ALRUNE ROD

Hej Du is the second album by one of the most familiar danish prog bands Alrune Rod. The album was released as early as 1970 and it is basically a continuation of their first 1969 album. While their debut was a little unfocused and featured long and jammy tracks, this album continues that line only this time the material is much more consistent and coherent. Reminds me of Amon Duul II Yeti compared to Phallus Dei which also coincidentally released simultaneously as Alrune Rod's first two albums. It seems like the band have found the right balance between improvisation and more constructed material and utilized it for the best. The album consists of three tracks, one of them is a 22 minute epic which is considered as one of the band's crowning achievements, with only three tracks the band finds a lot of time to experiment and explore that unmarked prog/psych territory. I must add that not a lot of side long tracks were released up to that point, especially not in Denmark. Their sound is not versatile due to the fact that there are no prominent additional instruments used and secondly the keys are somewhat in "low profile" ,they are always there and there is much to enjoy but just don't expect anything like Emerson, Manfred Mann or other RPI keyboardists. Sound quality is good concerning the year of recording and is warm and enjoyable.

The music is psychedelic hard rock with prominent distorted guitars, my kind of sound actually, definitely resembles Hawkwind or early Floyd, though I wouldn't call this Space Rock. Keys are usually in the back serving the purpose of the song but never comes to the front to solo, they overall strengthen the psychedelic atmosphere. Vocals are in danish and if you can't understand them and I'm sure most of you can't, they are still very good and not that strange sounding. Flemming Giese Rasmussen is the star here which handles those wild guitars, which goes from hard rock to psychedelic jamming, all very good with delicious 70's sounding. Drummer Claus From is quite good but sometimes misses the beat and stumbles for a second, but it overall doesn't ruin my enjoyment.

Du Taler Og Sir' is the album's opener, and it is more hard rock than psychedelic. It starts with some feedback noises and the sound gradually picks up building some tension, and as you think you're gonna be hit with a ton of bricks it changes to a happy beatles-like riff only with distortion, it took me some time to get used to that but it all flows very good from here with good vocals and excellent 70's hard rock guitars. A good starter to get you tuned in.

Hej Du is a 15 minute track. The first 5 minutes are dominated by vocals which I find them to be quite enjoyable, guitars are in the back filling in with all kinds of licks and then breaks out beautifuly just to end the first part and leads you to the psychedelic part, this is where you feel the band really nails it. echoing reverbed guitars, haunting vocals, soft psychedelic organ, what can you possibly need more? This part also builds the tension slowly and breaks it down with a howling scream and some wild guitar a la Hendrix. It continues with some more vocals and more guitars and then ends. Very good stuff indeed!

Perles'en is the main piece here, comprised of several different parts, it goes from one part to the other easily without giving you a feel of a patch work. The band's diving to another successful good psychedelic middle part here with an additional flute to sweeten things up, only this one is darker and more haunting which resembles early Pink Floyd, it slides into my favorite part of the album, fantastic guitar playing again by Geise which totally nails that slow paced rhythm with dazzling fuzzed guitar runs.

So this is another great album from the psychedelic camp that shouldn't be overlooked no more just because of its origins. Those four danes certainly knows their job and would appeal not only to psych fans but to a wider prog audience. Very accessible stuff and definitely worth searching for. Their next album would see the band changing their attitude and experiment much less, so basically this is the one to get. solid 4 stars!

For me ALRUNE ROD's second album is a definite step up from the debut. Maybe it's just that the almost 22 minute side long closing track stands above everything on the debut and above the other two songs on this album, in my opinion of course. It's an incredible piece though and keep in mind this was released in 1970 by these Danes.

"Du Taler Og Sir" opens with some good old fashion feedback before a beat with vocal expressions take over around a minute. It then kicks in with vocals. It settles just before 3 minutes with organ, reserved vocals and more. The tempo continues to shift as themes are repeated. "Hej Du" has a good beat as the organ floods in. Reserved vocals after a minute. It starts to build then settles back as contrasts continue. Passionate vocals and organ after 4 minutes then the guitar rips it up. A calm before 5 1/2 minutes as the organ, a beat and vocals lead until it kicks back in after 9 1/2 minutes. The guitar then starts to light it up. The organ is killing it before 12 minutes. The guitar is back making some noise.

"Perleseoen" features floating organ, acoustic guitar and cymbals early. It picks up with a beat, organ, strummed guitar and vocals. Great sound 3 minutes in then we get a calm. It picks up again after 4 minutes with vocals. Another calm after 6 minutes with reserved vocals. The vocals stop as it becomes somewhat haunting before 10 minutes. It continues to be dark with sparse flute. There's some whispering after 12 1/2 minutes followed by silence. A beat comes in after 13 minutes as we get some acid soaked guitar then the organ joins in. Another silent calm after 17 minutes then reserved vocals come in along with a mellow sound. It kicks back in after 19 minutes to end it. Nice.

An excellent addition to anyone's Psychedelic collection to be sure, and a solid 4 stars. And thanks to the Dane himself Guldbamsen for his passion for this record.

I think this record could have/should have been much better than it is. I find most of the LP to be disjointed and inconsistent. Some segments of it are truly awesome, but they are heavily punctuated with slow, heavy, and dragging passages that degrade the better sections and deform their music as a whole. Yes, I am sure this approach was deliberate, and that they were going for something that I am just plain missing. Perhaps repeated listenings would enlighten me. But for now, I've got to call it as I hear it. Grades - 1 B, 3 B-'s, and a C. Great psychedelic cover! For those who don't have a gatefold, what you see in the image of the front cover above is exactly 1 half of the complete picture, with the mirror image of the front on the back. Use your imagination!

ALRUNE ROD were one of the pioneers of Psychedelic music in Denmark, they even sing in their native language. I really like some of the early spacey / psychedelic albums from the late sixties but to be honest this one seemed to lack something. The one song "Natskyggevej" is the exception as we get some dynamic playing and good guitar. Not a fan of the vocals either although I don't mind them most of the time.

"Alrune Rod" has an energetic intro with organ before settling right down with vocals a minute in. Contrasts continue right into the next track "Natskyggevej". Not a fan of the vocals 5 minutes in but the guitar that follows more than makes up for it. Organ follows the guitar. Heavy 10 1/2 minutes in followed by a calm with almost spoken vocals. It's heavy again before 13 1/2 minutes and I like the tasteful guitar solo before 15 minutes. Vocals sound poor late.

"Hvor Skal Jeg Se Solen Sta Op" is a short tune with strummed guitar, percussion and reserved vocals. "Bjergsangen" is divided into 3 parts and is a good example of "not much going on". Some good contrasts and I like the floating organ sections. At one point we get a sample of birds and water sounds. "Rejsen Hjem" is mellow to start but it builds before settling again. Some passionate vocals here.

Overall a good album but I had trouble getting into it.

Challenging the hippie stereotypes, this album is definately a psychedelic piece of work, but it is much darker than what one might expect - especially if, which is the case of most Danes of my own generation - one's only point of reference is Steppeulvene's lighthearted album Hip. While dark and sombre, Hej Du is less dark than their debut, and a relatively easier listen (at least in some respects). There seems to be a little bit more (but only a little bit!) emphasis on melody vocals-wise which does not always work too well, and lyrically it's more Romantic (like in the 19th century movement within literature and art) than the predecessor, but this is primarily because of the epic track Perlesøen which with its 21+ minutes takes up a large portion of the album. In all, a dark, challenging, yet more inviting, album than the debut.

Wow! That's what I thought when I finally heard Alrune Rod. Hailing from the same country as them, and having close ties to people who were members of the rock same music community/culture as Alrune Rod (and because of their status as psych rock pioneers in Denmark), I was aware of them, but being too young perhaps, I'd never listened to their music. When I finally got a hold on their debut album, I was struck by its dark athmosphere and intensity, which makes this album an interesting, but not an easy, listen. The vocals are primarily theatrical and not extremely melodi (this doesn't mean that the singing in atonal at all), and the vocals are very intense and dark, dealing with what seems to the psychological analogies partially inspired by Romanticist poetry and literature - but, honestly, I don't know if listeners who do not understand Danish are really missing out on anything here - my guess is that this albums is probably a tad easier to get one's head around if one does not have to worry about the lyrics too. This is an interesting album - nay, a good album - but it may take time to get one's head around.

Live from the legendary Ragnarock festival

This festival was an annual event in the Holmenkollen ski-jumping arena in the early 1970s. Other bands who also played was PRUDENCE and I believe THEM. The arena is perfect for rock concerts and I cannot understand why nobody has done it again.

Over to the record. The band goes on the full attack from the first note. The music is hard rock with some references to space rock and southern boogie. The music is mostly driven by solo guitars and saxophone. The result is hard & heavy. Not much breathing spaces here. I would say this music has little or nothing to do with progressive rock. I found some references to RAINBOW and BAD COMPANY. But the annoying saxophone makes references hard to make. The saxophone and some of the stuff reminds me a lot about the type of music you get at the beer-festivals in Germany. That is not a compliment, btw. I am not particular impressed by this live album. I hope their studio albums is better than this.

2 stars.

"Spredt for Vinden" ("Scattered in the Wind") is the fourth full-length studio album by Danish psychedelic rock band Alrune Rod (Mandrake Root). The album was recorded in March and April of 1973 and it was subsequently released on the band´s own Mandragora label in May 1973. The last studio album "Alrune Rock" was released in September 1972, and since then keyboard player/violinist Mikael Miller has joined the lineup.

Alrune Rod was along with artists like Young Flowers and Steppeulvene some of the most well known psychedelic Danish rock bands from the late 60s and early 70s (artists like Burnin Red Ivanhoe, Day of Phoenix, and Midnight Sun could be mentioned too, but they were generally a bit more sophisticated). Alrune Rod is in fact one of the most psychadelic tinged artists from Denmark I have encountered, although that description can predominantly be applied to their first two albums.

The music style on "Spredt for Vinden" is rock with a psychedelic touch. Some songs are more psychedelic tinged than others. Songs like "Kom Nu" ("come now") and "Gåseøjne" ("Goose eyes") are good quality psychedelic rock songs but the remaining tracks are also of a good quality, although generally a bit more straight rock songs. The most significant change since the earlier releases is the lack of a dominant organ. Although there are both piano, horn arrangements, and violin on "Spredt For Vinden", Alrune Rod have aimed for a slightly more mainstream vers/chorus structured songwriting approach compared to the early psychedelic days with long tracks and jamming sections. There´s also a folk rock element on some of the tracks. Both the title track and "En Snehvid Fugl" ("A Snow White Bird") for example feature folk rock influences. The music generally features a lot of blues rock influences too.

The musicianship is on a relatively high level. It´s audible that this incarnation of Alrune Rod is a bit more serious and well rehearsed than the more unstructured and laid back hippie version of the band, which was heard in the first couple of releases. Just as the case is on "4-Vejs" (Alrune Rod´s next album) lead vocalist/bassist Leif Roden has much better control of his voice on "Spredt for Vinden" than he had on the early releases when his out-of-tune wailing could sometimes test one´s patience and eardrums.

There´s been an obvious change in the way Alrune Rod has approached the sound production values on this album compared to the more amaturish productions on the previous releases. "Spredt For Vinden" is a very well produced release, featuring a warm, organic, and powerful sound production. Alrune Rod sound sharp and tight playing here. Upon conclusion "Spredt For Vinden" may have lost a bit of their unique sound and definitely some of their more adventurous psychedelic tendencies, but in most other areas they´ve developed a lot towards a more professional sound. A 3 - 3.5 star (65%) rating is warranted.

"4-Vejs" is the fifth full-length studio album by Danish psychedelic rock act Alrune Rod. The album was released through the band´s own Mandragora label in November 1974. It´s the successor to "Spredt For Vinden" from May 1973.

If "Spredt For Vinden" was a more polished and vers/chorus structured version of Alrune Rod, who on their early releases were known for their long psychadelic jamming tracks, "4-Vejs" is the even more polished and normal predecessor. This is Alrune Rod as their least experimental and acid/magic mushroom drenched moment. When that is said "4-Vejs" actually features some pretty decent quality rock songs with the occasional nod towards psychedelic rock, although the psychedelic moments are few and far between.

Alrune Rod were at this point a seasoned and well playing band, and lead vocalist/bassist Leif Roden sounds relatively normal here compared to his earlier out-of-tune hippie wailing. The lyrics are in the Danish language. The music features some great instrumental parts here and there with both guitar, organ, and sax solos albeit a bit more straight than in the early years of the band´s existence. A great example of the soloing are the closing minutes of "Ringene i Sandet" ("Rings in the Sand"). Other highlights include tracks like "De Vises Sten" ("Stones of the Wise") and "Forårsmorgen" ("Spring Morning").

"4-Vejs" features a professional, powerful, organic, and detailed sound production, which suits the material well. It would be the last studio album from Alrune Rod during their original run as they would disband in March 1975. compared to their early releases Alrune Rod had maybe travelled a bit too far from the roots and they sound like a completely different band on "4-Vejs". Definitely not a bad band, but a different one with a slightly more mainstream oriented rock sound. A 3 - 3.5 star (65%) rating is warranted.

This "compilation" of AR's full works under the Sonet label is their first three albums on two discs with their very first single (non- albums tracks) as an added bonus. Please see the separate album reviews I wrote to get an idea as to the album's respective contents. While it is easily understandable that the debut's artwork gets the booklet cover, I find it a little sad that the two other album's artwork where reduced to small insets on the front cover, forgetting part of them as well. Otherwise, the also features a bunch of b&w pictures of the band in concert.

I'll concentrate mainly on the two non-album single tracks featured as bonus in this release, as this 45 RPM was issued prior to their debut album. Pigen Pa Stranden is a strange track written by an outsider, but borrowing heavily on Procol's Whiter Shade Of Pale, but faziling to capture its magic. The flipside is not much more in line with the group's works, Tael Aldrig I Morgen Med is sounding like an early Vdgg track (Aerosol Grey Machine-type) with an electric fuzzed-out guitar, but somehow, it sounds more like it's their own track.

Nowadays, your best chance to hear early Alrune Rod albums is through this good compilation, and its 3 on 2 deal should make it affordable. While AR's career is only a footnote in Continental Europe's prog history, the group was an important part of its country's rock scene. Recommended, even if the essential aspects will depend on the proghead's priorities and his musical inclinations.