Bo Hansson Attic Thoughts (Album)

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

Recording and release

The album was recorded during 1974 and 1975 at Studio Decibel in Stockholm, and at Hansson's home, which had virtually become a studio by this point in his career.^[3][4] The album featured contributions from many of the same session musicians and friends that had played on Hansson's previous album, Magician's Hat.^[4] In addition to featuring Hansson's usual blend of other-worldly progressive rock and fairy tale-like ambiance, Attic Thoughts includes a suite named "Rabbit Music", which was inspired by Richard Adams' novel Watership Down, a subject which Hansson would explore further on his 1977 album Music Inspired by Watership Down.^[5]

In Hansson's native Sweden, Attic Thoughts was released with the Swedish title of Mellanväsen.^[6] It was released with its English title in April 1975 by Charisma Records,^[2][7] but was less commercially successful than Hansson's preceding solo albums and failed to reach the charts in the UK or the United States.^[5][8][9]

Track listing

All tracks composed by Bo Hansson except where indicated.

Side 1

1. "Attic Thoughts: a) March b) Repose c) Wandering" – 5:33
2. "Time and Space" – 1:39
3. "Waiting..." (Bo Hansson, Kenny Håkansson) – 7:34
4. "Waltz for Interbeings" – 3:26

Side 2

1. "Time for Great Achievements" – 3:11
2. "The Hybrills" – 1:24
3. "Rabbit Music: a) General Woundwort b) Fiver" – 6:30
4. "Day and Night" – 4:33
5. "A Happy Prank" – 3:17

2004 CD reissue bonus track

10. "The Crystal Suite: a) Crystals b) Memories of Darkness c) Light Again" – 6:21

Personnel

• Bo Hansson – organs, guitars, bass guitar, synthesizer, mellotron, special effects
• Rune Carlsson – drums
• Kenny Håkansson – electric guitar
• Jöran Lagerberg – bass guitar, acoustic guitar
• Gunnar Bergsten – saxophone
• Rolf Scherrer – acoustic guitar
• Tomas Netzler – bass guitar
• Mats Glenngård – violin
• Anders Oredsson – mixing on "Waiting..."
• Jan Ternald – cover painting
• Barry Lester and Company – artwork

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)

B̤o̤ H̤a̤n̤s̤s̤o̤n̤ | M̤a̤gi̤c̤i̤a̤n̤'s̤ H̤a̤t̤ Full Album (1973)

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

Recording and release

The genesis of the album can be traced back to the early 1970 recording sessions for Hansson's first solo album, Music Inspired by Lord of the Rings.^[4] As work on that album neared completion, the prolific Hansson also began working on additional material that was not intended for the album.^[4][5] After his debut album had been released in December 1970,^[6] Hansson continued to work on these left-over fragments and also composed additional material at his summer house in the Stockholm archipelago.^[5] Recording sessions for Magician's Hat took place at Studio Decibel in Stockholm, with contributions from a number of session musicians, including Rune Carlsson, Gunnar Bergsten, and Sten Bergman, all of whom were veterans of Hansson's first solo album.^[3]

 

Track listing

All tracks composed by Bo Hansson except where noted.

Side 1

1. "The City" – 7:20
2. "Divided Reality" – 6:17
3. "Elidor" – 1:34
4. "Before the Rain" – 1:31
5. "Fylke" – 1:50
6. "Playing Downhill into the Downs" – 1:39

Side 2

1. "Findhorn's Song" – 1:43
2. "Awakening" – 2:43
3. "Wandering Song" – 3:13
4. "The Sun (Parallel or 90°)" – 7:07
5. "Excursion with Complications" – 3:23

2004 CD reissue track listing

1. "The City" [extended version] – 11:29
2. "Divided Reality" – 6:17
3. "Elidor" – 1:34
4. "Before the Rain" – 1:31
5. "Fylke" – 1:50
6. "Playing Downhill into the Downs" – 1:39
7. "Findhorn's Song" – 1:43
8. "Awakening" – 2:43
9. "Wandering Song" – 3:13
10. "The Sun (Parallel or 90°)" – 7:07
11. "Excursion with Complications" – 3:23
12. "The City" [edited version] – 7:20
13. "Waltz at Dawn" [previously unreleased outtake] (Bo Hansson, Kenny Håkansson) – 5:51

Personnel

• Bo Hansson – organ, guitars, synthesizers, slide bass guitar, mellotron
• Rune Carlsson – drums, congas, cowbell
• Kenny Håkansson – electric guitar
• Rolf Scherrer – acoustic guitar
• Gunnar Bergsten – saxophone, flute
• Sten Bergman – flute
• Bobo Stenson – electric piano on "The Sun (parallel or 90°)"
• Owe Gustavsson – bass guitar on "The Sun (parallel or 90°)"
• Pelle Ekman – drums on "The Sun (parallel or 90°)"
• Göran Freese – saxophone
• Bill Öhrström – congas
• Jan Ternald – cover painting