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So 2009 isn't quite over yet, but here is my top 40 artists chart for the past year, with short explanations for some of the artists:

1 Dark Moor: 569 scrobbles
Still my favorite band, the band that got me into power metal as well as metal in general.
2 Blind Guardian: 489 scrobbles
Maybe a bit artificially high on my charts because of the number of tracks in Nightfall in Middle Earth, but still deserving of a high spot.
3 Dream Theater: 468 scrobbles
Saw them in July in Asheville, and listened to Black Clouds & Silver Linings about a million times before the show.
4 Queen: 466 scrobbles
5 Helloween: 398 scrobbles
6 Nine Inch Nails: 390 scrobbles
I probably wouldn't have listened to NIN half as much if it wasn't for the fact that The Slip is free and Ghosts I-IV is really cheap. Thanks, Trent.
7 Led Zeppelin: 385 scrobbles
8 Opeth: 349 scrobbles
Everyone should listen to Opeth. Even if you don't like metal.
9 Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart: 342 scrobbles
Easily the most metal artist on my charts.
10 King Crimson: 298 scrobbles
11 Machinae Supremacy: 263 scrobbles
Another good free album, Deus Ex Machinae put this artist high on my charts.
12 Extol: 250 scrobbles
Listened to The Blueprint Dives a lot. If nobody told me, I would never be able to guess that they are the same band that made Burial, which is also great, but in a completely different way.
13 Tool: 247 scrobbles
14 Lacuna Coil: 245 scrobbles
15 Iron Maiden: 230 scrobbles
16 Holy Blood: 227 scrobbles
Of the bands I started listening to in 2009 for the first time, I think Holy Blood is my favorite. I can't wait to hear Oskord once they release something...
17 Nightwish: 222 scrobbles
18 Talking Heads: 206 scrobbles
19 Rush: 196 scrobbles
20 Rhapsody of Fire: 190 scrobbles
21 Yes: 188 scrobbles
There used to be an artist image of Chris Squire with a zebra stripe jacket and triple neck bass with a caption that read something like: "Scientists have determined that it is physically impossible to find a picture more prog than this." That always made me laugh.
22 Angra: 185 scrobbles
23 JT Bruce: 164 scrobbles
I have to say something for all the artists with free stuff - JT Bruce is great if you like technical instrumental prog metal. You can download three albums for free on Jamendo, and you can buy his latest (and best) album, Universica on his website.
24 Sonata Arctica: 163 scrobbles
25 Tourniquet: 153 scrobbles
26 The Allman Brothers Band: 146 scrobbles
27 Theatre of Tragedy: 142 scrobbles
28 Antonio Vivaldi: 141 scrobbles
I listened to a lot more "classical" music this year than I used to, which is something I'm happy about.
29 Cynic: 138 scrobbles
30 Narnia: 134 scrobbles
31 Ensiferum: 127 scrobbles
Saw them at Volume 11 Tavern in Raleigh in November (my car was hit and had to be towed along the way, forcing us to walk part of the way, but it was worth it).
32 Frédéric Chopin: 120 scrobbles
33 Depeche Mode: 118 scrobbles
34 NESkimos: 112 scrobbles
Their albums have tons of short songs, so they are a bit overrated on this chart. Video game cover bands are one of my guilty pleasures.
35 ZAO: 109 scrobbles
I've had The Fear Is What Keeps Us Here for years, but it wasn't until 2009 that I really started listening to it a lot. Usually I'm sort of turned off by metalcore, but I think Zao is pretty good regardless of their genre.
36 XOC: 107 scrobbles
Another video game band with lots of short songs and an unusually high number of scrobbles...
37 Black Sabbath: 106 scrobbles
37 VNV Nation: 106 scrobbles
39 Johann Sebastian Bach: 103 scrobbles
40 DragonForce: 101 scrobbles
DragonForce? How did this get here... I guess when their new album came out I listened to it a lot.

2010 predictions:
Jazz Fusion - I've been listening to Billy Cobham and I'd like to hear more of this. I've always wanted to listen to more Jazz, but I've found it inaccessible. I think I'll enjoy fusion a bit more.

Melodic Death - Since I like Ensiferum and Blackguard, I'd like to listen to more.

Thrash - I really enjoyed Gama Bomb (another artist with a free album available on their website), and I've never really explored thrash metal outside of Metallica/Slayer/Megadeth.

Less Power Metal - I'll probably keep listening to Dark Moor, Helloween, Blind Guardian, and the other artists I like, but I'll probably stop looking into new power metal bands in favor of some of the other genres I listed.

Katatonia – “Day and Then the Shade”
The Nice – “Azreal Revisited”
Porcupine Tree – “The Blind House”
Star One – “Dawn of a Million Souls (Live)”
It Bites – “Ghosts”
King Crimson – “One More Red Nightmare”
East of the Wall – “Clowning Achievement”
Marillion – “Goodbye To All That/Wave”
The Tangent – “The Company Car”
Therion – “Invocation of Naamah (Live)”
City Of Fire – “hollow land”

Well I've been on last.fm for almost 2 years now and my taste has changed dramatically over time. Looking at my top 50 overall I'm really not happy with most of the artist on their. Partly because at first when I discovered a band I loved I would scrobble the shit out of them until they reached a high status on my charts. Nowadays I can't be bothered with how much I scrobble an artist because there's always so much other music I want to check out. So here I am at 2 am listening to Tom Waits wasting the night away writing about what I think about my top 50.
= Looks great on my charts
= I like them but I'm not for 100% in having them high in my charts
= GTFO my charts.

1. Tool
Took me a while for me to love them. Then when they finally grew on me they immediately became one of my favorite bands. All their albums are great even their live album Salival is something worth checking out. And with each album better than the last I can only imagine how amazing their next album will be since 10,000 Days was so perfect.


2. The Cure
Immediately loved them when I first heard Disintegration. There early post-punk stuff is great but I think they hit they're peak with Disintegration. Weak was alright but everything after pretty much sucks. I still haven't checked out everything by them even with over 2000 scrobbles. They have so much material.


3. Opeth
First checked out Still Life. Loved it. Then Damnation. Bored me, except Windowpane. Like Tool it took me awhile before fully appreciating them. Now they've become one of my favorite bands.


4. Pink Floyd
Yeah classic band. Darkside Of The Moon, The Wall, and Animals are all classics to me.


5. A Perfect Circle
I don't really listen to them at all anymore. At first I was just a blind Tool fan loving Maynard's voice and his lyrics, now I think most lyrics are complete bullshit and appreciate artist for their musicianship. These guys are better than your average mainstream rock bands, some nice song writing that sets them apart from simply sounding generic. 3 Libras will always be one of my favorite songs.


6. Katatonia
I'm always an "on again off again" type of relationship with these guys. First heard The Great Cold Distance, loved it at first now I can barely sit through the whole thing. There other albums are the same, except Brave Murder Day which will always be their best. Overall, they have a lot of gems spread out in their albums, the best usually being bonus tracks and CD-singles.


7. Celldweller
I used to listen to this guy all the time. Now I think he is pretty overrated. Being a part of the AMV community is really sickening because everyone considers this guy a genius, pretty much every single song is done to death. Why do people praise this guy for being a one man band? Like there isn't millions of other solo artist who also create great music. He has some great material but I wouldn't call anything he's done a masterpiece. Every song he has released lately has been solid but I really don't think he can create a great album. I'll take a great album over a great song any day.


8. Puscifer
Actually checked him out before APC or Tool. Still love this project. V is for Vagina is a great album but I do think that it is very hit and miss. The stuff he has been putting out lately especially The Humbling River have got to be the best material released on here. I'm liking this new atmospheric direction.


9. Rise Against
My favorite generic nostalgic band. I don't really listen to them at all anymore but I don't mind it when I do.


10. Metallica
Really not sure how they got this high on my charts in the first place. I think they're classic albums for the most part are very overrated. Kill 'em All and ...And Justice for All are pretty good though. When Death Magnetic first released I loved it but since then I've gotten into a lot of other superior metal bands.


11. Eminem
Yeah hes a guilty pleasure. Will always be.


12. Devin Townsend
I completely love this guys work. His insanity is of my liking. Great musicianship. Addicted has also got to be one of my favorite 09 releases.


13. Agalloch
These guys can't release a bad record. Everything they've done is great.


14. King Crimson
Masters of Prog? Yeah In the Court of the Crimson King, Larks Tongue in Aspic and Red. are all essential for every prog lover.


15. Shining
Checked these guys out when I read that fucked up description about their beliefs and live performances, I just had to hear how fucked up this was. I'm glad I did give them a listen. Besides being fucked up V: Halmstad has got to be one of the greatest pieces of music I have ever heard. Every track is mind blowing. I haven't really gave their earlier stuff much of a listen. VI: Klagopsalmer was awful though.


16. Meshuggah
Didn't really want to check them out because how stupid their band pictures look. Chaosphere made me laugh, Jens Kidman sounded like a barking dog and the music just sucked. Catch-33 was a much better experience, their music was kind of annoying but I think that's what inevitably made them great for me....for some reason, don't really know how to describe my feelings toward them. They also became the headliners of the first concert I attended :).


17. Infected Mushroom
First heard the song Artillery which was great. I didn't check out the full album until a long time after which I regret because Vicious Delicious is a damn satisfying album. I don't care about how pop it is compared to how magical their earlier albums are. Infected Popshroom > Infected Mushroom. Not too much of a fan of them, they're live performance was hands down the best I've been too. I also helped advertise for them in their fanmanager street team and won an autographed poster and CD :D.


18. Amon Amarth
Twilight of the Thunder God unleashed my hidden craving for death metal. Now I think it's a pretty boring record. Metal gets old fast man.


19. Jerry Goldsmith
Lol, short lived movie soundtrack craving.


20. Angelspit
Addicting shit. Addicting when I first heard them. Still as addicting now. Even they're new release cleared my disappointment after a few listens. 2nd album has yet to grasp me.


21. My Bloody Valentine
Loveless


22. Beastie Boys
Hell Yeah! Probably a guilty pleasure, isn't it?


23. "Weird Al" Yankovic
Another guilty pleasure, right?


24. Nine Inch Nails
I never really liked them as much as I wanted to. All these scrobbles are a failed attempt for the most part. The Downward Spiral and The Fragile have some good songs but other than that I have never been able to see the magic.


25. Linkin Park
Angry generic emo shit.


26. Joy Division
A truly great band. Ian Curtis wrote some wonderful songs. Lyrics are all fantastic. Simple but hold so much meaning.


27. Ayreon
Gets old after while.


28. Mastodon
They're pretty good. Crack The Skye is such an overrated album it's ridiculous. Leviathan is great.


29. Cynic
Metal Gods!


30. Tom Waits
Absolute genius!


31. maudlin of the Well
Fucking insane band. Toby Driver is a genius.


32. Mindless Self Indulgence
Yeah I considered myself daring for listening to a band like this. They still have a few classics but I don't really listen to them anymore.


33. Modest Mouse
Have some great songs but as albums go they tend to fade with time.


34. John Carpenter
Only around Halloween


35. Scarling.
They are great...I haven't listened to them in a long time now


36. Guns N' Roses
Meh.


37. Shpongle
Should be as high as Infected Mushroom. Great music.


38. Porcupine Tree
I haven't really listened to many albums by them. I love Deadwing and Lightbulb Sun but most of the other stuff I've checked out is pretty boring.


39. Astronautalis
Amazing artist. Barrel Jumping (A Man Of Letters), The Waterfall and The Story of My Life all have got to be some of the greatest songs I've heard.


40. Thousand Foot Krutch
Generic Christian Rock


41. System of a Down
Such a faux pas


42. Vader
They won't be relevant in a couple of months


43. Have a Nice Life
Great album. Great bootleg demo album but recently I'm not feeling what I felt when I first listened months ago.


44. ASHES dIVIDE
Wow something completely shot out of my life.


45. Gojira
Metal that doesn't get boring. Great drumming also.


46. J.Viewz
Local New York band. Chill out album. So great.


47. Unwound
Leaves Turn Inside You is so great but like Have a Nice Life I think I'm growing out of this depressing shit.


48. Dane Cook
Why did I have him to begin with? =(


49. Bill Conti
Short lived Rocky soundtrack addiction. Still great but not something meant for heavy listening.


50. Black Light Burns
I kind of forced myself to like them. They suck. Only New Hunger, Cruel Melody and Lucretia My Reflection are good.



Final Verdict: Only 23 out of 50 artist I am satisfied with =(

In Svezia nei primi anni 70 bands e artisti nascevano come funghi dopo la pioggia in agosto ed ogni cantina o garage aveva la sua versione di Bob Dylan, Led Zeppelin o Rolling Stones. Nel sobborgo di Stoccolma, Bromma, i compagni di classe Björn Aggemyr (chitarra) e Björn "Nysse" (guitar) Nyström cominciarono a strimpellare i loro strumenti quando erano appena dodicenni. Il tastierista Christer Sjöborg si unì e Kurt Persson suonò la batteria con loro per un breve periodo. Fu presto sostituito da Peter Sandberg e decisero di chiamarsi Goda Vänner & Musik (Buoni Amici & Musica). Questi quattro ragazzi provavano in una piccola stanza di 3,5 X 3,5 metri nello scantinato del padre di Nysse, e principalmente facevano pezzi delle band britanniche di hard rock del periodo come Deep Purple o Uriah Heep. Björn e Nysse riuscirono a persuadere il loro insegnante alla scuola Riksbyskolan di Bromma a permettergli di mostrare il loro talento agli altri scolari. La proposta fu accettata, ma avrebbero dovuto portare la propria strumentazione, problema che fu risolto invitando il fratello di Björn, Jan Aggemyr, nella band. Jan aveva la patente ed un'auto, una chitarra elettrica e la capacità di usarla, il che era proprio ciò che serviva. Poco prima del loro debutto i ragazzi avevano trovato un pacchetto di pane raffermo nella sala prove. La marca era Wasa Bröd e l'etichetta "ger råg I ryggen" (dà forza e coraggio) catturò subito la loro attenzione, e fu così che nacque il nome Råg I Ryggen.
A quel tempo, nel 1974, i ragazzi nella band avevano tra i 15 ed i 20 anni, ma avevano già equipaggiamento musicale e attrezzature da non sfigurare di fronte a band ricche e famose, come Yes o King Crimson. I chitarristi Jan e Nysse suonavano chitarre Gibson o fatte da loro, Björn aveva un basso Rickenbacker, e Peter suonava un drum kit Rogers completo. Il tastierista Christer aveva una dozzina di tastiere, tra cui uno dei primi Mini Moogs svedesi e un Hammond A-100 con 2 speaker Leslie da 150 watt! Il suo materiale da solo avrebbe riempito per metà il pullman dei Råg I Ryggen, senza contare il problema di averlo sempre stipato nella cantina del padre di Nysse mentre provavano.
Nel 1974 la band suonava regolarmente a Stoccolma e nei sobborghi nelle vicinanze, e parteciparono anche ad un concorso che serviva per scoprire nuovi talenti musicali. In quel periodo era Nysse il cantante della band, anche se circa metà del loro repertorio era strumentale. Nederlaget è il nome di un'altra band che si esibì quella notte e il loro vocalist, Jonas Warnerbring, fu notato dai Råg I Ryggen. E' il figlio del famoso cantante Östen Warnerbring che ha rappresentato la Svezia all'Eurovision Song Contest negli anni 60, tuttavia i loro stili vocali non sono né simili né comparabili. Jonas fu avvicinato da Nysse e Björn quella sera e fu presto convinto a lasciare i Nederlaget in favore dei Råg I Ryggen. Con il nuovo vocalist, la band si poteva concentrare maggiormente sul proprio materiale e riprese a suonare nella piccola cantina, a dispetto del fatto che i Råg I Ryggen adesso erano in 6 e più orientati verso sonorità progressive, pur non tradendo le loro radici che affondavano nell' hard rock. I genitori di Nysse non si lamentarono mai della musica pesante che veniva da sotto, nemmeno quando una finestra si ruppe a causa del volume esagerato.
Una sera quell'autunno Peter era uscito a bere con alcuni amici, e mentre aspettava il treno per tornare a casa fece amicizia con Kjell Gradin, un anziano gentleman che guarda caso gestiva un'etichetta discografica! Nel loro stato di alterazione alcolica si accordarono subito per un test recording e solo poche settimane più tardi la band aveva ordinato tutto il suo equipaggiamento in un piccolo studio di Sundbyberg. Råg I Ryggen aveva suonato Spångaforsens Brus ed una canzone ormai sconosciuta, ma né Kjell Gradin né il suo piccolo studio erano preparati per l'assalto musicale e questa registrazione fu rovinata dal suono pesantemente distorto. L'etichetta Rondo aveva precedentemente registrato solo Göingeflickorna ed altre band vocali molto soft, ma questo non scoraggiò Kjel che fece un altro tentativo di registrare i suoi nuovi apprendisti appena scoperti. Prenotò l'EMI-studio di Skärmarbrink - che era uno dei più moderni studios a 16 canali della Svezia a quei tempi - per due giorni interi per registrare un album con la band. Le date erano il 22 ed il 23 di febbraio e presto si presentò un altro problema. I testi di alcune canzoni erano di solito improvvisati sul palco, ma la band pensò che non avrebbe funzionato in studio. Il testo per Naked Man fu scritto il giorno prima della registrazione e il tocco finale per Queen Of Darkness fu dato nelle ore precedenti l'arrivo allo studio alle 09.00 AM. L'album fu registrato in 16 ore. Tutti gli strumenti, tranne il sintetizzatore, furono registrati live il primo giorno, mentre tutte le parti vocali e il mixaggio furono fatti il secondo giorno. Fu scoperto qualche piccolo errore, ma non c'era tempo per il redub, e tuttavia ascoltando l' album oggi queste piccole cose danno autenticità al groove ed alla musica.
L'album eponimo uscì nell'aprile 1975 e qualcuna delle canzoni in lingua svedese fu trasmessa in radio. Rondo sembrava credere nella musica dei Råg I Ryggen così distribuì tra le 8000 e le 10000 copie dell'album e prenotò la partecipazione al Gröna Lund per il 3 luglio. L'album fu distribuito da EMI in Svezia ma non all'estero. Nel periodo in cui l'album fu preparato la band aveva almeno 2 esibizioni dal vivo alla settimana e provava 2 o 3 volte alla settimana mentre ognuno lavorava anche a tempo pieno (quattro di loro lavoravano in negozi di musica!). I fan dei Råg I Ryggen a Stoccolma crescevano sempre più e a volte loro regalavano dischi alle persone del pubblico che avevano il coraggio di salire sul palco e cantare con loro e questo accadeva abbastanza frequentemente. La band aveva il proprio tecnico del suono ed un amico che si occupava delle luci allo stesso modo di un rigido codice morale: non era permesso l'uso di alcol prima e durante l'esibizione, anche se il pubblico ne faceva uso per essere "carico". Le esibizioni di solito consistevano di 2 sessioni di 45 minuti, e di solito loro erano l'unica band della serata, anche se una volta ebbero un concerto assieme alla blues rock band Nature.
Quando arrivò il giorno del concerto al Gröna Lund, l'arrangiatore disse che sarebbe stato loro permesso di suonare per mezz'ora al massimo, e dovettero pianificare una lista di canzoni adatta. Il volume fu regolato dalla stessa band e la loro performance fu la seconda più rumorosa mai registrata al Gröna Lund (solo i Wishbone Ash erano stati più rumorosi). Tutto fu molto bello con una grande connessione col pubblico, ma quando mancava solo il coro finale di Sanningsserum qualcuno tagliò la corrente! Questo era già accaduto a Jimi Hendrix circa sette anni prima, e quell'evento fa ormai parte del folklore del Gröna Lund, ma questo lasciò sia i Råg I Ryggen che il pubblico sbalorditi. Gli elettricisti del Gröna Lund inizialmente dichiararono che un fusibile era saltato, ma in seguito ammisero che avevano effettivamente tagliato la corrente per evitare che i Råg I Ryggen suonassero anche solo un secondo in più del consentito.
La band suonava anche fuori Stoccolma, in posti come Norrtälje, Orsa e Gävle. La distanza non era mai esagerata e la band tornava a casa dei genitori di Nysse dopo ogni concerto, dove la attendevano dei panini o una tarda cena.
Il contratto tra i Råg I Ryggen e Rondo diceva che sarebbero dovute essere registrate più canzoni, ma essere week end rockstar e allo stesso tempo avere lavori a tempo pieno - combinato con la crescita di differenze musicali - alla fine ebbe un effetto negativo sulla band. All'inizio del 1976 il cantante Jonas Warnerbring ed il batterista Peter Sandberg lasciarono il gruppo e furono sostituiti rispettivamente da Bo Lantz e Jonas Edgren. Questo portò nuove influenze e una nuova direzione musicale. Le canzoni divennero più complesse e i testi spiritosi vennero eliminati per lasciare il posto a discorsi più seri. Tristemente questo non funzionò molto bene e la band fece solo pochi concerti prima di sciogliersi circa sei mesi dopo. Non esiste materiale scritto dall' ultima line- up della band in studio, e c è solo un live di qualità mediocre. Questo è triste, anche perchè l' LP originale si può trovare ad un prezzo oscillante tra i 100 ed i 150 dollari, e l'album è considerato un classico tra i conoscitori del progressive e dell hard rock svedese.

[Dal booklet del CD Råg I Ryggen scritto da Tobias Petterson]

In Sweden in the early 70s bands and artists sprang up like mushrooms after an August rain and every other cellar and garage had its own version of Bob Dylan, Led Zeppeli or Rolling Stones. In the Stockholm suburb Bromma classmates Björn Aggemyr (bass) and Björn "Nysse" (guitar) Nyström began banging away on their instruments when they were just twelve years old. Keyboard player Christer Sjöborg soon joined in and Kurt Persson played drums with them for a short while. He was soon replaced by Peter Sandberg and the band named themselves Goda Vänner & Musik (Good Friends & Music). These four kids rehearsed in a 3,5 X 3,5 metres small room in Nysse's father cellar, and mostly played songs by british hard rock bands like Deep Purle and Uriah Heep. Björn and Nysse managed to persuade their teacher at school (Riksbyskolan in Bromma) to allow them to show their talents in front of the other pupils. The proposal was accepted, but they had to bring their own musical equipment, a problem which was solved by bringing in Björn's older brother Jan Aggemyr into the band. Jan had a driver's license and a car, an electric guitar and the knowledge to use it, thus fitting the bill perfectly. Shortly before this début performance the boys found a package of old bread in the rehearsal room. The brand was Wasa Bröd and his tag line "ger råg I ryggen" (gives strength and courage) immediately caught the band's attention, and the name Råg I Ryggen was born.
At this time, in 1974, the boys in the band were between fifteen and twenty years old, but the band had assembled musical equipment and gear like a rich and famous groups like Yes or King Crimson. Guitarists Jan and Nysse playing Gibson guitars or homemade ones, Björn had a Rickenbacker bass and Peter thundered away on a full-fledged Rogers drum kit. Keyboard player Christer had six pairs of keys, including one of Sweden's first Mini Moogs and a Hammond A-100 with two 150 watt Leslie speakers! His gear alone would fill half of Råg I Ryggen tourbus, not to mention the trouble of having it all stashed in Nysse's parent's cellar while rehearsing.
In 1974 the band would perform regularly at youth centres around Stockholm and its suburbs, and they also entered a talent hunt at Jarlateatern. Nysse was the vocalist around this time but about half of the band's repertoire was instrumental. Nederlaget was another band that performed that same evening and that band's vocalist Jonas Warnerbring caught the attention of Råg I Ryggen. He is the son of famous Swedish singer/performer Östen Warnerbring, who had represented Sweden in the Eurovision Song Contest in the sixties, although their vocal styles are neither comparable nor alike. Jonas was approached by Nysse and Björn that evening and was soon persuaded to quit Nederlaget in favour of Råg I Ryggen.
With a new vocalist on board, the band concentrated more on their own material and kept rehearsing in the small cellar room despite the fact that Råg I Ryggen now consisted of six members and more progressive sound developed, although the band still had his roots in hard rock. Nysse's parent's never complained about the heavy music almost coming from below, not even when a window broke due to the high volume produced in the enclosed quarter.
An evening that autumn Peter had been out drinking with some friends, and while he waited for the train ride home he befriended Kjell Gradin, an elderly gentleman who appened to run a record label! In their drunken state they immediately agreed on a test recording, and only a few weeks later the band had lined up all their equipment in a small studio in Sundbyberg. Råg I Ryggen performed Spångaforsens Brus and a now unknown song, but since neither Kjell Gradin nor his small studio was prepared for the musical assault and this recording was ruined by a heavily distorted sound. The Rondo label had previously only recorded the likes of Göingeflickorna and other very soft vocal acts, but this didn't deter Kjel from making another attempt at recording his newly discovered apprentices. He booked the EMI-studio in Skärmarbrink - which was one of the most modern 16-channel studios in Sweden at the time - for two full days to record a full-lenght album with the band. The dates were the 22nd and 23rd of February, and suddenly a new problem came up. The lyrics for some of the songs where usually improvised on stage, but the band figured that it would not work out in the studio. The lyrics for Naked Man were written the day before the recording and the final touch on Queen Of Darkness were made in the early hours before Råg I Ryggen arrived at the studio at 09.00 AM. The album was recorded in 16 hours. All instruments, except for the synthesizer, were recorded live the first day, while all vocals and mixing was made the second day. Some small errors were soon discovered, but there was no time for overdubs, but while listening to the album today these small things only add authenticity to the groove and general feel of the music.
The eponymous album was released in April 1975 and some of the Swedish-language songs were aired by the Swedish radio. Rondo seemed to believe in Råg I Ryggen's music and issued between eight and ten thousand copies of the album, as well as booking a gig at the big scene at Gröna Lund on the 3rd of July. The album was distributed by EMI throughout Sweden, but not abroad.
At the time the album was released the band performed live at least two times a week, rehearsed two or three times while everyone held full-time jobs (four of them actually worked in music stores!). Råg I Ryggen's following in Stockholm grew bigger and sometimes they woul give records to people in the audience i they dared to ascend the stage amd sing with the band, and this would occur quite frequently. The band had their own sound technician and a friend doing the lightning, as well as a strict moral codex: no alcohol was allowed before or during a gig, although the audiences used to be loaded. The gigs would usually consist of two 45-minute sets, and usually they would be the only band of the evening, although they once performed alongside the blues-rock act Nature.
When the day of the Gröna Lund gig came, the arranger told the band that they would be allowed to perform for half an hour at the most, and had to plan the track list accordingly. The volume was set by the band themselves and the performance was to be the second loudest ever measured at Gröna Lund (only Wishbone Ash had been louder). All went very well with a great connection between band and audience, but with only the final chorus of Sanningsserum left to play someone cut the power! This had previously happened to Jimi Hendrix some seven years earlier and that event is now part of Gröna Lund folklore, but this left both Råg I Ryggen and the visitors flabbergasted. The electricians at Gröna Lund initially claimed that a fuse has gone, but later admitted that they had actually cut the power to prevent Råg I Ryggen from playing as much as one second more than agreed.
The band also played outside Stockholm, in places like Norrtälje, Orsa and Gävle. The distance was never too great though and the band always returned home to Nysse's parents after every gig, where sandwiches or a late dinner awaited them.
The contract between Råg I Ryggen and Rondo stated that more songs should be recorded, but being week-end rock stars and full-time employees at once - combined with growing musical differences- finally took its toll on the band. In early 1976 vocalist Jonas Warnerbring and drummer Peter Sandberg left the band and they were replaced by Bo Lantz and Jonas Edgren respectively. This brought fresh influences and a new musical direction. The songs became more complex and the witty lyrics were brushed aside for more serious topics. Sadly this did not work out too well and the band made only a few live performances before breaking up about half a year later.
None of the material written by the band's last line-up was ever recorded in a studio, and only a live performance with mediocre sound quality exists. This is sad, since the original vinyl version of Råg I Ryggen's only album currently swaps hands for about $ 100-150, and the album is generally considered a classic among connoisseurs of swedish progressive and hard rock.

[From the booklet of the CD Råg I Ryggen written by Tobias Petterson]

A fourth Soleil Vert album in 2009!

"Génétiquement modifié is now available in full on last.fm!

As a concept album about genetically modified food, Génétiquement modifié is made of interrupted sequences, spliced fragments, all modified in the lab at the cellular level usign foreign dna... translated into sound manipulation and textures.

Heavy bass pedal notes under harsh percussion and flickering synths. Tangerinesque monosynth solos over a minimal tapestry. Glitch, ambient, minimal, this album is a departure from the techniques Soleil Vert used before. This is Soleil Vert, but Genetically Modified!

Leaning towards harsh idm beats at first, with Première mutation opening in the vein of Autechre and all, with a very classic industrial sound, then going towards Poison, one of the very strong tracks in defining Soleil Vert's sound for this album. After some more broken beats, Docteur Frankenfood appears in a more melodic fashion reminiscent of Jean-Michel Jarre... Other notable nod to the past is Synthétique versus organique giving a flasback to Tangerine Dreams fans...

Some fresh sounding takes on classic feels that can please fans of Pink Floyd to King Crimson, with some new territories explored along the lines of ambient and industrial mixed together in various proportions, "Génétiquement modifié" is a must try for discerning contemporary instrumental electonica listeners.

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Useful links:

Soleil Vert's own website:
Listen to whole albums online!

LastFM artist page:
Soleil Vert

New album page on LastFM:
Génétiquement modifié

these are in a rough order

52. Stored Up Wonder (Supernatural Force) - Sebadoh
51. I Talk To The Wind - King Crimson
50. Rock 'N' Roll Star - Oasis
49. 6060-842 - The B-52's
48. Split Myself In Two - Meat Puppets
47. Breather - Chapterhouse
46. In The Flowers - Animal Collective
45. Psycho Killer - Talking Heads
44. See Emily Play - Pink Floyd
43. 25 O'Clock - The Dukes of Stratosphear
42. Bennett Cerf - Shadowy Men on a Shadowy Planet
41. Up Front - Wipers
40. Lowdown - Wire
39. Birdhouse In Your Soul - They Might Be Giants
38. Hanging Around - Stranglers
37. Brave Captain - fIREHOSE
36. Soul Kitchen - The Doors
35. The Killing Moon - Echo and the Bunnymen
34. Superfly - Curtis Mayfield
33. Jack's Shadow - Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds
32. Your Protector - Fleet Foxes
31. Rattlesnakes - Lloyd Cole & The Commotions
30. The Wicker Man - Iron Maiden
29. That's When I Reach For My Revolver - Mission of Burma
28. Hateful - The Clash
27. Inside Me - The Jesus and Mary Chain
26. She's So High - Blur
25. Step On - Happy Mondays
24. Going Away To College - blink-182
23. IfWhiteAmericaToldTheTruthForOneDayIt'sWorldWouldFallApart - Manic Street Preachers
22. Dig For Fire - Pixies
21. Soul Love - David Bowie
20. Slip Inside This House - Primal Scream
19. Beginning - The Durutti Column
18. Aneurysm - Nirvana
17. It Girl - Brian Jonestown Massacre
16. Young Hearts Spark Fire - Japandroids
15. What Do I Get? - Buzzcocks
14. Off Duty Trip - The Raincoats
13. She Bathed Herself In A Bath of Bleach - Manic Street Preachers
12. Is She Weird - Pixies
11. 50ft Queenie - PJ Harvey
10. At Home He's A Tourist - Gang of Four
09. Spend, Spend, Spend - The Slits
08. Cold Hands - Black Lips
07. Elevation - Television
06. Geek U.S.A. - Smashing Pumpkins
05. Sugar Kane - Sonic Youth
04. Metal Mickey - Suede
03. Die In The Summertime - Manic Street Preachers
02. Words Fail Me - The Sound
01. Aladdin Sane - DAVID BOWIE


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