to rock out! That's why I'll usually take Machine Gun over Merman. And like so many Hendrix fans I can only wonder: as Band of Gypsys is so good and recorded only three months before Jimi Hendrix died, what could he have gone on to do? Like so many of us who would love to enjoy the brilliance and passion of the rockers who died so young, one day I hope to attend The Great Gig in the Sky and find out for myself.

In Svezia nei primi anni 70 bands e artisti nascevano come funghi dopo la pioggia in agosto ed ogni cantina o garage aveva la sua versione di Bob Dylan, Led Zeppelin o Rolling Stones. Nel sobborgo di Stoccolma, Bromma, i compagni di classe Björn Aggemyr (chitarra) e Björn "Nysse" (guitar) Nyström cominciarono a strimpellare i loro strumenti quando erano appena dodicenni. Il tastierista Christer Sjöborg si unì e Kurt Persson suonò la batteria con loro per un breve periodo. Fu presto sostituito da Peter Sandberg e decisero di chiamarsi Goda Vänner & Musik (Buoni Amici & Musica). Questi quattro ragazzi provavano in una piccola stanza di 3,5 X 3,5 metri nello scantinato del padre di Nysse, e principalmente facevano pezzi delle band britanniche di hard rock del periodo come Deep Purple o Uriah Heep. Björn e Nysse riuscirono a persuadere il loro insegnante alla scuola Riksbyskolan di Bromma a permettergli di mostrare il loro talento agli altri scolari. La proposta fu accettata, ma avrebbero dovuto portare la propria strumentazione, problema che fu risolto invitando il fratello di Björn, Jan Aggemyr, nella band. Jan aveva la patente ed un'auto, una chitarra elettrica e la capacità di usarla, il che era proprio ciò che serviva. Poco prima del loro debutto i ragazzi avevano trovato un pacchetto di pane raffermo nella sala prove. La marca era Wasa Bröd e l'etichetta "ger råg I ryggen" (dà forza e coraggio) catturò subito la loro attenzione, e fu così che nacque il nome Råg I Ryggen.
A quel tempo, nel 1974, i ragazzi nella band avevano tra i 15 ed i 20 anni, ma avevano già equipaggiamento musicale e attrezzature da non sfigurare di fronte a band ricche e famose, come Yes o King Crimson. I chitarristi Jan e Nysse suonavano chitarre Gibson o fatte da loro, Björn aveva un basso Rickenbacker, e Peter suonava un drum kit Rogers completo. Il tastierista Christer aveva una dozzina di tastiere, tra cui uno dei primi Mini Moogs svedesi e un Hammond A-100 con 2 speaker Leslie da 150 watt! Il suo materiale da solo avrebbe riempito per metà il pullman dei Råg I Ryggen, senza contare il problema di averlo sempre stipato nella cantina del padre di Nysse mentre provavano.
Nel 1974 la band suonava regolarmente a Stoccolma e nei sobborghi nelle vicinanze, e parteciparono anche ad un concorso che serviva per scoprire nuovi talenti musicali. In quel periodo era Nysse il cantante della band, anche se circa metà del loro repertorio era strumentale. Nederlaget è il nome di un'altra band che si esibì quella notte e il loro vocalist, Jonas Warnerbring, fu notato dai Råg I Ryggen. E' il figlio del famoso cantante Östen Warnerbring che ha rappresentato la Svezia all'Eurovision Song Contest negli anni 60, tuttavia i loro stili vocali non sono né simili né comparabili. Jonas fu avvicinato da Nysse e Björn quella sera e fu presto convinto a lasciare i Nederlaget in favore dei Råg I Ryggen. Con il nuovo vocalist, la band si poteva concentrare maggiormente sul proprio materiale e riprese a suonare nella piccola cantina, a dispetto del fatto che i Råg I Ryggen adesso erano in 6 e più orientati verso sonorità progressive, pur non tradendo le loro radici che affondavano nell' hard rock. I genitori di Nysse non si lamentarono mai della musica pesante che veniva da sotto, nemmeno quando una finestra si ruppe a causa del volume esagerato.
Una sera quell'autunno Peter era uscito a bere con alcuni amici, e mentre aspettava il treno per tornare a casa fece amicizia con Kjell Gradin, un anziano gentleman che guarda caso gestiva un'etichetta discografica! Nel loro stato di alterazione alcolica si accordarono subito per un test recording e solo poche settimane più tardi la band aveva ordinato tutto il suo equipaggiamento in un piccolo studio di Sundbyberg. Råg I Ryggen aveva suonato Spångaforsens Brus ed una canzone ormai sconosciuta, ma né Kjell Gradin né il suo piccolo studio erano preparati per l'assalto musicale e questa registrazione fu rovinata dal suono pesantemente distorto. L'etichetta Rondo aveva precedentemente registrato solo Göingeflickorna ed altre band vocali molto soft, ma questo non scoraggiò Kjel che fece un altro tentativo di registrare i suoi nuovi apprendisti appena scoperti. Prenotò l'EMI-studio di Skärmarbrink - che era uno dei più moderni studios a 16 canali della Svezia a quei tempi - per due giorni interi per registrare un album con la band. Le date erano il 22 ed il 23 di febbraio e presto si presentò un altro problema. I testi di alcune canzoni erano di solito improvvisati sul palco, ma la band pensò che non avrebbe funzionato in studio. Il testo per Naked Man fu scritto il giorno prima della registrazione e il tocco finale per Queen Of Darkness fu dato nelle ore precedenti l'arrivo allo studio alle 09.00 AM. L'album fu registrato in 16 ore. Tutti gli strumenti, tranne il sintetizzatore, furono registrati live il primo giorno, mentre tutte le parti vocali e il mixaggio furono fatti il secondo giorno. Fu scoperto qualche piccolo errore, ma non c'era tempo per il redub, e tuttavia ascoltando l' album oggi queste piccole cose danno autenticità al groove ed alla musica.
L'album eponimo uscì nell'aprile 1975 e qualcuna delle canzoni in lingua svedese fu trasmessa in radio. Rondo sembrava credere nella musica dei Råg I Ryggen così distribuì tra le 8000 e le 10000 copie dell'album e prenotò la partecipazione al Gröna Lund per il 3 luglio. L'album fu distribuito da EMI in Svezia ma non all'estero. Nel periodo in cui l'album fu preparato la band aveva almeno 2 esibizioni dal vivo alla settimana e provava 2 o 3 volte alla settimana mentre ognuno lavorava anche a tempo pieno (quattro di loro lavoravano in negozi di musica!). I fan dei Råg I Ryggen a Stoccolma crescevano sempre più e a volte loro regalavano dischi alle persone del pubblico che avevano il coraggio di salire sul palco e cantare con loro e questo accadeva abbastanza frequentemente. La band aveva il proprio tecnico del suono ed un amico che si occupava delle luci allo stesso modo di un rigido codice morale: non era permesso l'uso di alcol prima e durante l'esibizione, anche se il pubblico ne faceva uso per essere "carico". Le esibizioni di solito consistevano di 2 sessioni di 45 minuti, e di solito loro erano l'unica band della serata, anche se una volta ebbero un concerto assieme alla blues rock band Nature.
Quando arrivò il giorno del concerto al Gröna Lund, l'arrangiatore disse che sarebbe stato loro permesso di suonare per mezz'ora al massimo, e dovettero pianificare una lista di canzoni adatta. Il volume fu regolato dalla stessa band e la loro performance fu la seconda più rumorosa mai registrata al Gröna Lund (solo i Wishbone Ash erano stati più rumorosi). Tutto fu molto bello con una grande connessione col pubblico, ma quando mancava solo il coro finale di Sanningsserum qualcuno tagliò la corrente! Questo era già accaduto a Jimi Hendrix circa sette anni prima, e quell'evento fa ormai parte del folklore del Gröna Lund, ma questo lasciò sia i Råg I Ryggen che il pubblico sbalorditi. Gli elettricisti del Gröna Lund inizialmente dichiararono che un fusibile era saltato, ma in seguito ammisero che avevano effettivamente tagliato la corrente per evitare che i Råg I Ryggen suonassero anche solo un secondo in più del consentito.
La band suonava anche fuori Stoccolma, in posti come Norrtälje, Orsa e Gävle. La distanza non era mai esagerata e la band tornava a casa dei genitori di Nysse dopo ogni concerto, dove la attendevano dei panini o una tarda cena.
Il contratto tra i Råg I Ryggen e Rondo diceva che sarebbero dovute essere registrate più canzoni, ma essere week end rockstar e allo stesso tempo avere lavori a tempo pieno - combinato con la crescita di differenze musicali - alla fine ebbe un effetto negativo sulla band. All'inizio del 1976 il cantante Jonas Warnerbring ed il batterista Peter Sandberg lasciarono il gruppo e furono sostituiti rispettivamente da Bo Lantz e Jonas Edgren. Questo portò nuove influenze e una nuova direzione musicale. Le canzoni divennero più complesse e i testi spiritosi vennero eliminati per lasciare il posto a discorsi più seri. Tristemente questo non funzionò molto bene e la band fece solo pochi concerti prima di sciogliersi circa sei mesi dopo. Non esiste materiale scritto dall' ultima line- up della band in studio, e c è solo un live di qualità mediocre. Questo è triste, anche perchè l' LP originale si può trovare ad un prezzo oscillante tra i 100 ed i 150 dollari, e l'album è considerato un classico tra i conoscitori del progressive e dell hard rock svedese.

[Dal booklet del CD Råg I Ryggen scritto da Tobias Petterson]

Here is a list with all albums I own, I’ll update it every time I buy a CD.

Aerosmith

Aerosmith
Classic Aerosmith: The Universal Masters Collection

Alice Cooper

The Beast of Alice Cooper

Amy Winehouse

Back To Black

Avantasia

The Scarecrow

Black Sabbath

Vol. 4

Bon Jovi

Slippery When Wet

Bruce Dickinson

The Best Of Bruce Dickinson

Cinderella

Once Upon A...

Cream

Disraeli Gears

Deep Purple

Fireball
30 : Very Best Of.

Def Leppard

Pyromania

Depeche Mode

Violator

Edguy

Rocket Ride

Extreme

Extreme II: Pornograffitti

Franz Ferdinand

Franz Ferdinand

Godsmack

Faceless

Green Day

American Idiot

Guns n’ Roses

Appetite for destruction
Use your Illusion II
Greatest Hits
The Spaghetti Incident?
Use Your Illusion I

Hamlet

Insomnio

Iron Maiden

The Number of the Beast
Somewhere in Time
Brave New World
The X Factor
A Matter of Life and Death
Powerslave

Jimi Hendrix

Electric Ladyland

Led Zeppelin

Mothership
Led Zeppelin IV

Maroon 5

Songs About Jane

Metallica

Ride the Lightning

Mötley Crüe

Generation Swine
The Best Of Mötley Crüe 20th Century Masters The Millennium Collection

Moulin Rouge

Moulin Rouge

Mudhoney

Superfuzz Bigmuff plus Early Singles

Muse

Black Holes & Revelations

Nirvana

Nevermind
Nirvana
MTV Unplugged In New Yourk

Opeth

Watershed

Ozzy Osbourne

Blizzard of Ozz

Radiohead

OK Computer

Rainbow

The Very Best of Rainbow

Ramones

Ramones

Red Hot Chili Peppers

Californication
By the Way
Stadium Arcadium
One Hot Minute
Blood Sugar Sex Magik
Greatest Hits
Mother’s Milk
Freaky Styley
What Hits!?
Out In L.A.

Scorpions

Gold Ballads

Skid Row

Skid Row

The Black Crowes

Shake Your Money Maker
By Your Side
The Southern Harmony And Musical Companion

The Darkness

Permission to Land

The Doors

The Doors

The Trivials

The Trivials

Van Halen

Best of Van Halen, Volume 1

In Sweden in the early 70s bands and artists sprang up like mushrooms after an August rain and every other cellar and garage had its own version of Bob Dylan, Led Zeppeli or Rolling Stones. In the Stockholm suburb Bromma classmates Björn Aggemyr (bass) and Björn "Nysse" (guitar) Nyström began banging away on their instruments when they were just twelve years old. Keyboard player Christer Sjöborg soon joined in and Kurt Persson played drums with them for a short while. He was soon replaced by Peter Sandberg and the band named themselves Goda Vänner & Musik (Good Friends & Music). These four kids rehearsed in a 3,5 X 3,5 metres small room in Nysse's father cellar, and mostly played songs by british hard rock bands like Deep Purle and Uriah Heep. Björn and Nysse managed to persuade their teacher at school (Riksbyskolan in Bromma) to allow them to show their talents in front of the other pupils. The proposal was accepted, but they had to bring their own musical equipment, a problem which was solved by bringing in Björn's older brother Jan Aggemyr into the band. Jan had a driver's license and a car, an electric guitar and the knowledge to use it, thus fitting the bill perfectly. Shortly before this début performance the boys found a package of old bread in the rehearsal room. The brand was Wasa Bröd and his tag line "ger råg I ryggen" (gives strength and courage) immediately caught the band's attention, and the name Råg I Ryggen was born.
At this time, in 1974, the boys in the band were between fifteen and twenty years old, but the band had assembled musical equipment and gear like a rich and famous groups like Yes or King Crimson. Guitarists Jan and Nysse playing Gibson guitars or homemade ones, Björn had a Rickenbacker bass and Peter thundered away on a full-fledged Rogers drum kit. Keyboard player Christer had six pairs of keys, including one of Sweden's first Mini Moogs and a Hammond A-100 with two 150 watt Leslie speakers! His gear alone would fill half of Råg I Ryggen tourbus, not to mention the trouble of having it all stashed in Nysse's parent's cellar while rehearsing.
In 1974 the band would perform regularly at youth centres around Stockholm and its suburbs, and they also entered a talent hunt at Jarlateatern. Nysse was the vocalist around this time but about half of the band's repertoire was instrumental. Nederlaget was another band that performed that same evening and that band's vocalist Jonas Warnerbring caught the attention of Råg I Ryggen. He is the son of famous Swedish singer/performer Östen Warnerbring, who had represented Sweden in the Eurovision Song Contest in the sixties, although their vocal styles are neither comparable nor alike. Jonas was approached by Nysse and Björn that evening and was soon persuaded to quit Nederlaget in favour of Råg I Ryggen.
With a new vocalist on board, the band concentrated more on their own material and kept rehearsing in the small cellar room despite the fact that Råg I Ryggen now consisted of six members and more progressive sound developed, although the band still had his roots in hard rock. Nysse's parent's never complained about the heavy music almost coming from below, not even when a window broke due to the high volume produced in the enclosed quarter.
An evening that autumn Peter had been out drinking with some friends, and while he waited for the train ride home he befriended Kjell Gradin, an elderly gentleman who appened to run a record label! In their drunken state they immediately agreed on a test recording, and only a few weeks later the band had lined up all their equipment in a small studio in Sundbyberg. Råg I Ryggen performed Spångaforsens Brus and a now unknown song, but since neither Kjell Gradin nor his small studio was prepared for the musical assault and this recording was ruined by a heavily distorted sound. The Rondo label had previously only recorded the likes of Göingeflickorna and other very soft vocal acts, but this didn't deter Kjel from making another attempt at recording his newly discovered apprentices. He booked the EMI-studio in Skärmarbrink - which was one of the most modern 16-channel studios in Sweden at the time - for two full days to record a full-lenght album with the band. The dates were the 22nd and 23rd of February, and suddenly a new problem came up. The lyrics for some of the songs where usually improvised on stage, but the band figured that it would not work out in the studio. The lyrics for Naked Man were written the day before the recording and the final touch on Queen Of Darkness were made in the early hours before Råg I Ryggen arrived at the studio at 09.00 AM. The album was recorded in 16 hours. All instruments, except for the synthesizer, were recorded live the first day, while all vocals and mixing was made the second day. Some small errors were soon discovered, but there was no time for overdubs, but while listening to the album today these small things only add authenticity to the groove and general feel of the music.
The eponymous album was released in April 1975 and some of the Swedish-language songs were aired by the Swedish radio. Rondo seemed to believe in Råg I Ryggen's music and issued between eight and ten thousand copies of the album, as well as booking a gig at the big scene at Gröna Lund on the 3rd of July. The album was distributed by EMI throughout Sweden, but not abroad.
At the time the album was released the band performed live at least two times a week, rehearsed two or three times while everyone held full-time jobs (four of them actually worked in music stores!). Råg I Ryggen's following in Stockholm grew bigger and sometimes they woul give records to people in the audience i they dared to ascend the stage amd sing with the band, and this would occur quite frequently. The band had their own sound technician and a friend doing the lightning, as well as a strict moral codex: no alcohol was allowed before or during a gig, although the audiences used to be loaded. The gigs would usually consist of two 45-minute sets, and usually they would be the only band of the evening, although they once performed alongside the blues-rock act Nature.
When the day of the Gröna Lund gig came, the arranger told the band that they would be allowed to perform for half an hour at the most, and had to plan the track list accordingly. The volume was set by the band themselves and the performance was to be the second loudest ever measured at Gröna Lund (only Wishbone Ash had been louder). All went very well with a great connection between band and audience, but with only the final chorus of Sanningsserum left to play someone cut the power! This had previously happened to Jimi Hendrix some seven years earlier and that event is now part of Gröna Lund folklore, but this left both Råg I Ryggen and the visitors flabbergasted. The electricians at Gröna Lund initially claimed that a fuse has gone, but later admitted that they had actually cut the power to prevent Råg I Ryggen from playing as much as one second more than agreed.
The band also played outside Stockholm, in places like Norrtälje, Orsa and Gävle. The distance was never too great though and the band always returned home to Nysse's parents after every gig, where sandwiches or a late dinner awaited them.
The contract between Råg I Ryggen and Rondo stated that more songs should be recorded, but being week-end rock stars and full-time employees at once - combined with growing musical differences- finally took its toll on the band. In early 1976 vocalist Jonas Warnerbring and drummer Peter Sandberg left the band and they were replaced by Bo Lantz and Jonas Edgren respectively. This brought fresh influences and a new musical direction. The songs became more complex and the witty lyrics were brushed aside for more serious topics. Sadly this did not work out too well and the band made only a few live performances before breaking up about half a year later.
None of the material written by the band's last line-up was ever recorded in a studio, and only a live performance with mediocre sound quality exists. This is sad, since the original vinyl version of Råg I Ryggen's only album currently swaps hands for about $ 100-150, and the album is generally considered a classic among connoisseurs of swedish progressive and hard rock.

[From the booklet of the CD Råg I Ryggen written by Tobias Petterson]