Abba

take everything

Listening to a lot of Abba in the early hours on Youtube (up studying) and they had so many great hits.

Knowing me, knowing you (aha...)
Name of the game.
One of us.

Brilliant stuff.
Some great songcraft.

Any Abba fans here

The Sidewards Man

Abba rocks

The Sidewards Man

sryanbruen

Money, money, money, always something in a rich man's world!

Whitewinged

I was watching an episode of comedy The Trip with Rob Brydon and Steeve Coogan and they were talking about and cover The Winner Takes It All. I always hated that song until it was featured in that show.

noby

Whitewinged wrote: »

I was watching an episode of comedy The Trip with Rob Brydon and Steeve Coogan and they were talking about and cover The Winner Takes It All. I always hated that song until it was featured in that show.

It's a staggeringly good song.

Ally Dick

Some of their early album material was not very good, but the hits were superb

Ally Dick

My favourite Abba song is SOS and I also love Honey Honey. Dunno why.

briany

Ah, ABBA, the hack wedding DJ's go-to. Actually there is a reason for that - they appeal to a really wide range of people, and those songs are like they've been precision engineered from the ground up to be hits. Everything about them is catchy. Hard to resist ABBA, especially if it's 1.30 AM on the dancefloor of a wedding reception and your bosomy second cousin is dancing by herself over by the remnants of the finger food.

UrbanSprawl

The Sidewards Man wrote: »

Abba rocks

and Shabba Ranks

SecretsOfEarth

One of the best pop acts of all time.

q2xv9rjei4awgb

Voulez Vous has some incredible tracks. One of the best albums I've ever heard

SecretsOfEarth

Stanley Rough Roadblock wrote: »

Voulez Vous has some incredible tracks. One of the best albums I've ever heard

Yup, my favourite album of theirs. Such a solid album, very cohesive (even if I Have A Dream and Chiquitita somewhat upset the tempo!)

q2xv9rjei4awgb

SecretsOfEarth wrote: »

Yup, my favourite album of theirs. Such a solid album, very cohesive (even if I Have A Dream and Chiquitita somewhat upset the tempo!)

Vocals on If It Wasn't For The Nights and As Good As New are just beautiful.

Apart from the fact that, between 1976 and 1981, she was the hottest woman to ever grace the earth, Agnetha was one of the best singers I've ever heard. Utterly flawless

eurasian

Every time i play this version of "The day before you came" it completely blows my mind:

LordSutch

take everything wrote: »

Any Abba fans here

Yep, from the 1st time round, although I wouldn't admit to being a fan in school for fear of being ridiculed by those who were into "proper bands" like Genesis, The Who, Slade, Roxy Music, ELO etc.

Love ABBA.

...shame they haven't done a proper reunion yet

SecretsOfEarth

Stanley Rough Roadblock wrote: »

Vocals on If It Wasn't For The Nights and As Good As New are just beautiful.

Apart from the fact that, between 1976 and 1981, she was the hottest woman to ever grace the earth, Agnetha was one of the best singers I've ever heard. Utterly flawless

I hate when ABBA don't get the respect they deserve, it's so annoying. Just because the majority of their music was light-hearted, fun pop they can't be a "serious" act - ludicrous!
Have you delved into either/both of their solo careers?

SecretsOfEarth

eurasian wrote: »

Every time i play this version of "The day before you came" it completely blows my mind:

The song is truly one of their underrated masterpieces, think of the music they could've made in the 80s!

SecretsOfEarth

LordSutch wrote: »

Yep, from the 1st time round, although I wouldn't admit to being a fan in school for fear of being ridiculed by those who were into "proper bands" like Genesis, The Who, Slade, Roxy Music, ELO etc.

Love ABBA.

...shame they haven't done a proper reunion yet

Totally understand your "proper bands" point, what a load of nonsense people believe. The irony is that they follow these bands because they apparently make "REAL MUSIC" yet at the end of the day, they're all focused on the charts.
Speaking of a reunion, there's a reunion of sorts coming in 2018, supposedly. ABBA have teamed up with Simon Fuller (music mogul, masterminded Spice Girls) to create a virtual reality experience. There's not much info yet (more coming this year) but basically it's thought that it will be a virtual reality concert of past ABBA on present stage!

JeffKenna

The winner takes it all.....what a song, I just love it.

SecretsOfEarth

JeffKenna wrote: »

The winner takes it all.....what a song, I just love it.

Love this version : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PJGiGF5WT6g
It's not really an 'early mix', it's just somewhat deconstructed and filtered but it really highlights some of the more haunting vocals.

q2xv9rjei4awgb

SecretsOfEarth wrote: »

I hate when ABBA don't get the respect they deserve, it's so annoying. Just because the majority of their music was light-hearted, fun pop they can't be a "serious" act - ludicrous!
Have you delved into either/both of their solo careers?

Well, I grew up with ABBA (Quo, Queen, etc etc) and even as a child, Agnetha fascinated me. Sounds creepy but, to this day, no one comes close to how beautiful she looked between 76-81.

Having said that, when I started playing music when I was 13, I've since become obsessed with their way of writing and arranged melodies and Agnetha's voice. The combination of both leaves me awe struck.
ABBA are without doubt, one of the best bands/artists of all time

Voulez Vous, As Good As New, If It Wasn't For The Nights, Summer Night City, Eagle, Name Of The Game, Hole In Your Soul, When All Is Said And Done, Winner Takes It All, On and On and On, Tiger, I'm A Marionette, Gimmie Gimmie Gimmie.......I could go on. Just flawless songs.

I got into Agentha's solo career but, never got my hands on anything Frida done tbh

SecretsOfEarth

Stanley Rough Roadblock wrote: »

Well, I grew up with ABBA (Quo, Queen, etc etc) and even as a child, Agnetha fascinated me. Sounds creepy but, to this day, no one comes close to how beautiful she looked between 76-81.

Having said that, when I started playing music when I was 13, I've since become obsessed with their way of writing and arranged melodies and Agnetha's voice. The combination of both leaves me awe struck.
ABBA are without doubt, one of the best bands/artists of all time

Voulez Vous, As Good As New, If It Wasn't For The Nights, Summer Night City, Eagle, Name Of The Game, Hole In Your Soul, When All Is Said And Done, Winner Takes It All, On and On and On, Tiger, I'm A Marionette, Gimmie Gimmie Gimmie.......I could go on. Just flawless songs.

I got into Agentha's solo career but, never got my hands on anything Frida done tbh

With being only 18 now, I'm disappointed to have missed their era but thankfully Universal aren't shy when it comes to pumping out remasters and re-releases!
My favourite albums would have to be Voulez Vous, Arrival and The Visitors, I think they're the most solid and cohesive units of the 8.

Frida's got some nice songs in her repertoire, I love 'I Know There's Something Going On' (with Phil Collins on drums!) and 'Shine'.

eurasian

I have recently listened to the entire catalog of of ABBA and found my favourite albums are "Super trouper" and "Visitor". "Super Trouper" is packed with superiour quality songs and it also has some very melancholic vibes. I think "Super Trouper" is ABBA's "darkest" and deepest album in terms of they way it hides one emotions behind another.
Second best comes "Visitor". I might be new to ABBA but I think this is extremely underrated record. Literally every song is brilliantly composed and put together. "Slipping through my fingers" is just another brilliant song as well as "The day before you came".

SecretsOfEarth

eurasian wrote: »

I have recently listened to the entire catalof of ABBA and found my favourite is "Super trouper" and "Visitor". Not simply because it's packed with superiour quality songs but also because it has some very melancholic vibes. I think "Super Trouper" is ABBA's "darkest" and deepest album in terms of they way it hides one emotions behind another.
Second best comes "Visitor". I might be new to ABBA but I think this is extremely underrated record. Literally every song is brilliantly composed and put together. "Slipping through my fingers" is just another brilliant song as well as "The day before you came".

2 flawless albums, I love how eclectic 'Super Trouper' is!
The songs from their shelved 9th album are some of my favourites, including The Day Before You Came, Under Attack and an unreleased song called Just Like That.

spurious

Stanley Rough Roadblock wrote: »

I got into Agentha's solo career but, never got my hands on anything Frida done tbh

I can heartily recommend 'Djupa Andetag'. It's in Swedish, but some belting tunes and she always had the stronger voice. When she gets to sing in her natural comfortable register, she's fantastic. Most of the Abba days she sang at the very top end of her range.

Saw them in concert when they were here in 1979. Put up with a great deal of slagging for being uncool, but remained true.

Post-Abba stuff like 'Kristina' and a lot of the Benny Andersson Orchestra stuff is worth a listen. Benny Andersson will release a piano album next year that should be great.

They won't ever reform and tour, but their promised 'virtual tour' should be good. These days they don't tend to OK anythng if it's naff.

SecretsOfEarth

spurious wrote: »

I can heartily recommend 'Djupa Andetag'. It's in Swedish, but some belting tunes and she always had the stronger voice. When she gets to sing in her natural comfortable register, she's fantastic. Most of the Abba days she sang at the very top end of her range.

Saw them in concert when they were here in 1979. Put up with a great deal of slagging for being uncool, but remained true.

Post-Abba stuff like 'Kristina' and a lot of the Benny Andersson Orchestra stuff is worth a listen. Benny Andersson will release a piano album next year that should be great.

They won't ever reform and tour, but their promised 'virtual tour' should be good. These days they don't tend to OK anythng if it's naff.

So jealous that you got to see them in the RDS. That was their last ever tour concert in Europe! What was it like?

Speaking of naff things, that Mamma Mia Party! thing in Stockholm is a bit rubbish, but it gave us a picture of the four together again so I'll let it slide :cool:

Edit: Have you been to ABBAWORLD/ABBA The Museum? I went to ABBAWORLD in Earl's Court a few years back, dying to go to the actual museum though, busy planning Stockholm trips in my head!

q2xv9rjei4awgb

spurious wrote: »

I can heartily recommend 'Djupa Andetag'. It's in Swedish, but some belting tunes and she always had the stronger voice. When she gets to sing in her natural comfortable register, she's fantastic. Most of the Abba days she sang at the very top end of her range.

Saw them in concert when they were here in 1979. Put up with a great deal of slagging for being uncool, but remained true.

Post-Abba stuff like 'Kristina' and a lot of the Benny Andersson Orchestra stuff is worth a listen. Benny Andersson will release a piano album next year that should be great.

They won't ever reform and tour, but their promised 'virtual tour' should be good. These days they don't tend to OK anythng if it's naff.

Thanks

What was their concert like in 1979? RDS wasn't it?

Me being 28 means I wasn't there

eurasian

SecretsOfEarth wrote: »

Love this version : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PJGiGF5WT6g
It's not really an 'early mix', it's just somewhat deconstructed and filtered but it really highlights some of the more haunting vocals.

Have you heard this? This is basically an unfinished demo version of the song. Early mix with guitar and some MINDBLOWING backing vocals. When I heard this it brough me to tears. Most of those vocals were not included in final mix, some were faded down a bit.

SecretsOfEarth

eurasian wrote: »

Have you heard this? This is basically an unfinished demo version of the song. Early mix with guitar and some MINDBLOWING backing vocals. When I heard this it brough me to tears. Most of those vocals were not included in final mix, some were faded down a bit.

Stunning. They truly were pop masters!

learn_more

If anyone asked me what was the first song you ever liked if you can remember back that far to your younger years then I can honestly say it was Super Trooper. That song came out in 1980 according to wiki and back then I wasn't even a teenager. Back then we had no music playing devices at home and I would play in 2 or 3 times in a row on a jukebox that was in my dads favourite watering house. 10p a go or 20p to play 3 songs, and I would use 20p to play it 3 times in a row much to the annoyance of the drunken farmer patrons that were pissing it up after 12 o clock mass on a Sunday in that particular venue. : D

I have 4 brothers and 2 sisters, and back then in 1980 my sister would plaster her bedroom wall with pop posters she got from some pop magazine. Some very big ones she would order or get free with the mag. I got my hands on a poster of ABBA but instead of putting it on the bedroom wall I stuck in on the inside of the wardrobe door in an attempt to somewhat hide it.

I got nothing but abuse from my siblings as they knew I liked Super Trouper and they would take the piss. One day someone ripped my poster deliberately and I had to throw it away. At the time my sis was into Adam Ant and other lase 70's/early 80's artists that were forgotten over time. So I got a lot of flack for what I liked, as a child.

Decades later ABBA is still talked about in the media/documentaries with great love and affection. I don't really hear much about Adam Ant or the music/bands/artists my siblings liked. I feel I've been vindicated over the years.