Reviews

Bodinrocker – Special Blend

For those who don’t know, the band Bodinrocker is the brainchild of Swedish musician Anders Bodin from Gothenburg. I first became familiar with his music through the EP *Roller Coaster Ride* , and subsequently through the full-length album * Eye To Eye *.

Bodin’s interest in music began at the tender age of ten, when he learned to play guitar and wrote his own songs, reportedly influenced by The Beatles, Slade, and Status Quo. The sound of the latter can be heard throughout, including on his latest release, *Special Blend*, starting with the second track, “Rock’n’Roll Star.”

But it wasn’t just this sound that was presented, as the versatility also found expression in other obviously hinted at or integrated influences. Traces of artists like Slade and Neil Young, the sounds of the Sixties brought into the present day, and even a touch of ZZ Top can be heard (“What I Wanna Say”), all fused with the expression of classic rock music—a special blend

, indeed . Yes, this classically styled rock really rocks, puts you in a good mood, and radiates a lot of freshness and positivity, again, as I once noted, with that certain “feel-good factor.”
A small surprise awaits me at the end of the album: “Ligger I Min Famn” is sung in Swedish and has a slightly folkloric influence. I really like this song with its very harmonious and soulful expression. My wish, therefore, is: I’d love to hear a whole production in this vein!

Wolfgang Giese

https://www.musikansich.de/review.php?id=26053

Bodinrocker – Special Blend

Bodinrocker’ is the name of a Swedish rock band formed in 2005 by Anders Bodin from Gothenburg, together with keyboardist Lars Ekberg, bassist Anders Mossberg and the Norwegian drummer Fredrik Wallumröd. You need only listen to their catchy music for a few seconds to immediately draw the obvious comparison with the sound of the British rock legends ‘Status Quo’, a band who, incidentally, are Anders Bodin’s great idols.

We have previously reviewed a number of ‘Bodinrocker’ albums on these pages. They made their debut back in 2006 with the album “Hall Of Flames”, and in 2010 the album “Mysterious Man” was released, followed by “Rock It The Right Way” in 2014. This was followed in 2017 by the EP ‘Roller Coaster Ride’, and at the end of 2018 they released their latest full-length album, ‘Eye To Eye’. In our review of that album, we had to mention their uncomplicated, fun rock sound in the style of ‘Status Quo’, and we really can’t offer any different analysis of their latest full-length CD, “Special Blend”, which we were recently sent.

As musical evidence to support this claim, we have selected two tracks from this twelve-track album for the audio-videos included below. First, you’ll hear the album’s title track, “Special Blend”, followed by the swinging guitar rocker “Feels So Good”. But it could just as easily have been other tracks from this album, as in terms of tempo and musical style, they all fall under the same umbrella.

Some titles of such songs, characterised by catchy guitar riffs, include “No Blues Tonight”, “Rock’n’Roll Star”, “Give Us Some Rock And Roll”, “We Were Young” and “This Song Is For You”, on which guest musician Gabriel Ekberg, the brother of keyboardist Lars, plays the mandolin. The somewhat odd one out is the closing track “Ligger I Min Famn” (‘lying in my arms’), a slower rock ballad which frontman Anders Bodin sings in his native Swedish and wrote for his first-born son.

As a paramedic, Anders Bodin is often confronted with horrific scenes in his daily life, and he claims that the best way for him to detach himself from them is through the music he creates with his band. We can certainly imagine that, as the contrast between all that daily misery and the wild fun the band can have on stage seems to us to be emotionally worlds apart. A nice, swinging ‘feel-good’ track like “Special Blend” by ‘Bodinrocker’, with its classic rockers, can therefore be particularly useful for really letting your hair down

https://www.rootstime.be/index.html?https://www.rootstime.be/CD%20REVIEUW/2026/MA1/CD26.html

Bodinrocker – Special Blend

Bodinrocker aka Anders Bodin is a musician whose releases I have had the opportunity to write about several times. He has been present on the scene for a long time, and the fact is that he is one of those musicians who have not changed much over the course of their career, remaining faithful to their basic expressive principles.

Bodin writes the majority of his songs together with his friend Jaan Lentjes, and on this release we also have one track sung in Swedish. Bodinrocker is faithful to a traditional approach that was most popular during the 70s, less so in the 80s, which is a variant of classic/melodic rock, with melodically conceived arrangements that most closely resembles the sound of Status Quo, as well as numerous glam bands from that era.

The 70s represent a key inspiration, and it seems that on the current release, songs of medium and moderately slow tempo prevail, where only the vocalizing becomes more prominent. Generally, more or less, the Swedish musician does not change his approach, there is no reason for him to treat his songs differently, and there is no doubt that such an expressive approach still has a sufficient number of loyal followers.

Branimir Lokner

BODINROCKER
SPECIAL BLEND
Bearman Music 2026

Bodinrocker is the stage name of Anders Bodin, a Swedish artist who composes his own music entirely, leaving most of the lyrics to Dutchman Jan Leenties. He sings and plays guitar, supported by Lars Ekberg on keyboards and production, and a rhythm section featuring Anders Mossberg on bass and Norwegian Fredrik Wallumrod on drums. It’s not hard to identify Bodin’s main influences: Status Quo and, to a lesser extent, the Beatles, Faces, T-Rex, and Slade. In short, we’re in the realm of rock-boogie with glam and pop influences. After his fourth album, Eye To Eye, in 2018, Anders let eight years pass before Special Blend, recorded in Gothenburg and in Bodin’s studio. This album, however, follows the style of his previous albums, a hard rock album not lacking in melodic inspiration, simple and fun, ideal for a long summer journey.
Since the launch of No Blues Tonight, it’s hard to stand still; The rhythm may be the same, but it’s not lacking in energy or drive. The guitars intertwine skillfully and fluidly, while the rhythm section never misses a beat. Sometimes a hint of harshness is added, as in “Give Us Some Rock and Roll” or “We Were Young,” a greater darkness as in the title track, reminiscent of Doctor & The Medics, and some pop nuances in “Feels So Good” and “Stream,” but the foundation of the recipe is always the rock-boogie of “What I Wanna Say,” which features a bluesy harmonica.
The final track, sung in Swedish, “Ligger i Min Famn,” adds folk/prog influences, slightly changing the program.
Special Blend is a fun album, unpretentious and decidedly enjoyable.

Paul Baiotti

http://www.lateforthesky.org/2026/06/24/bodinrocker-special-blend/?fbclid=IwY2xjawTyhWBwZG9mAWV4dG4DYWVtAjExAHNydGMGYXBwX2lkEDIyMjAzOTE3ODgyMDA4OTIAAR5iUa4895dCLfewfhMlAilHUa-l0iAgpPxxlqRJpJVJpfOPwz-F3KC5UzpCHg_aem_RDtgk6nwQtGAku4Ie10N4Q

Bodinrocker – Special Blend

Special Blend by Swedish artist Bodinrocker isn’t exactly the most appealing title of recent times, but if you are interested in classic rock music, such as Status Quo, then this is well worth a listen. No effort is made on this album to sound particularly innovative, but it is executed extremely effectively and leaves you with a positive feeling, as intended.

Bodinrocker was completely unknown to me until recently, but the Swede Anders Bodin started the band way back in 2005 and subsequently produced a number of albums. He sings his albums in English, but their popularity currently remains limited, and they are primarily listened to by a relatively small group of avid music lovers. Special Blend won’t really change that, but it is certainly worth giving it a chance.

Special Blend was produced in Gothenburg, Sweden, where Anders Bodin has been active as a musician for a long time. He does not work alone, but has gathered many talented and experienced musicians around him over the years, and this is evident in the songs. There is a lot of energetic music being played on the electric guitars, drums, keyboards, and bass, just as a classic rock & roll record should be.

That Bodinrocker can rock cool on Special Blend isn’t hard to notice from the very first song, but what makes it even more interesting for us Dutch people are the lyrics. The lyrics weren’t written by Anders Bodin, or any other Swede, but by a Dutchman. Jan Leentjes—who doesn’t know him?—wrote almost the entire album, and he has been writing for Bodinrocker for about fifteen years. They have never met in person, but working remotely proves to be effective.

Bodinrocker’s goal with Special Blend is to deliver a rocking feel-good album . To spread positive energy with all sincerity and bring joy to the listener. To let the world hear music that makes people happy. And that is something Anders Bodin has certainly succeeded in doing excellently with Special Blend. These are rock songs that we shouldn’t discuss too much, but simply let play. 

Special Blend is a nice album to listen to if you like classic rock music, but even so, Bodinrocker isn’t really a very appealing name in the current musical landscape, and therefore this album is only for the connoisseur and avid listener. If you are interested in feel-good rock , then Special Blend is the right choice, and you will notice that positivity indeed prevails. For that reason alone, Bodinrocker certainly deserves a bit more appreciation.

William

Bodinrocker, Special Blend (Bearman Music)

Straightforward, unadorned rock and rock ‘n’ roll. The Swedish band Bodinrocker, led by guitarist and singer Anders Bodin, plays melodic, understated rock in the vein of the seminal band Status Quo. And then they surprise with a great guitar riff in “Running The Show” or a driving hook in “What I Wanna Say”.

Achim Hennes