a 2007 interview in a Jakob Hellman special on the Swedish public service music radio show Musikjournalen (broadcast on 15 January 2007 on SR P3), producer Dan Sundquist told the story of a rather strenuous recording experience, due to Hellman's unwillingness to compromise with his convictions on how the music ought to sound. Many of the participating musicians support his view stating that Hellman wanted the album to sound rawer and rockier. The album's release The first single, "Tåg" (Train) was released in 1988. The same year Jakob Hellman won a Grammis (the Swedish equivalent of a Grammy Award) as Best Newcomer. The album followed on 13 February 1989. Seven out of the nine songs featured on the demo were included on the album. The original release contained twelve tracks; a later reissue adds the single B-sides and a few other tracks for a total of 19. Although Hellman himself wanted to name the album De sista melodierna (The Last Melodies) it instead borrowed its title from one of the non-single songs, ...Och stora havet (...And the great sea). Musically, most of the album's songs can be described as quite radio-friendly guitar-based music in the singer-songwriter vein, although Hellman's syncopated singing style set him apart from most of the competition. In interviews, Jakob Hellman cited Elvis Costello as his greatest influence, and although his music by no means could be called a carbon copy, similarities can easily be found. The lyrics, entirely in Swedish, range from rather simple love songs to more philosophical themes. They are characterized by inventive turns of phrase, often imitated by followers. Reception At the time of its release, Hellman's album got positive, although not jubilant, reviews, and the single "Vara vänner" (Being Friends) became a major hit. The accompanying video is notable for its extremely minimalistic scenography. At the 1989 Swedish Grammis Awards Jakob Hellman won the Best Male Rock artist award, but not the Best Album one (it was given to Jerry Williams). With the passing of time, however, the record has come to be regarded as one of the most influential Swedish pop records, and in 1997 it was voted the best Swedish record ever in Nöjesguiden, a monthly entertainment magazine. A few covers of Hellman's songs have been recorded. In 1997, the band Jumper had a minor hit with the single "Hon har ett sätt". The track was also remixed by house