Various Artists: Knutsen and Ludvigsen - Jubaleumsplate

Being a reviewer of music often brings the unexpected, sometimes that’s a good thing and sometimes not so much. This latest platter on offer is a compilation album featuring the songs of the Norwegian duo Øystein Dolmen and Gustav Lorentzen, more commonly known as Knutsen & Ludvigsen. What makes this surprising is the duo made a series of albums in the ‘70s geared towards children's music. While many of the artists featured here are unfamiliar to me, some are more well known like Arabs In Aspic, Tusmørke and Kryptograf. So, you have a weird combination of progressive rock combined with songs originally aimed at a younger audience. Gustav unfortunately passed away in 2011, so consider this a celebration of the music they created.

There is still a childlike element at play here, but these bands have certainly put their own spin on things. The band Racer tackles the first tune “Sjørøverkaptein Knutsen�, turning it into a gritty hard rock affair. The vocals are a little gruff for my tastes but it’s all fairly enjoyable overall. Gentle guitar and strings begin “Dyrevise� and Arabs In Aspic add proggier touches here and there, creating an infectious melody with outstanding lead vocals. The Beatles came to mind while listening to the melodic “Trikken Hjem�, this time it’s the Bare Egil Band at the helm. The lead vocalist has a very nice voice making this one quite enjoyable. Deathcrush gives a post rock element to “Knutsens Drøm� with their densely droning background soundscapes adding to the disc’s variety of sounds. Tusmørke adds their patented progressive/folk leanings to “Måneland� while Kryptograf ends the disc in strong fashion with their rendition of “Dum and Deilig�, a super catchy guitar led rock tune.

Overall, this is an enjoyable listen so by all means give it a shot. I was pleasantly surprised. By the way, the vocals are in Norwegian so keep that in mind.

Track Listing:
1. Racer - Sjørøverkaptein Knutsen (2:47)
2. Arabs In Aspic - Dyrevise (5:38)
3. Silja Sol - Ku I Tunnelen (2:58)
4. Jørund Vålandsmyr & Menigheten - Arm i arm med det store dyret (2:56)
5. Frank Hammersland & Kaptein Kaliber - Liten Aftensang (3:38)
6. Bare Egil Band - Trikken Hjem (2:24)
7. Endre Olsen - Hei Ny Dag (3:27)
8. Tusmørke - Måneland (7:08)
9. Vulture Industries - Matpakkevise (2:34)
10. Deathcrush - Knutsens Drøm (3:59)
11. Kryptograf - Dum and Deilig (3:54)

Added: February 17th 2022
Reviewer: Jon Neudorf
Score:
Related Link: Label's Official Site
Hits: 375
Language: english

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