This collection culls 78 minutes worth of material from Turid Lundqvist’s first three LPs: 1971’s “Vittras Visor”, 1973’s “Bilder” and 1975’s “Tredje Dagen”.
The Swedish Joni Mitchell (there is even a physical resemblance), best known simply as Turid, appears here as a typical flower child. Her songs have aged well, retaining the spirit of the late1960s/early1970s without loosing their original charm or personality.
Similarities can be drawn to Joni Mitchell, Joan Baez (especially in Turid’s choice of folk covers), Linda Perhacs, The Moody Blues and early Fairport Convention, but Turid’s music has its own sound.
Some songs are sung in English, most have Swedish lyrics. If some tracks seem to rely heavily on lyrics that will be lost on most listeners, a large percentage of the songs feature melodies and arrangements that are strong enough by themselves to appeal to any fan of progressive folk.
“Turid I Retur” cleverly opens with “Song” one of her strongest pieces and most striking vocal performances. It immediately establishes the Mitchell/Baez/Perhacs frame of reference, a frame Turid will often sidestep in favour of more Nordic folk directions and occasional rock leanings (the 8-minute “Låt Mig Se Dig” features electric guitar, drums, and a touch of Mellotron).
Her warm voice, heavy vibrato and rich, creative melodies catch the ear on first listen. Highlights include the aforementioned “Song”, “Tom I Bollen”, the exquisite ballad “Vargen” the Moody Blues-esque “Crystal Shade of Loneliness” and the voice/doublebass duet “Tintomaras Sång”, the album¹s most pastoral moment.
Fans of great female voices and memorable folk songwriting should try to locate this CD collection, especially if you don¹t mind the language barrier. Recommended.
François Couture
