MUSIC INSPIRED BY WATERSHIP DOWN

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I really thought "Attic Thoughts" was one of Bo HANSSON's best. For "Music Inspired by Watership Down", he decided to do another album similar to "Lord of the Rings", that is recording an album inspired by a book. Unfortunately, I really thought BO HANSSON really ended up in a dead-end here, really adding nothing new or surprising that he hadn't already done better on previous albums. It's not a bad album, but I really got a feeling he wasn't really going anywhere. The songs are quite a bit longer than anything he's done before, and I don't have complaints of the length of songs. Just that it's a bit lacking in inspiration. It's just good as well that this would be his final album (until he released an album in 1985 called "Mitt I Livet" before going in to seclusion once again, with rumors of poor health). Definately start with "Lord of the Rings" and work your way forward before coming here.

I have to disagree with Proghead here, whilst Watership Down is not as good as Attic Thoughts it is still a very good, all round album. ' Born of The Gentle South' which takes up the majority of side one is a 17 minute classic and the production as a whole is excellent. As technology improved so did the production quality and it seemed that as Hansson developed his musical style the sound quality improved too. The wood flutes and delicate guitar licks throughout this album together with the richly layered keyboard sounds lend tribute to what an excellent album this is.' Trial and Adversity' and 'The Twice Victory' on side two are great tracks although the latter does sound more like a film score and loses it's way occassionally. This was the last great work from Hansson and apart from ' Mitt I Livet' an album released in 1985 ( Have not heard it but apparently very poor)Hansson virtually disappeared off the face of the earth! Rumours abound of ill health, destitution and mere reclusive lifestyle, but I would love to know what happened to such a fine musician and how even with the advent of the punk revolution Bo Hansson simply vanished into the ether.

I personally love the fourth Bo Hannson's album. It's a cohesive and mature work builded up around relaxing melodies and warm colours. These elements are well imprinted in the opener, the magnum opus titled "Born in the Gentle South" (16,35 minutes). The nordic influence are more sparse, now, keyboards and synthesizers have the most prominent role. The other tracks are in the same vein, slow for the most part with many surprises and unespected changing of tempos that enrich the arrangements. "The Twice Victory" (8,14 minutes) is the other most evident example with an orchestral and anguishing (I don't know why, but it is so) structure.

The titles of the songs are inspired by the verses of famous english poets, Shakespeare and Keats, for instance. The more melancholic sound demonstrates the the disillusionment of Bo Hansson for the music press of that time. Indifference was what they gave him for the release of this jewel! Nowadays seems to be not very different from 1977: I saw in fact many people saying this album is the weakest of his (not large) production. I tell you the truth: Watership Down is the album I listened to the most. It's a sort of hymn, sometimes giving us the opportunity to escape from our reality and travel far from home. In fact the sound is dreamy and floating and the electric guitar shows some references to Pink Floyd.

The bad thing is that it is the last Hansson's album and, for another time, it's sad to see that also this artist had to stop his solo career after so high levels of quality.

It would seem that Bo was maybe trying to capture the magic of his debut with this his fourth album, as it also is inspired by literature. For me though this is my least favourite of his first four studio albums.

"Born In The Gentle South" is the longest track by far at around 16 1/2 minutes. Keyboards and guitar keep swapping the lead here as we get a beat and synths coming and going. It settles before 6 minutes then picks back up. Some attitude before 11 minutes for over a minute. Flute before 13 minutes. "Allegro For A Rescue" is a short guitar led piece. Never heard guitar like this on a Hansson record before.

"Legend And Light" is led by piano early. A beat arrives a minute in. The song kicks in after 2 minutes briefly then again later. No flow to this one. "Trial And Adversity" is much better as it's kind of dreamy with a beat and keys. "The Twice-Victory" is slow moving with piano to start. The synths before 6 1/2 minutes sound a lot better. It kicks in after 7 minutes to end it. "The Kingdom Brightly Smiles" is the short conclusion. Piano melodies throughout.

A good album but I find 3 stars to be more than fair.

Including a track based on Watership Down on Attic Thoughts (AKA Mellanväsen) evidently inspired Bo Hansson to produce an entire album based on the book, much like his debut was based on J.R.R. Tolkien's work. Music Inspired By Watership Down (AKA El-Ahrairah) is an interesting mix of the mildly funk influenced symphonic jams of Attic Thoughts or Magician's Hat with the mystical approach of Lord of the Rings, and for my money it's Hansson's most accomplished and cohesive work since his debut, the concept apparently helping to focus his efforts. Apparently this would be Bo's last full-on prog album - the mid-1980s comeback album Mitt I Livet being a very different affair from his earlier albums - but as far as swan songs go it's a more than credible effort.