SOV GOTT ROSE-MARIE

Contemporary critics and reviewers discuss if this release can be counted as Rock music. If so, it's the first ever sung in Swedish (At least partly). It's also, arguably, one of the first Prog albums eminating from Sweden. Together with bands like HANSSON & KARLSSON and MECKI MARK MEN, INTERNATIONAL HARVESTER were the pioneers of Swedish Prog. They had, in fact, recorded as PÄRSON SOUND already in 1967 but these recordings didn't get released until the 00s.

This album, then, is filled with short likeable tunes like the quirky "Statsministern" or the chanting of "Ho Chi Minh". Other memorable tracks are "Klockan är mycket nu" and "The Runcorn Report On Western Progress", both taking an environmental stance. "Klockan är mycket nu" (The Time Is Getting Late) is a quote from an ecology philosopher, about how it's (already in the 60s) getting too late to save the environment, while "The Runcorn Report?" is a comment on the pollution of Liverpool suburb Runcorn.

I also like "Sommarlåten" and the title track but after that the fun stops. The goal for INTERNATIONAL HARVESTER was to merge TERRY RILEY with THE ROLLING STONES and on the last two tracks they doubtlessly succeeds, be that good or bad. Personally, I don't have much for 10-minutes low-fi guitar-ramblings. "I Mourn You" is long, "How To Survive" is longer and the bonus track, "Skördetider", is the longest (clocking in at nearly 25 minutes).

One cannot accuse this album for being a polished affair. The aestethic of Swedens 70s Prog bands was to have a Live-sound rather than sounding good. Another assumption was that everbody could play. Somethinng the scene quite well succeeded in proving itself wrong but at least INTERNATIONAL HARVESTER were trained musicians able to play.

After a second album, they regrouped as TRÄD; GRÄS OCH STENAR, who released their last (likely ever) album this year (2009).