Search - Bo Hansson :: Lord of the Rings

Lord of the Rings
Bo Hansson
Lord of the Rings
Genres: International Music, Pop, Rock, Soundtracks
 
Originally Released on the Charisma Label in 1972 and Released on Demon in It's First CD Incarnation. It Has Now Been Remastered and Repackaged and Comes Complete with One Bonus Track, 'early Sketches from Middle Earth.', ...  more »

     
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CD Details

All Artists: Bo Hansson
Title: Lord of the Rings
Members Wishing: 1
Total Copies: 0
Label: EMI Import
Original Release Date: 1/1/1970
Re-Release Date: 2/25/2002
Album Type: Original recording reissued, Original recording remastered, Soundtrack, Import
Genres: International Music, Pop, Rock, Soundtracks
Styles: Europe, Scandinavia, Progressive, Progressive Rock
Number of Discs: 1
SwapaCD Credits: 1
UPCs: 724381206126, 724381206157, 072438120612

Synopsis

Album Details
Originally Released on the Charisma Label in 1972 and Released on Demon in It's First CD Incarnation. It Has Now Been Remastered and Repackaged and Comes Complete with One Bonus Track, 'early Sketches from Middle Earth.', On Virgin.
 

CD Reviews

Journey Through Darkness Into Light
Brian E. Erland | Brea, CA - USA | 01/21/2006
(5 out of 5 stars)

"I bought Bo Hansson's 'Lord Of The Rings' when it first came out in '72 and it immediately became one of my all-time favorite albums. One of the early concept albums, Bo's inspiration was Tolkein's masterpiece and in my opinion he was tremendously successful in exploring the mood and mysticism, both dark and light, in Tolkein's trilogy.



The compositions were written and recorded in a rented castle located on the Scottish moors. The dark overcast and foggy setting turned out to be the absolutely perfect inspiration for Hanssons' project. The imbending gloom, stark loneliness and isolation in some of his tracks is absolutely unnerving. The entire album/CD is exquiste!



This is really a seminal work which pre-dates both the New Age and Gothic musical genres of today. Yes, I said Goth. Many of Hanssons' tracks are deeply somber, melancholy and incredibly haunting. I like to consider his compositions as the instrumental predecessor of 'Dead Can Dance.' Definitely one of the essentials!"
Evocative of a Time and a Mythical Place
Richard M. Affleck | Lake Hopatcong, NJ USA | 08/09/2005
(4 out of 5 stars)

"Before the glut of New Age music inspired by Tolkien's "Lord of the Rings" trilogy, and the orchestral bombast of Howard Shore, there was this little gem that is almost unknown today by the American record/CD-buying public. Released in the early '70s, Bo Hansson's music inspired by the LOTR is something that I've returned to again and again. I know that its organ and guitar sound is dated, but at the same time, for me, it evokes the mystery and magic--the otherworldliness--of Tolkien's books, before the Bakshi and Jackson films, and their accompanying soundtracks, had become imprinted on my brain. It won't be to everyone's taste, particularly in in these days of overproduction, but, then, that's the nature of art, isn't it?"
Although not a strict interpretation, it captures a middle e
Jeffrey J.Park | Massachusetts, USA | 02/11/2006
(5 out of 5 stars)

"I am a huge fan of J.R.R. Tolkien's three volume masterwork Lord of the Rings, the recent film adaptation of the books, and also progressive rock. It should come as no surprise then that this 1970 recording by Swedish multi-instrumentalist Bo Hansson would appeal to me on a number of levels - it is in fact, a personal favorite. As it is presented on this instrumental album, Bo creates a spacey, warm vibe that reflects his own personal interpretation of the books. Whether or not this album successfully approximates the mood of the three books is ultimately left up to individual listener - I personally did not have any a priori assumptions and simply listened to the excellent music. On the album, Bo plays Hammond organ, electric guitar, (very early use of) the moog synthesizer, and bass and is joined by Rune Carlsson on drums, Sten Bergman on flute, and Gunnar Bergsten on saxophone. The music is largely spacey and reflective, but there are some occasionally heavier sections where slightly distorted electric guitar is used. The heavy moments are far and few between however, and the music overwhelmingly conveys the mood of a grey and snowy winter afternoon. Bo's moog work is instrumental in creating this atmosphere and its warm sounds are utilized to the fullest extent throughout this album. The remastering of the CD is pretty good and features excellent sound quality along with decent liner notes and pictures of Bo and (I think) recording engineer Anders Lind. All in all, this is an excellent album that is recommended to all prog fans that like things on the mellow side. Other excellent 1970s albums by Bo Hansson include Magicians Hat (1972), Attic Thoughts (1975), and Watership Down (1977)."