FLÄSKET BRINNER

The Bacon is burning!

This is one of my favourite old school jam bands, and if you talk to anyone in Sweden over 40 worth his/her salt, they'll tell you how brilliant and saucy this act is. Especially in a live setting! Good thing too, because this debut of theirs is exactly that - Live. Maybe these tracks were based around certain motifs and ideas, but aside from that, everything is straight out of the bag. Much like ze Germans did around the same time, the emphasis was on feel and cutting each other enough slack to actually permeate the outer regions of the stratosphere with music that was as gelatinous, rocking and free as only modern day Nutella seems to be.

There's no getting around the fun factor as well, and I think this is one of the key elements in all of music. If you pay attention to this scene in particular, you'll probably also catch the unbridled exuberance and joy other acts like Kebnekaise and Samla Mammas Manna were wielding as well. You get the impression that the bands were playing in spite of everything, only to be in the moment with their best mates, trying to hit that fleeting groove - the invisible glimpse of sonic heaven. This is very much so with Fläsket Brinner, and to add a little bit to that fun factor - the name itself means something as crazy as The Bacon is Burning... Well if you thought these guys were insane, then it probably won't surprise you to know that their preferred way of showing up at a gig back then, was with their teeth painted black...

Before this band came into fruition, all of the band members had had bad experiences with the commercial music scene, and I think this played a huge part in the final sound - relying much more on wafting free structures and jams, than the one-two-three-four approach. Good thing too I say.

Just like Pedro (Mosh) has been pointing out in the Krautrock Space here on PA, I too think the free association music happening in Germany, and several other places like Sweden, - took its inspiration from the 60s. Bands like Quicksilver Messenger, Cream, Grateful Dead, Pink Floyd, Jimi, Santana and a whole bunch of other acts are as much responsible for "Krautrock" happening as the drug culture and hang over caused by the iron grip of W.W. ll were.

Fläsket Brinner owes a lot of their sound to those aforementioned bands, although they infused quite a bit of their own thang into the mix. The music can be described as space rock with some slightly skewed folk aspirations and jazzy spices- coming through in the most unharnessed way imaginable. Furious guitar leads with loads of fuzz teamed up with a rhythm section so ingrained and pre-conceptive of itself, that everything else around it just flows as natural like a handkerchief in a tropical storm. Over and under this core in the music, you'll get saxophone and flute bits ornamenting things nicely, and the odd Bo Hansson organ bubbling away like a muddied lava swamp. Everything fits like a glove here, there are no superfluous ingredients, even if the band at this point in time had no real control over who was in it. Sort of like The Jimi Hendrix Experience - only with far more Scandinavians involved. One big happy family sponsoring freely flowing psychedelic jazz tinged progressive rock with lots of percussive splashes, cow bells, brawny wind sections and fiery guitar. What's not to love here?

Fläsket Brinner's debut has become somewhat of a cult record here in Scandinavia, and I fully understand its attraction. I fell for it head over heels truth be told. The music it contains is a wonderful blend of everything that made the end of the 60s great - combined with the newly found adventurism of the impending decade. Anybody into this particular period of time - the feel - the nature of things and how music could take on a life on its own: Be sure you don't pass this one by! 4.5 stars.

This is a four disc set featuring four seperate radio broadcasts that FLASKET BRINNER did in their homeland of Sweden from 1970-1975. I first became aware of this band when I read that ANEKDOTEN listed them as an influence, and I must say that I can hear why, I really enjoy this jamming style of music.This is beautifully packaged in a long-digibox format with almost 100 photos of the band over the years and a very detailed story of their beginnings right through to their breakup.There really was three classic lineups of this band including one with Bo Hansson on organ and the final one with two members of ALGARNAS TRADGARD on board. I would describe the music as jam-like with the sax, electric piano, flute and guitar taking turns leading.

Disc One was recorded at Studio 4, Radiohuset in Stockholm, October 26th,1970. It begins with Sten inviting the audience to "feel free to take off your clothes if you like to" before the music kicks in with "Master Beautiful" a trippy and laid back number. Flute, guitar,s ax and organ each lead. "Bosses Lat" is a Bo Hansson tune and has beeen recorded three times by the band. "Gunners Dilema..." was inspired by both THE WHO and Frank Zappa. It was their only tune top receive significant airplay.

Disc two is from Swedish Radio Studio in Gothenburg, November 9th,1971.The lineup is increased from 5 to 6 here including Bo Hansson on Hammond organ and Bobo Stenson on Fender Rhodes. Sten has left (probably that "take off your clothes" comment from a year earlier). Kidding ! We get a "Lord Of The Rings" (Hansson) medley as well as a song "Storstad" that would later become the first two parts of that track on Hansson's "Magician's Hat" album.

Disc Three is from Studio 4, Radiohuset, Stockholm in December 13th,1971 with the same lineup as the last live sessions. Interestingly enough they do a cover of THE TROGGS "Wild Thing".They slow it down and do use vocals.This was the only single released by the band but it was banned by Swedish radio for including the line "so [%*!#]ing groovy". Bastards ! "Samba Martinez" by Bo hansson became part three of his "Storstad" suite. "Lothlorien" is from "Lord Of The Rings" (Bo Hansson).

Disc Four is from Studio 7, Radiohuset, Stockholm on October 22nd 1975.This is the only disc with mellotron thanks to Jan from ALGARNAS TRADGARD. We get it on three of the five tracks."Acquarius" is very spacey with mellotron that goes on until after 4 minutes when a beat then flute joins in. Cool song. "Grasse" sounds amazing when they begin to jam.

Overall a great addition to anyone's collection and a must for fans of trippy, jamming music.

FLASKET BRINNER will always be best remembered as a live band in Sweden. I've seen their name mentioned in liner notes many times over the years as being an influence, including by one of my favourite bands ANEKDOTEN.They played a free form Jazz style but with that Rock edge to it.They loved to jam and that can be heard on this their debut. Speaking of "live" some of the tracks here were definitely recorded in front of an audience because you can hear them cheering at times.

"Ganglaten" sounds so good early on as it slowly builds. When it gets fuller we gets some organ runs and sax excursions. "Tysta Finskan" has a good beat with the flute playing over top.The sax replaces the flute 3 minutes in and we get some organ here too. It settles some as the guitar comes to the fore at 6 minutes. Flute and sax are back after 9 minutes then the percussion leads 12 minutes in to the end. "Gunnars Dilema" is a short uptempo piece with prominant organ. "Bengans Val" is another short piece that's jazzy and we get some guest organ from Bo Hansson who would later become part of this band.

"Bosses Lat" is percussion and flute led early then it turns fuller after a minute. Nice. Guitar leads 3 minutes in. "Rava" is heavier with guitar and drums out front. "Uppsala Gard" features organ and a beat and we get some vocal melodies before 1 1/2 minutes. "Musik Fran Liljevalchs" builds and the sax and percussion stands out. It settles then the organ comes in as it builds and kicks back in. Nice. Big finish before it calms right down to end it.

A solid 4 star album and a must for those who are into bands who jam with lots of flute and sax.

I saw Fläsket Brinner a few weeks ago at a small club in Gothenburg. The concert reminded me how good they are (and were) as an improvising unit. The box "Swedish Radio Broadcast" is were anyone not familiar with this combo should start. The first disc represent the first line- up with Sten Bergman and is packed with loose and glorious stuff.

The following two discs represent a line up consisting the core group of Dahlen, Bruun, Bergsten and Dahlbäck together with the jazz piano player Bobo Stensson and the famous Bo Hansson. A good part of the repertoire is taken from Hanssons solo albums, but played with much more guts. A fantastic combination of great composition skills and fine improvisations!

The last disc represent a later line up from the mid 70's, still with Dahlen, Bergsten and Bruun at the helm. This time the music is more structured and in some ways more symphonic (by Fläsket standards anyway). But do not get fooled, this is still highly intresting music and the beat from the ace drummer Bosse Skoglund is tight but at the same time loose!

Fläsket Brinner only released two LP:s during the 70's and this is why this box is so welcomed. If you like to invest your hard earned cash in some Swedish prog, let this one be your choice. You won't regret it!

Knowing that this isn't the most famous release of all time, I am still surprised to see so few reviews for this album of exuberant Swedish prog. Perhaps not as famous as national cohorts, Samla Mammas Manna, Fläsket Brinner (The Flesh is Burning) created a fantastic album here that should definitely be heard by more people.

If comparisons are necessary, the easiest one to make is with Zappa and the Mothers, circa the late 60s, early 70s, and that can't be a bad thing. The long jam of "Grismakt," for instance, wouldn't be out of place on something like "Chunga's Revenge." Some of the music is also reminiscent of some jazz fusion, a little Miles Davis-ish in moments, but perhaps with more constraint (not that it doesn't go wild and get out of control as well). Over the course of this long album, you'll hear some strong improvs and jams, like on "Batum," but, for me, Fläsket were probably at their best in their complex written sections.

Instrumentals like the opener "Klotet" and "Jätten Feeling" stand out, with their rapid ascending and descending movements, excellent riff rock that highlights their masterful use of counterpoint, also notable on songs like "Bennys Hammare." Overall the music tends to swing between well-orchestrated sections, heavy boogie, and crunchy jam, between the elegant and the wild. As a band, they could conjure majestic riffs that could be intense yet oddly hummable.

There are also some cool, odd moments here, like the slow violin driven "Beate Hill" or the slightly perverse child-sung "Puppans Sång." In these moments they tend to evoke Swedish hippy collectives like International Harvester and Älgarnas Trädgård. Yet, just as you start to feel comfortable with that, they drop into some Santana-ish percussion-heavy groove. And somehow they make it work.

Definitely their best as an instrumental group, fusing cool keys, jazzy drums, groovy guitar and swooping horns, they only add vocals rarely. On one occasion, "Di dumma små björnarna," they go for that high childlike nyah-nyah chorus thing that the Flo and Eddie- era of Zappa and early Sammla loved so much. The only song to feature vocals prominently is "Andersson's Groove," and, unfortunately, it's a pretty standard MOR rock tune. Not much fun for the prog fan, and it's the weakest song for me.

Despite the title, the last group of tracks are all live performances, and they provide an interesting contrast. Definitely looser and heavier than the studio tracks, they show what a great band Fläsket must have been live. Still, I prefer them in their studio shape, perhaps because the jam sections of the live performances, while strong, are a tad more generic, whereas it is their tightly coordinated, beautifully harmonized compositions that show off what was special and unique about Fläsket.

Despite a few, rare weak moments, this is a tremendous album, and a prog favorite of mine.

It's always good to carry a little burning flesh with you wherever you go.

3.5 stars really!!!

Second (double) and last album for FB, with an augmented line-up (Ramel on guitars and vocals) while there is a bunch of guest appearing, including Bo Hansson, already invited to participate at their debut album. "Graced" with ione of the ugliest artwok of Sweden, FB's second album was not release on the legendary Silence record label, but Phillips had signed them to a subsidiary label, who'd become very short-lived, since the group's third album was recorded for them, but never released. This double release is made of one studio album (recorded in fall 72) and a live recording (Powerhouse in Orebro), but originally thought of the live disc as a freebie or bonus

Starting on the wild and ever-changing organ-driven Klotet track and its red-hot electric-piano lead follow-up Benny Hammers, the sextet is making sure the listener is aware that everyone in the group has more than just the average chops to their respective instruments (from the pictures, most of them were in their upper 20's or lower 30's) and thankfully don't expand too much vocally (apart from the awful children chants in that space-filler Beate Hill closing the studio album), as only the newcomer seems ready to go at it (once only) and to no avail, since anderssons Groove is one of the weaker moment of the album. Most of the studio tracks are generally (relatively) short but drives the fan all over the spectrum at 100 MPH, often making you wish they'd hang on a tad longer. Musically they're not far away from early Samla Mammas Mannas and a rougher Archimedes Badkar.

The live album is another beast altogether, recorded on a two microphone tape machine (extra- ordinary sound given the conditions), FB is taking on a wilder, rawer and psychyer, less concise (extended solos) and certainly spacier side, hitting an apex with the 14-mins Tista Finskan, already their debut album's highlight, now reiterating this live achievement. Sound-wise, live they're more like an early Floyd (Astronomy Domine-type). Elsewhere, I'm not sure whether we are missing out much, but two tracks were left out (with the group's agreement) in order to fit both vinyls on one compact disc, but I'll trust that these were probably the weaker tracks.

FB's second (and hopefully someday second-last) album is a brilliant but uneven album, with both some highs and lows in both the studio and live disc, but it certainly belongs in most proghead's early 70's Swedish shelf along SMM, AB, Life,

Regarded as one of the classics among swedish prog albums of the 70s, this one comes as a combined studio and live album with the first side being live and the second recorded in studio.

The live part consists only of two tracks, both instrumentals. Ganglaten is quite good and structured while Tyska finskan sounds more like a stretched out jam, and most probably they really made heavy use of improvisations. (Though my research is weak in this point.)

Almost completely instrumental is side B, recorded in studio. Gunnars dilemm and Bengans vals are both rather short affairs. On Bosses lat they collaborate with the internationally more successful BO HANSSON with a satisfying result. Two more short tracks follows, the guitar-heavy Rava and the organ dominated Uppsala gard. The last one being the only track with lyrics; the chanting of Uppsala gård. (Translates to something like Uppsala estate, Uppsala being a swedish town.) Last out is the jazzy Musik fran Liljevalchs. It's more in the vein of Swing than Fusion but still kind of Avant-Garde.

All in all an album dominated by raw guitars and rythm section but still with an appaerent use of organs, saxophones and flute. Not very produced but i believe Fläsket Brinner aimed for a live sound.

I bought the Mellotronen reissue of this, when it just had been released in 2003. The original vinyl released 1972 was a double LP with the second LP being a live recording from Powerhouse in Örebro, Sweden. If I'm not wrong it was sold for the price of just a regular LP. Nowadays it's not so cheap anymore.

Fläsket is instrumental Prog Rock, guitar driven with lots of saxophone and flute. The only song with lyrics is "Anderssons Groove", sung in swedish but I can assure you that it's not important or particulary beautiful lyrics, but quite funny. The song ask the question why we have to be so private when we're on the toilet when we know that everybody else also haveto do the same. Highlights are "Klotet", "Batum" and "Beate Hill".

The second LP is as mentioned a live one. Here they use the basic Rock set up of two guitars, bass and drums. Lots of improvisations, especially the last track "Örsprånget", clocking in around fifteen minutes. They also do some songs from their first album and a song claimed to be a tango, funny enough.

Overall a decent album, not anything spectacular and the live album can be a bit repetitive at times. Fläsket Brinne had humour though, and that's positive!

This is a Swedish band from the early Seventies, I own the CD version of the originally two LP entitled Fläsket. During my first listening session I notice that Fläsket Brinner sounds pleasant, melodic and tight, these are all crafted musicians, especially the guitar players are 'killers' and the rhythm-section plays very dynamic. The first 10 compositions are studio- recordings, the sound scouts the borders between jazz and jazzrock featuring lots of Hammond organ, guitar and woodwind instruments. But the music also hosts some surprising elements like pure rock and roll in with fiery guitar in Anderssons Groove, folky with accordeon and violin in Beate Hill and the funny Puppans Säng delivers acoustic guitar and the voices of children named the Lilliputt-kören! Fläsket Brinner their music has similarities with bands like Ekseption, Camel, King Crimson and Collosseum but more because of the sound than acting like a 'copycat'. The other six tracks are live recordings and contain bluesy climates, in the vein of early Fleetwood Mac and because of the duo- guitarwork also Seventies Wishbone Ash. On these songs there is a lot of room for soli on guitar (often drenched in wah-wah) and improvisations, I love it! The recordings have been remastered very well and the lay-out of the FOC with information booklet is beautiful. So a big hand for the music and this remastered CD version!

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