In 1970, Svein Finnerud Trio (as they were then named), released "Plastic Sun", still one of the most iconic albums in Norwegian jazz. Their second album, issued on the Sonet label in an eye catching, psychedelic gatefold sleeve, attracted due attention from the more curious sections of the rock audience. The same year would see the only release from another great crossover trio, Min Bul, sharing the same rhythm section of Andresen and Rud, this time with guitarist Terje Rypdal as the leader (it's fair to assume that Andresen and Rud would strongly oppose to the thought of anyone being the leader, though...). Although "Plastic Sun" would mark the beginning of a very fruitful period in Norwegian jazz, with Jan Garbarek and Terje Rypdal releasing strong ECM debuts the following year, it was probably dawning on the more commercially oriented sections of the record business that the sales didn't exactly hit the roof. Thus, when it was time for a follow-up in 1974, the already recorded "Thoughts" was shelved due to lack of funding and potential labels getting cold feet. It wasn't to be released until 1985, on Henie Onstad Art Center's in-house Prisma label. The center was like a home to the trio, they played concerts there and "Thoughts" was actually recorded at the center. HOAC always had a special connection with the more experimental music scenes right from the opening in 1968, with groups and artists like Soft Machine, Henry Cow, John Cage, Terry Riley, Karlheinz Stockhausen, Arne Nordheim and many others performing. Finnerud and Andresen were close friends since youth and formed the trio in 1967 after approaching Rud with the clear intention of leaving "swing", as they called it, and go in a more avant garde direction. Their self-titled debut album was released the following year, but it was always the live situation that was their natural habitat, with concerts often being more like performance art or happenings. They had several projects going with poets, writers, painters and contemporary composers. It's no understatement to say that the trio have been a very important influence on new generations of Norwegian jazz musicians over the years, many of whom have recorded for Rune Grammofon. "Thoughts" is the trio's deepest, possibly darkest and most introvert album, and in our ears their finest hour on record. The original is quite rare now, so it's our hope that this long awaited re-issue (re-mastered for vinyl by Helge Sten) will reach the new and appreciative audience it deserves. Seeing how a wealth of Norwegian talent have taken their legacy to heart, we're pretty sure that it will...