About: HazelNutz
Name: Claes Hassel Location: Stockholm, Sweden Interests:: Music, the Internet, movies(science fiction), sports, intellectual stuff and partying.
About HazelNutz 
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.


The Pop Gods

The 60's

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

 

The 70's Soul Gods

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..


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.
The 60's and 70's

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, ...

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 ;)

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.

Member Alias : HazelNutz
Best Years of Music : 65-69
Next Best Years of Music : 70-75
Comment Music Years : 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.
Prefered MusicStyle 1 : Hard/Heavy
Prefered MusicStyle 2 : Progressive
Prefered MusicStyle 3 : Symphonic
Comment Music Style : 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!
Best Artist Ever : Jimi Hendrix
Comment Best Artist : 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.
Favourite Artist 1 : Led Zeppelin
Favourite Artist 2 : Deep Purple
Comment Artist : Other Great Artist; Beatles, Black Sabbath, Budgie, Cactus, Camel, Captain Beyond, ELP, Grand Funk, Groundhogs, Yes and....
Best Album Ever : Beatles(Abbey Road)
Comment Best Album : 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!! ""
Favourite Album 1 : Deep Purple(In Rock)
Favourite Album 2 : Led Zeppelin(Led Zeppelin 1)
Comment Album : 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...
Concert I would have loved to see : Allman Brothers Live at Fillmore East or Jimi Hendrix at Woodstock
Best Concert I've been at : Led Zeppelin 1973 it was awesome..
Second Best Concert I've been at : Robin Trower 1975 / Deep Purple 1972 / Groundhogs 1971 / Lizards and Vanilla Fudge 2003 / Budgie 2003 / Leaf Hound and Cactus 2006/ ...