THE DECCA YEARS 1975-1978

Kaipa is definitely one of the best Swedish progressive rock bands and one of the most interesting from the 70's. Their first three albums are highly and deservedly praised and are occasionally available individually to can be purchased. However, this compilation "The Decca Years 1975-1978" has more than that. It's comprised by the three mentioned studio albums, a demo which was previously unreleased and a previously unreleased live set. This collection is the only place where you can obtain the demo and the live set. The main problem is that this is a limited edition hard to get.

So, "The Decca Years 1975-1978" is a box set with five CD's of Kaipa. It has the three first studio albums of the band, "Kaipa" from 1975, "Inget Nytt Under Solen" from 1976 and "Solo" from 1978, plus two bonus CD's, "Kaipa Live" with eleven tracks of concert material from the same period and one called "1974 Unedited Master Demo Recording", which also has eleven tracks and speaks for itself with regard to its content. So, we have here a total of fifty-three tracks in all on the five discs. Each one is housed in a mini LP replica sleeve and the whole set is packaged in a nice top close style box and includes a thick booklet with tons of photos and details about this legendary Swedish prog band's history.

I'm going to write in a short way what are my thoughts about the five CD's contained on "The Decca Years 1975- 1978".

"Kaipa": Kaipa's debut album should actually appeal to all friends of the melodic variety of the progressive rock of the 70's. The elegiac elements predominate and one should not expect complex cabinet pieces. For me, Kaipa is still one of the really big bands of the 70's, probably the biggest Swedish prog band in those years. I know few other prog bands that possessed such a keen sense of a so elegant and beautiful melody. Unfortunately, this outstanding band is usually only mentioned in a subordinate clause when talking about Roine Stolt's Flower Kings. So, Kaipa's debut is overall an impressive 70's prog rock classic that should satisfy fans of Genesis, Yes, Camel and the melodic prog rock in general.

"Inget Nytt Under Solen": "Inget Nytt Under Solen" captures the band at the peak of their exploration ride and is one of the most essential Swedish prog albums of the 70's. It has all the elements you would want in a prog band, beautiful captivating songs with superb musicianship. The band managed to create a right balance between the energetic parts and the emotional melancholic parts. All tracks are well constructed, having been given to them lots of space to breathe and to create some lovely atmospheres. Stolt brings his accurate and lively guitar work, Lundin brings his analogue keyboard wizardry, Eriksson adds some real solid punchy bass lines and Bergman delivers some solid percussion.

"Solo": "Solo" turned out to be Kaipa's last prog album in the 70's. Having recruited a singer, the band wrote a bunch of shorter, though still progressive material. In a way the band followed on this album the same musical path as on their two predecessors meaning making progressive rock music that was very much related to the music of bands such as Genesis, Camel and Focus had made in the mid of the 70's. Despite the considerable contributions from the rest of the band, especially Lundin and his arsenal of analogue keyboards, it's the young Stolt who is the high achiever on "Solo", with some of his most memorable playing. It's really a pity that Kaipa only reappeared twenty years later of its split.

"Kaipa Live": The tracks were recorded in different time and places. Tracks 1-7 were recorded at Huset, Copenhagen, Denmark in 1978, tracks 8-9 were recorded at Ostanaskolan, Eksjo, Sweden in 1976, track 10 was recorded at Bullerbyn, Stockholm, Sweden in 1977 and track 11 was recorded at Stenungsundsgymnasiet, Stenungsund, Sweden in 1977. There are really some fairly great cuts here in which the youth of the musicians is belied by the maturity and depth arrangements. I especially enjoy "Total Forvirring", "Skenet Bedrar", "Musiken Ar Ljuset", and "Se Var Morgon Gry".

"1974 Unedited Master Demo Recording": This is a CD with eleven tracks. As its name indicates, they were all recorded in 1974. Of these eleven tracks only two "Saker Har Tva Sidor" and "Allting Har Sin Borjan Genom Solen" were used on the eponymous debut studio album of Kaipa. Still, the arrangements were in some places drastically changed and some parts were excluded. The rest are all unreleased tracks. They were all gradually exchanged during 1975 in favour of new compositions to their debut. I really like of these tracks that show Kaipa's early promise that would be fully confirmed.

Conclusion: "The Decca Years 1975-1978" gives a complete overview of the years of the first Kaipa's incarnation. Even if you already own Kaipa's old albums, it's worth buying this box set because of the almost sensationally good live recordings, even if the sound quality fluctuates at times, and of course, the original unreleased demos cuts, which show that it's really Hans Lundin and his ideas that are the driving force behind Kaipa, despite some amazing guitar work displayed by the young Roine Stolt. If you haven't had any of the old Kaipa's albums yet, you're in good hands here anyway. The downside is that is very difficult to put your hands in one of them. So, go for it, like me, if you can.

Prog is my Ferrari. Jem Godfrey (Frost*)