Kaipa: Solo (remastered)

Kaipa's Solo was released on Decca Records in 1977, and saw the first change in the bands line-up, with Mats Löfgren enlisted to take over as full-time lead vocalist, and bassist Mats Lindberg replacing Tomas Eriksson. They joined the original members Roine Stolt (guitars), Hans Lundin (keyboards, vocals), and Ingemar Bergman (drums) to form a revamped version of Kaipa. Solo as such has a different flavor than their first two albums, Löfgren's vocals especially quite different than Lundin's, as he had a more mid-ranged, romantic style of singing, not far off from some of the Italian vocalists of the same era.

The album is once again split between vocal oriented symphonic rock pieces and instrumental prog rock excursions. "Den Skrattande Grevinnan" kicks off the album, a fine instrumental track with some tasty Lundin keys and Stolt's ever present nimble guitar lines, a formula that's also present on "Flytet". The vocal tracks on Solo tend to be less bombastic than on their prior releases, more atmospheric and even bluesy in spots, a far cry from the symphonic prog of old, and a sign of the direction the band was shortly to go in. As a result, it's the instrumentals that shine here, though even "Frog Funk" and "Tajgan" are somewhat restrained for Kaipa. It's not till the second half of the album that things really start to click, starting with the quirky & melodic prog of "Respektera Min Värld", littered with Lundin's great keyboard textures and Löfgren's passionate vocals, as well as the Genesis flavored "Total Förvirring", a real workout for Stolt's legato guitar solos. "Sist På Plan" closes out the album in grand fashion, with a slew of fiery guitar & synth trade-offs between Stolt and Lundin.

Overall, Solo is a clear step down from Kaipa's first two albums, but there was still plenty to enjoy on their third release with this new, revamped line-up. Lindberg is a fine bassist, but Eriksson's booming Rickenbacker bass is surely missed here, and the band seemed like they were wanting to write more commercial, emotional material. All in all though, some solid songs, and Tempus Fugit has once again done a great job on the remastered sound and packed booklet.

See more about this release on our recent YouTube show!

Track Listing

1. "Den Skrattande Grevinnan" (Roine Stolt)" 4:46
2. "Sen Repris" (Mats Löfgren, Roine Stolt) " 3:22
3. "Flytet" (Roine Stolt) " 2:46
4. "Anar Dig" (Mats Löfgren, Roine Stolt) " 4:05
5. "Frog Funk" (Roine Stolt) " 3:35
6. "Visan i Sommaren" (Hans Lundin) " 3:35
7. "Tajgan" (Hans Lundin) " 3:25
8. "Respektera Min Värld" (Mats Löfgren, Hans Lundin, Ingemar Bergman) " 6:16
9. En Igelkotts Död" (Hans Lundin) " 3:40
10. "Total Förvirring" (Mats Löfgren, Roine Stolt)" 7:25
11. "Sist På Plan" (Mats Löfgren), Roine Stolt) " 7:38

Added: July 14th 2018
Reviewer: Pete Pardo
Score:
Related Link: Band Website
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Language: english

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