Sweden (album)

Infobox Album | Name = Sweden
Type = Album
Artist = The Mountain Goats


Released = 1995
Recorded = Winter 1994-1995
Genre = Lo-fi
Length = 45:29
Label = Shrimper Records
Producer = John Darnielle
Reviews =
*Allmusic Rating|4|5 [http://allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=10:4vmyxdkb2olj Link] | Last album = "Zopilote Machine"
(1994)
This album = "Sweden"
(1995)
Next album = "Hail and Farewell, Gothenburg"
(1995) |

"Sweden" is an album by The Mountain Goats released on Shrimper Records in 1995. Despite the title, cover, Swedish alternative titles and the humorous mini-essay about "The Swedish conspiracy" in the liner notes (written by Paul Lukas, though he was only credited a year later in the liner notes to the band's next release "Nothing for Juice"), none of the lyrics are explicitly about Sweden itself. Various other locations, Seoul, Korea, California, Queens, New York City, Bolivia and Denmark are however all mentioned in the songs. "Duke Ellington" (which appears on the rarities compilation "Protein Source of the Future...Now!" and the Harriet records compilation "The Long Secret"), which does mention Sweden, is described as "one of two pieces written for the song-cycle Sweden and intentionally left off of the album".

Track listing

All songs by John Darnielle unless noted.

Swedish alternative titles as stated in the liner notes given in brackets followed by unofficial English translations by Jordan Ellenberg. [ [http://www.themountaingoats.net/music/sweden.html Album's entry on www.themountaingoats.net] containing the above translations along with the full liner notes and lyrics.]

# "The Recognition Scene" ("Vi var på väg hem före regnet"/"We were going home before a rain") – 2:50
# "Downtown Seoul" ("Han är yngre än jag"/"He is younger than me") – 2:53
# "Some Swedish Trees" ("De flyende var oskyldiga"/"Those who escaped were innocent") – 2:05
# "I Wonder Where Our Love Has Gone" ("Inga gröna löv"/"No green leaves") – 2:35 (Buddy Johnson)
# "Deianara Crush" ("Är du inte min vän?"/"Aren't you my friend?") – 1:53
# "Whole Wide World" ("Fast han hade förändrats så mycket kände jag genast igen honom"/"Even though he'd changed so much, I recognized him immediately") – 2:13
# "Flashing Lights" ("Den kallaste vintern"/"The coldest winter") – 2:30
# "Sept 19 Triple X Love! Love!" ("Vi gör vad vi kan"/"We do what we can") – 2:24
# "Going to Queens" ("Vi visste inte vad som skulle hända"/"We didn't know what would happen") – 2:26
# "TahitianAmbrosia Maker" ("Han har känt igen dig"/"He's recognized you") – 1:47
# "Going to Bolivia" ("Huset var vackert beläget, vilket gjorde mig väldigt glad"/"The house was beautifully situated, which made me very happy") – 1:37
# "Tollund Man" ("Han sov tydligen"/"He was apparently sleeping") – 2:34
# "California Song" ("Flickan som var hans vän sa adjö"/"The girl whose friend he was said goodbye") – 1:55
# "Snow Crush Killing Song" ("Huset brändes ner utav den unga mannen"/"The house was burned down by the young man") – 2:46
# "Send me an Angel" ("Han är lika trött som jag"/"He is as tired as I am") – 1:47
# "Neon orange glimmer song" - ("Vi träffas på gatan i morgon"/"We'll meet on the street tomorrow") – 3:08
# "FM" ("En vit klänning"/"A white dress") – 1:45 (Steely Dan)
# "Prana Ferox" ("De gjorde det själva"/"They did it themselves") – 4:05
# "Cold Milk Bottle" ("Jag skall tala i kväll/I'm speaking tonight") – 2:06

References