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I really love this CD. It highlights the fun ABBA had making music in their early days. If you like up-beat pop, you'll like this CD.
The album as a whole, however, is a bit unfocused if rather eclectic, as if the group was bracing for the great strides that came later with "Arrival" and "The Album", two of the releases that topped "ABBA" in both songwriting and arrangements. This they did to such extent, that, maybe with the exception of "Dancing Queen", songs from "ABBA" (1975) are the most popular and most representative for many casual fans of the group. ABBA, the Swedish treasure's third regular album, for the first time successfully weaved ABBA magic. Still, this is a classicist ABBA album, for a fan worth every cent or penny. This mostly applies to "Mamma Mia" and "S.O.S". Other two singles, "I Do I Do I Do I Do I Do", which is a great tribute to the 1950's music and "Bang-a-Boomerang" end up high as well. It also offers some good neglected tracks like "Tropical Loveland" and "Intermezzo No. 1"
It's after that they diverge. Features the saxophone, I think, and piano. This is a pretty song which does have changes in mood. It's pure pop, but a masterpiece of the genre. Catchy chorus, nice guitar and drums, bass.and I think I detect violins in there too.SOS: Another absolute classic. 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).
Even their bad songs are catchy.Essential purchase. 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. Piano and electric guitar features. This song is 110% pure sugar, with an extra table spoon of sugar. Has a synthesiser intro, and a lovely vocal performance from Agnetha.
Probably my favourite ABBA song. A rock song with a brass outro. Rock me: One of the men in the band take the vocal lead in this song, which is more rock orientated. 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. Empowering lyrics for girls, I suppose. Apart from the songs I mentioned above, the song that really helps with giving it eleventeen is "Honey honey". According to Wikipedia's information on this album, all the versions of this album have the first eleven songs in common.
Amusing use of bells for this song, given the lyrical hint of the title. 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. Did note a reference to "The sweetest thing" in my jottings for this review. 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. The tracks on my older version are, from the 12th song on: Waterloo, Hasta manana, Honey honey, Ring ring and Nina pretty ballerina. Nice plaintive singing on this melancholy themed song by the beautiful blonde Agnetha. Of the first eleven songs on this album, I'd say that three of the songs are classics, and four are terrific. Not bad.Medley: the 1st and 3rd songs are more towards the rock end of the spectrum.
The drums are thumping in this song (they sound heavier than normal drums)and there is a good drum fill as well. That a studio album by this supergroup could be so chock-full of classics emphasises just how great they were. The piano on this track is great and an unusual instrument features.something like a glockenspiel, I'm guessing. I like the violin intro to the song, it has a vibe of being sung by a teenage girl and is sensual and sexual. 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.
The current version of this album is still a classic. 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. 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. Listening to this album, you are reminded (or learn) that ABBA did stray into rock music and weren't just a pure pop band.
I'll give my review for the older version, but mention this newer version at the end. Another country flavoured electric guitar sound on this one. 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. 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.
Electric guitars are used in this song.Intermezzo no.1: a catchy instrumental, in the 1970s style. A narrative song with a twist. Maybe U2 were influenced by this song.Lastly, just a note on song styles:Hasta manana: has a 60s vibeMan 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). The version of this album which I have, I bought many years ago here in Australia. 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. Not sure if a piano accordion type instrument is used here. 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.
The best tracks:Mamma mia: an ABBA classic, and what a way to open the album. Not of much interest.Overall, my version of the album is a masterpiece, especially for adding a few of their older hits on it. Good fusion of classical music with a funky, modern sound. Always captivated by this song.
Hmm, maybe this song even reminds me a bit of the theme from "The greatest American hero" too. 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.
And, as I'm also quite partial to instrumentals, "Intermezzo No. (This opening will be a standard for this and the remaining ABBA albums).Aside from "Mamma Mia", "SOS" and "I Do, I Do, I Do, I Do, I Do" being personal favorites and the ones featured in both the stage and film versions of "Mamma Mia.", this is the album that launched ABBA-mania, especially Down Under. "Rock Me" and "Man in the Middle" have a great sound to them and feature good vocals on Bjorn's part. 1" is a standout as a rocking instrumental. For me, "So Long" and the medley are alright but are sub-par.
brilliant cd shows why they were the best band of their time some of the music is still a diffrent class today, tracks 2 and 3 should have been released as singles by themself in my opinion. a great listen.
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