ABBA (1 Viewer)

Otis · Jul 21, 2018

Thoughts?

I see the sequel to Mama Mia is out right now. Seen reviews and seemingly, even though there is lots of out of tune singing and bad, OTT acting, the critics are giving it the thumbs up.

Not watched it and not watched the first one. Are ABBA now past critical analysis and should be just enjoyed for what they are?

Never been a big fan, but do like some of their songs (Waterloo, Money, Money, Money, SOS, Name of the Game) and dislike others, especially disliking Dancing Queen, which I truly think is an awful song and one of their very worst, if not worst.

Have no intention of seeing the films, but just wondering what people now think of them.

5Live were talking to a Swedish reporter the other day and they said they were hugely popular, but then started to gather dust and weren't talked about much and have now enjoyed a tremendous renaissance.

Don't think anyone can doubt the songwriting ability, but been hearing a few of their songs lately and to me a few sound quite dated.

Think it also helped if you were around back then at the time and you had to either fancy the blonde or the brunette.

Some even fancied the women too.

skybluetony176 · Jul 21, 2018

Never trust anyone who claims not to like at least one ABBA song. They’re lying.

Years ago I’d refer to ABBA as my guilty pleasure but these days I’m an out and proud ABBA fan. Interestingly I was watching a biog on famous metal guitarist Richie Blackmore and he confessed to being a huge ABBA fan. They’re just such good catchy songs and ABBA has their roots in folk music so the songs are very well written and played and played with an eclectic mix of instruments used to full effect. Very underrated band in my opinion, despite the amount of records sold. There’s a lot more to ABBA songs than catchy lyrics, but you have to listen beyond the lyrics to discover that.

bringbackrattles · Jul 21, 2018

My late father was a big music fan he loved the Beatles and singers like Jim Reeves, Perry Como, Andy Williams, but his favourite band were Abba. When he had terminal cancer and not long left I would stick Abba songs on his CD player, and he would love that.
So I owe Abba a lot really !

Deleted member 5849 · Jul 21, 2018

skybluetony176 said:
Interestingly I was watching a biog on famous metal guitarist Richie Blackmore and he confessed to being a huge ABBA fan

He's not the only one.

Ccfcsj · Jul 21, 2018

Don't like them at all. To me they sound like cats being strangled

olderskyblue · Jul 21, 2018

Watched the first film in a marquee at Glastonbury while it was p***ing down outside. Don’t know if it was the beer or not, but enjoyed it. Watched it at home since and enjoyed it again.

Liked the Erasure covers too

jimmyhillsfanclub · Jul 21, 2018

I can't hear an abba song without thinking of this........

....absolute genius.

.

SkyblueBazza · Jul 21, 2018

skybluetony176 said:
Never trust anyone who claims not to like at least one ABBA song. They’re lying.

Years ago I’d refer to ABBA as my guilty pleasure but these days I’m an out and proud ABBA fan. Interestingly I was watching a biog on famous metal guitarist Richie Blackmore and he confessed to being a huge ABBA fan. They’re just such good catchy songs and ABBA has their roots in folk music so the songs are very well written and played and played with an eclectic mix of instruments used to full effect. Very underrated band in my opinion, despite the amount of records sold. There’s a lot more to ABBA songs than catchy lyrics, but you have to listen beyond the lyrics to discover that.

My roots are with Led Zep/Black Sabbath & many that evolved from/copied them...but ABBA at the time were an absolute revelation.
I don't profess to understand what they were on about but various acclaimed people over the years have applauded the structure of the music & the complex changes throughout...making it difficult for the singers to work with it too. So it seems they were a very skilled bunch at what each did.

Not sure they were or are underrated though. They conquered the world. Did it again with the musical, again with Mama Mia 1 & having watched & enjoyed the second as well as the first...I suspect they will again.

Just good all-round light entertainment...despite some of the sad themes.

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vow · Jul 21, 2018

Love a bit of ABBA!
Cannot stand musical theatre/film though as I feel the singing gets in the way and is cringeworthy.
Soundtrack to Muriels Wedding is ABBA and it lifts the movie, one of my fave "guilty pleasures".

SkyblueBazza · Jul 21, 2018

vow said:
Love a bit of ABBA!
Cannot stand musical theatre/film though as I feel the singing gets in the way and is cringeworthy.
Soundtrack to Muriels Wedding is ABBA and it lifts the movie, one of my fave "guilty pleasures".

That is the bizarre thing...I generally despise film musicals. Enjoy live musicals...probably because it is live more than anything else.
Funny enough 'Mama Mia' the musical was enjoyed but wasn't a stand-out musical like 'Les Miserables', or 'Phantom of the Opera' & most recently 'Bat out of Hell'

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Philosoraptor · Jul 21, 2018

Damn, an Abba cover thread.

I_Saw_Shaw_Score · Jul 21, 2018

Otis said:
Thoughts?

Preferred the original method of penalty shoot outs!

tommydazzle · Jul 21, 2018

Always find it a bit odd that the only rhyme they find to go with dancing queen, seventeen etc was tambourine. Seemed a bit strained that one.

Otis · Jul 21, 2018

tommydazzle said:
Always find it a bit odd that the only rhyme they find to go with dancing queen, seventeen etc was tambourine. Seemed a bit strained that one.

Yeah, there's obscene, piss stream, Gary Breen and Cheam for starters.
Always felt that ABBA should write a song about Cheam.

tommydazzle · Jul 21, 2018

Otis said:
Yeah, there's obscene, piss stream, Gary Breen and Cheam for starters.
Always felt that ABBA should write a song about Cheam.

Isn't Money, Money, Money about Surrey?

skybluetony176 · Jul 21, 2018

tommydazzle said:
Always find it a bit odd that the only rhyme they find to go with dancing queen, seventeen etc was tambourine. Seemed a bit strained that one.

You have to remember though that not only were they not writing in their native language Scandinavian languages in my experience are structured in a different way to English also. A bit like Eric Morecombe playing all the right note but necessarily in the right order, or maybe something more akin to the way Yoda speaks English. Going home am I as apposed to I’m going home.

Otis · Jul 21, 2018

tommydazzle said:
Isn't Money, Money, Money about Surrey?

It is! I forgot.

Just checked the lyrics.

'Money, Money, Money, is not funny in a rich man's world.

Money, Money, Money, always Surrey, in a rich man's world.'

Gazolba · Jul 21, 2018

I LOVE ABBA.
Think their music is marvellous and they were/are all supremely talented musicians and singers.
The ladies were both very famous singers individually before they even joined ABBA.
And the guys rank up with Lennon/McCartney and Jagger/Richards as musical composers and arrangers.
In short, they were geniuses.
Have seen the stage show at a local theatre and it was absolutely fabulous.
The book about the creation of the stage show is a fascinating read.
I've seen the first film (meh, not a Meryl Streep or Pierce Brosnan fan).
Have not seen the follow-up film, but I will. I gather it's more of a chick-flick.
Have also seen an ABBA tribute band (forget the name, but they were from Europe) that were very very good. Dressed, moved, and sang exactly like ABBA.

Gazolba · Jul 21, 2018

Ccfcsj said:
Don't like them at all. To me they sound like cats being strangled

Please visit an ear specialist and preferably as soon as possible!

Sky_Blue_Daz · Jul 21, 2018

Don’t mind a bit of ABBA, when mamma Mia came out I used to watch it all the time with my daughter as she loved the songs and the film, we took her to see the stage show a couple of years ago and it was a bit ruder then the film

Terry Gibson's perm · Jul 23, 2018

I don’t mind them but preferred the old system of one team to take one after the next.

Has Otis hacked me

Bumberclart · Jul 23, 2018

Can't stand ABBA. Their songs make me cringe.
Even my missus hates Mamma Mia, and she loves pretty much anything that resembles musical theatre,

Terry Gibson's perm · Jul 23, 2018

My wife wants me to take her to watch it but I worry the women in there might get up and start dancing mid show and it will annoy me if I am awake

torchomatic · Jul 23, 2018

Not interested in the film, but I have to admit I am quite fond of ABBA.

torchomatic · Jul 23, 2018

Gazolba said:
I LOVE ABBA.
Think their music is marvellous and they were/are all supremely talented musicians and singers.
The ladies were both very famous singers individually before they even joined ABBA.
And the guys rank up with Lennon/McCartney and Jagger/Richards as musical composers and arrangers.
In short, they were geniuses.
Have seen the stage show at a local theatre and it was absolutely fabulous.
The book about the creation of the stage show is a fascinating read.
I've seen the first film (meh, not a Meryl Streep or Pierce Brosnan fan).
Have not seen the follow-up film, but I will. I gather it's more of a chick-flick.
Have also seen an ABBA tribute band (forget the name, but they were from Europe) that were very very good. Dressed, moved, and sang exactly like ABBA.

Bjorn Again. I saw them a few years ago too. Excellent.

Gazolba · Jul 23, 2018

According to an article I was reading there are over 40 ABBA tribute bands.
That alone tells you how much people like their music.
ABBA was trying to stop them from using the words ABBA, I don't know if they had any success in that.

Covstu · Jul 23, 2018

Are we talking penalties here?

Otis · Jul 23, 2018

Covstu said:
Are we talking penalties here?

Yep. If you misbheave you are locked in a room and have to watch the first Mama Mia on a neverending loop.

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