Materialtretthet

Untitled

Materialtretthet (recorded 1980 in Fredrikstad) is the debut album of the Norwegian New Wave band The Aller Værste! from Bergen.

Review

The record was released on the band's own label «Den Gode Hensikt» in October 1980, and was awarded the Spellemannprisen 1980 in the class New wave (a category only awarded twice). The record sold in a nuber of approximately 5 000. In 1990 it was re-released on the Sonet Label (LP, CD and cassette), the LP version also included a 7" additional, with tunes from the band's single and EP releases. In 2004 a new Sound Enhanced edition of the album was released on the Label Rec 90. Materialtretthet is also released on vinyl and CD on the label Oh Yeah! in 2010, this time with Fold Out cover where the inside shows what happened to the "diving lady" on the fron cover, after cover image was taken. CD edition, includes the first single, EP and Spellemannpris recording as bonus tracks.

The title of the album alludes to Alexander L. Kielland accident, which occurred earlier the same year. «Materialtretthet» (exhaustion) was the the explanation that was proposed on how the accident could happen. The cover is a reproduction of "diving lady" from the front of the Brynhild's salt lozenges where the diving chick is like anonymised with a censorship bar over his eyes, and where the text is replaced with the band name and album title. The album, also Sonets later edition, followed up on it with an extensive booklet.

The record stands in retrospect as one of the foremost expressions of new wave in Norway. Musically, the album take inspiration from many sources, but especially prominent is the inspiration from the British ska and new wave, but it is also possible to sense components from funk, which at the time was not often played in Norway. The central position of the Farfisa on the record, also gives the album a unique sound. Lyrically, the album was one of the first innovative and poetic rock 'n roll albums in Norwegian language (at the time you heard onely English lyrics in this genere, also by Norwegian artists), and spun over issues such as party and drunkenness («Du sklei meg så nær innpå livet») by relatively gloomy visions («Hong Kong», «Blank») to soisale and political contemporary reflections («Dødelige drifter», «Oppvekst», «Materialtretthet»). In competition of the all-time 100 best Norwegian album by Morgenbladet in the autumn of 2011 Materialtretthet was number 6.

Track listing

1. «Du sklei meg så nær innpå livet» (3:15)
2. «Dødelige drifter» (2:36)
3. «Døgnflue» (2:01)
4. «Bare du som passer på» (3:25)
5. «For dem betyr det lite» (2:23)
6. «Bare en vanlig fyr» (2:02)
7. «Må ha deg» (3:36)
8. «Igjen» (1:39)
9. «Bare ikke nok» (3:17)
10. «Hong Kong» (3:19)
11. «De invalide» (3:09)
12. «Hekt» (3:36)
13. «Discodrøv» (3:21)
14. «Oppvekst» (2:47)
15. «Materialtretthet» (2:28)
16. «Menneskelig svikt» (2:41)
17. «Blank» (3:11)

Bonus tracks on the 2010 release

1. «Blålys» (4:08)
2. «På vei hjem» (2:42)
3. «Dans til musikken» (2:48)
4. «Rene hender» (2:41)
5. «Søster, søster» (3:31)
6. «Ingen vei tilbake» (2:04)
7. «Bare ikke nok» (live with Kringkastingsorkesteret conducted by Egil Monn Iversen, Spellemannprisen 1980)

Personnel

The Aller Værste!

• Chris Erichsen – guitar, vocals
• Ketil Kern – drums, backing vocals
• Sverre Knudsen – bass guitar, organ, vocals
• Lasse Myrvold – guitar, vocals
• Harald Øhrn – bass guitar, electronic organ, vocals

Additional musicians

• Svein Johannesen – trombone
• Øyvind Nord – trumpet

Production

• Kim Augestad – record producer
• Freddi Flord – producer
• The Aller Værste! – producer
• Svein Rønning – sound engineer

External links

• Materialtretthet! on The Aller Værste! Official Website