What's the best Abba greatest hits collection?

Discussion in 'Music Corner' started by Joel1963, May 17, 2011.

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  1. Joel1963

    Joel1963 Senior Member Thread Starter

    Location:
    Montreal
    I know there are probably many, especially from overseas and done by different companies before it was all consolidated under Polydor (now Universal). I'm wondering, from among the following choices, which is the best listening experience. (Sound quality is not an issue in this case, but sequencing is)

    1. Abba Greatest Hits (from 1976)
    2. Abba Greatest Hits Vol. 2 (from 1979)
    3. The Singles: The First 10 Years (1982)
    4. Abba Gold
    5. More Abba Gold
    6. The Definitive Collection (2-CD set)
    7. Number Ones

    My nostalgic choice would be Abba Greatest Hits Vol. 2, since it's quite a good collection that starts off great with Gimme Gimme Gimme (A Man After Midnight) but mainly because it was the first cassette I ever bought.

    My current choice is The First 10 Years, which I just sequenced on my MP3 player. It's just one rush after another, and I like the fact it's in chronological order. The first greatest hits collection is pretty good, but it was also put out too early IMO. Abba Gold was the big one, but it omits too many songs I like, like Ring Ring. The First 10 Years fits the bill for me.

    What's your choice?
     
  2. 905

    905 Senior Member

    Location:
    Midwest USA
    The Definitive Collection (2-CD set) for track selection, but not sound.
    Too bad Astley worked his "magic" on it, meaning he added loudness and sharpness and made bass disappear.
     
  3. Robin L

    Robin L Musical Omnivore

    Location:
    Fresno, California
    My German LP pressing of Volume 2. Sound matters to me, and that's the best sounding ABBA I've got. As I generally bounce around the songs, sequence doesn't matter as much to me.
     
  4. Joel1963

    Joel1963 Senior Member Thread Starter

    Location:
    Montreal
    That's quite a feat, as that album is quite long on vinyl.
     
  5. aarsonbet

    aarsonbet Forum Resident

    The first three options (Greatest Hits - 1976, Greatest Hits V.2 - 1979, The Singles - 1982) are IMHO indispensable for sound quality and track selection (The Singles for the original mastering of TDBYC and Under Attack). You will need More Gold for I Am The City, and a few oddball mixes and edits of otherwise commonly available tracks.
     
  6. MikeP5877

    MikeP5877 V/VIII/MCMLXXVII

    Location:
    OH
    Abba Gold and More Abba Gold for me
     
  7. Robin L

    Robin L Musical Omnivore

    Location:
    Fresno, California
    It's cut at a comparatively low level on quiet vinyl. There's some surface noise [alas] but it still has more going on than the Gold and More Gold CDs, or any of the other CDs, for that matter.
     
  8. Rapid Fire

    Rapid Fire Hyperactive!

    Location:
    Mansfield, TX, USA
    These are the ones I own, so I pick these as well.
     
  9. PanaPlasma

    PanaPlasma Forum Resident

    Location:
    Belgium, Europe
    Have the original Gold / More ABBA Gold from '92-'93

    + Complete Gold on shm-cd (latest remastering).

    Every compilation I've heard from ABBA was disappointing. Especially "The Winner takes it All". At first, I thought there was a problem with my cd. So I bought, another copy. Still sounded bad :)

    And "Complete Gold" seems not remastered, but just "louder" :) It has still the same issues, especially "The Winner Takes It All.
     
  10. dbz

    dbz Bolinhead.

    Location:
    Live At Leeds (UK)
    :thumbsup: My parents had this and I have never heard anything which comes close.
     
  11. Galley

    Galley Forum Resident

    My favorite compilation is The Hits 1, The Hits 2 and The Hits 3, issued by Pickwick. They were released as a set.
     
  12. matty j

    matty j Forum Resident

    :righton:
     
  13. Grant

    Grant Life is a rock, but the radio rolled me!

    These two:

    1. Abba Greatest Hits (from 1976)
    2. Abba Greatest Hits Vol. 2 (from 1979)
     
    tmtomh likes this.
  14. McLover

    McLover Senior Member

    Grant,

    Seconded. Both analogue issues and on CD. The Atlantic CD issues of these are still the masterings to beat.
     
  15. BILLONEEG

    BILLONEEG Senior Member

    Location:
    New Jersey
    Greatest Hits 1 (park bench cover), Greatest Hits 2 (Gray with picture of ABBA in center), Gold, More Gold, Hits 1 to 3 (Pickwick).
    I have the Pickwick set but have never gotten around to checking them out. Is there something special or unique (good or bad) about them?
     
  16. john lennonist

    john lennonist There ONCE was a NOTE, PURE and EASY...


    I have a chance to get a German 2-LP set "The Singles" -- anyone know how that sounds?
    :help:
     
  17. PROG U.K.

    PROG U.K. Audiophile-Anglophile

    Location:
    New England
    Agree, add the "Love Songs" Pickwick comp and you have a great 4 disc set!

    Sent from my DROIDX
     
  18. Downsampled

    Downsampled Senior Member

    When it comes to ABBA, I prefer chronological order, and I think The First 10 Years is a pretty nice collection.
     
    Shak Cohen likes this.
  19. npc210

    npc210 Forum Resident

    Tracklisting? The Definitive Collection, as has been mentioned (though the sound is wretched)

    Sound quality? Greatest Hits 2
     
    tmtomh likes this.
  20. Baba Oh Really

    Baba Oh Really Certified "Forum Favorite"

    Location:
    mid west, USA
    ABBA GOLD.

    MORE ABBA GOLD is also essential!
     
  21. newstarter11

    newstarter11 Forum Resident

    Location:
    Sydney, Australia
    all the songs sound great on "greatest hits".

    all the songs on "greatest hits vol 2" sound great except "the album" tracks. i think "summer night city" sounds better with a bit more treble.

    "the name of the game", "take a chance on me", "voulez vous", "i have a dream", "the winner takes it all", "super trouper", "one of us", "the day before you came", "under attack" sound fantastic- they must all come from mixdowns (thanks kennyg). but the other tracks don't sound as good as their versions on gh or ghv2- they somehow sound muddier and less detailed. maybe the mixdowns for these were thinner?

    i've also found that you can create a perfect "the name of the game" by editing the missing verse from the ghv2 version onto the mixdown version off "the singles".

    by combining these three comps, you get 35 songs from "people need love" in 1972 to "under attack" in 1982. HOWEVER, there are quite a few omissions that "abba gold" and "more abba gold" can make up for. here are my suggestions:

    -"lay all your love on me", uk #7 and us billboard disco #1 in 1981, featured in "mamma mia" the movie
    -"on and on and on", aus top 10 and same result in us as above.
    -"when all is said and done", us #27 and us top 10 billboard adult contemporary chart 1982, featured in "mamma mia" the movie
    -"the visitors", us #top 10 billboard disco chart 1982 (the us MUST prefer mature abba LOL)
    -"lovelight"- hq b-side
    -"cassandra"- hq b-side
    -"our last summer"- hq album track, featured in "mamma mia" the movie
    -"the way old friends do"- hq album track
    -"when i kissed the teacher" - hq album track

    other non-comp suggestions
    -"slipping through my fingers"- hq album track featured in "mamma mia" the movie
    -"like an angel passing through my room"- hq album track
    -"happy new year"- hq album track
    -"as good as new"- hq album track
    -"if it wasn't for the nights"- hq album track
    -"i've been waiting for you"- hq album track, also in "abba the movie"
     
  22. KeithH

    KeithH Success With Honor...then and now

    Location:
    Beaver Stadium
    I never liked the sound of ABBA Gold and never bought More ABBA Gold as a result. ABBA Gold has a good track list, however.

    In terms of content and sound, I like the Atlantic targets of Greatest Hits and Greatest Hits Vol. 2 and the West German Polydor set of The Singles: The First Ten Years.
     
  23. KeithH

    KeithH Success With Honor...then and now

    Location:
    Beaver Stadium
    How is the mastering?
     
  24. newstarter11

    newstarter11 Forum Resident

    Location:
    Sydney, Australia
    oh, and "hasta manana" too! :D
     
  25. Serenity Now

    Serenity Now Forum Resident

    Location:
    Yorks, UK
    For me it's the 1976 Greatest Hits LP (park bench cover) by a country mile. Great early songs in great sound quality (on the UK pressings) and still available for next to nothing in just about every UK charity shop.
    Never been a big fan of the post mid 70's ABBA stuff. Although it's probably just me who finds Dancing Queen to be an inferior re-write of Nina Pretty Ballerina:)
     
    Yost likes this.
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