Jeez I love Abba
Posted by: Kevin-W on 05 May 2004
The other day I was having a beer with mmy mate Mat, who used to edit Mojo. We were talking about the issue back in March '99 when he put Abba on the cover - quite a daring thing to do on that maggazine at that time, as borne out by some of the letters he got from irate readers; but it was one of the biggest selling issues of his tenure. He was saying that he wouldn't have put them on the cover if they didn't have real credibility - which of course they do.
But later that very same day there wasa progrrammme about them on Channel 5. And, of course, it concentrated on the cosstumes, the camp and cheesy aspects, witth the usual parade of halfwits and wankers making the standard "smart"arse remarks.
This prompted me to drag out a couple of their albums and well, their music isn't cheesy in the slightest. There is a gorgeous melancholy to most of their music; it is also beautifully crafted, played and produced.
"Dancing Queen", which is of course their masterpiece is exquisitely beautiful, and its deep-seated melancholy does not detract froom the fact that it is - with the possible exception of "Good Vibrations" – the most joyous, life-affirming piece of pop music ever made. What's so fucking funny about that, I ask you? OK, I know everyone's uncle dances badly to it at weddings, but that's because it's utterly irresistable. You'd have to be completely soulless not to be seduced, non? And have you listened to the awesome bass playing?
"SOS" and "Fernando", with their lilting melodies and clumsy but endearing use of English, are almost as good; then there are those sad, weary later masterpieces "Knowing Me Knowing You", "The Name Of The Game" and "The Winner Takes It All"; and who coud forget the frankly pervy "Does Your Mother Know"?
What does anyone else think?
Kevin
PS Don't even think about getting me started oon the mighty Carpenters either...
Posted on: 05 May 2004 by Bhoyo
Kevin:
Abba have garnered more critical acclaim in the years since they split than seems reasonable. It puts me in what now seems to be a minority of people who don't get it.
I bought my ex the Abba Gold collections, thinking I'd finally see the light. I didn't. So many people whose tastes I trust are now in your camp that I suspect the failure must be mine.
Anyway, get started on The Carpenters any time you like. Now there is genius, no question.
Good to see you back in these parts.
Davie
Posted on: 06 May 2004 by trickytree
Abba are one of those groups/artists who make great singles but crap albums. The compilation album was invented for them.
Paul.
Posted on: 06 May 2004 by Bubblechild
I love Abba too. It's the music that was playing when I was a kid, so I guess it'll always have a place in my soul somewhere.
Agree that "When I Kissed The Teacher" is fab - so innocent and joyful. Makes me want to dance like a five-year-old on a bouncy castle.
Other favourites for me are the heartbreak of "One Of Us"; the melancholy sketch of single life in "The Day Before You Came" and the delicate grace of "Like An Angel Passing Through My Room", which makes me want to hold my breath all the way through.
And surely the harmonies on "Angel Eyes" are right up there with the best of the Beach Boys.
I'd like to know more about what they all got up to after the group split - musically rather than personally. I love the original concept album for Benny & Bjorn's musical "Chess".
Posted on: 06 May 2004 by trickytree
Agnetha has just released a new album IIRC. Cover versions??, not heard it though.
Paul.
Posted on: 06 May 2004 by Rasher
I'm with Davie. I know people say how it was all pure genius - but I just don't get it. Just sounds like very cheesy 70's pop to me. Sorry.
Posted on: 06 May 2004 by seagull
"Just sounds like very cheesy 70's pop to me"
I don't "get" Abba either but didn't they define that cheesy (sp?) 70's pop genre?
Posted on: 06 May 2004 by TomK
I have no problem now with being an Abba fan. I wasn’t always as comfortable though. Back in the mid to late seventies it rather conflicted with the cool inscrutable image I tried to cultivate (I was moving on from the likes of Led Zeppelin to Bob Dylan, Neil Young, Bruce Springsteen and so on). Besides it just wasn’t on to like something your Ma and Da thought was fab. I used to buy my girlfriend (now wife) Abba albums as they were released which puzzled her as she didn’t really like them very much.
However I openly admit now to being a real fan. I love the wall of beautifully produced sound, the wonderfully crafted melodies and harmonies, the not quite perfect lyrics sung in those sexy accents, the range of songs from pure pop like Mama Mia to the heartbreaking stuff like One of Us, The Winner Takes it All and The Day Before You Came which appeared as their relationships fell apart.
I wish I’d seen them in concert as Abba Live is one of the best live albums I’ve ever heard although sadly it seems to be difficult to find now.
Posted on: 08 May 2004 by Mike Hanson
I enjoy them when they happen to get played by someone else, but I don't usually put them on myself.
As to the Carpenters, I've not got much stuff by them. However, everytime I think of them, I think of Klatuu (who weren't the Beatles in disguise).
-=> Mike Hanson <=-
Posted on: 08 May 2004 by Not For Me
Abba have always been above and away from the mainstream, whith thier catchy melodies and hooks - they were Disco as well, e.g. Summer Night City (?)
There was always a slightly melancholic feel, a sense of all not being well which was attractive.
I mean, who can sit still when DQ comes on? The No.1 floor filler of all time ever!
Now I have a bit more trouble with the Carpenters. The Wife is a huge Carpenters fan, and keeps buying more and more rehashed complilations. A bit mellow for me.
DS
ITC - Ed Rush - Torque
Posted on: 08 May 2004 by syd
ABBA were Crap and the Carpenters were Crap. Have some of you taken leave of your senses or have the drugs wotrn off or just kicked in. I honestly feel that some here are extracting the old urine.
Yours in Music
Syd
Posted on: 08 May 2004 by Mike Hanson
quote:
Originally posted by syd:
ABBA were Crap and the Carpenters were Crap. Have some of you taken leave of your senses or have the drugs wotrn off or just kicked in. I honestly feel that some here are extracting the old urine.
Unfortunately, for many "discriminating" individuals Popular=Crappy. Fortunately, this is not always the case, and semi-objective music lovers recognize and accept this without chagrine. ABBA may have been exceedingly popular, but they were certainly not "crap". You may not like that style of music, but it's definitely admirable work.
-=> Mike Hanson <=-
Posted on: 08 May 2004 by TomK
I agree wholeheartedly Mike. They weren't regarded as cool at the time, perhaps because they had such universal appeal, but their music stands up to any proper scrutiny you want to apply.
I can accept "I don't like this" but "it was crap" is an entirely different proposition and I'll certainly argue against it.
Posted on: 09 May 2004 by sideshowbob
quote:
Originally posted by TomK:
I agree wholeheartedly Mike. They weren't regarded as cool at the time, perhaps because they had such universal appeal, but their music stands up to any proper scrutiny you want to apply.
Some cool people thought they were cool. I remember Chris Carter of Throbbing Gristle was a big fan, and would happily wear Abba t-shirts in band pictures.
Me, I like great pop music, but Abba don't do much for me. Too much in the musical theatre school of music for my tastes. But I can see why some people rate them. They're certainly not crap, they were very good at what they did.
-- Ian
Posted on: 09 May 2004 by Tim Jones
Syd is spot on. His post doesn't say anywhere that popular=crap. You've assumed that. His view may not be particularly fashionable (it is very fashionable to like Abba these days, isn't it?)
Abba were one of the prototypical manufactured pop groups. As such they've got a helluva lot to answer for (and interesting that their renaissance happens at the apogee of manufactured teeny pop).
The current ironic/postmodern/camp view of them always jumps (often wrongly) on anyone who disagrees, as being an old-fashioned elitist
Nick - I don't disgree with you, but there's a danger of saying that because something is 'pop', it's good. This is not always true.
Tim
Posted on: 10 May 2004 by Bubblechild
Manufactured?
Tim, in what way do you mean Abba were manufactured? I'm interested in this comment. They wrote their own songs, arranged their own harmonies and orchestrations - I think they even produced themselves, though not sure.
Clearly the form they chose to use was primarily traditionally-structured 3.5-minute pop songs, and many people find this off-putting. Some of the costumes probably didn't help either.
But I think that as a group they believed in what they were singing and had soul. This is why I like them - also why I generally don't like boy bands. It's usually not the form or the subject of music that interests/bothers me, it's the intention and emotion behind it, as well as the skill and beauty of the work itself.
FWIW, my collection is made up of about 10% 'pop', 30% 'rock', 20% jazz, 20% dance, 10% classical/opera and 10% 'misc'...
Posted on: 10 May 2004 by JohanR
quote:
Tim, in what way do you mean Abba were manufactured? I'm interested in this comment. They wrote their own songs, arranged their own harmonies and orchestrations - I think they even produced themselves, though not sure.
The idea that ABBA was "manufactured" probably came from the communists that controlled the pop music output on the Swedish Radio in the 1970:s. To them proper music had to have as many "politically conscious" wordings as possible and preferably being sung by someone who couldn't. You also had to be a part of the "alternative" culture with ugly clothing and not being to careful with your own hygiene. ABBA was "commercial" (yes they were), popular among the public that the communists wanted to reach themselves and even managed to make a bob or two. Of course they where despised and slandered.
Me, as someone who grow up in Björn's hometown Västervik and now lives in Agneta's childhood town Jönköping? I hated them. Why? Because they where really schlager artists stealing elements from my beloved R&R music. The sound is horrendously bad to.
Time has proven that the songs must have been excellent, but I can still not listen to it. I have tried, but no I can't.
In 1973 you could book ABBA for around £250 - £300!
JohanR
Posted on: 10 May 2004 by JeremyD
I cannot satisfactorily explain why I don't have any Abba records. Maybe they're a touch too sentimental for someone who has made a seemless transition from prolonged teenage angst to early mid-life crisis! Maybe I'll emerge as an uncompromising Abba fan in a year or two.
Posted on: 11 May 2004 by Rockingdoc
I quite fancied the blonde one, but prefered to have the sound down on the telly. Does that count?
