Various Artists
Svenska punkklassiker vol. 2
MNW
It seems silly to call this "Volume 2" when disc one is essentially a reprise of the original "Svenska punkklassiker" comp with a slightly different tracklist and an extended timeframe. Sure, a few quality acts got culled in the process (or resigned to the excellent "Svensk postpunk klassiker" collection), but the heavy hitters (Ebba Grön, KSMB, etc.) remain. As for extending the date range to cover the entire 80s, well we can argue endlessly about who was unfairly left off and so on, but overall I think it allows for more variety, thus a better sampling of what early Swedish punk has to offer.
Disc two however, is where things become problematic. Swedish punk in the 90s was a mixed bag, to say the least, and I'm sure there's all sorts of folks out there who bristle at the inclusion of many bands here. C'mon, I love Fireside, but to call them classic Swedish punk is stretching things. Sure, they evolved from the right place, but to hear them followed by Skitsystem is quite a transition.
Anyhow, all issues of personal taste set aside, this collection does deliver a decent overview of the Swedish punk scene for novice listeners. The intro essay by Mikael Sörling gives the music historical context and the extra notes for each track (all på Svenska 'natch) are a most welcome touch, especially considering that they are sorely lacking from other collections in the Klassiker series. Of course, in an ideal world, we'd have a double-disc collection for each decade, but it still succeeds well enough as-is to earn a reserved recommendation.
- Avi Roig
