Search - Made in Sweden :: Live at the Golden Circle

MUSIC IN LIVING PROGRESSION

frankvaldor | Sweden | 09/05/2002

(4 out of 5 stars)

"The so-called genre of progressive music, has been the frontline target of music reviewers in the press the last fifteen years or so - it's been slaughtered and ...- and often with just cause. The pretentiousness and distasteful ... feeling of most of Emerson Lake and Palmer and Yes records has ruined the wider spread of truly enigmatic and feeling driven music that has emerged during the (often wrongly) elevated years around 1970.Sweden - a country largely politicised during the late sixties - took it's first steps towards creating it's own music and its own cultural language during the late sixties with bands like Hansson & Karlsson, Mecki Mark Men, Lea Riders Group and others. Out of the latter (featuring Bosse Häggström on Bass and Tommy "Slim" Borgudd on drums), Made in Sweden evolved together with Georg "Jojje" Wadenius as a instrumentally talented trio. Recording three studio albums (plus the music for a children's play called "Rengbågslandet" in 1970) and this live album, was definitely enough to showcase their collected talents, until they broke up in 1970, shortly after their brilliant album "Made in England" was released. Jojje left to join Blood Swat & Tears, and the studio musician circuit, in which he made huge success. Borgudd and Häggström joined another progressive act; Solar Plexus, and later Borgudd pursued a successful racing career (eventually as a Formula 1 driver!). In 1975, Made in Sweden reformed but with a different line-up only featuring Jojje as an original member. This formation released one album, and then dismantled. The power of "Live! At the "Golden Circle" (using different versions than the original release and more tracks) cannot be overestimated. The beautiful and eerie guitar work combined with driving bass and drum parts, shifting tempos, moods, and feelings creates a perfect combination of psychedelic ferocity and jazzy grooves. The percussion work by Rebop on "Three Blind Mice" is mesmerising, and the explosive improvisation on "A Day In The Life" by all three band members, brings this record to the forefront of Swedish and international music of its times. This edition is also digi-packed featuring stunning graphical design work, and interesting linear notes, which gives it a nice visual framing.Sweden's musical evolution, and indeed revolution, created something utterly unique, which in most cases cannot be described as dusty or out-bloody-boring. No. It breathes the fresh Swedish air, whilst feeling the driving funky beat of jazz contemporaries and gets high on British and American psychedelic exploration. Made in Sweden's "Live! At the "Golden Circle" is a perfect example of just that."