This is something I’ve been thinking about for a while. Even though there are far more knowledgeable ABBA enthusiasts on here, I hope to be able to chip in every once in a while. This thread is for all ABBA fans. Whether you watched them win Eurovision in 1974, as I did (aged 11) or you’re a more recent convert, all are welcome. Please post any pictures, articles or reviews you fancy. Tell us how you came to be a fan. Were you lucky enough to ever see them live? Any favourite vinyl or CD masterings you’d recommend? Perhaps in time we can go through all the albums saying how we feel about them in 2020.. Same with the (numerous) compilations. Tell us which ones you like best. It’s always a good time to talk about ABBA, but hopefully we’ll have some new songs to talk about... I hear they’ll be released soon. No, honestly they will. Enjoy.
I knew most of their 1970s hits growing up of course, no matter what the revisionism says it was really unhip to be into ABBA in those days. I only began to appreciate them properly when I went to University in September 1990. I used to go the Sunday tea-dance at the late lamented London Lesbian & Gay Centre. They played 'old time' music at first and the first record announcing the modern/pop stuff was always Dancing Queen. The first thing I bought was the fat box 2CD The Singles - The First Ten Years. I remember my old school band members came over one day and one saw it and said in horror - "Is this YOURS?"
I had mentioned in the past in other threads (mostly chart-based) how, among the members, Benny Andersson had almost borne a dead ringer to Brian Wilson had the latter been more put together in the 1970's (especially the beard and how the long hair was parted), and Björn Ulvaeus facially looked like a more filled-up version of Al Jardine who, in comparison, looked more facially gaunt. But seeing pictures of Agnetha Fältskog, I was struck by how similar (but not point-by-point) she looked facially to the late Marilyn Chambers (who did have a very short-lived musical career with "Benihana" in 1977, for obvious reasons I won't get into what she was more known for): This leaves, in terms of doppelgangers and dead-ringers, an open question mark about Anni-Frid "Frida" Lyngstad. As to their singles: I do have the US Atlantic of "Waterloo." And I remember as to "Does Your Mother Know" (one of the few on which any of the girls didn't sing lead, but rather in this case Mr. Ulvaeus), in the summer camp I stayed in during summers in the late '70's this was in the collection, but mostly its flip "Kisses Of Fire" got more play relatively speaking.
It definitely was unhip to be an ABBA fan in the 70s... But as a fan of ONJ, The Carpenters and The Bee Gees, it’s not like I was part of the cool crowd anyway!
There wasn't the emphasis in the '70's on the "LGBT" part of ABBA's fanship in the States, anyhow. But for a variety of reasons, while they weren't slouches in charting, it was definitely not to the degree it had been in England and the rest of Europe. Indeed, given how most European acts didn't "translate" to America (even Brotherhood Of Man save for their big US hit "United We Stand" and the more minor [for the States] "Save Your Kisses For Me"), it was remarkable ABBA had any success at all pre-breakup after which their catalogue reached "iconic" status. But I wonder how many were of the "Ginger / Mary Ann" mindset with regard to the two lasses in the group, as a general query of "back then" and beyond.
ABBA did extremely well in the U.K., but their success in Australia was extraordinary. I’m hoping Aussie fans will tell us more about this time.
Yeah, I counted. Nine "official" #1's, plus two not recognized by the "Official" (in their own minds) Charts Company. (The two in question only reached the top of NME's charts, didn't even make Melody Maker's. The last of those were after their last "official" topper.)
Was going to post this in the Eurovision 2020: ABBA Edition thread. This is what we’ve discussed Something’s Going On is possibly my favourite album ever. Except for a couple of songs which are a bit outdated, the album sounds so fresh and morish I could say that about Shine as well. I could listen to that album as well as Shine a 100 times and not get fed up. Whereas with the Agnetha albums, that’s a different story. In my opinion, there’s only a couple of strong songs on Wrap Your Arms Around Me and the majority of the songs sounds really out of date. The first side of Eyes Of A Woman is amazing but that goes downhill in the second half of that album. I Stand Alone is pretty weak on the first side except for The Last Time which is amazing. However, the second side of the album is pretty strong. I just find that a lot of Agnetha songs are skippable and do not appeal to me as much as Frida’s songs. What’s your opinions on the Frida/Agnetha solo albums?
The first album I ever owned was The Best of ABBA, released in late 1975. I was only five, but I was completely besotted, just like the rest of the country. 'SOS' was my favourite on the album and I still think it's a masterpiece 45 years later. To demonstrate how huge ABBA were in Australia at that time, The Best of ABBA sold over one million copies when the entire population was only 13 million. When they arrived for their first tour in March 1977, the newspaper headlines simply stated "THEY'RE HERE". There was no further explanation required — everybody in Australia knew who "they" were.
It's cool to be uncool. At least according to me . I love the artists you mentioned, as well as John Denver and Dan Fogelberg. I'm just about as uncool as they get.
Pure Pop Perfection that has stood the test of time. Impeccably produced, with great songwriting, they were just the total package. Love them.
Also feel free to participate in this. Eurovision 2020: ABBA Edition So far, the semi final lists are closed. However, you can all participate in the tiebreaker. It’s going to end on Saturday 11th April.
That’s a great cover. I’d say this is from before the band found their ‘look’, but I’m not sure they ever did.
I'm also coming from a UK teenager perspective when how cool you were was EVERYTHING. ABBA helped me get over that snobbishness, I didn't care if they were uncool or if other people looked down on me for liking them, they were great.
They played my hometown of Portland in 1979. At the now nationally famous Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall (who sadly passed away the other day.) I am sure it has had the honor of hosting both Abba and various tribute bands of that group. As well as Madonna's second ever concert performance and Queensryche's first ever official one as well. There is a AP picture somewhere of the gig. But I don't know if it's on the Internet any more.
I didn’t buy the 80s Frida and Agnetha albums until 2004. Even worse, I didn’t get I Stand Alone until last year. I like them all, but think they’re quite patchy. I prefer the Agnetha ones overall, but she could have had better material. Some nice pop tunes though and of course the vocals are superb. Never took to Shine really. A bit overproduced and shrill for me. Really like ‘A’, though.
Yes, I could understand why people would be a bit sniffy about the New Seekers, Dooleys and Brotherhood Of Man, but ABBA had genuinely great songs.
Part of what made Abba great was the musicians they got to play on their recordings. Polar Studios had a great group of sessioners to call on. I mean, they may not have been The Wrecking Crew but they sure as hell could carve out a pop song that lasted the ages. Pop is always the end result of a lot of graft. I always thought that the visual equivalent of Abba was key but my interest in the group was in the sound. Although I do love the stories about using tax breaks to get all their costumes in through customs, duty free!
I'm not surprised some teenagers at the time sneered at ABBA. Their appeal was amazingly widespread — I was five and loved them, and my great-grandmother also owned two of their albums. When you're 15, you don't admit to liking music that little kids and grannies love, even if it's pop perfection.
I think The Visitors was the best thing they ever did, especially the CD with the bonus tracks featuring The Day Before You Came. Soldiers is the stand out track for me, and I’ve often wondered whether it’s a reference to Frida’s father’s nazi past, which is fascinating in itself. What happened to the new tracks which were announced a couple of years ago? Have they been shelved altogether, or are they still scheduled for release?
Benny was interviewed back in February and mentioned they were aiming to release the new songs in September. Apparently there are five songs now.
Arrival is my favorite and I like everything after that. The earlier stuff is spotty and the first Greatest Hits album covers it for me. One of my favorite groups and still in regular rotation. Pure pop for now people.
