made in sweden

presdoug wrote: Sorry, I could not properly vote in this, as I have only heard two of these artists, Flasket Brinner and Bo Hanson.         I would like to give a shout out, though, for guitarist Janne Schaffer, who I think is a Swede, and was making some interesting music, including a group I like very much called Baltik, from '73.

Yes he'd deserve a place in the poll, but I forgot him. I actually own and really like Janne Schaffer's two first albums (the debut a little more).

Sean Trane wrote: No Atlas??

richardh wrote: my knowledge of Swedish prog rock is severely lacking it seems! I know Kaipa a bit from that era but deemed not good enough. Par Lindh composed most of Gothic Impressions decades before it was released in the 90's but not enough for it be 'vintage' . It does sound like it though! I love Anglagard and All Traps On Earth (and of course Wobbler!) so I wonder if any of the vintage stuff is better?!

I'm sure Kaipa is good enough. As far as I can remember they were just not something I personally enjoyed (its more than a decade ago though). I just picked 25 favorites from the early era (and forgot a few essential ones).  The vintage stuff is generally more playful, jazzier, folkier, psychedelic and (to me) more charming than the more recent prog. Sweden feels like it was an early melting pot in europe, with musicians from all over the world involved in the "scene". A lot of this is quite easy on the ears (Vildkaktus, Ragnarok, Merit Hemmingson...) and a few is probably too close to a "worldjazz" (Archimedes Badkar, Oriental Wind, Arbete och Fritid...) sort of prog/fusion for those who prefer the modern/retro thoroughly composed, symphonic scandianavians.

Saperlipopette! wrote: richardh wrote: my knowledge of Swedish prog rock is severely lacking it seems! I know Kaipa a bit from that era but deemed not good enough. Par Lindh composed most of Gothic Impressions decades before it was released in the 90's but not enough for it be 'vintage' . It does sound like it though! I love Anglagard and All Traps On Earth (and of course Wobbler!) so I wonder if any of the vintage stuff is better?! I'm sure Kaipa is good enough. As far as I can remember they were just not something I personally enjoyed (its more than a decade ago though). I just picked 25 favorites from the early era (and forgot a few essential ones).  The vintage stuff is generally more playful, jazzier, folkier, psychedelic and (to me) more charming than the more recent prog. Sweden feels like it was an early melting pot in europe, with musicians from all over the world involved in the "scene". A lot of this is quite easy on the ears (Vildkaktus, Ragnarok, Merit Hemmingson...) and a few is probably too close to a "worldjazz" (Archimedes Badkar, Oriental Wind, Arbete och Fritid...) sort of prog/fusion for those who prefer the modern/retro thoroughly composed, symphonic scandianavians. -Wobbler is norwegian btw.

I must say that my favourite album from that period is Atlas- Bla Verdag from 1979 ! A sublime piece of prog

Saperlipopette! wrote: Edit: updated with a few favorites I forgot: Now it's a "top twentyfive" swedish classic era albums, but its not written in stone: Ragnarök - Ragnarök Oriental Wind - Zikir Merit Hemmingson - Huvva! (Trollskog is almost as great) Kultivator - Barndomens Stigar Bo Hansson - Ur Trollkarlens Hatt (but all four albums are wonderful) Björn J:son Lindh - Ramadan (Cous Cous is equally great) Turid - Bilder Kvartetten Som Sprängde - Kattvals Nya Ljudbolaget - Nya Ljudbolaget Samla Mammas Manna - Samla Mammas Manna (like their two next too, but this is more to my taste) Älgarnas Trädgård - Delayed (Framtiden är ett svävande skepp, förankrat i fortiden - also very good) Arbete och Fritid - Arbete & Fritids Andra LP (love their debut too) Archimedes Badkar - Tre (love their three first) Kebnekaise - Kebnekaise (III is nice as well) Anna Sjalv Tredje - Tussilago Fanfara Pugh Rogefeldt - Pughish (Ja, dä ä dä is about equally awesome/uneven) Kornet - Kornet Vildkaktus - Vindarnas Vägar (Tidsmaskinen is quite lovely too) Lotus - Lotus Blåkulla - Blåkulla Pop Workshop - Vol. 1 (if you like it, you'd surely enjoy Song Of The Pterodactyl as well) Ibis - Ibis Janne Schaffer - Janne Schaffer (Andra LP is good too) Zamla Mammaz Manna - Schlagerns Mystik (but of course its really just Samla) Atlas - Blå Vardag

Now that almost a year has passed, you've probably plowed your way through this list of EXCELLENT reccomendations. So it's time to ask: after you gotten to know them all: which one's your favorite now?