Coming August 21 via , "Ny Våg - Svensk Punk / New Wave / Synth 1977-1982", a new and long-awaited book by collector Peter Kagerland on the early history of Sweden's legendary punk scene. It's Swedish-only, but it does include a bonus CD and will probably look quite nice filed on my shelft next to Premium's previously-released and very informative "Encyclopedia of Swedish Punk". Anyhow, details and ordering info is here.
As with most Premium Publishing releases, the issue is whether or not you are interested in subject matter because ontent-wise, they have no peers, even if said content is flawed. In this particular case, "The Encyclopedia of Swedish Punk" is marred by substandard editing (bad grammar, spelling errors, inconsistent formatting), but more than makes up for it by providing a vast wealth of information. Where else are you going to find this stuff? It's got it all: band bios and full discography details including tracklists, cover art and pressing info for every single notable release that came out of the genre's first decade of existence. And I have to say, the poor proofing kinda makes me miss my old punk zines. If it was perfect it wouldn't be punk.
Some may balk at whether or not various bands were included (or not), but as author Peter Jandreus pointed out in our interview, it's his book and anyone who disagrees is more than welcome to write their own competing guide. I actually think the personal approach works well as it gives the collection a more cohesive feel and makes for a far more entertaining read, especially when it comes to bands and styles Peter may not be so fond of. And really, without a notable bias, the review quips and ratings would be worthless. It gives it perspective. On the other hand, I would have liked to see a bit more anecdotes or "where-are-they-now?" features, but I also fully understand how easy it would be to become completely overwhelmed by that much information. More is often better, but it can also become tedious very easily. In that case, the tease of a short quip is all the more enticing for readers explore deeper on their own, a task that I see as one of the book's main goals.
Minor quibbles aside, "The Encyclopedia of Swedish Punk" comes very highly recommended. Vinyl fetishists will no doubt appreciate the physical permanence of a hefty guidebook and the content contained therein is unbeatable, even with the wealth of information readily available online. I'm already looking forward to the next volume. - Avi Roig
If you are seriously interested in the history of Swedish music, by all means, ignore the number rating printed above and get this. "Stora rock'n'roll" is a beautifully packaged 4-disc book + CD set filled with extensive liner notes (på Svenska) and wonderful pictures. Beyond the usual background and lineup info, this collection also includes the cover art (or center label) for almost every track which is a true bounty for all vinyl-lovers. As for the music itself, well, that's where assessment starts to get a bit more difficult.
On one hand, the historical importance of these songs are unassailable, but on the other side of things, how many versions of "Rockin' robin" do you really need? Sometimes I feel like even the Bobby Day original is one too many. Also, consider that while there are many fine musicians on display here, a great majority of them aren't doing much more than aping their American counterparts, often without offering any improvement over the originals. It's pleasant enough, but far too few tracks rise above mediocrity and as such, it sometimes struggles to hold my attention. Ultimately, that's the reason for my less-than-stellar rating. While "Stora rock'n'roll" definitely holds an important place in my own personal collection, understand that its appeal is limited. If the context doesn't significantly interest you, the music won't either. - Avi Roig
Peter Jandreus
Various Artists
