I’m very happy to learn that ABBA is getting the credit they deserve. They were huge back in the day, and for years their music filled the airwaves. To me that always was a good thing. And I still love them to this day.
My favorite will always be Waterloo. The chords descending in the piano and the saxaphone rolling around just punch that song up into the stratosphere. Sheer heaven. Plus it’s featured in Muriel’s Wedding. That scene where Muriel and her friend sing it and dance together with such joyous abandonment is a beautiful moment in film.
Really enjoyed your sharing of how your cd compilations were such a big part of your family road trips. Music and driving just go together like peanut butter and jelly. I’m not sure that later generations understand that quite like we did back in the day. It was a visceral and tactile experience…rolling the windows down, the wind tossing your hair around, punching the buttons on the AM radio to tune in your favorite AM station, and singing along when the dj played one of your favorites. It was the best of times.
Always love hearing more about ABBA! At the time my brother Jeff was in charge of buying their albums so "Arrival" was his. I particularly liked the big singles "Dancing Queen" and "Knowing Me, Knowing You" and "Fernando." Those songs were staples in our house. Later I began to appreciate "When I Kissed the Teacher" and "Money, Money, Money." My favorite ABBA songs though are probably "Does Your Mother Know," "Voulez-Vous," "Take a Chance on Me," "Mamma Mia," and "Super Trouper."
The groove never gets old though at the time their tweenie bopper meets disco was not nearly as hip as Shaft wah wah with flutes and strings or the Hustle was. You can dance but you can't hide. Now when we dance 💃 🕺 it's always ABBA.
Fave ABBA song? 1974's "Waterloo." Would you believe (their Eurovision entry) this song was talked about in the hushed whispers in the power pop "underground"? BOMP Records & Magazine maven, Greg Shaw, was absolutely ga-ga over it, and with THAT endorsement, I fell in love with it, too! It just drove and drove, relentlessly, and of course, the stacked vocals and catchy chorus! At this point, Matt, they were still very guitar-driven, and hadn't yet incorporated "all those synths" (for better or worse...and, I DID like some of their later stuff) into their everyday recipe!
I gotta think (and, this would be fun and easy to "test") that their more '80s/disco/synth fans, if played "Waterloo," wouldn't even guess that it was ABBA! The high-pitched vocals might tip 'em off, but otherwise, I think most "Dancing Queen" fans would just listen with gaping jaws!😱
So many favorites. You've listed a lot and Dan in this thread also lists a lot of good ones, so I'll go with The Visitors, SOS, Kisses of Fire, The Name of the Game, Rock Me, and Hey Hey Helen, but really there are 40 or 50 favorites.
And I'd highly recommend the ABBA Voyage show in London (with the ABBAtars). It's crazy good. The wife and I made a point to stop in and see it on our way back from a Sweden trip last year. They began the show with The Visitors and we were dancing and singing like lunatics.
If you're interested in the whole story (from beginning to the present), check out "Bright Lights, Dark Shadows" by Carl Magnus Palm. It's a lengthy read, but it's got all the details.
I’m very happy to learn that ABBA is getting the credit they deserve. They were huge back in the day, and for years their music filled the airwaves. To me that always was a good thing. And I still love them to this day.
My favorite will always be Waterloo. The chords descending in the piano and the saxaphone rolling around just punch that song up into the stratosphere. Sheer heaven. Plus it’s featured in Muriel’s Wedding. That scene where Muriel and her friend sing it and dance together with such joyous abandonment is a beautiful moment in film.
Really enjoyed your sharing of how your cd compilations were such a big part of your family road trips. Music and driving just go together like peanut butter and jelly. I’m not sure that later generations understand that quite like we did back in the day. It was a visceral and tactile experience…rolling the windows down, the wind tossing your hair around, punching the buttons on the AM radio to tune in your favorite AM station, and singing along when the dj played one of your favorites. It was the best of times.
Shouts to Waterloo! Thanks for reading :)
Always love hearing more about ABBA! At the time my brother Jeff was in charge of buying their albums so "Arrival" was his. I particularly liked the big singles "Dancing Queen" and "Knowing Me, Knowing You" and "Fernando." Those songs were staples in our house. Later I began to appreciate "When I Kissed the Teacher" and "Money, Money, Money." My favorite ABBA songs though are probably "Does Your Mother Know," "Voulez-Vous," "Take a Chance on Me," "Mamma Mia," and "Super Trouper."
Just banger after banger in your favorites, Dan. Love them all!
The groove never gets old though at the time their tweenie bopper meets disco was not nearly as hip as Shaft wah wah with flutes and strings or the Hustle was. You can dance but you can't hide. Now when we dance 💃 🕺 it's always ABBA.
Fave ABBA song? 1974's "Waterloo." Would you believe (their Eurovision entry) this song was talked about in the hushed whispers in the power pop "underground"? BOMP Records & Magazine maven, Greg Shaw, was absolutely ga-ga over it, and with THAT endorsement, I fell in love with it, too! It just drove and drove, relentlessly, and of course, the stacked vocals and catchy chorus! At this point, Matt, they were still very guitar-driven, and hadn't yet incorporated "all those synths" (for better or worse...and, I DID like some of their later stuff) into their everyday recipe!
More love for “Waterloo”! Love it :)
I gotta think (and, this would be fun and easy to "test") that their more '80s/disco/synth fans, if played "Waterloo," wouldn't even guess that it was ABBA! The high-pitched vocals might tip 'em off, but otherwise, I think most "Dancing Queen" fans would just listen with gaping jaws!😱
I’m inclined to agree with you
Gimme! Gimme! Gimme! (A Man After Midnight)
Sweet. An ABBA post! Thanks for this, Matt.
So many favorites. You've listed a lot and Dan in this thread also lists a lot of good ones, so I'll go with The Visitors, SOS, Kisses of Fire, The Name of the Game, Rock Me, and Hey Hey Helen, but really there are 40 or 50 favorites.
And I'd highly recommend the ABBA Voyage show in London (with the ABBAtars). It's crazy good. The wife and I made a point to stop in and see it on our way back from a Sweden trip last year. They began the show with The Visitors and we were dancing and singing like lunatics.
I want to go and see the Voyage show SO BADLY omg. I must do so in the next year or so. I must. Thanks Chris!
If you're interested in the whole story (from beginning to the present), check out "Bright Lights, Dark Shadows" by Carl Magnus Palm. It's a lengthy read, but it's got all the details.
Added to my list! Thanks John.
The weirdest thing they did was record a version of the Black American folk song "Pick A Bale O' Cotton"...
An interesting choice for sure lol, thanks David :)