ABBA

[graffiti my soul]

OK so I heard The Day Before You Came for the first time a few days ago, and I'm in love. That second disc of The Definitive Collection really is something special.

Is the next natural step The Visitors?

[Alcazarized]

OK so I heard The Day Before You Came for the first time a few days ago, and I'm in love. That second disc of The Definitive Collection really is something special.

Is the next natural step The Visitors?

Yes, definitely! The only possible blot perhaps is Two For The Price of One, though it's basically harmless. Of the bonus tracks tacked on the end, Should I Laugh Or Cry is excellent and could have been on the album.

The Super Trouper album's also worth a look if you like 'late Abba'.

[graffiti my soul]

Thankyou! I will take the plunge then.

[Baby Clyde]

The only possible blot perhaps is Two For The Price of One,

'Two For The Price of One' is shocking. It belongs on 'Ring Ring' not 'The Visitors'.

I'm currently on holiday and reading this, which is great.

Have just bought boxsets of all of Agnetha and Frida's early solo stuff (Which is all in Swedish so god knows why i want it???) and have been listening to the first few ABBA albums which are generally ropey with some hidden gems. I'm going to keep playing the first 3 over and over until I become completely familiar with them before eventually treating myself to 'Arrival' when it all finally comes together.

I also replayed 'MY Colouring Book' for the first time since I bought it last night. Still a completely pointless collection of MOR standards done in the must unbearable muzaky style imaginable but not as bad as it was on first listening.

[Cowboystyle]

OK so I heard The Day Before You Came for the first time a few days ago, and I'm in love. That second disc of The Definitive Collection really is something special.

I can still remember the first time I heard The Day Before You Came, it was when I bought More Abba Gold the week it came out. It remained my favourite Abba song for a long long time, Ive probably listened to it far too much since as I dont listen to it as much now. My mum and Dad were both Abba fans but i truly discovered them when Abba Gold came out and I was about 12 or 13 I just fell in love with them and bought More Abba Gold as soon as it came out. I definately prefer More Abba Gold now as the songs on Abba Gold have suffered from over exposure in my case.

[undisco_me]

I like Two For The Price of One an awful lot: I think it's meant to sound joyless, lost, strained and pathetic on purpose. Vocally, the album is a great showcase for Frida's brittle elegance, When All Said & Done is almost tormented, I love the way she seems to sneer "he's such a clever guy", and then the chorus gets carried away with itself in similar fashion to before but on different terms. So compared to Frida's tour-de-force moments, Two For The Price of One can't really compete - I'm sure Frida in particular could have added something surprising to the song, but I enjoy it as it is and for me it definitely has its place on the album. By all accounts, the album seemed to do quite well all things considered, it just wasn't that commercial, Head Over Heels was a wrong choice to get in the way of Said & Done, and they'd turned their engines off pretty much promotion wise anyway. But yes, it's a remarkable album, it actually documents something that seems so real or else wildly interpreted. Like An Angel Passing Through My Room is almost hymn-like. It might sound a bit subjective to say this, but the light really shone on Frida this time.

[tylerc904]

Two For The Price of One (and on some editions, You Owe Me One) definitely sound out of place but I love them. Cassandra is the only dud for me. Should I Laugh Or Cry is amazing, one of my all time favorites.

As I had previously posted in here, I've been listening to the first 2 albums a lot lately and Waterloo is certainly very good. I love it! About 3 tracks that I could do without but, what a shame to have wasted so much time ignoring it!

My Mama Said, King Kong Song, & Watch Out are absolutely wonderful!

[thewayitusedtobe]

Don't know how anyone can call Cassandra a dud, it's a fantastic track! Anyway, SuperTrouper has always been the very best album for me, every track is amazingly strong.

[letuinmybackdoor]

Has anyone read the book 'Thank you for the music; The stories behind every ABBA song' by Robert Scott? It's a real labour of love by someone who is obviously an uber fan, it's great for getting info on all their stuff. he's honest when he needs to be (he doesn't rate every song)


http://www.amazon.com/ABBA-Thank-Mus.../dp/1842227939


This thread has me diving back into it al the time.

Read more: http://www.popjustice.com/forum/inde...#ixzz1i3n44RAA

[graffiti my soul]

Thanks letuinmybackdoor, that sounds like a fascinating read.

[tylerc904]

The reviews do not look very promising... I would love a book on the meaning behind all the songs.

Does anyone know of a book that is an essential ABBA fan item?

[letuinmybackdoor]

I suppose it's all subjective, but I really enjoyed the book. It could have been written by an obsessive fan but it could end up like Madonna and Kylie's OCD fans and end up all obsessive and bitter. It's a 'dip in' book rather than a book you read from start to finish. But as there's no other book just ultimately focusing on the music, I think it's perfect.

[Baby Clyde]

My Mama Said, King Kong Song, & Watch Out are absolutely wonderful!

'King King Song' is wretched beyond belief.

[Sugaboy]

I never understood why 'Angeleyes' never got much attention. It's superb.

[nnnumb]

I like Two For The Price of One an awful lot: I think it's meant to sound joyless, lost, strained and pathetic on purpose. Vocally, the album is a great showcase for Frida's brittle elegance, When All Said & Done is almost tormented, I love the way she seems to sneer "he's such a clever guy", and then the chorus gets carried away with itself in similar fashion to before but on different terms. So compared to Frida's tour-de-force moments, Two For The Price of One can't really compete - I'm sure Frida in particular could have added something surprising to the song, but I enjoy it as it is and for me it definitely has its place on the album. By all accounts, the album seemed to do quite well all things considered, it just wasn't that commercial, Head Over Heels was a wrong choice to get in the way of Said & Done, and they'd turned their engines off pretty much promotion wise anyway. But yes, it's a remarkable album, it actually documents something that seems so real or else wildly interpreted. Like An Angel Passing Through My Room is almost hymn-like. It might sound a bit subjective to say this, but the light really shone on Frida this time.

Absolutely spot on.

I've always prefered Frida over Agnetha, and The Visitors always seems to me to be Frida's album. Of course, giving her the best song on the album (Like An Angel Passing Through My Room) was always going to make it seem that way.

[Mvnl]

I never understood why 'Angeleyes' never got much attention. It's superb.

Love that one. Although it's one of those songs with a great buildup ending up in a dissapointing chorus for me.

[letuinmybackdoor]

I never understood why 'Angeleyes' never got much attention. It's superb.

Love that one. Although it's one of those songs with a great buildup ending up in a dissapointing chorus for me.

Also it was up against 'Voulez vous' on a double 'a' side, it was bound to come out unfavourably.

[sometimesxtc]

I like Two For The Price of One an awful lot: I think it's meant to sound joyless, lost, strained and pathetic on purpose. Vocally, the album is a great showcase for Frida's brittle elegance, When All Said & Done is almost tormented, I love the way she seems to sneer "he's such a clever guy", and then the chorus gets carried away with itself in similar fashion to before but on different terms. So compared to Frida's tour-de-force moments, Two For The Price of One can't really compete - I'm sure Frida in particular could have added something surprising to the song, but I enjoy it as it is and for me it definitely has its place on the album. By all accounts, the album seemed to do quite well all things considered, it just wasn't that commercial, Head Over Heels was a wrong choice to get in the way of Said & Done, and they'd turned their engines off pretty much promotion wise anyway. But yes, it's a remarkable album, it actually documents something that seems so real or else wildly interpreted. Like An Angel Passing Through My Room is almost hymn-like. It might sound a bit subjective to say this, but the light really shone on Frida this time.

Absolutely spot on.

I've always prefered Frida over Agnetha, and The Visitors always seems to me to be Frida's album. Of course, giving her the best song on the album (Like An Angel Passing Through The Room) was always going to make it seem that way.

Yes, I think Two For The Price of One has a terrific vocal from Frida and Agnetha and I like the almost-jarring, self-depracating beat of it. The only one I'm sometimes inclined to skip is Soliders, but even then I'm usually happy to grin and bare it.

[Eric Generic]

The reviews do not look very promising... I would love a book on the meaning behind all the songs.

I have to say the reviews put me off as well.

I don't actually know any Frida solo stuff, but I must have bought her 1984 effort Shine in the MVE or something a while ago because it's there with my 1984 albums. I noticed someone on PJ also had that sleeve as their avatar. She looks quite nice in it, I must admit.

[Baby Clyde]

NOOOOOOOOO!!!!

'Soldiers' is AMAZE.

'Two For The Price of One' is just some novelty nonsense.

It's reminds me of 'Escape (The Pina Colada Song)' or Dean Friedman's 'Thank Your Lucky Stars'.

Both fantabulous by the way but neither should be on 'The Visitors'.

[The Visitor]

The Visitors turned 30 last month. I can still remember having a strop in Sheerness Woolworths aged 5 when my mum wouldn't buy me the cassette. I threw myself on the floor and wailed. She just walked offf and waited outside til I gave in. Got it for Christmas in the end. Lots of my childhood memories involve ABBA, and I still adore them now.

[hudweiser]

Bright Lights, Dark Shadows is the most crucial book. But it's quite depressing to learn just how troubled they were as a unit by the 80s. It made me really appreciate the fact they stuck together after the divorces just to deliver those final few excellent records.

And for you charties, why have you not mentioned this haven?

http://www.polyhex.com/music/chartruns/chartruns.php

[Baby Clyde]

I'm currently lying on a deserted beach in Puerto Rico reading Bright Lights, Dark Shadows and listening to early ABBA.

Suddenly rubbish like 'Sitting In The Palmtree' and 'Tropical Loveland' don't sound so bad.

HA!!!

[tylerc904]

I want an ABBA book so badly! I'm planning a bunch of books to read this summer and I want to know all about the music/members. But if no book exists with such a focus, I'll take hudweiser's suggestion and grab that.

Baby Clyde, those are 2 of their worst. Though I love Happy Hawaii.

[Baby Clyde]

This is clearly the best one out there. Really in depth which is what I like.

'Happy Hawaii' is utterly terrible.

I just find all of the albums before 'ABBA - The Album' to be bizzarely hit and miss.

Even as late as 'Arrival' they are still including nonsense like 'Dum Dum Diddle' directly before the sublime 'Knowing Me knowing You'.