BO HANSSON

The years have seen me change my views completely. In some ways it represented something as new as Tubular Bells was. Back then "progressive" music had a much broader definition that it seems now and included just about every band who were trying to create something other than a three minute single.

The production, based on limited technology, the melodic approach and the nordic sense of space make it one of the defining albums of the period. I listen to it and enjoy it more now than ever. Anyone coming new to "prog" in these modern times should give it a listen.

I feel this album has a seat at the table with In the Court of the Crimson King.

I remember the first time I read Richard Adams Watership Down. If anybody out there hasn't already read it, then I urge you to pick this one up, as it most vividly incorporates everything from Tolkien to Homer in a way I've never come across - before nor since. This book had a profound effect on me, and I had jagged edged dreams of bloody rabbits for weeks on end - imagining myself deeply immersed in the great adventures of El-Ahrairah.

Now, Bo Hansson has never been the man to shy away from "stealing" inspiration from well known novels, but then again he has, in all honesty, never really made a mistake that way. One could state that he chose the safe bet with all these records - starting off with the now famous Lord of the Rings, but back then there were no film to back up a get- rich-quick-scheme on the basis of the new Hollywood blockbuster - nor were there any for Watership Down, although it had its fair share of success, when it was released in 1972 - staying on the best seller list until February 1975.

El-Ahrairah is a mystical character in Watership Down - it is a rabbit legend of sorts, that inspires these little creatures to do better - to think outside the box and be cunning as the devil himself - just like the rabbit in your back yard eating carrots and cabbage like there was no tomorrow, when you yourself are far far away on the big oceans of sleep. In Lapine, his name is a contraction of the phrase Elil-hrair-rah, which means "prince with a thousand enemies". Having read the book first for then to jump on board this musical adaptation, I obviously had my doubts. Would it take away from the fantastic experience - maybe even diminish the great fondness I had for this awe inspiring tale?

No is the quick answer. Just like Lord of the Rings - El-Ahrairah feels strangely in tune with the novel's gripping proceedings. The first cut called Utvandring (Exodus) describes in sonic pomp and grandeur how a small group of rabbits are forced to leave the comfort and security of their own home due to the overhanging dangers of a soon to be man made building project. The music is beautiful towering symphonic rock with a strong penchant for the late sixties, which comes through in the warmth and glow of the interplay between guitar and organ. Sloshing back and forth the images of rabbits torn between their home and the unknown wilderness in wait - are almost tangible to this listener. Such is the story with every track on here, and if you are fond of the subtle natural beauty of the piano escorting mighty cascading walls of gorgeously orchestrated music, then El-Ahrairah is a safe bet. The production of the thing is another winner. Whereas most artists had adopted the pre-80s sounding mixing with the metallic cleanliness attached to nearly every electric instrument, Bo Hansson stays true to his old hippie roots(remember this guy started out back in the late 60s contributing greatly to the aspiring hippie groove scene) and delivers a vibrant and warm production that elevates the true character of both the involved musicians and the underlying storyline. Let me put it this way: Retelling a story that in short revolves around the close bond we(the rabbits) share with nature, and how we with every new modern initiative are in danger of loosing the things that link us to this old and mystical connection - retelling it with music that is heavily drenched in chrome-like surfaces and distant studio techniques would perhaps be a step too far towards playing the devil's advocate.

This album works like a story being read to you in a language you yourself discover along the way. It is exciting music speaking of horrors and impending bravery, when the plot craves it - either through dangerous sounding guitar snarls - or the lone cow bell tick tocking away in the back counting down to the moment of fear's sudden impact. The story also has great many strolls - shorter travels from rabbit hole to thicket - from undergrowth to the vegetable garden - many of these told through some delicate flute sections sprinkling the music in colours of autumn fields in receding bloom. If you're into the oldest and most treasured way of teaching - that is telling stories, inspiring images of the mind - and then having these handed over to you through the sonic palette of a highly capable and imaginative rock n' roll band, then you should start digging around for this wonderful trip out of the rabbit hole.

"Leaving The Shire" is a gorgeous opener with slowly played floating organ as moog, drums, percussion, guitar and more help out. There is a purpose in that rhythm. "The Old Forest & Tom Bombadil" reminds me of 60's FLOYD then it picks up. An amazing section. A calm before 3 minutes then it ends like it began. "Fog On The Barrow-Downs" has a haunting atmosphere as sounds play slowly over top. Impressive. "The Black Riders & Flight To The Ford" is again mellow but it does kick into a higher gear after 30 seconds to an uptempo rhythm. Lots of moog, bass, drums and floating organ.

"At The House Of Elrond & The Ring Goes South" slows it down again with organ and a beat. I like when the guitar joins in and plays slowly after 2 1/2 minutes then it picks back up again. "A Journey In The Dark" is dark surprisingly as sounds slowly come and go. "Lothlorien" is another track that I can't get enough of. That floating organ, moog and percussion in particular. "Shadowfax" is a short uptempo piece. "The Horns Of Roham & The Battle Of The Pelennor Fields" features sax and some tempo shifts. "Dreamy In The House Of Healing" is dreamy surprisingly with guitar over top. "Homeward Bound & The Scouring Of The Shire" opens with drums as other sounds join in. Percussion, organ and moog lead the way on the final track "The Grey Havens" and the sound of waves rolling in ends it.

I read somewhere that this music was dated but I have to disagree and would argue that the music here is as timeless as the book that inspired it.

Bo Hansson is an acclaimed Swedish progressive rock multi-instrumentalist deserving of more attention than he received. Here in the States he couldn't get arrested which is our loss but this album did quite well in other parts of the world. Hansson plays all of the keyboards and guitars on his debut homage to Tolkien, getting help only on the drums, saxophone and flute. "Lord of the Rings" is a largely quiet and contemplative album with a sound that is dreamy, spacey, often melodic. Some sections do wake up with energetic if not outwardly rocking playing. I guess I would describe the album as a mixture of Floyd for emotions, Popul Vuh for the meditative aspects, and Oldfield for the spirited moments like "The Black Riders and Flight to the Ford." This track runs the gamut from bright keyboards to rhythmic conga playing to acid-drenched guitar solos. In fact Oldfield work like Hergest Ridge and Ommadawn sound as if they could have been influenced by LotR which precedes both Oldfield classics. Overall the album is draped in organ textures, with accompanying saturated lead guitar, bass, flute and sax. Closer "The Grey Havens" sounds very much like a Popul Vuh track with organ layered over the top. It sounds the same beginning to end with slow, subtle variations happening below the surface. If that sounds appealing don't pass up this album!

In his excellent Guide to Progressive Music, Bradley Smith notes the album "exudes a hypnotic and mysterious atmosphere...not really jazz, rock, or classical, nor is it soundtrack music. At the time of its appearance there really were no precedents for an album like this...resembles the 68-70 era of Pink Floyd a la "Set the Controls" only without vocals...takes the most moody and spacey elements of that style and expands it to album length, quite an innovative move for 1970...an intoxicatingly Gothic and psychedelic atmosphere that is drifting, pulsing, organic, spiritual, melodic, and friendly."

The one area where I don't find the album particularly successful is in the conjuring of images of Tolkien from the music. Others state that the music directly brings the book to one's mind and perfectly matches music to story. Honestly, if I didn't know the album was based on the Tolkien book I would never have made the connection. It's great and adventurous progressive rock but it doesn't remind me of Tolkien-esque images nearly as much as some other works. That minor quibble aside "Lord of the Rings" is highly recommended to fans of instrumental fantasy prog; Oldfield fans, Nektar fans, and Floyd fans would all I suspect enjoy this very much.

With an army of keyboard variety (Moog, Hammond organ, you name it), endless tempo changes, propulsive drumming, jazz/fusion electric guitar flavours and even some adorable strolling reggae moments in the finale, the almost 17 minute opener `Born in the Gentle South' is a lush and mellow epic. Hansson's fellow musicians here have frequent little duels between each-other, with Kebnekaise member Kenny Hakensson's grand electric guitar solo in the climax worthy of approval from Camel mainman Andy Latimar himself. Playful, dynamic and always endlessly melodic, the whole piece makes for a sublime example of impossibly charming instrumental prog at its most romantic.

After the brief delirious synth/guitar/drum interlude `Allegro For A Rescue', the stark piano and tip-toeing flute of the darker `Legend and Light' is full with a playful creeping unease, with two booming fanfares to offer some blustery relief. For such an imposing title, `Trial and Adversity' is actually very mellow and dreamy, with the most gentle of David Gilmour-inspired guitar licks over wavering spacey synths and placid washes of synths and another little taste of soft reggae tones. `The Twice -Victory' opens as a delicate and affectionate acoustic guitar and piano duet before rising to life as a victorious organ fanfare, only some electric guitar menace and marching drums raising the tension in the second half. Some Steve Hackett `Voyage of the Acolyte'-type sounds are in evidence here, and the instrumental melodies throughout the piece might be some of the prettiest Hansson ever offered. The brief `The Kingdom Brightly Smiles' is a warm piano solo finale to then close on.

Perhaps if the album had a different title or a more colourful cover (or even a borderline insane one like `Attic Thoughts'!), followers of Bo Hansson who kind of dismiss this one would be a little more forgiving. Suitable for a lazy afternoon background listen or a great way to unwind for everyday stresses, `Music Inspired by `Watership Down' is a perfectly lovely and dignified instrumental album that lovers of Bo Hansson's previous works and the romantic prog of artists such as Camel, Rousseau and Terpandre should adore.

Four stars for this timeless little beauty.

Unfortunately Hansson seem to take a step backwards with this release, without further developing the dreamy, organ-drenched sound of his debut.Instead, his music remained strongly rooted in a psychedelic nature with occasional jazzy vibes here and there, like coming from a late-60's enviroment than reminding of an album following the trend of the age towards more complicated and symphonic textures.A fairytale atmosphere is still apparent on the album through the melodic flutes of Bergman in the shortest pieces of the effort, which are also the only ones resembling to the ethereal style of ''Sagan om ringen''.Acoustic guitars and the smooth rhythm section are also very nice in a typical folky mood of the Scandinavian lands.The long pieces of the release though are fairly dissapointing, without being bad at all.Mostly dated organ-based Psychedelic Rock, interrupted by sax moves or jazzy electric piano in arrangements that sound more like instrumental jams than cohesive pieces of music.Håkansson's interesting guitar work along with some of Hansson's good organ themes save them from being absolutely flat, but the strong 60's psych flavor is evident throughout a work, that should be keeping an eye in the future.

If the first two albums of Hansson were released in reverse order, we would be talking about two quite normal works.As they are, ''Ur trollkarlens hatt'' does not make it for a successful follow-up to a very good debut.Recommended only to Jazz Rock and Psych/Prog fans...2.5 stars.

What I think is important for me it to distinguish the different instrument and this music is clear enough for that. The first track "Storstad" is odd according to the others. It's long and has a choir that shouts "Skynda" (hurry!) and "se upp!" (watch out!). After "Delad verklighet" follows a row of short fantasy inspired track with mystical organ, beautiful flute and great bass. In some track there is a fine melancholy and everyone has a clear melody. "Elidor" changes between minor and major in anice way. "Findhorns sång" for exampel feels very historical and is super great. "Vandringslåt"is a concluding marching tune which ends in a mor poppy, rock'n'roll style. This record also has something for those who like psychedelic music: "Solen(Parallellt eller 90 grader)" is build up by a feeling more than a melody and shows extraordinary good guitar work(Kenny Håkansson).

This is honest and well produced material that also is nostalgic, you can feel the seventies here but the music also gives great stuff to be inspired by, now in the 10s. My favourite track is "Elidor" and the worst one is "Fylke", but, the worst one is almost as good as the best one.