Ebba Grön "Live" (1998) (live)

Live (live)
release date: Apr. 1998
format: cd
[album rate: 4 / 5]
producer: Ebba Grön, Tony Thorén, Stefan Glaumann
label: MNW - nationality: Sweden

Live album by Ebba Grön released posthumously. It's a 19 tracks collection recorded live between Oct. 24, 1980 to Jul. 25, 1982.

24/10-1980, Folkets Park, Huskvarna - tracks 9-14
25/10-1980, Bellevueparken, Karlshamn - tracks 7-8
25/01-1981, EFMD, Västerhaninge - tracks 2-4
31/01-1981, Ultrahuset, Handen  - tracks 1, 5; 19 (last unlisted track)
17/11-1981, Kulturama, Stockholm - track 6
25/07-1982, Rockslagsfestivalen, Karlshamn - tracks 15-18

How do you really rate this? It's completely impossible to enlist any highlights as all 19 tracks seem essential. The band sound like you wish you'd been there. This is music history and there's luckily no traces of over-dubs. It's recorded as is, and it's pumped with energy.
This is fan-material - and better late than never, 'cause this really should have been released at some point back in 1982 when the music was much more relevant, but thanks a bunch to whoever belived in it.

Ebba Grön "Ebba Grön" (1982)

Ebba Grön
release date: Apr. 1982
format: vinyl (MLR-25) / digital
[album rate: 4 / 5] [3,96]
producer: Stefan Glaumann, Ebba Grön, Tony Thorén
label: Mistlur - nationality: Sweden

Track highlights: 1. "Flyktsoda" (4 / 5) (live) - 2. "Uppgång & fall" (4 / 5) - 3. "Heroinister & Kontorister" (4 / 5) - 4. "Stopp!" - 5. "Die Mauer" - 6. "Musketör" - 9. "Kärlek e stark" - 10. "Tittar på tv"

3rd and final studio album release by Ebba Grön who has been expanded to a quartet as Stry Terrarie (aka Anders Sjöholm) has been included on keyboards. Once again, the band has changed its sound as the album turns towards a new era with a more mainstream sound with traces of blues rock utilising horns, keyboards and strings, which basically makes it a near chamber pop release, but also points to later releases by the band Imperiet that should be founded by most of the band members from Ebba Grön.
I really loved this particular album at the time of its release, and forced to choose, I find it their best and most coherent album.
After this, the band officially split in 1983. The band's bassist Lennart 'Fjodor' Olof Birger Eriksson rejected to do obligatory military service in '82 and was subsequently imprisoned, which basically left the remainders of the band with their side-project Rumdimperiet, and in early 1983 it was announced that Ebba Grön had ceased to exist, but Thåström, Stry and Gurra continued in Imperiet.

Ebba Grön "Kärlek och uppror" (1981)

Kärlek och uppror
release date: Mar. 1981
format: vinyl (MLR-17) / digital
[album rate: 4 / 5] [3,86]
producer: Stefan Glaumann
label: Mistlur - nationality: Sweden

Track highlights: 1. "800°C" (4 / 5) - 2. "Mamma pappa barn" (4 / 5) - 3. "Stockholms pärlor" - 4. "Alla visa män" (4 / 5) (live) - 6. "Mental istid" - 9. "Slicka uppåt, sparka neråt" - 10. "Mord i mina tankar"

2nd studio album by Ebba Grön is recorded by the same cast of people as the debut - i.e. band members and producer Glaumann, but the sound has changed considerably to a more layered form.
The album really put the band on everyone's lips in Scandinavia back in the early 1980s. The music is no longer highly inspired by former American proto-punk artists but more securely reflects the band's very own original blend somewhere in between punk rock and new wave. The production sound is perhaps the most noticeable change compared to the debut from 1979, but also the lyrics by Joakim Thåström reflect a stronger social awareness.
All in all, this album is one of the true classics of the original Scandinavian punk rock scene. Kärlek och uppror was awarded the Swedish "Årets svenska album" ['Swedish album of the year'] prize Rockbjörnen in 1981.
Later in '81 the band became a quartet as keyboardist Stry Terrarie (aka Anders Sjöholm) was included and they began playing stronger blues rock-inspired material - they also released the single "Scheisse", which would be included on the band's third and final album in '82. Bassist Lennart 'Fjodor' Eriksson (apparently) found life on the road more than a tiresome affair, and still in '81, the band's front figure, lyricist, guitarist and vocalist Joakim 'Pimme' Thåström, drummer Gunnar 'Gurra' Ljungstedt and new band member keyboardist Stry Terrarie formed the side-project Rumdimperiet.
Highly recommendable.

Ebba Grön "We're Only in It for the Drugs" (1979)

We're Only in It for the Drugs [debut]
release date: Nov. 1979
format: vinyl (MLR-10) / digital
[album rate: 3,5 / 5] [3,46]
producer: Stefan Glaumann
label: Mistlur - nationality: Sweden

Track highlights: A) 1. "We’re Only in It for the Drugs No. 1" (live) - 2. "Totalvägra" - 3. "Jag hatar söndagar" - 6. "Beväpna er" - - B) 1. "Det måste vara radion" - 2. "Folk är farliga, folk bits" (4 / 5) - 3 ."Flyger" - 4. "Schweden Schweden" (4 / 5) - - *13. "Tyst för fan"
* Bonus track on cd issue

Studio album debut by Swedish punk rock band Ebba Grön, a trio consisting of Joakim 'Pimme' Thåström (aka Sven Joachim Eriksson Thåström), on this credited as 'Stortån' on vocals and guitar, Lennart 'Fjodor' Eriksson, here credited as 'Simple Simon' on bass and backing vocals, and with Gunnar 'Gurra' Ljungstedt, here appearing as 'Gunta' on drums.
The album is punk rock but with clear inspiration from 1970s psychedelic rock and garage rock scene - perhaps with sources in MC5, The Stooges, and of course referenced in the title: The Mothers of Invention ("We're Only in It for the Money"). The lyrics are typical (classic) punk issues: generation cleft, political and social issues. When one knows the debut album by The Clash, this is - without being a mere copy - very much a Scandinavian version of that same energy.
I think, this may be one of the first albums, I purchased with the band shortly after being introduced to some of their songs by a friend of a friend in '81. I always felt that it consisted of great tracks but also that it had too much focus on 70s guitar rock, which they would leave behind on their two following albums. The end track on the A side is credited The Haters - the name of the band before settling with Ebba Grön.

[ Ebba Grön live 1979 ]