Description
Play it Maestro is an album by the Swedish progressive rock/fusion band Function, released on the Swedish gospel label Prim in December 1979. Re-issued on Lamb & Lion Records in the US in 1982. The album was produced by Lennart Sjöholm with Boje Lundberg engineering.
This Gothenburg based symphonic rock band was formed in 1976. Initially called Funktion, they were influenced by Canadian Gino Vannelli and added a Christian touch to their lyrics, written in English. The original keyboard player Lars Borre was replaced by Claes Hilliges in 1979 and his equipment alone weighed around 1000 pounds. Function had trouble finding a permanent bass player and studio musician Sam Bengtsson was called in for the recording sessions. Lead singer Lars Ludwigson later recorded some religious solo albums and Claes Hilliges’ music is often used at funeral ceremonies. Stefan Wågsjö plays violin with Göteborgs Operan.
In the early 1980s the Lamb & Lion label attempted to expose this unusual Swedish LP to the American market. Apparently it must have flopped in a big way – I seem to remember every Odd Lots store in Ohio ending up with about one million copies each. Pity because it’s a fairly interesting attempt at a progressive jazz-rock fusion style. Solid electric guitar with occasional blues-rock influences, especially «Big City Blues» and «The Beast And The King» (the latter sounding a little like fellow countrymen Vatten). The synthesizer, piano and violin leads give a couple faint impressions of artists like Chick Corea/Return To Forever and Jean Luc Ponty. Curious titles like «Queen Of Nothing», «Unborn Child», «Life Is Not A Passing Dream» and «I Was Walking Through The Gardens Of The Night». Some of the slower plodding tracks can be difficult to approach on first listen, but overall Play It Maestro stands as a rather singular expression in Christian music. This original 1979 Swedish press (sung in English) is the same recording as the US version, though it comes in a much classier gatefold cover. [Ken Scott, The Archivist, 4th edition]
> Apple Music (https://music.apple.com/us/album/play-it-maestro/1202882244)
LP tracklist:
Side One
A1. “Queen Of Nothing” – 5:10
A2. “Unborn Child” – 5:12
A3. “Big City Blues” – 4:43
A4. “Play It Maestro” – 5:58
Side Two
B1. “Life Is Not A Passing Dream” – 6:37
B2. “The Old Mans Word” – 3:08
B3. “The Beast And The King” – 2:55
B4. “I Was Walking Through The Gardens Of The Night” – 2:37
B5. “The King Is Alive” – 5:10
Note: Simultaneously released on cassette and 12-inch vinyl LP by Prim, with the vinyl edition housed in a gatefold sleeve.
CREDITS. Produced by Lennart Sjöholm and engineered by Boje Lundberg. Artwork by Michael Sanz. Design by Anders Bühlund.
Musicians: Lars Ludwigson (Vocals, Keyboards), Claes Hilliges (Keyboards, Organ), Per Furberg (Guitars), Stefan Wågsjö (Drums, Violin, Trumpet). Guest musician: Sam Bengtsson (Bass).
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