Bo Hansson - Music inspired by Lord of the Rings

 Bo Hansson (10 April 1943 – 23 April 2010)^[1] was a Swedish musician best known for his four instrumental albums released in the 1970s.

Music Inspired by Lord of the Rings is an instrumental progressive rock album by Swedish musician Bo Hansson.^[1] As its title suggests, it is a concept album based on author J. R. R. Tolkien's high fantasy novel, The Lord of the Rings.^[2] The album was originally issued in Sweden in late 1970, under the Swedish title of Sagan om ringen, and was subsequently re-released internationally as Music Inspired by Lord of the Rings in September 1972.^[3][4]

The album reached the Top 40 of the UK Album Chart^[5] and was eventually certified gold in the UK and Australia.^[6] It was also moderately successful in America, where it reached number 154 on the Billboard Top LPs & Tapes chart.^[7] Music Inspired by Lord of the Rings remains the only release by Hansson to have reached the UK and US charts and as a result, it is by far his best known and most successful album.^[4][5][8]

 

Track listing

All tracks composed by Bo Hansson, original song titles in parenthesis.

Side one

1. "Leaving Shire" (Första vandringen) – 3:28
2. "The Old Forest & Tom Bombadil" (Den gamla skogen / Tom Bombadil) – 3:43
3. "Fog on the Barrow-Downs" (I Skuggornas rike) – 2:29
4. "The Black Riders & Flight to the Ford" (De svarta ryttarna / Flykten till vadstället) – 4:07
5. "At the House of Elrond & The Ring Goes South" (I Elronds hus / Ringen vandrar söderut) – 4:40

Side two

6. "A Journey in the Dark" (En vandring i mörker) – 1:10
7. "Lothlórien" – 4:01
8. "Shadowfax" (Skuggfaxe) – 0:51
9. "The Horns of Rohan & The Battle of the Pelennor Fields" (Rohans horn / Slaget på Pelennors slätter) – 3:57
10. "Dreams in the House of Healing" (Drömmar i Läkandets hus) – 1:56
11. "Homeward Bound & The Scouring of the Shire" (Hemfärden / Fylke rensas) – 2:54
12. "The Grey Havens" (De grå hamnarna) – 4:57

1988 CD reissue bonus tracks

13. "Findhorn's Song" – 1:36
14. "Before the Rain" – 1:30
15. "Fylke" – 1:52
16. "Playing Downhill into the Downs" – 1:45
17. "Wandering Song" – 3:16
18. "Excursion with Complications (Part One)" – 1:55
19. "Rabbit Music – Intro" – 0:38
20. "Attic Thoughts – Repose" – 2:18
21. "Attic Thoughts – Wandering" – 2:23
22. "Rabbit Music – Fiver" – 2:43
23. "A Happy Prank" – 3:17

2002 CD reissue bonus track

13. "Early Sketches from Middle Earth" (Tidiga skisser från Midgård) – 8:52

Personnel

• Bo Hansson – organ, guitar, Moog synthesizer, bass guitar
• Rune Carlsson – drums, congas
• Gunnar Bergsten – saxophone
• Sten Bergman – flute
• Peter Lindholm – cover painting (original 1970 release)
• Jane Furst – cover painting (1972 release)
• Rodney Matthews – cover painting (1977 reissue)