Search - Pugh Rogefeldt :: Ja Da a Da

Pugh's FIRST is his BEST and it is very good, indeed!

Mitchell Lee | Richmond, VA United States | 08/14/2007

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Pugh's FIRST is his BEST and it is very good, indeed!



This came out back in 1969 and made quite a splash in Sweden. It was quickly recognized as one of the best Swedish rock albums of all time. (Pause.) "So what?" you might say. And you would be right. As of 1969, Rhode Island had produced as many great rock albums as Sweden. None.



BUT with 40 years hind-sight, we can now see clearly that the golden age of rock albums ended in the 1970s and that 'Ja Da a Da' is one of the best rock albums planet Earth will ever produce. The fact that the lyrics are in Swedish and that the name 'Pugh Rogefeldt' does not roll off American tongues like 'Little Richard' or 'Elvis' may mean that this gem will never be enjoyed by millions of English speaking Pugh fans.



It's their loss. If you like Van Dyke Parks' Song Cycle; Zappa's Hot Rats, Zalman Yanovsky's Alive and Well in Argentina, Captain Beefhart's Lick My Decals Off, Joe Byrd's The United States of America, Shockabilly's The Dawn of Shockabilly EP and The Soft Machine's first LP; then do not miss the first Pugh LP! It is in the same original pioneering league.



There are crashing hard-rock chords, delicate acoustic melodies, passionate macho solos and all the trappings of the times. On this level it is like early Yes or middle Pink Floyd; but those surface trappings are not what makes it a great LP. With Karlsson on drums and Wadenius on guitar and bass, Pugh's music is incredibly fluid and imaginative. There are veiled references to traditional Swedish fiddle music. There are times when you just know what hook will come next and then get something totally unexpected and far more beautiful and exciting. 'Ja Da a Da' is jam-packed these surprises and delights.



Now, I know what some of you are thinking, "Oh, no! Not another careful prog-rock band that does not know how to jam or cook!" WRONG! Pugh never looses the fresh, spontaneous sound of a working rock band. There is nothing over-arranged or precious here! Rogefeldt, Karlsson and Wadenius are just so good that they remain interesting even when they let it all hang out. They rock!



Go on! Pop the lid. This Swedish strawberry jam is mmm mmm good.

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