Zamla Mammaz Manna - Famijlesprickor (Sweden 1980) [AvantProg] @320

This album has grown on me a lot - and I liked it to begin with. After seeing their ProgDay performance, coupled with hearing this album and Kaka, S/Zamla has quickly become one of my favorite bands. They take a joyous, high-energy approach to some fairly complex, very proggy music, and add in a great sense of humor to boot.

The opening track, "Five Single Combats", is a perfect example of what I'm talking about. Dominique nailed it with the "cartoon on speed" description. However I've got to take exception to his description of "Ventilation Calculation" as verging on banality - the section of that song where they blow across bottle mouths to generate the melody is one of the coolest things I've ever heard. "Papa (with right of veto)" throws some twisted reggae into the mix, and "The Thrall" mixes avant-sounding vocal noises with sparse, improvised instrumentation. There are sections of "The Farmhand" which sound somewhat like Magma. This album has a bit of everything.

The keyboard work is fantastic throughout, the guitarist plays plenty of tasty leads and the rhythm section are certainly no slouches either. I'd recommend this CD to nearly all prog fans, unless you're put off by mostly instrumental music or hate avant prog enough to let the occasional bits here and there stop you. Those who cringed at the "cartoon" description might not enjoy the band's sense of humor. But I have a hard time imagining anyone who couldn't find something to like about this disc.
-Bob Eichler-


01. Five single combats 05.52
02. Ventilation calculation 05.05
03. The forge 05.04
04. The thrall 05.05
05. The panting short story 03.52
06. Pappa (with the right of veto) 04.27
07. The farmhand 07.33
08. Kernel in short and long castling 05.40 


Lars Hollmer: keyboards, accordion, vocals
Eino Haapala: guitar, vocals
Lars Krantz: bass, vocals
Vilgot Hansson: drums, percussion
Hans Bruniusson: drums, percussion

DISCOGRAPHY:

Solo albums:
XII Sibiriska Cyklar (1981)
Vill Du Höra Mer (1982)
Från Natt Idag (1983)
Joggingcharleston Singel (1984)
Tonöga (1985)Vendeltid (1987)
The Siberian Circus (compilation, 1992)
Vandelmässa (1993)
Andetag (1998)
Utsikter (2000)
Autokomp A(nd)more (2001)
SOLA: Lars Hollmer's Global Home Project (2002)
Viandra (2007)

With Samla Mammas Manna:
Samla Mammas Manna (1971)
Måltid (1973)
Klossa Knapitatet (1974)
Snorungarnas Symfoni (1975)
Kaka (1999)
Dear Mamma (2002)

With Zamla Mammaz Manna:
Schlagerns Mystik / För Äldre Nybegynnare (1978)
Familjesprickor (1980)

With von Zamla:
Zamlaranamma (1982)
No Make Up (1983)
1983 (1999, rec. live 1983)  

With Ramlösa Kvällar:
Ramlösa Kvällar (Nights Without Frames) (1977)

With Fem Söker En Skatt:
Fem Söker En Skatt (1995)

With Looping Home Orchestra:
Vendeltid (1987)
Door Floor Something Window (live, 1993)

With Accordion Tribe:
Accordion Tribe (live, 1998)
Sea of Reeds (2002)
Lunghorn Twist (2006)

With Fanfare Pourpour:
Karusell musik (2007)