ABBA How Good?

Posted by: steviekoi on 05 December 2010

How good do you rate Abba?
Posted on: 05 December 2010 by droodzilla
Very highly. There's no doubt their best songs will stand the test of time. Interesting that the top two tunes, as voted for by viewers of the ITV programme that's just finished, are "Dancing Queen" and "winner Takes it All". The first is a wonderful expression of the joy of being young and happy, the second a bleak meditation on the break up of a relationship. There, in a nutshell, is the reason for their greatness.
Posted on: 05 December 2010 by Mike Hughes
I wouldn't go round amassing their albums but the singles were almost flawless, with some exceptions.
Posted on: 05 December 2010 by George Fredrik
Okay there are some fine solo singers today, but who can match Abba as a group?

They were not just highly professional, but talented, and made some great and memorable records.

Such an act would never get chosen in our modern [and fickle] world of X-Factor and *** Has Got Talent.

Anyone looking forward to the act who performs the Christmas Nr. One as selected by Callow et al?

I thought not ...

ATB from George
Posted on: 05 December 2010 by Steve O
Ditto Mike Hughes comments.
I have only one Abba studio album (Arrival) which is good in places. However their singles are nearly all masterpieces, and timeless too.
Regards,
Steve.
Posted on: 05 December 2010 by TomK
Up there with the very best. I loved them in the 70s even though it was very uncool at that time so I had to buy their albums for my girlfriend, and then wife. Now I'm much older and much, much less pretentious I'm happy to be a fan. At their best the songs are up there with Lennon & McCartney and Brian Wilson, and those vocals are just marvellous. The Winner Takes it All is one of the most heart wrenching songs and videos ever.
I have all their albums plus a couple of bootlegs but agree the singles are where they really shine.
Posted on: 05 December 2010 by Guido Fawkes
Goes without saying ABBA was a great band after all they won the Eurovision Song Contest.

And inspired Alan Partridge .. a-ha.
Posted on: 06 December 2010 by JamieL_v2
I saw Bjorn Again open the main stage at Glastonbury ten or so years ago, and apart from them being very good performers themselves, what struck us was how good the songs were. Not only memorable, but very detailed in way I often find missing in most old hits when you back to them again.

I remember in a TV programme called something like 'Guilty Secrets' that Stephen Fry said he liked Abba and said much of the reason was that they crafted their songs far more than pop songs needed, and he really liked the attention to detail in their work. Surprisingly in the programme he also said that although he might not look the part, he is a great fan of Led Zeppelin.

I keep thinking I should get an Abba album some time, and wouldn't mind seeing Bjorn Again sometime again, they were a great live band.
Posted on: 06 December 2010 by Mike-B
This like owning up to being a closet Line Dancer

They are probably the best producers of "pop" around - ever.
Catchy melodies, memorable lyrics, faultless production, & consistently throughout their time for all the material they produced. The superlatives go on & on & I doubt anyone could seriously find anything other than more of the same.

Do I or 'erself have ABBA records or CD's - NO
If I did have some would I play them regularly - NO

But SWMBO has the Mamma Mia DVD - Yes I have watched it more than once - once.
Posted on: 06 December 2010 by Rockingdoc
I loathed them then, and still do.
Posted on: 06 December 2010 by Derry
The best singles pop band of all time - I have no singles or albums of theirs, nor any other pop band.

Apart from The Who and The Stones and the Beatles.
Posted on: 06 December 2010 by Dungassin
Abba singles always make me smile. Lots of associated happy memories. Great band, superb arrangements - and who didn't lust after Agnetha? Smile
Posted on: 06 December 2010 by SAT
Thought I hated Abba, knew I'd hate the film, watched 20 mins before my knowledge was confirmed.
Tried to ignore the film whilst reading this forum. Failed. Perhaps something to do with Isobariks as 2/3 of front speakers and Kans being the rears, but more likely it's just B good. Enjoyed last part of film, may have been last 20 min or last hour. Have watched whole film twice since, love it.
"The day before you came" is still the only song I'd admit to liking in public.
Posted on: 07 December 2010 by Steve O
quote:
Originally posted by Dungassin:
Abba singles always make me smile. Lots of associated happy memories. Great band, superb arrangements - and who didn't lust after Agnetha? Smile


Me.
I always preferred Ani-Frid.
Posted on: 07 December 2010 by BigH47
Like the Beatles a great pop song band.
Posted on: 07 December 2010 by Ron Toolsie
The production of most ABBA records was just flawless. Perfect arrangements and instrumentations that at times could be quite complex and deep. Although it is true that they were mostly a singles band, the album 'The Visitors' stands out as an album rather than a collection of unrelated singles. It after all was their version of 'Rumours'. Really!
Posted on: 07 December 2010 by Guido Fawkes
quote:
It after all was their version of 'Rumours'.
Strange - I thought The Vistors was rather good Big Grin
Posted on: 07 December 2010 by Guido Fawkes
quote:
Originally posted by BigH47:
Like the Beatles a great pop song band.
You, of course mean, the Beatles the great pop song band as well as making great albums.

I can't wait until they release all their albums again in another format ... mono, stereo, vinyl, CD, mp3, hi-res, but still no Blu-Ray or wax cylinder ..... c'mon EMI.
Posted on: 29 September 2012 by osprey
Originally Posted by JamieL_v2:
I saw Bjorn Again open the main stage at Glastonbury ten or so years ago, and apart from them being very good performers themselves, what struck us was how good the songs were. Not only memorable, but very detailed in way I often find missing in most old hits when you back to them again.

I remember in a TV programme called something like 'Guilty Secrets' that Stephen Fry said he liked Abba and said much of the reason was that they crafted their songs far more than pop songs needed, and he really liked the attention to detail in their work. Surprisingly in the programme he also said that although he might not look the part, he is a great fan of Led Zeppelin.

I keep thinking I should get an Abba album some time, and wouldn't mind seeing Bjorn Again sometime again, they were a great live band.

 

I was browsing through the old threads and came across to this fine one about ABBA. Just out of curiosity does anyone know if this Björn Again ensemble is still active somehow? I remember seeing them in early 90's and what a fun night that was (included dancing on the top of the tables if I remember right).

Posted on: 29 September 2012 by BigH47
Originally Posted by osprey:
 

 

I was browsing through the old threads and came across to this fine one about ABBA. Just out of curiosity does anyone know if this Björn Again ensemble is still active somehow? I remember seeing them in early 90's and what a fun night that was (included dancing on the top of the tables if I remember right).

 

Apparently :-  http://www.bjornagain.com/shows.htm

Posted on: 29 September 2012 by GraemeH
Originally Posted by George Fredrik:

Anyone looking forward to the act who performs the Christmas Nr. One as selected by Callow et al?

I thought not ...

ATB from George

....moved on from the acting then has he? One can always rely on a thesp for a decent 'Christmas Carol'.......G

Posted on: 29 September 2012 by J.N.

Talking of Simon Callow; I see he appears as Dickie Attenborough in the dramatised life of Kenny Everett, BBC4, Wednesday evening.

 

It should be good for a laugh, as SC doesn't take himself too seriously.

 

John.

Posted on: 29 September 2012 by Big Al

Damn. I had forgotten that I had seen Bjorn Again.  I really enjoyed that evening. They did a pretty good version of "Paranoid" when the girls had left the stage, and I thought there could have been a "handbags" punch-up between two girls in front of me, but the evening did not descend into mindless violence (sic).

 

My abiding memory of "Dancing Queen"  is of standing in a pub in Praed Street, having a cheese and onion roll and a cold one, while the lunchtime stripper got her kit off while the Abba tune was belting out.

I don't think you get much of that in the "All Bar One's" nowadays.

 

PS I always preferred Ani Frid Lyngstadt as well

Posted on: 29 September 2012 by Julian H

I love Abba's singles and my fave album is Visitors. Fab, and to hear the Smoke Fairies do a cover of the title track live last week was a real treat 

 

Julian

Posted on: 29 September 2012 by sonic

I am sorry but I can´t stand them.

Maybe because I´m Swedish.

Posted on: 29 September 2012 by Steve J

As a young lad with raging hormones in the '70s of course I liked Abba. As pop songs go their music wasn't bad either. Agnetha was my favourite when I was younger but as I matured Ani Frid had a certain something. 

 

Big Al's memory of Praed Street in the '70s certainly brings back that time for me also.

 

Steve