Bo Hansson: Attic Thoughts (1975)
While Lord of the Rings remains Bo Hansson’s best known, not to mention best selling (sold quite well in Europe and Australia), I really believe that Attic Thoughts (known in Sweden as Mellanväsen), which is his third solo album, to be by far his best album. After the somewhat lacklustre (but still worth having) Magician’s Hat (1972, aka Ur Trollkarlens Hatt) he really rebounded big time with this album in a huge way.
By this point, he started using synthesizers less in the manner of noodling between passages, he started using them in the music itself. The production has became more professional by this point, but the great thing, is the fairytale atmosphere of Lord of the Rings has returned. Only now, the music doesn’t suffer so much the repetition syndrome that might turn off certain listeners from Lord of the Rings (which I enjoy, in spite of that).
At this point, Hansson was including Kenny Håkansson of Kebnekaise (I seen it also spelled Kebnekajse) on guitar, as well as Mats Glenngård on violin, Rune Carlsson on drums, jazz saxist Gunnar Bergsten (he was also a member of a progressive jazz rock band Fläsket Brinner), bassist Jöran Lagerberg, Rolf Scherrer on acoustic guitar and Thomas Netzler on bass. Gunnar Bergsten and Rune Carlsson were on Lord of the Rings. The minute I was to believe that Attic Thoughts was to be Hansson’s best album is that first song, “Attic Thoughts”. This is a three piece suite, and the minute it got to the second movement, I knew this was going to be a great album. I especially dig the flute on that song.
The next song, “Time and Space” is basically a short interlude on string synth, before coming to “Waiting…”. From just listening to this song, you can tell how much his music has advanced from his previous two albums (but it’s not entirely too surprising, unlike a lot of bands/artists from the 1970s who seem to always release an album every year, sometimes more, Bo Hansson only released an album every three years or so).
It’s real easy to tell “Waiting…” is from the mid ’70s, especially the use of the Solina string ensemble synthesizer. “Waltz For Interbeing” is a great one. If you want a song with a truly Nordic feel to it, you can’t go wrong here. I particularly dig the violin solo that gives this song that uniquely Scandinavian touch to it. The song is in 3/4, else the song wouldn’t bear the “Waltz” title. “Day and Night” is one of the more experimental numbers on this album. The second half is very laid back, with that mystical atmosphere. Mostly that piece is played on acoustic guitar and synthesizer.
The final cut, “A Happy Prank” is a wonderful way to end the album. I don’t know how to describe it. Bo Hansson is just about the only prog rock artist out of Scandinavia whose albums are real easy to come by in America (his albums had American releases), so Attic Thoughts is a great place to start if you want to get in to Swedish prog rock. This album, along with Änglagård’s Epilog (1994) are amongst the best prog rock I have heard out of Sweden. If you like Lord of the Rings, you need Attic Thoughts.
– Bo Hansson: organ, guitars, bass, synthesizer, Mellotron, special effects
– Rune Carlsson: drums
– Kenny Håkansson: electric guitar
– Jöran Lagerberg: bass and acoustic guitar
– Gunnar Bergsten: sax
– Rolf Scherrer: acoustic guitar
– Thomas Netzler: bass
– Mats Glenngård: violin