Trettioåriga Kriget - Hej På Er. 1978 Sweden

1978 was a tough year for mainstream progressive rock bands in general. And while Trettioåriga Kriget were hardly a household name here in the States, they certainly were well known back home in Sweden. To survive, the expectation was for a band to produce a hit record of some sort. It's pop, punk, and disco - and a global plague of ADD. No more long journeys into the netherworld to sit back and contemplate. And Trettioåriga Kriget's first two brilliant albums are just that, showcasing an imaginative and talented band. So what's a group like this to do? Compromise. And honestly, Trettioåriga Kriget did about as good a job as anyone in accomplishing this. Had everyone followed this blueprint, prog rock may have indeed survived longer than it did. But most were hapless at trying (and leading lights Yes and ELP certainly turned in their respective clunkers for the year). Hej På Er balances straightforward rock with deceptively complex progressive music in compact form. It's not perfect of course, and the first two tracks are pretty bland. As if they were trying to fool the coked out record execs, and hoping they'd leave before the good stuff began playing. It's not a monster album naturally, but it's accomplished and not something to apologize for. It's instantly recognizable as a Trettioåriga Kriget album, but a bit more diluted. Something akin to a double IPA being reduced to a lager.

Ownership: LP: 1978 Mistlur. Single sleeve. Online acquisition (2014).

2008; 4/23/14; 9/27/17 (new entry)