Arrival
ABBA
1976
Album Summary
Arrival is the fourth studio album by the Swedish pop group ABBA. It was originally released in Sweden on 11 October 1976 by Polar Records. It became one of ABBA's most successful albums to date, producing three of their biggest hits: "Dancing Queen", "Money, Money, Money" and "Knowing Me, Knowing You". The track "Fernando", which had been recently released as a single in March 1976, was included on the Australian and New Zealand versions of the album. Arrival was the best-selling album of 1977 in the United Kingdom and was certified gold by the Recording Industry Association of America.The album was first released on compact disc (CD) in 1984 and then re-issued in digitally remastered form a total of four times; first in 1997, then in 2001, 2005 as part of The Complete Studio Recordings box set, and again in 2006 (as a special Deluxe Edition). On 7 October 2016, the album was released as a double vinyl mastered at Abbey Road Studios using Half Speed Mastering.
WikipediaArrival, a 1976 album by the Swedish band ABBA is the music of the day for me. And what a great day. I used to be judgmental about ABBA for some reason. I was very dismissive and they seemed like terrible bubblegum international pop for a long time in my brain. I can't believe anyone would listen to this garbage! This has changed. At some point I learned to let go and be willing to let the context and circumstances sweep me away and bring me joy. At some point, ABBA became a lovely band and I'm now filled with joy from listening to them. Just let go and let the music take you.
Absolute fucking classic man. Fernando is a whole vibe. Add in Dancing queen, and I mean When i kissed the teacher is kinda weird, but it's good. Plus money, money, money. Solid stuff.
The songwriting and production are so underrated with ABBA. They deserve praise for their masterful and intelligent pop songwriting. It’s a pop masterpiece, with songs that will live forever.
There are 2 types of people in this world: people who like ABBA and boring people
Dancing Queen is one of my favorite songs, so I enjoyed that one. Found Dum Dum Diddle peppy and Tiger sort of catchy. Otherwise, enjoyed listening but not enough to buy the album.
Utter. Garbage. Disco is the worst thing to ever happen to music. So much hate.
Gonna start this off by saying that I dislike ABBA in general. Ever since I heard Dancing Queen the first time years ago, I did NOT like that song. Just ABBA itself I just.. It just does not click with me. We'll see how this goes. // When I Kissed The Teacher - Yep. Sounds like ABBA. Booo. // Dancing Queen - >:( . God damnit I hate this fucking song (Still listened anyways, gotta give it the benefit of the doubt). 3:02~ This song does not end plz god kill me. // My Love, My Life - yawn. // Dum Dum Diddle - these all sound exactly the same. idk if it's the fact that their voices annoy me, or that the melody literally just follows the vocals (which is an awfully boring way to make a song) but this is physically painful for me to listen to. // Knowing Me, Knowing You - I have nothing to say. // Money, Money, Money - oh wow the bass follows exactly with the vocals what a change up from the melody doing it! WOW! SO INNOVATIVE!! // That's Me - Y'know, I think I can see what I hate about this album so much. It's flat. There is no depth sonically. Each song sounds like it's mixed in the exact same way as the other. Not only does it feel uninspired, unimpressive, and honestly, boring, but even given the time period this album came out, there were so many other albums released even during the same year that did have a sonic depth to them, or maybe used more than 5 instruments. I mean, every single Beatles album came out (the most recent being an entire 6 years) before this did, and why are those fun to listen to? More noise. The songs feel like they have a strong sonic substance behind them. That's the simplest way I can put it. I'm a sucker for big sound with lots of moving parts, and this is NOT it. // Why Did It Have To Be Me? - Yeah that's what I'm sayin chief. The only reason I even remotely enjoyed this track is because it sounds like The Wanderer by Dion. // Tiger - You can't go from singing about boo hoo Why Me and then the next song is about being a Tiger. Pick a theme now come the fuck on. Funny enough though, the way this song is built and its chord progression has made it my favorite of the album so far (But I promise that is NOT saying much). // Arrival - 0:02 ~Ok the albums lead track, please be not absolute pond water. 0:44 ~ okayyy a bit of depth, nice. come on little buddy, you can do it! 1:48 ~ mhmm, mhmm, yeah. 3:00 ~ Two things. One: Why is this here? What purpose. Two: Thank you ABBA for a semi-pleasant break from the stand-still traffic monotony that this album has been so far. // Fernando - Ok I actually kind of like this one, but only a little bit. GG // Happy Hawaii - I liked this song until they started singing. 2:06 ~ See, the background vocals, it makes the song better doesn't it. Almost like.. almost like adding more interesting things and D E P T H to the song makes it more enjoyable to listen to. Huh. 3:33 ~ Now thats wtf I'm talking about! More harmonies in the guitars yes yes yes. . Wow this song had so many ups and down! /> Final Thoughts: This album had virtually nothing for me. Tbh maybe I'm just not the target demographic and I get that, but at the same time, I don't know how anyone could be. A flat album, 90% sounds exactly the same. Not fun except for extremely infrequent places where 'Oh look, the did something different this time'. I did stick through it though. In the nature of what this website is trying to do, I did stick with it one single full time through. I owe the album at least that much. I will definitely not be coming back to this album on my own, and if I'm a lucky man, will never hear a single song from it ever again. fuck you dancing queen fuck you.
oh oh oh im too excited for this!!! never have i ever clicked the spotify link and hit play this fast!
Such perfect 70s pop - the rhythms, harmonies, and just plain and simple fun.
it's abba. nuff said. excellent uplifting beats, some big hitting classics on here, mixed in with a good dose of melacholy-ish but not too much to bring the overall mood down. a party album - will come back to it again and again!
Dum Dum Diddle.... need I say more..... Ah well. It has several number one all time super hits that are hard to ignore. Even when you don't like the 70th dance music style of Abba you have to admit that Benny and Björn have been geniuses over a long time. Name any party that doesn't get better when they play Dancing Queen? It's as classy as IKEA.
Always just ignored Abba. But this forced to me to listen to them properly, and it was very enjoyable. "Dancing Queen", "Knowing Me, Knowing You", "Money, Money, Money" and "Fernando" were the standout songs on the album.
Undeniably catchy pop. Not my thing, but I can see it has to deserve 5 stars. Not sure 'when I kissed the teacher' could be played in public these days...great tune though. 4 massive international hits, but a purely singles band. Who has ever heard an album track of theirs (unless they actually bought the album, obviously)? 'Dum dum diddle' - really? Practising for the next Eurovision Song Contest, obviously. 'Tiger' could easily have been a single, too.
12th April 2022 Listened in the morning getting ready to go to brunch on Huntington Beach, wander around the pier then head to Guy and Jana’s for drinks and games in the evening. ABBA bring me such unbridled joy and they should never be mocked or disrespected for giving that to people in such ASM unapologetic way.
I love the way Abba have gone from brilliant in the 70s, to cheesy in the 90s, and back up to brilliant now. Every song is perfectly written and flawlessly executed.
Fun disco album that tells us how Abba dominated pop in the 70s. With catchy lyrics and melody, each track stands on its own. "Dancing Queen" is one of the best disco tracks of all time. I just wanted to point out how stupid "Dum Dum Diddle" is and how I feel they were trying to make a point the lyrics don't have to make sense. "Why Did It Have To Be?" was a nice surprise, incorporating jazz, blues, and rockabilly yet still making it catchy pop. The closing title track almost feels like the end of mass. The 1997 bonus track "Fernando" is another favorite of mine, capturing a unique perspective of the Mexican Dirty War. Overall not my favorite Abba album, but with solid production and creativity, it certainly tops the pop scene of the era.
July 15, 2021 All the light is topaz. Someone came to look at the house next door and I stopped it so they wouldn't hear me playing ABBA with the window open at 9:30am. Sorry ABBA for doing you like that. Cheesy, but I love it. There are a few classics on here. Also, somewhat surprisingly learning I'm kind of into ABBA's album cover aesthetic?
I cannot fucking believe that every single song on this record has a Wikipedia article. Key Tracks: Dancing Queen, Tiger
This is going to be tough. Historically, I haven't liked ABBA at all. Let's see what happens... When I Kissed the Teacher - Didn't like it. Dancing Queen - Obviously I've heard it before. I was ok with it this time. Dum Dum Diddle - I hate this... Literally "hate." Knowing Me, Knowing You - I don't hate this. There's something decent happening here. Money, Money, Money - The minor key helps. It's not a good rock song, but I feel like it could be part of a European opera. Don't hate it. That's Me - nah Why Did it Have to be Me? - Nothing particularly in either direction here. Tiger - oof no Arrival - No vocals definitely helps Fernando - Not terrible. I'd rather to hear someone else play it with a talented Spanish acoustic guitarist. Happy Hawaii - I'd rather hear this in a Hawaiian style recorded by Don Ho. Or anyone else. Fuck, AC/DC would have made a better version of this. I feel like this album (and all of Abba) is part of the Eurotrash origin story. I forced myself to listen to the whole thing. I won't be listening to it again. Goddamnit, I hate Abba.
I respect them and remembered some of the songs from when I was a kid. But so far this has been the most difficult to wade through in its entirety.
Despised them back then and still cannot listen to them…they were the Monkees of the 70’s..terribly irritating…so much better music in that era
34. Os montes têm frio. Já é tempo de os cobrir de branco, com a pureza dos céus. Havia algo no ar da noite. O que raio é uma tamborina? MotA: Dancing Queen "Everybody screamed when I kissed the teacher"
Overall, the album sounds like a Swedish utopia, and it does get a little dull at points, but hot Damn do some of the singles and the title track yank this thing up to a place of power.
Fantastic album by ABBA!! Don't think there was one song that I disliked. Their harmonies are distinct and so beautifully done. From catchy party tunes like Dancing Queen and Money, Money Money. To the more captivating verses of My Love, My Life and Why Did It Have To Be Me. Overall stunning! Probably my fav album they've produced.
Fuck you I love this. I do not understand how anyone can say they just don't like ABBA. I'm looking at you Freja.
Yay, ABBA! This is their 4th collection of catchy tunes and memorable melodies. Among others, we find classics as Dancing Queen, Knowing Me, Knowing You, Money, Money Money, Arrival and Fernando. Of course, not all tracks are equally good, but there hardly is any filler material here. Onle My Love, My Life and Dum Dum Diddle do nothing for me, but everything considered, this is a great album. 4.5/5
Rating: 9/10 Best songs: When I kissed the teacher, Dancing queen, Dum dum diddle, Knowing me,knowing you, Money,money,money, Tiger
This is one of my favorite ABBA albums, so I was excited to see it here! The album has a little of everything that ABBA is great at: dance, rock, ballad, folk music, boogie boogie. All the songs are great, and I'm glad the bonus track version includes Fernando! Perfect Swedish vocals, lovely arrangements, excellent production.
We had this one on 8-track when I was a kid. I don't know precisely who in my family "owned" it --- it seemed to just belong to all of us, which was unusual. My mom (now 82) didn't ever listen to a lot of popular music but she can still name Dancing Queen from the opening glissando. I loved listening to this today. ABBA sounds distinctly superb and these are some top-notch pop songs.
You simply can't go wrong with ABBA. It was a delight to listen to songs I'd never heard before alongside beloved classics. All were wonderful.
This album came out the year I was born, which means it’s amazing, obviously.
The 2nd ABBA album this week and I can't complain. I love their music and even when the songs aren't the best, they are still a joy to listen to.
The first track - about kissing the teacher - has aged like yoghurt. Was it even acceptable in the 70s? So many of the tracks on this album are good. Multi layered pop that's danceable, fun and hold up to repeated listening. The exception is the titular "arrival", which is just hot garbage, sounding like someone who's never been to Scotland imagining what it's like to see the sun rise over a loch.
Eitt stórt partý! Vandræðalega gott stöff. Kann þetta smá utanað, enda var ég svaðalegur ABBA aðdáandi þegar þessi kom út þegar ég var 4ra ára. Hlustiði bara. Þetta er frábær plata.
A glorious cocktail of fun, hope and ill-gotten semen make this record a timeless scar down the forehead of a once pretty infant girl.
Pop perfection. I love ballads and harmonies, and sometimes I want to dance. There was not a single song here I disliked, although some were apparent standouts. :)
fun energetic and sometimes mournful pop. Well produced and rich disco sounds
The all time hits are as good as always, but I’m surprised by how good the less famous songs are too
Je pense que c'est impossible de ne pas aimer ABBA. Ceux qui disent le contraire aiment contrarier, justement. Je n'écoute pas souvent ce groupe, mais les mélodies sont irrésistibles. Je suis surprise par l'innovation que présentent leurs succès pourtant très pop. Ça m'a donné envie d'aller écouter les autres grands succès. Mention spéciale à la pièce "Tiger", que j'ai trouvé très accrocheuse (même si la finale était un peu stridente).
Tuurlijk, het is appels met peren vergelijken... is Abba nou beter dan Bruce Springsteen of Miles Davis? Maar nu gaat het om de vraag: is dit een Klassiek Album? Hell yeah. Onwijze zuurstokmuziek, maar zo retegoed gemaakt. Dancing Queen wordt nu nog door jongetjes en meisjes van 17 jaar meegeblèrd. Dat zie ik Bob Dylan nog niet presteren.
There are always some strangely cringy lyrics in ABBA’s records, and its something I’ll chock up to overt Scandinavian sensibilities and a dorky sense of humor. One of the strangest and most interesting things about ABBA is that they are such a completely over-the-top nerd band but manage to make the leap into absolute maestro status in production and song-writing that demands study from producers the world over in multi-cultural and cross-genre circles. For example I would bet the drums in Dancing Queen absolutely demanded the attentions of Dilla at some point: they absolutely bang eternally. The piano work in some of the album would give Elton John pause. Stevie Wonder was definitely considering their synthesizer innovations. Even when borrowing heavily from black American musical traditions like they do so obviously in songs like Why Did It Have To Be Me, it is somehow so comically lacking soul, but simultaneously having *something else* that is some combination of technical musical ability, catchy hooks, cohesive presentation, and great production: You could imagine the absolutely shit-eating grin when Bjourn describes it as “just a little boogie woogie” or something weird like that. I stand firm in my belief that ABBA is a complete anomaly that doesn’t make sense on paper, has more in common with brilliant outsider art than say Donny and Marie Osmond, even though they might both frequently occupy the same record collections. It makes for a complete head-trip of a band that consistently makes great records, and Arrival is one of their best. Must-hear even if to say “not for me”.
Dang, I like ABBA. They're just fun. And Fernando is such a great song.
Is Happy Hawaii a repeat of Why does it have to be me? Feels like the album is a bit stretched. Aside from that it’s a 5. Anyone who grew up in the 70s cannot deny ABBA was a dominant force and influences all pop to this day. It holds its head above much of the genre produced since. Forgotten this was 1976. Cover art : 4:5 How cool is a glass helicopter
i've listened to most of this album bc it's PACKED with the all time favorites of ABBA; the fact that so many of the staples are on this album is insane. so some notes just on the songs i've never listened to: (4) Dum Dum Diddle - catchy as hell of course; i wasn't convinced until the first chorus and post-chorus happened and that was it. very cute to me, a solid ditty. ditty ditty dum dum ditty. (7) That's Me - love it for the indistinguishability between the verse and chorus, it transitions v smoothly such that maybe there isn't a "chorus" per se at all, but there is a nice bridge. I really thought that the reference to Carrie meant that it was about insecurity but actually the lyrics are implying to me that this is a Carrie post-murder spree and disastrous prom. Carrie, not-the-kind-of-girl-you-marry, still, but in a different way. Again, ABBA hooks don't MISS. I like that this is right before "Why Did It Have to Be Me?" because now there's a story in my head: this is the man Carrie was singing to in this one; she cuts in to remind him...does he really want to hear more? (9) Tiger - I love a good fun beat with disturbing and threatening lyrics. See, this could be a bop about walking home alone at night as a woman and being alert for whatever predator might be hunting you. BUT if you keep the Carrie thread going suddenly it's not a man, it's Carrie. Who is she hunting? This also reminds me of a surrealist one act we did in college, the tiger of lust prowling. Good shit and again, FUCKING CATCHY. The extended second syllable for Tiger and the vibrato, mmm. I always thought there was something lecherous/decadent/excessive about certain uses of vibrato, it's in full form here. (10) Arrival - I have listened to this many times but I'm just making a note for the record that this is on my funeral playlist like 10 times in a row to allow for the opening procession and contemplation. (12) Happy Hawaii - Why is this here....is what I was asking myself when I was listening to it. Felt very out of nowhere and not cohesive with the rest of the album. Come to find out that actually it wasn't on Arrival originally just a bonus track on a re-release, and it was replaced in the OG tracklist by the WAY superior "Why Did It Have to Be Me?" phew. "Fernando" was ALSO not on the original release, so it ended on "Arrival". I actually like that better even though Fernando is iconic and the second listened to on Spotify below "Dancing Queen". Which was actually surprising to me! Thought it would have been "Money, Money, Money" for sure.
First time listening to the album. Great album! Will be adding it to my listening rotation.
ABBA are a singles band and there is one of their finest here: Knowing Me Knowing You, with all it's brooding shifting textures and power. Tiger and When I Kissed the Teacher are extraordinary in all respects except the lyrics but frankly who cares when the product, songwriting, melody, harmonies and dynamics are so extraordinarily, effortlessly good. The rest is uneven but never dull.
If you don't find yourself bopping along to this album, you need to check your pulse! So many classic dance hits here, it's unreal. And as an album, it's surprisingly cohesive - even operatic - and holds up really well even now. This is an excellent album.
I’m so glad I managed to give up the idea of only liking “cool” music and allowed myself to enjoy ABBA. Pretty much the perfect pop package. Production, visual, lyrics, vocal - I can’t think of another pop act that does everything ‘in house’ so well. Worth noting that this is the first time they used that genius palindrome ambigram logo. And here’s their best album, jammed with hits. Has to be 5 stars.
Heerlijke muziek. Dit album heeft veel van de bekende hits, maar ook want ander leuk materiaal. In mijn ogen een album dat in deze lijst thuis hoort. *****
Сладенько, приятно, хитово, влюбляющее. Просто великолепная работа. Алкоальбом: дискотека дома с домашним вином
Hesitant to put this as a 5 because I'd say it's closer to 4.5 but it's undeniable the influence and scale of the songs on this album, not something I would listen to regularly but great nonetheless
An incredible pop record. The songwriting, the arrangements, the musicianship, the production - all fantastic. Perhaps not something I would choose to listen to regularly, but I still think this is probably one of the greatest pop records of all time.