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Name: Claes Hassel
Location: Stockholm, Sweden
Recreational Interests: Music(Hard/Progressive/Symphonic/Pop
rock), movies,
friends, the web(this site), books and other stuff.
Professional Interests: I'm 'working with'
Internet Applications and Web
Sites. I've been in the 'Computer Business' since 1982.
Children: Rickard born 1985, Jannica
born 1989 and Julia born 1993. Great 'kids'!!! |
The Encounter with The Gods of Music
It all began in the early/mid Sixties when I was listening
to my parent's LP's. Jazz and Classical Music AND to my brother's records like:
The Shadows/The Tornados/The Searchers.. and...The Hollies / Herman's Hermits /
The Manfred Mann / The Animals / The Spencer Davis Group / The Kinks / The Small
Faces / The Troggs AND The Beatles / The Rolling Stones / The Who / etc.
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The Pop Gods
The 60's
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My first real encounter with the Pop Gods
was an evening back in 1963 and a TV program called Drop-In. I can still remember
it all, 4 guys playing popsongs and my brother and father arguing loudly about the
length of their hair, the 4 guys was the Beatles!
My first own record was a single with the swedish band
Ola & the Janglers and the song 'Alex is the Man' back in
1966.
The Beatles on TV continued 1967 on
June 25th, when they performed "All You Need Is Love", during the first global telecast.
It was a stunning moment to see them, at the same time as other 'people' across
the Universe, and about 1967 what a year, the records 'Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts
Club Band' and the 'Magical Mystery Tour' was released.
Other 'Pop Gods':
The Hollies with songs like 'Bus Stop',
'Suspicious Look in Your Eyes', 'Stop, Stop, Stop'
Manfred Mann with : '5-4-3-2-1', 'Do
Wah Diddy Diddy', 'Pretty Flamingo'
Herman's Hermits : 'Mrs. Brown You've
Got a Lovely Daughter', 'No Milk Today'
..Herman's with session musicians Jimmy Page
and John Paul Jones!!
The Monkees : with 'their' TV Show
and songs like : 'Last Train to Clarksville', 'I'm a Believer'.
Dionne Warwick(Burt Bacharach) : 'Walk
on By', 'I Say a Little Prayer', 'Do You Know the Way to San Jose?'
The Mamas & the Papas : 'Monday,
Monday', 'California Dreamin'
and lots of other artists
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The 70's Soul Gods
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In the first half of the seventies there were a lot of
partying going on.
A normal seventies saturday
The Tube to the south parts of the city(15 minutes): -visiting all second
hand record stores -carambole or/and flipper(pinball) -get the booze.
Then Home: -a fast shower-a meal-booze and heavy music-the tube to the city-disco-hopefully
some nice girls-home.
The Sunday: -hangover
At this moment in my life I began to listen to the 'soul' music, with artists like:
Marvin Gaye - 'What´s Going On'(1971)/'Let's
Get It On'(1973) and my favourite 'I Want You' from 1976
Isaac Hayes - 'Shaft'(1971)
Curtis Mayfield - 'Superfly'(1972)
Isley Brothers - '3 + 3'(1973, with fuzz guitar!)
Temptations - Masterpiece (1973)
..and 'The Philadelphia Sound' with artists/songs like:
The O'Jays - 'I Love Music'/'Love Train'/'Back
Stabbers'
MFSB - 'TSOP/Family Affai'
The Trammps - 'Hold Back the Night'
Billy Paul - 'Me and Mrs. Jones'
The Tymes - 'Ms. Grace'
The Stylistics - 'You Are Everything'
McFadden & Whitehead - 'Ain't No Stoppin'
Us Now'
..and Four Tops, Stevie
Wonder and Barry White
when home from the disco with a girl..
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The
Heavy Gods
Bands like the Vanilla Fudge(Tim Bogert(bass)
Carmine Appice(drums)), the Yardbirds(with three of the Guitar
Gods: Eric Clapton, Jeff Beck, and Jimmy Page), Cream(Jack Bruce(bass),
Eric Clapton(guitar), Ginger Baker(drums), Kinks("You Really Got
Me") and Jimi Hendrix paved the way for the path of Hard/Heavy
Rock Music for bands like: Black Sabbath, Budgie, Deep Purple,
etc.
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The 60's and 70's
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My first encounter with the Heavy Gods was when my brother bought Jimi Hendrix(Are You Experienced ) and
specially the track 'Third Stone from the Sun' ...
'Are You Experienced' is a milestone in the Hard/Heavy Blues Rock history.
My second contact with the Gods of
Heavy Music was a day in 1969 when I came home and heard some
wonderful heavy sounds spread through the air, it was 'Dazed and Confused'
with Led Zeppelin which my brother
had borrowed.
From that day my heart was left in Led Zeppelin
and I found my Stairway to the Hard/Heavy Blues Rock, still climbing.
My third musical experience with the
Heavy Gods was when I heard 'In Rock' with
Deep Purple for the first time. It was a stunning moment
when 'Speed King ' jumped out of the speakers and hit my ear. 'In
Rock' is an Hard/Heavy Masterpiece, both in production(Martin Birch) and tracks.
My favourite track is 'Flight of the Rat '
My fourth was 'the meeting' with the
Heavy Metal Gods Black Sabbath when listening
to the opening track on their first album, still one of my favourites.
Other highlights from the 70's: Budgie first album, Groundhogs
Split, Sir Lord Baltimore Kingdome Come, ...
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The Progressive and
Symphonic Gods
'Long compositions(classical and 'Psychedelic' music combined)
with extended instrumental parts played by skilled (classically trained) musicians
where the composition sometimes is build around an epic story(concept album)'...
my 'translation, put briefly, in a nutshell ;)
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The Era began in ca. 1967 when lots of 'Rock History' albums were
released: Beatles 'Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band' and 'Magical Mystery Tour'(great!!),
Pink Floyd's
'The Piper at the Gates of Dawn', Nice
'The Thoughts Of Emerald Davjack', Procul Harum's first album with the song 'Whiter Shade of Pale' and
Cream/Jimi Hendrix/...
The 60's and 70's
My first meeting with the
Progressive/Symphonic Gods was back in 1967/68
when I heard the Moody Blues album
'Days of Future Passed', a perfect blend of Classical and 'Rock' music, specially
the song 'Nights in White Satin'.
At the same time I was listening to Pink Floyd's
The Piper at the Gates of Dawn also a great album and the
Beatles 'Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band' and 'Magical
Mystery Tour' which is one of my Beatles
favourites with the song 'Fool on the Hill'.
My 'Second' experience with
the Progressive/Symphonic Gods was
1971 with the 'Yes Album' (Yes) ,
long compositions build around a S.F. concept an album with no weak tracks...
in my opinion their greatest moment.
My third encounter was when I bought(1971) 'Meddle' with Pink Floyd and listened to the first track,
'One of These Days', and through the whole record. Pink
Floyd fullfilled their Magnum Opus with 'Dark Side of the Moon'
1973. I saw them live back in 1971, a psychedelic trip.
My fourth was when i bought
Emerson, Lake & Palmer's 'Tarkus'
back in 1971 and put it on to the turntable and the 21-minute title track, Tarkus,
spread through the room, it was an astonishing 'enjoyment'. The week after I bought
their first record, also a remarkable record. ELP
is one of the bands I've missed to see live, hope I could do it in the near future
or to see the Nice...
My fifth contact with the
Progressive/Symphonic Gods was 1973
when I was in a record store for import of special records. I was to choose between
Beck Bogert & Appice and a band
called Captain Beyond. The owner of
the store recommended Beck Bogert & Appice
so I choosed Captain Beyond. It was
a stunning experience, when I listened to it at my home, to hear the flow
of hard heavy rock, jazz rock and progressive rock just floating through the
record. It was like Dancing Madly Backwards, On a Sea of Air.
My sixth musical experience with the
Progressive/Symphonic Gods was when I heard
Camel and the album 'The Snow Goose', an instrumental concept
album with a classical interpretation, with great tracks and skilled musicians.
They have made lots of great albums through the years. |
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Member Alias
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: HazelNutz
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Best Years of Music
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: 65-69
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Next Best Years of Music
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: 70-75
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Comment Music Years
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: It all began 1965 with The Rolling Stones((I Can't Get No) Satisfaction), The
Beatles 'Rubber Soul', The Byrds 'Mr. Tambourine Man', The Kinks 'You Really Got
Me' and The Who's 'The Who Sings My Generation'. During the following years the
music was developing it's different genre's and the highlights of the Hard Progressive
Blues Rock music was during the years 1970-75.
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Prefered MusicStyle 1
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: Hard/Heavy
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Prefered MusicStyle 2
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: Progressive
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Prefered MusicStyle 3
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: Symphonic
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Comment Music Style
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: I like all sorts of music, including Classical/40's Swing/Bossa Nova Jazz/Henry
Mancini style music/Pop/..but heavy music with long wah-wah guitar solos is the
best!
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Best Artist Ever
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: Jimi Hendrix
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Comment Best Artist
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: During his four years and three studio albums Jimi Hendrix revolutionized the
guitar playing with his virtuoso playing, the use of pedals, feedback, amplifiers
and took it to another level.
He must be the most influential guitarist ever.
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Favourite Artist 1
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: Led Zeppelin
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Favourite Artist 2
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: Deep Purple
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Comment Artist
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: Other Great Artist; Beatles, Black Sabbath, Budgie, Cactus, Camel, Captain Beyond,
ELP, Grand Funk, Groundhogs, Yes and....
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Best Album Ever
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: Beatles(Abbey Road)
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Comment Best Album
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: Their last but best album with songs like: "I Want You (She's So Heavy)", "Come
Together"), "Something", "Here Comes the Sun" and...so great!! ""
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Favourite Album 1
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: Deep Purple(In Rock)
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Favourite Album 2
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: Led Zeppelin(Led Zeppelin 1)
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Comment Album
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: Other great albums: Black Sabbth's first, Budgie's first, Allman Brothers Live,
Groundhog's Split, Sir Lord Baltimore's Kingdome Come, Camel's The Snow Goose, Stray
Dog's first, Captain Beyond's first, Jimi Hendrix Electric Ladyland, ELP's Tarkus,
Chicken Shack's Imagination Lady, Robin Trower Live, Yes with The Yes Album and...
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Concert I would have loved to see
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: Allman Brothers Live at Fillmore East or Jimi Hendrix at Woodstock
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Best Concert I've been at
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: Led Zeppelin 1973 it was awesome..
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Second Best Concert I've been at
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: Robin Trower 1975 / Deep Purple 1972 / Groundhogs 1971 / Lizards and Vanilla Fudge
2003 / Budgie 2003 / Leaf Hound and Cactus 2006/ ...
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