Abba ..........................................

[Wdm6789]

This is weird. I just started listening to Abba a lot recently. It's like when I got into Fleetwood Mac and Christine came back.

[FuzzyPlum]

It's overlooked that ABBA had such a huge output over a very short period of time. When you consider the consistent quality of their music they are almost up there with the Beatles.

[BombaySapphire3]

Originally Posted by FuzzyPlum

It's overlooked that ABBA had such a huge output over a very short period of time. When you consider the consistent quality of their music they are almost up there with the Beatles.

I agree .Their recording career was almost exactly 10 years. They have released more music than the current lineup of Fleetwood Mac. The ABBA boys had an unerring sense of melody.

[Macfanforever]

Originally Posted by BombaySapphire3

I agree .Their recording career was almost exactly 10 years. They have released more music than the current lineup of Fleetwood Mac. The ABBA boys had an unerring sense of melody.

Also can say ABBA has a boatload of number 1 hits.FM only 1 number one hit.

http://www.officialcharts.com/artist/8604/abba/

[BombaySapphire3]

Originally Posted by Macfanforever

Also can say ABBA has a boatload of number 1 hits.FM only 1 number one hit.

http://www.officialcharts.com/artist/8604/abba/

Actually here in the US Fleetwood Mac and ABBA are tied with only one number one each. Dreams and Dancing Queen and within a few weeks of each other. In the UK and just about every other place ABBA handily beat Fleetwood Mac in number one singles.

[Missy]

In Australia during 1970s, their fame was comparable to Beatlemania. Unfortunately I think Agnetha was intimidated by and afraid of that level of attention/fanatacism when they toured here. Agnetha bore the brunt of it and she wasn't making it up.

After The Beatles split, it was as if everyone was looking for the next band to be like them, and that went on for a long time. A few bands came close. But it's not likely it will ever happen that way again due to a variety of factors. I'm not even the biggest Beatles fan but there probably won't be that impact again because there isn't the same culture. But in the 70s people were still hungry for it.

[becca]

To focus on something positive... as a kid in the '70s I remember the early disco period and how positive the music was. It wasn't great capital A art maybe but you could dance to it as they say. A lot of the artists were black too; Harold Melvin & The Blue Notes (with Teddy Pendergrass), Shirley & Company, George McCrae, Earth Wind & Fire, Parliament, Barry White, Kool & The Gang, we had records by all of them. I even learned The Hustle. The first Abba I remember hearing was probably S.O.S. like most North Americans, or I Do, I Do, I Do which came on a cassette from relatives in Holland who recorded things off the radio that were hits there (Radio Veronica and Radio Hilversum). They were upbeat and fun where a lot of big arena rock was becoming pretentious and even ponderous. I remember buying a Kansas album and liking only one song (Dust In The Wind, talk about downbeat)... and then buying a Boney M disco LP and liking almost every track. The two Fleetwood Mac albums I played a lot were the white album and Rumours and they fit in well with the times. Somewhere people began just turning out product with the dance beat, and even though there were still good disco records like by Chic or The Gap Band it did get worn out. I had moved on to the skinny tie groups, Joe Jackson, Blondie, Pointed Sticks and The Police around when Tusk came out.

I know now that there was depression, drug abuse, violence and class struggle etc. in the '70s, but for me it seemed a really optimistic time where, like Fleetwood Mac sang, thinking about tomorrow was exciting. I haven't felt that was since and yet have heard others say the same about the '60s or '80s and even the '90s as a golden age for them and music. One person's Beatles and Byrds is another person's M.C. Hammer and Beastie Boys?

[Wdm6789]

Originally Posted by becca

To focus on something positive... as a kid in the '70s I remember the early disco period and how positive the music was. It wasn't great capital A art maybe but you could dance to it as they say. A lot of the artists were black too; Harold Melvin & The Blue Notes (with Teddy Pendergrass), Shirley & Company, George McCrae, Earth Wind & Fire, Parliament, Barry White, Kool & The Gang, we had records by all of them. I even learned The Hustle. The first Abba I remember hearing was probably S.O.S. like most North Americans, or I Do, I Do, I Do which came on a cassette from relatives in Holland who recorded things off the radio that were hits there (Radio Veronica and Radio Hilversum). They were upbeat and fun where a lot of big arena rock was becoming pretentious and even ponderous. I remember buying a Kansas album and liking only one song (Dust In The Wind, talk about downbeat)... and then buying a Boney M disco LP and liking almost every track. The two Fleetwood Mac albums I played a lot were the white album and Rumours and they fit in well with the times. Somewhere people began just turning out product with the dance beat, and even though there were still good disco records like by Chic or The Gap Band it did get worn out. I had moved on to the skinny tie groups, Joe Jackson, Blondie, Pointed Sticks and The Police around when Tusk came out.

I know now that there was depression, drug abuse, violence and class struggle etc. in the '70s, but for me it seemed a really optimistic time where, like Fleetwood Mac sang, thinking about tomorrow was exciting. I haven't felt that was since and yet have heard others say the same about the '60s or '80s and even the '90s as a golden age for them and music. One person's Beatles and Byrds is another person's M.C. Hammer and Beastie Boys?

Unfortunately, I didn't get to experience these decades first hand. In my opinion, the 70s had the best music, 60s and 80s had awesome music too, but in the 60s it was just getting started. In the 80s it started getting more commercial and technology started getting more advanced and started to take away some of the integrity of the music. 70s was the best.

[Missy]

Originally Posted by becca

To focus on something positive... as a kid in the '70s I remember the early disco period and how positive the music was. It wasn't great capital A art maybe but you could dance to it as they say. A lot of the artists were black too; Harold Melvin & The Blue Notes (with Teddy Pendergrass), Shirley & Company, George McCrae, Earth Wind & Fire, Parliament, Barry White, Kool & The Gang, we had records by all of them. I even learned The Hustle. The first Abba I remember hearing was probably S.O.S. like most North Americans, or I Do, I Do, I Do which came on a cassette from relatives in Holland who recorded things off the radio that were hits there (Radio Veronica and Radio Hilversum). They were upbeat and fun where a lot of big arena rock was becoming pretentious and even ponderous. I remember buying a Kansas album and liking only one song (Dust In The Wind, talk about downbeat)... and then buying a Boney M disco LP and liking almost every track. The two Fleetwood Mac albums I played a lot were the white album and Rumours and they fit in well with the times. Somewhere people began just turning out product with the dance beat, and even though there were still good disco records like by Chic or The Gap Band it did get worn out. I had moved on to the skinny tie groups, Joe Jackson, Blondie, Pointed Sticks and The Police around when Tusk came out.

I know now that there was depression, drug abuse, violence and class struggle etc. in the '70s, but for me it seemed a really optimistic time where, like Fleetwood Mac sang, thinking about tomorrow was exciting. I haven't felt that was since and yet have heard others say the same about the '60s or '80s and even the '90s as a golden age for them and music. One person's Beatles and Byrds is another person's M.C. Hammer and Beastie Boys?

I was born in the 70s and still remember it as so much fun, even if we weren't as technologically sophisticated. I wouldn't trade it for anything. I'm still a 'glam girl' at heart. To me, Stevie Nicks was in many ways a female American version of Mr Marc Bolan. I've read that the glam movement developed partly in response to the overly intellectual, analytical, serious music of the late 60s. It may have been derided by critics at the time but I think some of it still holds up well today - some of those who were clever like Bowie were able to incorporate a good sense of irony into it.

Yes some of it was damn silly. ABBA had their bad costumes and share of trite songs but also had their moments of pop brilliance. Agnetha and Frida were truly good singers and Bjorn's lyrics matured over time. Though they projected this fun happy bubblegum image a lot of the time, it can also be noted that there was sometimes a sadder, moodier undercurrent reflected. It was just the right mix.

[BombaySapphire3]

Originally Posted by Missy

Yes some of it was damn silly. ABBA had their bad costumes and share of trite songs but also had their moments of pop brilliance. Agnetha and Frida were truly good singers and Bjorn's lyrics matured over time. Though they projected this fun happy bubblegum image a lot of the time, it can also be noted that there was sometimes a sadder, moodier undercurrent reflected. It was just the right mix.

Towards the end of their recording career the undercurrent rose to the surface.Songs like "The Winner Takes it All' "One of Us ',The Visitors " and "The Day Before You Came' are the aural equivalent of an Ingmar Bergman film.

[Macfan4life]

I would love it but I highly doubt they will tour. In 2000 ABBA was offered 1 BILLION dollars (yes 1 BILLON) to do a world tour of 100 shows and they turned it down. A few years later ABBA was offered 1 billion again and they declined again.
Their only US tour was 12 dates. They never liked touring and had family obligations. That is why there are so many ABBA videos. They were pioneers with videos. They used videos to promote their music instead of touring.

My favorites:

Knowing Me, Knowing You - its just so good
Waterloo
The winner takes it all
Does your mother know
The game

[becca]

Originally Posted by Missy

I was born in the 70s and still remember it as so much fun, even if we weren't as technologically sophisticated. I wouldn't trade it for anything. I'm still a 'glam girl' at heart. To me, Stevie Nicks was in many ways a female American version of Mr Marc Bolan. I've read that the glam movement developed partly in response to the overly intellectual, analytical, serious music of the late 60s. It may have been derided by critics at the time but I think some of it still holds up well today - some of those who were clever like Bowie were able to incorporate a good sense of irony into it.

Yes some of it was damn silly. ABBA had their bad costumes and share of trite songs but also had their moments of pop brilliance. Agnetha and Frida were truly good singers and Bjorn's lyrics matured over time. Though they projected this fun happy bubblegum image a lot of the time, it can also be noted that there was sometimes a sadder, moodier undercurrent reflected. It was just the right mix.

Glam was a sort of back to basics before punk rock happened. I remember very little about it, it was right before disco, and it was sort of a progression from what was called Bubblegum Pop. We did have some of these turn up on out K-Tel albums, in a way Elton John seemed to be in with the whole Glam Euro thing because of his over the top costumes like Slade and The Sweet, and Abba looked no dafter than any of them.

I remember being nuts about a Giorgio Moroder recording of Son Of My father and another thing called Popcorn by Hot Butter which were both early examples of synthesizer pop, both on K-Tel records. A hooky new song was one of the most exciting things back then, I suppose even with the autotune and vocal processing that can still happen for kids today.

Just received a new 2 CD collection of Terry Jacks (Seasons In The Sun, Which Way You Goin' Billy, Where Evil Grows) so I'm really time-travelling now. Loved a song of his called Concrete Sea as it reminds me of one of my first jobs (in the late 1970s) cleaning a supermarket parking lot on Sundays ( stores were closed Sundays then).

[becca]

Originally Posted by BombaySapphire3

Towards the end of their recording career the undercurrent rose to the surface.Songs like "The Winner Takes it All' "One of Us ',The Visitors " and "The Day Before You Came' are the aural equivalent of an Ingmar Bergman film.

Yes, the later stuff is more adult... a lot I never heard back then, after Voulez-Vous they seemed to drop off radio here and that's where they started getting adult. It's amazing how well written the lyrics were for someone with English not their native language. I feel the same about the guy in Holland who wrote songs for a '70s group called Pussycat (Mississippi), Werner Theuneissen. I think ABBA and Buckingham-Nicks fans might really like Pussycat who had some nice vocal hits with Smile, Broken Souvenirs and Mississippi.

[BombaySapphire3]

Originally Posted by Macfan4life

I would love it but I highly doubt they will tour. In 2000 ABBA was offered 1 BILLION dollars (yes 1 BILLON) to do a world tour of 100 shows and they turned it down. A few years later ABBA was offered 1 billion again and they declined again.
Their only US tour was 12 dates. They never liked touring and had family obligations. That is why there are so many ABBA videos. They were pioneers with videos. They used videos to promote their music instead of touring.

I saw them in San Diego on that very short tour in the fall of 1979.I have been to many concerts since then and some of my memories of them are hazy but I remember that one ABBA show like it was yesterday.

[becca]

I'm still thinking about Stevie Nicks as Marc Bolan's soul sister... Rhiannon would certainly fit in.

Here's a 1976 'smile' from Pussycat...