BARNDOMENS STIGAR

"Eclectic prog", why not? But Zeuhl? Not in my ears! I'm prepared to concede that some bits and pieces may be considered, in a certain light, as having a slight Zeuhl-like feeling, but I'm sure that it's incidental and I'm ready to wage a small but consequent sum that those guys had never heard Magma (take it or leave it, there is no real Zeuhl outside of Vander's work) when they started recording this beautiful album.

No seriously folks, from the first time I discovered this wonderful lost jewel a few months ago, and on every consecutive listening until now, all I hear in "Barndomens Stigar" is the overwhelming influence of National Health (and also of Hatfield And The North, of course). No need to go too far : the first (short) piece "Haga Hastar" has a "Tenemos Roads" tempo and a Milleresque guitar solo that sounds as if it was coming straight out of Hatfield's first album. The second one "Vemod" starts with a few keyboard notes played by the swedish Dave Stewart, before the northern cousins of the Northettes (the Kultivatorettes?) start singing. And all 10 numbers (including the bonus track) include NH-inspired moments, even those with northern-folk flute parts such as "Barndomens Stigar" itself.

What have those guys become since 1980 ? It would be nice to talk to them and ask them if Miller, Stewart and Pyle have been their inspiration. I'm quite sure that was the case.

In any case, no Canterbury freak, and especially the Hatfield and National Health lovers, should miss this album.

4 enthusiastic and much-deserved stars then.