Progarchives, the progressive rock ultimate discography

TRIBUTE

Crossover Prog • Sweden


From Progarchives.com, the ultimate progressive rock music website

Tribute picture
Tribute biography
Founded in Norrköping, Sweden in 1982 - Disbanded in 1990

Swedish instrumental outfit TRIBUTE was formed in Norrk¨ping in 1982 by multi-instrumentalists Per Gideon Andersson and Christer Josef Hedin. An idea to produce and perform a concert on the concept "A Tribute to the Music" was what started it all - the twosome had already written all the music and it was then a matter of assembling the needed musicians.

Many long nights of rehearsals followed, as well as much legwork for the promotion of the event, and when it went down on May 28th 1982 it was an astounding success. The concert hall was filled to the brim and the audience was more than pleased.

It was then decided to make this an ongoing musical venture. The band travelled to Holland and Germany, and got themselves about 50 gigs there, and also anaged to secure a spot at the Montraux jazz festival after knocking on quite a few doors. Studio time for the creation of a promo was next, and eventually they were signed by German label ARC Music.

The début album "New Views" was released in 1984, selling about 20.000 copies in total, covering a musical scope referencing artists like Mike Oldfield and Tangerine Dream. In 1985, while in the middle of a German tour, the band suffered a minor crisis when their drummer at the time, Ulf Andersson, jumped ship. The band then decided to make a daring move. A few years earlier they had sent their demo to Pierre Moerlen, who was the drummer of Mike Oldfield at the time. They had managed to get him to listen to it back then, and when they contacted him now they sent their début album with the request. And as in many such tall tales, the outcome was that Moerlen joined the band, and was a central part of their most successful years - the period from 1985-88.

In 1986 their sophomore effort "Breaking Barriers" was released, and while promoting it Tribute played a great number of concerts in Germany, with something of a grand finale for that promotional haul in their native Sweden with a joint performance with the Norrköping Symphony Orchestra on May 27th 1987. Tribute decided to take a break after this last event, drawn out and tired after a handful of really busy years.

This proved to be the end of this Swedish outfit as well. Their last album "Terra Incognita" from 1990 was more of a solo album for Andersson than a band effort as such, and the live album "Live! The Melody the Beat the Heart" issued the same year was the last p...
read more

TRIBUTE Videos (YouTube and more)


Showing only random 3 | Search and add more videos to TRIBUTE

Buy TRIBUTE Music


TRIBUTE discography


Ordered by release date | Showing ratings (top albums) | Help Progarchives.com to complete the discography and add albums

TRIBUTE top albums (CD, LP, MC, SACD, DVD-A, Digital Media Download)

3.25 | 34 ratings
New Views
1984
3.12 | 19 ratings
Breaking Barriers
1986
3.73 | 22 ratings
Terra Incognita
1990

TRIBUTE Live Albums (CD, LP, MC, SACD, DVD-A, Digital Media Download)

3.67 | 6 ratings
Live! The Melody the Beat the Heart
1990

TRIBUTE Videos (DVD, Blu-ray, VHS etc)

TRIBUTE Boxset & Compilations (CD, LP, MC, SACD, DVD-A, Digital Media Download)

TRIBUTE Official Singles, EPs, Fan Club & Promo (CD, EP/LP, MC, Digital Media Download)

TRIBUTE Reviews


Showing last 10 reviews only
 Breaking Barriers by TRIBUTE album cover Studio Album, 1986
3.12 | 19 ratings

BUY
Breaking Barriers
Tribute Crossover Prog

Review by b_olariu
Prog Reviewer

3 stars Tribute was and is a band gone under the radar in prog circles, formed by guitarist Gideon Andersson in 1982 and lasting untill around 1992 as far as I know with 3 album in their pockets. First album was released in 1984 , second was issued in 1986 named Breaking barriers. Between first and second, some line up changes, exit drummer Ulf Andersson and joining famous drummer Pierre Moerlen ex Gong and Mike Olfield. Despite some prolific touring with first two albums in Germany and even a participation at famous Montraux jazz festival, Tribute remaining quite a band only for deep divers of prog rock, even their all 3 albums are quite good overall. Breaking barriers is an eclectic album, going from symphonic prog to jazz fusion in places with some world music a combination of Tangerine Dream, Mike Oldfield, Gong and swedish jazz fusion . Breaking barriers and Steamlined are the best pieces from here, first with voice and second an excellent instrumental track proving that Tribute was an intresting band from mid to late '80s in prog realm. All in all more then decent release, musicianship is quite good and all 3 albums worth investigated, for me 3.5 stars for sure, nice art work aswell.

 New Views by TRIBUTE album cover Studio Album, 1984
3.25 | 34 ratings

BUY
New Views
Tribute Crossover Prog

Review by maryes

3 stars I think which "News Views" as the best work from the Swedish band TRIBUTE and fairly superior in relationship to "Terra Incognita" ( album with slightly superior rating in P A community), in fact I consider even ""Breaking Barriers" superior too. Talking about "News Views" the sonority of the band is clearly influenced by Mike Oldfield ( in large scale), The Enid (in certain moments) and as very close to New Age or World Music. Another important characteristic as the variation between orchestral and "danceable" moments, like in track 1 " Icebreaker' and great part of track 6 "New views" with some introverted themes,like in track 3 "A new morning ". In a overall view the disk is agreeable, however... Don't "impress my ears". Due this ... my rate is 3 stars !!!
 New Views by TRIBUTE album cover Studio Album, 1984
3.25 | 34 ratings

BUY
New Views
Tribute Crossover Prog

Review by apps79
Special Collaborator Honorary Collaborator

2 stars 2.5 stars actually...

TRIBUTE were a 7-member Swedish art rock band,found in 1982 in Norrkoping,Sweden by multi-instrumentalists Christer Rhedin and Gideon Andersson.The band promoted their work mainly in Germany and Holland,before releasing their first album ''New views'' in 1984.Their first effort was an interesting combination of early MIKE OLDFIELD-like atmosheric music,keyboard electronic progressive in the vein of TANGERINE DREAM and symphonic rock,not unlike mid 70's GENESIS and CAMEL.The album is totally instrumental (except some sparse female choruses) and,considering the year of its release,it was a very important work for progressive rock,as TRIBUTE tried to keep this sound alive blending 70's progressive musicianship with 80's electronics and effects...However,to my ears TRIBUTE's debut sounds like a false combination of unoriginal ideas,while the musically accesible instrumental leanings are over the top sometimes.So,not really my cup of tea and occasionally I will return to this album,but can't rate it with more than 2.5 stars...

 New Views by TRIBUTE album cover Studio Album, 1984
3.25 | 34 ratings

BUY
New Views
Tribute Crossover Prog

Review by ClemofNazareth
Special Collaborator Prog Folk Researcher

3 stars Well I’m not sure what the ‘New Views’ are the band is referring to in this album’s title, as there is very little here that is particularly inspired or original. That said, the band does a respectable job of keeping their ambient sounds moving along at a steady pace for the entire forty-six minutes of the record. The name Tribute almost seems to refer to the fact that the group seems to be paying tribute to their influences, and almost all of them must be other eighties bands.

This is a slightly obscure Swedish outfit who apparently recorded this and another album in the eighties with the support of Gong’s Pierre Moerlen, but this music is much more subdued and less ambitious than the stuff Gong did.

The first couple of tracks remind me a little of the gentler side of Gentle Giant, and even a bit of Happy the Man, a band that has received quite a bit of critical acclaim over the years for reasons that escape me personally.

“Climbing to the Top” on the other hands sounds remarkably like an Alan Parsons Project tune; a repetitive keyboard sequence combined with a simple bass line and some melodic guitar to accentuate the arrangement. Really not much more than that – I have to wonder if the band had a stack of APP records with them in the studio for inspiration. And Gideon Andersson on drums could almost be mistaken for Mick Fleetwood circa Fleetwood Mac’s self-titled album, or maybe even ‘Bare Trees’. “Unknown Destination” could be taken for a Parsons composition as well, with maybe just a little bit of a borderline Giorgio Moroder thrown in for good measure.

The pičce de résistance (sort of) is the twenty-plus minute title track. I say that rather loosely since in this case the lengthy arrangement really only further reinforces the band’s style of understated, restrained acoustic and keyboard noodling. Around the ten minute mark things pick up with a slightly martial beat and flute, followed by a bit of a percussion jam that is mildly interesting but never really builds to anything definitive. The bells and choral ending is sort of anti-climactic, and barely worth the investment of time it takes to get that far listening to the album.

File this one under ‘I understand why it is in the stacks at the public library’, as in – nobody liked it enough to steal it. A decent enough instrumental album with potential as mood music on a sleepy evening when you don’t want to invest much energy or mental effort in your music listening. But not essential by any means, and only mildly progressive. Recommended without much enthusiasm to folks who get into Gentle Giant, probably Camel, Happy the Man, or Alan Parsons. But that’s about it. Three stars.

peace

 Terra Incognita by TRIBUTE album cover Studio Album, 1990
3.73 | 22 ratings

BUY
Terra Incognita
Tribute Crossover Prog

Review by silvertree
Prog Reviewer

4 stars This album is very reminiscent of Mike Oldfield's instrumental music and atmosphere... but whithout the guitar... instead, you have a great variety of instruments such as a string quartet a brass section or even an African choir! Now that I write this, it makes me think of After Crying. The last track is extraordinary with a fantastic cello solo which you don't often get in progressive rock. It sort of makes imagine the landscapes you may find in Scandinavia. Most songs are sung in English except for Poem for Vandrare which is sung by the female leader in the same style as Oldfield's Maggie Reilly. This album is truly for all Oldfield fans, especially the Crises period.
 Breaking Barriers by TRIBUTE album cover Studio Album, 1986
3.12 | 19 ratings

BUY
Breaking Barriers
Tribute Crossover Prog

Review by loserboy
Prog Reviewer

3 stars "Breaking Barriers" was TRIBUTE's second release and continued their exploration into commercial symphonic progressive space rock. This album has stronger electric guitar presence and a couple of vocal tracks, but manages to sustain their positive musical explorations. The vocal harmonies are truly majestic with compelling voices used throughout. The great thing about this album is that they did not try to carbon copy the first and really gave way to some new leanings and genuine progression to follow thru on. On this album TRIBUTE also dig more into the world music envelope with an African ditty (featuring Amadu Jarr on the African percussion) and a Scotish Celtic influenced track. Overall a great album full of excellent musicianship and expressive positive song writing.
 New Views by TRIBUTE album cover Studio Album, 1984
3.25 | 34 ratings

BUY
New Views
Tribute Crossover Prog

Review by loserboy
Prog Reviewer

4 stars TRIBUTE were a Swedish progressive band who recorded 2 very sweet studio albums in the mid 80's which featured GONG's Pierre Moerlen. "New Views" was their first album which features the most amazing 22 Mins epic track "New Views". This track alone makes the album well worth the price... gentle GENESIS-like 8 mins acoustic guitar intro with building symphonic keyboard passages and great melodic mid section instrumental interplay before the majestic and energized conclusion. This album is all instrumental with emphasis on the keyboards giving off a symphonic fusion world of colors and with the guitar accents really reminds me at times of CAMEL, ALAN PARSONS, ELOY and even The ENID. I must warn you that TRIBUTE's music is very easy going and takes you along for the ride without introducing cluttered and/or unnecessary complex time signature changes or mood swings. The focus of the music is definitely pro-melody with some real grand musical moments. In other words no real surprises here and a bit along the contemporary commercial side of things which is not as this proves always a bad thing my friends. Overall a great album and one of those albums progressive music fans will be grateful for owning in their collection... and one that Mom will love as well.
Thanks to ProgLucky for the artist addition. and to Quinino for the last updates

Copyright Prog Archives, All rights reserved. | Legal Notice | Privacy Policy | Advertise | RSS + syndications

Other sites in the MAC network: JazzMusicArchives.com — jazz music reviews and archives | MetalMusicArchives.com — metal music reviews and archives

Donate monthly and keep PA fast-loading and ad-free forever.