A couple of days ago, I stumbled upon a record by the Tages, a Swedish band from the mid 60's. I had heard the record briefly mentioned by a few sources - it was favorably compared to Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band - and decided to track it down for myself. I've got to say, I'm shocked and appalled. How could I possibly go this long without any knowledge of Studio (1967 or 1968, depending on the source), a gem in an era of gems?
Studio is mid-60's album of very high quality. It is laden with short (and exceptionally well-written) pop songs that couple competent rock arrangements with moments of ornate orchestration. While by no means a mirror of its influences, the album is reminiscent of everything from the Kinks (perhaps the best point of comparison) to the Left Banke, Beatles, and Pretty Things. Also of note are the lyrics (despite the record being from Sweden, the band's lead singer was British), which are at times rather edgy for the time period (have a listen to the linked file for an example).
I have been listening to this record incessantly, and am horrified that it never managed to chart in the UK or US. As far as I'm concerned, it's on par with SF Sorrow or any of the Kinks' contemporaneous albums. Always a shame when great art goes unnoticed...
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Surveying the seas of music one cupful at a time.
Disclaimer
All tracks are posted out of love and admiration. The links are valid for a limited amount of time or downloads (seven days or 100 downloads, whichever comes first).
If you hold the copyright to any of the mp3s posted here and would like them removed, please contact me and they will be removed as soon as possible.
If you hold the copyright to any of the mp3s posted here and would like them removed, please contact me and they will be removed as soon as possible.
2 comments:
Would be great if you could re-up this one.
By the way, after Tages most of the guys went into another band, Blond. Blond's album The Lilac Years is wonderful and well worth getting hold of.
My pleasure. I've just re-uploaded the file.
Due to webspace issues, my uploads usually expire after 100 downloads or 7 days (whichever comes first). But how can I deny somebody who wants to hear the Tages? Enjoy the track.
You're absolutely right - Blond is a great band. I recently posted about them on Feb. 25. Check out their cover of "The Weight." Interesting stuff.
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