December 14th, 1969 - PAN - A New Danish Beatgroup With Big Ambitions, Sends Two Men In BLINDEBUK
Joplin: Pseudo (2,3)
Waters: Beautiful (2,3)
Burnin: Immature (1,1)
Byrds: Sugary (1,1)
Pentangle: Fresh (5,3)
Stones: Machine (4,4)
PAN is a new Danish beat group with big ambitions. They have already been on the radio and they are coming on TV in February. Their leader is Burnin Red Ivanhoe’s old bass player Arne Würgler, and the biggest part of their music is written by Robert Lelievre, a Frenchman from the former trio “Cy, Maia and Robert”.
“We are playing hard beat but with a lot of jazz elements. It can remind a little bit of Nice”, says Arne Würgler. I was in “Burnin Red’s Ivanhoe” in a very psychedelic period when a lot of confusing things were going on. I would like to play in a group which is really a group with the group feelings towards each other”.
Pan’s singer is an actor Niels Skousen, co-founder of Collagegruppen and who is lately working at Fiolteatret. Background of the other group members is jazz, beat and folk music.
“I am still under the influence of folk music, and I think this feeling will never leave me”, says Robert who last winter recorded in England an LP with his French songs. Group is also thinking about making a record in England.
“We will try somehow to get over Denmark”, says Arne Würgler. “We would like to compete with the groups from England and USA”.
It is not possible for a beat group to exist in Denmark.
Robert and Arne represent a very critical panel in Blindebuk. They have no idea about what records are being played and their grades will vary from 5 (top) to 0 (bottom).
Janis Joplin – "Kozmic Blues" (From 'Kozmic Blues Again, Mama' LP)
Robert: “Is it Janis Joplin? I have never really liked her. She became famous because she has the most “Afro-white” voice. It means just nothing. It is just like to say about a black guy that he is fantastic; he has the best “white” voice. Nonsense, isn’t it? I am interested in a good tune or if the text is telling me something. There is a lot of “pseudo” in all these things. Two. Maybe it is good music to dance but nothing happens in it”.
Arne: “She is pressing this too much. I agree with the most part of what Robert has told us. What I like about her is her affiliation with soul music in combination with the moments from the beat music’s field. Three”.
- Heavy and awkward -
Muddy Waters – "I Am The Blues" (From 'After The Rain' LP)
Arne: “I am not so crazy about it. It reminds a lot of a warmed-up version of this kind of blues which is popular lately. It could be good if it were orchestrated differently. Now it sounds very heavy and awkward. Two”.
Robert: “Is it John Lee Hooker? I can like him. In comparison with the previous example this black music is based on a very simple blues, and I can like it. It makes it beautiful but I am giving only 3”.
- Disappointing -
Burnin Red Ivanhoe – "Brilleslangen" (From 'Burnin Red Ivanhoe 'LP)
Robert: “Is it Keld and the Donkeys? It is a very immature music. I respect that he is singing in Danish. That is why I am giving one; it is what all Danish singers should do. Otherwise it is music without a taste. But I think they are very young.”
Arne: “Yes, this is Burnin. They are very good friends of mine that is why it is hard for me. I do not know the record and I am a little bit disappointed. I think that in this song this rhythmic “drive”, which is a group’s symbol, is completely missing, and they cannot put up with this. I also think that Steen is singing very unnatural, affected. It is not like him. One.”
Robert: “I think they did it deliberately. Why else should they have made such a record? Are they trying to be “camp”. Otherwise their singing is very good.”
- Commercial -
The Byrds – "Ballad Of Easy Rider" (From 'Ballad Of Easy Rider' LP)
Arne: “I do not get what it is. It is real commercial machine music. It reminds a lot of studio work and it has nothing to do with a beat music. One”.
Robert: “I do not know this one. This is a typical example of a folk music trying to become commercial. It is too many violins. Tune is weak but the text is completely good. But it is too much sugary music on my taste. Maybe it should be heard as a whole, on one record. Two”.
- New Rhythms -
Pentangle – "Light Flight" (From 'Basket of Light' LP)
Robert: “Pentangle. It must be something from the film, how is it called? It is a quotation from a Beatles song. I care a lot about it. This is enormously fresh. I think that they are the only ones who have given a new dimension to the English folk music, for example, by using a lot of new rhythms including Macedonian ones. They are all good musicians and I can only regret that they do not make more experiments with their “sound”. Their music has a tendency to be a little bit grotesque, very different from the other kinds of music, maybe with a risk to be fussy. Anyway. Five”.
Arne: “This is very sugary music. And I like a lot their sense of rhythm and also that they play acoustic. They have for example double bass. Their singer is very good, maybe a little bit too much sugar, slightly impersonal. She needs a little bit more vitality. They are sitting too much on the chair, they need more motion. This is an aesthetic folk music – folk music for intellectuals. Three”.
- Good Guitar -
Rolling Stones – "Gimme Shelter" (From 'Let It Bleed' LP)
Arne: “I do not know them but I like them. It swings very good. This is like a big machine, which takes its course. It is both soul music and really good blues music in one, and a very good guitar solo. Sometimes maybe it is too much confusing. I do not think the recording is completely perfect. “Sound” is not completely good and a singer is moved too much on the background. It looks like they are screaming against the wind. But I think that this is better than Janis Joplin’s song. Four”.
Robert: “Rolling Stones? It is good that it is swinging, they are playing very good and there are a lot of good ideas in the rhythm. I can like the beginning of the song. It sounds a lot like studio work but with extra voices on the backing. There is a good guitar solo and constant pulsating beat underneath the whole thing. I think song is too long. Four”.
- Thank you to Claus Rasmussen for the original Danish article, and to Raj from GAF for translating it into English.
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