Jazz Archives

If Thursaflokkurin's debut album was a real shocker in its adaptation of pre-classical musics and modernizing them, the follow-up is a very different beast, but no-less interesting. With an unchanged line-up, but getting a hand in the guitar dept, with Arnasson's arrival, the group becomes a sextet, which opens more possibilities. With a lower-bust drawing of the group as artwork, the album was recorded in spring of 79. As for the Zappa influences invoked bt many, there are some, but not quite as obvious as some would have you to believe, and I don't think the band was out to make a derision of everything they saw or heard. Here the bizarre is more Bjork-esque or Samla-esque than Zappa-esque Nevermind the opening Sigtrygguryan, a complex piece holding some almost grotesque vocals, start listening to the following Bruokopsvisur (and it's a capella intro) to get some really strong material that's worthy of their debut album. Most likely Hoyry Kone heard this Iceland group doing the semi- operatic piece.
Also of much interest is the album's second longest track Aeri Tobbi, a Gentle Giant- esque track. The following 6-mins+ track, the instrumental Versturheimi is a bit its opposite as it takes lengths and turns allowing some overlong solos but remains concise enough (for a live track) not to get lost in unneeded meanderings.
The flipside starts with the dramatic Skriftangangur that could easily come from Anglagard's debut or Per Lindh Project's Gothic Impression, and while Bannfaering holds a good (and short, hence good) drum solo, the group is in op form here: the Hackettien guitar is even giving them a (slight) Genesis sound.
The album longest Sjo Sinnum track starts very slowly, before some choirs give a first kick, then the group up the ante and with a Hackettian guitar, and many more fireworks to make it yet another winner.The closing Tobaksvisur is another vocally twisted song with some acoustic guitar and some harmonium or eventually accordion. Although good track, it sure feels fine once it stopped: I'm not sure adding 5 more seconds would've tolerable ;o))) Certainly a different animal than its predecessor Thursabit is a bit more jazz, a bit more symphonic, a bit less folk, no less bizarre and just as intriguing, it's another album sitting in Iceland's best 10 ever.

:::Review by Sean Trane:::

Thursaflokkurinn - Þursabit (1979)

1. Sigtryggur vann... (3:24)
2. Brúðkaupssálmur (0:35)
3. Brúðkaupsvísur (3:00)
4. XXX (0:07)
5. Æri-Tobbi (6:32)
6. Frá Vesturheimi (6:15)
7. Skriftagangur (5:40)
8. Bannfæring (3:47)
9. Sjö sinnum..... (6:45)
10. Tóbaksvisur (3:40)

Credits
- Þórður Árnason / guitar, backing vocals
- Égill Ólafsson / lead vocals, electric piano, accordeon, synthesizer
- Ásgeir Óskarsson / drums, backing vocals
- Karl J. Sighvatsson / Hammond organ, backing vocals
- Tómas M. Tómasson / bass, general keyboards, backing vocals
- Rúnar Vilbergsson / bassoo