Legendary Swedish rockers The Hellacopters released a remixed and revisited version of their third album, Grande Rock, on the 16th of February this year. This is one of the most important albums of their career that was actually out of stock for many, many years. This year’s re-release marks the 25th anniversary of the original release in 1999. But was that intentional, and what other interesting secrets does this album hide? Find out in our “7 interesting things you didn’t know about” segment.
1.Original vs. Revisited
The band members, especially the frontman Nicke Andersson, had differing opinions on the original mix of Grande Rock. Despite Nicke’s love for guitars, he felt that original mix was a bit too guitar-heavy. Thus, the band embarked on a journey to create a revisited version with a mix they felt better represented the album’s essence.
2.Michael Ibert Mixes
Mike Ibert, known for his work on other Hellacopters albums, such as By the Grace of God (2002) and Rock & Roll Is Dead (2005), was chosen to mix the revisited version of Grande Rock. Their previous collaborations instilled confidence in the band for this project.
3.Dregen’s guitar work
With the return of former band member Dregen, the band saw an opportunity to involve him in the revisited version of Grande Rock. His participation added a different touch, allowing fans to experience how the album might have sounded if he had been in a band when the album was originally done. He formed The Hellacopters 1994 together with Nicke Andersson but left band after the 1997 album Payin’ The Dues to pursue his other musical child that he also formed – the legendary Backyard Babies.
4.Bobba’s Influence
Grande Rock stands out as a “Bobba album” due to organist/keyboardist Bobba Fett’s (Anders Lindstrom) significant role during that period. With no new guitarist brought in after the departure of Dregen, both Nicke Andresson and Bobba played guitars on the album. The revisited version aims to retain Bobba’s essence while adding a sprinkle of Dregen’s contributions. Thus on the revisited version of the album you hear can all of those parts intertwined.
5.Preserving the Original
Despite the revisited version, the band understood the importance of preserving the original mix. Both versions are included in the release, allowing fans to compare and appreciate the evolution of the album’s sound. It’s a double disk or double vinyl. You just need to flip it around, as Nicke Andersson mentioned in the short Let’s Talk Grande Rock Revisited documentary that is available on the band’s YouTube channel !
6.Unique Artwork
The album cover’s pin-striping was crafted by Ray Hill, known for his work on hot rods and custom cars. Originally, the album cover was painted on pieces of a car hood. Being done on a big peace of metal the artwork was later transferred to kitchen cupboards due which were much lighter and easier to carry around. This unique artwork adds an extra layer of authenticity to the album’s visual identity.
7.Anniversary Celebration
The revisited version actually coincided with the album’s 25th anniversary. Although, according to Nicke Andersson, it was not intentional for Grande Rock to be re-released exactly on its 25th anniversary. This is not an anniversary package album, but simply a release that was missed bu the fans and band memebers for all this past years.
Our take on the album
Since this is not a new album to review, which we usually do here, there is nothing else that can be said that history hadn’t already said about this release. It is one of the most influential The Hellacopters albums that would certainly be high on the list of any “album rankings”. Hey, that’s an idea. Maybe we should do one.
Key Songs: The Devil Stole The Beat From The Lord, The Electric Index Eel, Welcome To Hell, Dogday Mondays, Move Right Out Of Here
Ratings: 10/12 (if you really need one)
If you are a vinyl or CD lover, grab your copy of Grande Rock Revisited here.
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