Gudibrallan's biggest claim to fame is that their debut, Uti Var Hage, from 1970, was the first album released by Sweden's premier progressive rock label, Silence Records, whose roster soon included better-known acts like Trad Gras Och Stenar,
Bo Hansson, and
Samla Mammas Manna, among others.
T-Doja reissues that record and
Gudibrallan's only other LP, from 1972, on one CD with a bonus track. Of the above-mentioned groups,
Gudibrallan adheres most closely to the sound of Trad Gras Och Stenar, channeling a similar mix of hippy looseness and punk attitude, albeit in a more conventional rock context with less of the locked-riff mantra jamming that Trad Gras is known for. They make up for it with faster playing and upping the energy several notches, even when they manage to blend Swedish folk music into tracks like "Visa Om Jungfrun" and "Handgranat Och Bajonett." Otherwise it's deranged garage rock on the progressive side, sung in Swedish and played with reckless abandon and infectious enthusiasm, especially on pieces like their radical remake of "Hey Joe" (retitled "Hej Gud" ["Hey God" in English]). Their music may not be quite as original as Trad Gras or
Samla Mammas, but it certainly merits hearing for those venturing beyond the borders of Krautrock. [The 2006 edition features one bonus track.] ~ Rolf Semprebon