Monday night, and time for some progressive rock. We haven’t had any for a few weeks now and this, my friends, is classic prog.
Classic in the sense that Lars Fredrik Frøislie’s band Wobbler set out its stall from its formation back in the late 1990s to recreate the timeless prog of the late 1960s through to the mid-1970s, its anni mirabiles, and here doesn’t he just carry on that tradition with this single.
Over 25 years on I’m not sufficiently au fait with the band’s work to comment on whether or not they succeeded in their quest but judging from this track, keyboard man and drummer Frøislie’s solo effort hits the sweet spot. It’s as if he’d convened a secret meeting of what’s left of Yes, ELP (sadly only ‘P’), King Crimson, Gentle Giant and so on to write and play a symbolic, iconic farewell song and disguise it under his name.
It isn’t his first solo attempt. Back in 2023 he released the album ‘Fire Fortellinger’ which won him many admirers. I have a feeling that ‘Gamle Mester’ (‘Old Master’), which is the first single and title track from an album that will be released on 9th May, will easily add to that number.
It really is a tour de force that will effortlessly transport you back to an era when the audience sat quietly listening to and contemplating complex music played at 110Db or more (so their ears rang for days afterwards) and quietly and respectfully applauded dynamic performances that you can’t even imagine unless you’d witnessed them, in venerable old venues like London’s Drury Lane Theatre, Manchester’s Free Trade Hall and Birmingham’s Hippodrome.
The title of the album is derived from the ancient oak tree ‘Den Gamle Mester,’ found at Krødsherad Prestegård, which also inspired a poem of the same name by Jørgen Moe. This symbolic tree serves as a unifying theme throughout the album, representing wisdom, endurance, and the passage of time.
I note that Norway reveres its ancient trees. In the UK you can rely on some or other underclass oik who couldn’t spell wisdom never mind understand what it means, to cut them down.
The track is equally influenced by the vague art history term ‘Gamle Mester’, which is often used about pre-eminent European artists like Rembrandt, Rubens, Da Vinci, and Botticelli. He regards it as “the pop song on the album” and even provides the album’s art work, proving he can happily live in the shadow of the visual arts ‘greats’ as well.
It looks like it came straight out of the Prado.
I can understand that comment and also why he regards it as “catchy and simple”. It’s a little lightweight, fluffy and repetitive for a track honouring the 1970s, especially in the opening passage but hell, so what? The times have changed.
About a minute in sees the arrival of the ascending and descending chord progressions and you know that even if you’re not home yet you are at least on the motorway’s final straight.
Then there’s a little wander off into subdued, melodic Argent and Emerson territory on what I’m guessing is a Hammond C3 (how many of those have I seen raped and dismembered?) before a long slow build up to a ‘Tarkus’– like interlude and keyboard solo, which then morphs via two not so subtle time signature changes into an all-hands-to the-pump rock out.
The fact that he plays both keys and drums here is impressive and I suppose it helps when you are providing your own rhythms.
Nay lad, as we say in my part of the world, music like this didn’t die; it was merely sleeping, waiting to be reactivated by young masters.
Welcome back my friends, to the show that never ends.
I can’t help but comment on the (English translations of) the album’s song’s titles. It’s like we all got onboard a time machine and zoomed back four decades or so, especially ‘The Three Graces’; The Raft of the Medusa’ and ‘The Hunt for the Calydonian Boar’.
They are priceless.
Joining him are Nikolai Hængsle (ELEPHANT9, NEEDLEPOINT, BIGBANG, BAND OF GOLD etc.) on Rickenbacker 4003 Bass; and Ketil Einarson (EX-Jaga JAZZIST, WESERBERGLAND, WHITE WILLOW) on flute and recorder.
The album will be released on CD, Limited Edition Gatefold LP on Green / Transparent Marble Vinyl and digital formats, by Karisma Records.
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