Episode 9 - Swedish Psychedelic and Progressive Music

During the 1960s psychedelic and progressive music were very much an underground phenomenon in Sweden but in the early 70s this alternative scene grow and together with an increasing political awareness among the younger generations lead to the start of the Swedish progressive movement. Many of the musicians in the underground groups would also form new bands and be a part of this movement throughout the 70s, until the era came to an end. By the early 70s the term progressive in Swedish popular culture was no longer used to define the musical genre as such but was instead used as an epithet for this alternative musical movement where the progressive aspect of the music was in the political lyrics and the idea of non-commercial music. However, many bands like Älgarnas trädgård, Handgjort and Träd, gräs och stenar were truly progressive and experimental (and also psychedelic) in their music. In this episode we’re not going to venture too far into the progressive movement but stay in the beginning of its development where the 60s underground sound still can be heard. However, some of the bands in this episode became very popular during the 70s and are today seen as major artists of the progressive era.

Cymbeline (Green Light) 1971
-Sixth Image
Contact-Nobody Wants To Be Sixteen (MNW) 1970
-Sounds of Wind
Atlantic Ocean-Tranquility Bay (Love) 1970
-Take a Look Around
Träd, gräs och stenar-Gärdet 12.6.70 (Subliminal Sounds) 1970/2011
-Lifeforce #3
Gelin and His Boys (No label) 197?
-Take Me Away
Baby Grandmothers (Forward/Subliminal Sounds) 1968/2007
-Somebody Keeps Calling Me

A note regarding the discussion in the episode about the correct band name for the group Sogmusobil/Telefon Paisa.

A few weeks after the episode was released we heard from Einar Heckscher, one of the band members, and he explained the confusion of the group name. The band was initially called Telefon Paisa but around the time of the recording of the album three of the original band members had left the group. Therefore, they changed the band name to Sogmusobil (an abbreviation for ”StarkOchGodMusikUtföresSnabbtOchBilligt”, which if translated means something like ”strong and good music performed fast and cheap”) and named the album Telefon. The name Telefon Paisa they got from the idea that if every person in the world had a telephone and some pocket money for the call there would be peace on Earth (paisa is a subdivision of the Indian rupee where a paisa equals 1/64 of a rupee).

Thank you Einar Heckscher for clearing that out.