Abba - Abba
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CD Details
Artist: AbbaEdition: Music CD
Format: Extra tracks, Original recording remastered
CD Release Date: 2001-10-16
Music Label: Polydor / Umgd
Product features:
- ABBA - Original, Imported CD from Sweden
- Mamma Mia
- Hey, Hey Helen
- Tropical Loveland
- SOS
- Man In The Middle
- Bang-A-Boomerang
- I Do, I Do, I Do, I Do, I Do
- Rock Me
- Intermezzo No.1
- I've Been Waiting For You
- So Long
- Crazy World
- Medley: Pick A Bale Of Cotton/On Top Of Old Smokey/Midnight Special
Music reviews of Abba
Music Review: Bands would kill to have a greatest hits compilation this good
Rating: 5 Stars
That a studio album by this supergroup could be so chock-full of classics emphasises just how great they were. The version of this album which I have, I bought many years ago here in Australia. It is superior to the current version (which I am forced to review here as there appears to be no separate listing for it on Amazon-must be a deleted version now or something). The reason why my older version is better is because it has more bonus tracks, and those bonus tracks are incomparably better than on the other versions of this album. According to Wikipedia's information on this album, all the versions of this album have the first eleven songs in common. It's after that they diverge. The tracks on my older version are, from the 12th song on: Waterloo, Hasta manana, Honey honey, Ring ring and Nina pretty ballerina.
I'll give my review for the older version, but mention this newer version at the end.
The best tracks:
Mamma mia: an ABBA classic, and what a way to open the album! The piano on this track is great and an unusual instrument features...something like a glockenspiel, I'm guessing. Catchy chorus, nice guitar and drums, bass...and I think I detect violins in there too.
SOS: Another absolute classic. Probably my favourite ABBA song. Has there most memorable piano playing-a moody introduction, with both ends of the piano getting a work-out, for two great melodies...bass on one end, and more mid-range for the other. Nice plaintive singing on this melancholy themed song by the beautiful blonde Agnetha. Great chorus and nice strumming on accoustic guitar.
I do I do I do I do I do: Really nice melding or doubling of the female vocals. Features the saxophone, I think, and piano. Amusing use of bells for this song, given the lyrical hint of the title.
Rock me: One of the men in the band take the vocal lead in this song, which is more rock orientated. Listening to this album, you are reminded (or learn) that ABBA did stray into rock music and weren't just a pure pop band. Like the drum intro for this song, and the hard rock, throaty singing style of the man who sings it-I think it's Benny, but I'm not sure. Electric guitars are used in this song.
Intermezzo no.1: a catchy instrumental, in the 1970s style. Piano and electric guitar features. Good fusion of classical music with a funky, modern sound. Violins and brass instruments also feature.
I've been waiting for you: would not have classed this as an ABBA classic, but reaquainting myself with this song, you realise just how good it is. Has a synthesiser intro, and a lovely vocal performance from Agnetha. This is a pretty song which does have changes in mood. There is some lead electric guitar in this song with a country music flavour, as well as nice accousting guitar strumming.
Tropical loveland: a dreamy song which I only heard infrequently as a child, as did not have this album. Always captivated by this song. It's a bit of a hidden gem for people who only know the band via compilations.
This song may also feature a glockenspiel type instrument. I like the drum intro to this song. Not sure if a piano accordion type instrument is used here. A really smooth song, with a pinch of reggae flavour to it.
The lesser but not bad songs from the part of the album that is universal to all versions of it are:
Hey hey Helen: nice drum intro then a hard rock type riff, a funky break in the middle and featuring the piano as well.
So long: features a screeching electric guitar intro and solid drumming. A rock song with a brass outro. Empowering lyrics for girls, I suppose.
Of the bonus tracks on my older version, the notable ones are the Eurovision song contest winning "Waterloo" which is a terrific ABBA song (and has a cool, piano pounding riff), as is their first attempt at winning the Eurovision, I think, "Ring ring", which Neil Sedaka had a hand in. Another country flavoured electric guitar sound on this one. The drums are thumping in this song (they sound heavier than normal drums)and there is a good drum fill as well.
If it was possible to score the version of the album that I have, I would have put "Eleventeen out of ten" in my header. Apart from the songs I mentioned above, the song that really helps with giving it eleventeen is "Honey honey". This song is 110% pure sugar, with an extra table spoon of sugar. It's pure pop, but a masterpiece of the genre. I like the violin intro to the song, it has a vibe of being sung by a teenage girl and is sensual and sexual. When the man sings, it is overtly sexual. Something you tend to forget about the band...occasionally their lyrics and stage performance could be quite raunchy for the image that they had. Did note a reference to "The sweetest thing" in my jottings for this review. Maybe U2 were influenced by this song?
Lastly, just a note on song styles:
Hasta manana: has a 60s vibe
Man in the middle: one of the men sings this song and it has a funky 70s American sound to it.
Ok, not for the current version of this album:
The remaster is very good, which is not to say that the older version is less than professional...it's not.
There are only two bonus tracks:
Crazy world: one of the men sings this song; it has a Chicago (the band) vibe to it, with maybe a taste of "Arthur's theme" to it (these songs come to mind listening to Crazy World, but it no doubt preceded those songs). Hmm, maybe this song even reminds me a bit of the theme from "The greatest American hero" too! A narrative song with a twist. Not bad.
Medley: the 1st and 3rd songs are more towards the rock end of the spectrum. Not of much interest.
Overall, my version of the album is a masterpiece, especially for adding a few of their older hits on it. The current version of this album is still a classic. Of the first eleven songs on this album, I'd say that three of the songs are classics, and four are terrific. Did seem to remember finding "Bang-a-boomerang" to be cringe-inducing, but listening to this album again for the first time in a long while, it stood up as a decent pop song...just not a great one. Even their bad songs are catchy!
Essential purchase.
Description of Abba
New 24-bit digital remaster with new liner notes, complete lyrics and bonus tracks: 'Crazy World' and 'Medley: Pick a Bale of Cotton/On Top of Old Smokey/Midnight Special'.Abba took a risk by launching this 1975 album (their second) with "Mamma Mia." How do you possibly follow that up? Simple--wait two songs and then zoom into "SOS," one of the best pop songs ever written. The rest of the album does not quite reach those dizzying heights, but it's strong nevertheless. Abba is all over the map, as if the band was still putting the finishing touches on its identity. Some songs, most notably "Hey, Hey Helen" and "Rock Me," are sustained by classic glam, Gary Glitter-like riffs. There's also the neoclassical, quasiprog instrumental "Intermezzo No. 1." This CD's two bonus tracks include the rather banal "Crazy World" (the B-side of the "Money, Money, Money" single) and the downright bizarre "Pick a Bale of Cotton/On Top of Old Smokey/Midnight Special." The only cover Abba ever recorded, this medley was recorded in 1975 for a German charity album and was remixed in 1978 for the B-side of the "Summer Night City" single. --Elisabeth Vincentelli
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