BABY GRANDMOTHERS

It took 40 years until the musical legacy of the BABY GRANDMOTHERS was finally collected on a compact disc by the swedish Subliminal label. The band recorded two studio songs during a Finland tour in 1968 which were released as a single by a finnish label with small amount of copies. This vinyl is a much sought-after item for collectors today. This compilation is opened by them and Somebody Keeps Calling My Name and Being Is More Than Life are really ahead of time.

You will find a rare but unspectacular vocal contribution by Kenny Håkansson first and then the band is letting the music flow in the vein of Cream's live jams from the Wheels Of Fire album. But this is all spiked with spaced out portions where you can't believe that this is from 1968. It must have been very courageous in this period to present two jamming tunes coupled with some weirdness as the band's debut. Hence you may not find significant differences to the live recordings which are completing this release.

They are (with one exception) recorded at the legendary 'Filips' club in Stockholm, a breeding ground for new experimental bands. The following two long tracks are probably from the same gig because of some stylistical similiarities. Bergakungen is mostly provided with a repetitive hypnotic bass and a straight drum work where Kenny Håkansson is able to shine with his guitar skills and uncounted variations of the main theme - references to the Jimi Hendrix style included. The live version of Being Is More Than Life is extended as one can expect and sees a more virtuoso bass playing. St. George's Dragon starts with a weird guitar appearance and tribal drums later gliding into a furious finale.

60 minutes lasting psych jams ahead of time. But to enjoy this you really must be a die-hard fan. I pull off my hat though to their experimental approach. However - listening to BABY GRANDMOTHERS's music for one hour continously is a little bit too much and straining for me. Additionally the sound quality is not top-notch which is not unusual for live recordings from the 60s of course. All in all a good album recommended to collectors of early psychedelic music with a gusto for extended jams.