"So I say thank you for the music, for giving it to me"
Here we go then with No.1 in an occasional series...
You just can't knock....
ABBA!
The first music I really took an interest in as a small child was that of Abba's. They just captured me, the songs, the look the whole abba-ness of it all!
Of course these days they're history, but what a potent bit of history. I rarely choose to listen to them & they are probably several hundred artists that I'd choose to listen to instead, but Abba never, ever bug me.
Though I own a copy of "Gold" (doesn't everyone?), I do only have 4 Abba songs on my I-pod. I wont tell you which one's they are in case anyone fancies a guess but one of them is perhaps the most heartbreakingly moving song ever performed.
See here's just part of Abba's appeal, they had the songs. Great well written, well produced songs. Songs that we can all relate to, songs that can move you to shake your booty or move you to tears. Songs that kids know today after over a quarter of a century.
The songs aren't the whole package though. You've got the people.
Though often unsung, Bjorn & Benny are gifted musicians as well as songwriters & when I was very young Benny used to make me smile cos he was, well.. a bit funny in that uncle kind of way. Again I was very young but I thought that Bjorn was cool. Yes, I know!
Anni-frid was a very strong singer & I'm sure she had lot's of qualities.
I wouldn't really know though because Agnetha always overshadowed her for me.
Obviously when I was 8 years old I had no inkling of sexiness but I still knew that she looked strikingly pretty, like an angel.
And her voice is possibly the jewel in Abba's crown. Crystal clear yet full of emotion.
I could go on about the clothes, the imagery, the whole kitschness & Agnetha's legs but I've got work to do, so I'll stop waffling there.
So now it's your turn; can you knock Abba?
If you think you can, it has to be a well reasoned argument to win me over.
You see in World of Flash, Abba are ace!
You just can't knock....
ABBA!
The first music I really took an interest in as a small child was that of Abba's. They just captured me, the songs, the look the whole abba-ness of it all!
Of course these days they're history, but what a potent bit of history. I rarely choose to listen to them & they are probably several hundred artists that I'd choose to listen to instead, but Abba never, ever bug me.
Though I own a copy of "Gold" (doesn't everyone?), I do only have 4 Abba songs on my I-pod. I wont tell you which one's they are in case anyone fancies a guess but one of them is perhaps the most heartbreakingly moving song ever performed.
See here's just part of Abba's appeal, they had the songs. Great well written, well produced songs. Songs that we can all relate to, songs that can move you to shake your booty or move you to tears. Songs that kids know today after over a quarter of a century.
The songs aren't the whole package though. You've got the people.
Though often unsung, Bjorn & Benny are gifted musicians as well as songwriters & when I was very young Benny used to make me smile cos he was, well.. a bit funny in that uncle kind of way. Again I was very young but I thought that Bjorn was cool. Yes, I know!
Anni-frid was a very strong singer & I'm sure she had lot's of qualities.
I wouldn't really know though because Agnetha always overshadowed her for me.
Obviously when I was 8 years old I had no inkling of sexiness but I still knew that she looked strikingly pretty, like an angel.
And her voice is possibly the jewel in Abba's crown. Crystal clear yet full of emotion.
I could go on about the clothes, the imagery, the whole kitschness & Agnetha's legs but I've got work to do, so I'll stop waffling there.
So now it's your turn; can you knock Abba?
If you think you can, it has to be a well reasoned argument to win me over.
You see in World of Flash, Abba are ace!
And that's what Flash thinks today @ 20:30
7 Comments:
At 8:41 pm,
HistoryGeek said…
Since somewhere inside me I've got a drag queen just waiting to get out, you know I love ABBA.
Not everything from the '70s will stand the test of time, thank the gods, but I think that they will.
I have to admit I wasn't a fan until much later in life though. I was pretty oblivious to music until I was in my early teens (well, 11 or 12).
At 8:52 pm,
Mark said…
i don't dislike Abba, they're not just not ALL THAT.
At 2:08 pm,
Hyde said…
Abba makes for good karaoke. Everyone kind of likes them, and everyone knows the words...
:)
-h
At 4:54 pm,
Anonymous said…
Very poppy, however an extremely underrated band, exellent musicianship and harmonies.
At 4:57 pm,
Anonymous said…
PS My favourite ABBA song, The Winner Takes it all. I'm not sure thats the tittle.
At 7:43 pm,
Flash said…
That's the one, Mr Mystic, sir.
My fave too, so so sad it makes me weep (nearly).
At 12:01 pm,
swisslet said…
I used to despise ABBA, although I think I have mellowed somewhat.... I don't own 'Gold' or anything else by them, and I retain an enormous distaste for 'Dancing Queen' in particular. It's not so much the band themselves (any band with a member called Benny can't be all bad), it's what I might call "the gloria gaynor effect" -- the way that their music (especially dancing queen) gets a certain kind of person up and dancing in a certain kind of way. In my view, men who get up and dance to this are in the main cynical predators of the kind who also know all the words to "I Will Survive" because they think it makes them look sensitive and desirable to women.
I realise I may be tarring you with this brush, but like I say, I've mellowed since then.
And 'Waterloo' is just genius.
ST
Post a Comment
<< Home