Arrival

Being a little kid in the late 70s in Australia, you just couldn't avoid hearing this album. It is part of my psyche. You either love or you hate it but you can avoid it.

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.

Tja, ik ben gewoon niet zo zoetekauw als het om muziek gaat...

Tja, ABBA zal nooit in mijn persoonlijke toplijstjes komen. Maar er staan wel een paar krakers van hits op dit album. Toch klinkt dit veel gedateerder dan albums uit de 70s die we vorige week hadden, zoals de Boss en Elton. Meer dan 2 sterretjes kan ik er dan ook niet voor geven.

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).

This album met my low expectations. 35/112

ABBA were, in my opinion, the 70s version of bubblegum pop. Mass-produce, bland and mediocre in its quality of lyrics. Nearly 40 years later, my opinion still hasn’t changed, I’m not a great fan of them or their music but I appreciate that I am in the minority. When I compare it to many other 70s groups who lasted through to the 80s and beyond, I feel that it was nostalgic marketing that kept other on the scene, rather than quality of product. At Best 3/5

It’s Abba. It’s catchy and toe tappy and what’s not to love?

who is fernando?

3.5

Put this off for many months. Didn't exactly like it

Happy

Disco girl, coming through, that girl is you, ooh-ooh, ooh-ooh

Oh Christ. I can't imagine I'll ever be in the mood for an entire album of Abba. The odd song here and there of irresistible pop glitter, sure. Even though Dancing Queen is in the top 5 most overplayed pieces of music ever created, it's still somehow enjoyable, once you get over the initial "oh god, this again". The other singles also very good, in an Abba way. Knowing Me... and Fernando, and the odd other Abba song that isn't here I genuinely like, so I'm not a hater. And hey, let's be honest here, some Madness songs sound like Money, Money, Money, and we like Madness don't we? Yes they do, go back and listen again. There's some shocking shite elsewhere on here though. Dum Dum Diddle can get tae fuck. That's Me is actually pretty good right up until the cringe chorus refrain Carrie-not-the-kind-of-girl-you-marry. Unggggh. Why Did It Have To Be Me reminds me of The Beach Boys after Mike Love decided to take one of the greatest bands ever and make them the worst. Tiger is fine I guess. Fernando isn't really on the album, which is a shame for its rating because that's one I like. Overall, 10 songs, 3 great ones, 5 average and 2 absolute toss. Earns it a 2/5

Hate ABBA

Definitely an album where the sum is less than its parts. It drags a bit over the 40 minutes but there are high points that make up for it. Pretty sure everyone has heard Dancing Queen before whether its through film & tv, social media or drunken karaoke. Money, Money, Money; and Fernando were the other big hits I knew previously from the Mamma Mia movie and car journeys as a kid. Two out of the big three are great songs (never liked Money much) and it was good revisiting them outside of those contexts. For the unknown, I really liked Knowing Me, Knowing You. A big hit of theirs which I've never listened to before, it caught me by surprise of how good it is. There were a few other tracks that stood out, including When I Kissed the Teacher, Dum Dum Diddle, and Why Did It Have to Be Me?. The rest were servicable but meh.

Great ABBA album.

No thanks. Next.

Welp turns out I like ABBA? Never knew! Enjoyed almost every song. Like disco pop with splashes of orchestra. Great harmonies. Complex but concise.

4/12, 33%

- Abba's not really my thing but can't deny they have some great tunes - Would rather listen to Abba singles than a full album of them - Some absolute classics that I've heard thousands of times mixed with ones I've never heard before and I can see why - Happy Hawaii is terrible - Fav songs: Knowing Me, Knowing You; Fernando, Dancing Queen

ABBA is a bit of a guilty pleasure for me, probably due to watching Mama Mia with my sisters. There are a handful on this album I like. Dancing Queen, Money (x3), Fernando. The rest just passes like a summer afternoon.

The all time hits are as good as always, but I’m surprised by how good the less famous songs are too

Ok

Objectively probably a 3, but nostalgia hits like a mfer

Reconec que em costa diferenciar els discos d'Abba més enllà dels seus singles d'èxit. 'Arrival' conté ni més ni menys que la joia de la corona, 'Dancing Queen'. També 'Knowing Me Knowing You' i 'Money Money Money'. Com a album track destacat, 'When I Kissed the Teacher' sona genial

I’ve grown to appreciate ABBA over the years, even if they’re often not my taste. Arrival has some classics on it, but overall I kinda found it less interesting than The Visitors had been

The second coming of abba. A welcome one I won’t lie I mess with the discos and those two just have lovely voices and some awesome chord progressions

Can’t go wrong with abba as all the songs follow the same funk from the 70s TV at the band mastered with any lyrics behind it , clearly showing the talent and how much fun the music was to create

Fond memories of mother dearest

fun energetic and sometimes mournful pop. Well produced and rich disco sounds

It's ABBA, I don't need to write four paragraphs about ABBA because people are born into this world with the innate knowledge of this band and the lyrics of at least 3 of their songs. Huge hits ("Dancing Queen" and "Money Money Money" of course), the less known songs are good as well, even listened to the two bonus tracks ("Fernando" is another classic, "Happy Hawaii" is fine I guess). Gotta be a 4/5, and not just because my own mother and girl friend would kill me for giving this anything lower, but also because it's really damn good music. Fourth paragraph.

Classic

Pop. Varios megahits. Un 4.

a couple good songs but too repetitive

Heard it before?: No but I’ve heard half of the songs on here from compilation albums Enjoy it?: Yes, you know what you’re getting with ABBA and there’s not much deeper to look in and think about, just easy general and enjoyable listening experience Favourite song: Track 2 - Dancing Queen

Ugh. I work hard not to yuk peoples yum. When ABBA comes up, I respect peoples opinion. But this is utter shit.

I'm not the biggest fan of ABBA, but this is a pretty damn good album. "Dancing Queen" of course deserves the legacy it has earned. My other favorite songs are "Arrival" and "Fernando"

Good

Top quality stuff

Aha!

Hard not to love Abba. The formula for perfect melodies is amazing. Lyrically it can be juvenile in places but the music always makes up for it.

You got some big disco hits here! This album keeps the party going. It’s ABBA being ABBA as expected and I appreciate that. Dancing Queen alone is a 5 star song - but I’d still rather listen to a greatest hits compilation over their actual studio albums. I just want all the hits, that’s all I need from them.

When I Kissed The Teacher, Dancing Queen, Knowing Me, Knowing You, Money, Money, Money - Classics, storytelling is great, great tunes Classic pop rock album, great tunes, incredible instrumentals paired with mellow storytelling and beautiful vocals

Nearly perfect

This is a one stop shop album for like all the disco. 4/5

My parents had this record. While I skipped over a lot of it, Knowing Me, Knowing You is probably my favourite of their songs. It gets three on the basis of that alone.

I heard this album endlessly growing up as my sister was a massive fan...and yet still only recall Knowing Me, Knowing You, Dancing Queen, and one I kinda like Money, Money, Money...so a pretty easy 3 stars right there.

Didn’t enjoy this one

Wow, blast from the past. I've only heard ABBA's greatest hits albums before so it was interesting to hear this album. It wasn't half bad! 3/5

Not bad for a Sunday. Exactly what you'd think.

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. :)

ABBA was an unusual sound. Great harmony but always sounded forced. Once it was revealed that none of them spoke English it was a bit impressive.

Fun throwback

Surprisingly dreamy production and technically impressive. Just not my bag.

Upbeat, joyful and full of classics

I've heard many of the singles, but never experienced "ALBUM ABBA". It's ok, I guess. The teacher song hasn't aged so well. Cringe. Otherwise decent record for this kind of music, which is not my thing.™

Very good

i just can't do it. this music is reserved for weddings or 60th birthday parties down the local social club. i've looked at the track list and there's songs on there that everyone knows. they're very well written pop songs.

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.

Bangers

All the pop. The most pop that pop can be.

Fuck that

Album with plenty of classic tracks which are absolutely fantastic. However the album as a whole isn't perfect and there's a few skippable tracks.

华丽的美国流行曲，奇特的编曲，富有寓意的歌词。Money money money ! ! !

Fuck ABBA bc of that ABBA memory, fernando’s nice though. When will this lease come and feeling nerves about fitting in to this group

Just not a fan of Abba 😟

Best Song: Dancing Queen. Sure it's a bit much, and it doesn't seem that great when listened to quietly at home through a set of headphones, but that's not what it's meant for. It's meant for the dance floor, a large group, and everyone belting it out together. Worst Song: My Love, My Life. I'm just not here for slow ABBA ballads. Overall: When I fashioned myself an edgy teen, I think I decided that I didn't like ABBA because they were too safe and clean. I'm old enough now to see the error of my ways. It turns out they are safe and clean, but in a good way. It's dance-y, the vocals are harmonious. Honestly, their biggest fault is that they're overplayed, making songs like "Dancing Queen" come off as a bit cliche. Still, it's really just the hits here that still hit, and there is a fair amount of tedium around the middle.

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.

So much pop you'd think it's composed with bubbles. The dancier pop tunes you can't fault, but the ballads... best left alone. There's a reason you know the hits. Best Tracks: Dancing Queen; Knowing Me Knowing You; Money Money Money

Some good songs but generally not my vibe.

3.5

Not a fan of ABBA

Here we have a concept disco album by the Swedish band Abba. We follow a tale of a promiscuous high school girl who gets kicked out of school for sexually assaulting her math teacher. She becomes a stripper and is fairly popular with the guys, she tries to have a romantic relationship, but just ends up getting her heart broken, realizing that no one wants a stripper girlfriend. Devastated she quits dancing, but now she is struggling with her bills, alone and broke she spirals into a pit of depression. One night as she's being followed home by a stalker in a tiger outfit (probably a furry), she realizes she's had enough, so she packs her bags and moves to Hawaii, where she meets a man named Fernando, and they live happily ever after. Musically this album is annoying as hell, the repetitive saccharine melodies are particularly painful. The lyrics are stupid. The story is stupid. I hate everything about this. This needs to remain in 70's Sweden. You know those people who use phrases like "someone's got a case of the Mondays"? They're the only ones who listen to this. And only in the presence of others. Because they want to torture you. Abba is shitty torture music. Stay away unless you have masochistic tendencies.

A classic disco album. I enjoyed it on my walk yesterday morning. I am curious to listen to to some more Abba!

ABBA! I mean obviously this is a classic. I've never listened to a full album of theirs though, so this should be a blast I like Knowing Me, Knowing You - didn't know this one before Why Did It Have To Be Me is interesting

Given how much I enjoy other ABBA albums, I had higher hopes. There’s a carnival effect here that I can’t explain and puts me off. Dum Dum Diddle is a solid example. Sure Fernando rises above but too much of this album made me want to hit next track. Sorry, Grandma. I know you love them but this isn’t the one I’ll listen to over and over.

Best ABBA album

It's hard for me to take a group like Abba seriously. Since I was a teen, Abba has been on the airways causing me to cringe, whine, complain and quickly turn the radio station. They have been a part of pop culture and life (in so many ways) since the 70's and believe it or not, they're following and dedicated fans are stronger than ever. For me, I have to admit, they have a certain guilty pleasure aspect to them. I don't cringe anymore, instead I secretly smile and smudgy say, "Oh no, not again! I can't stand Abba!", but really it's a harsh reminder of my fading youth and reminds me why there was so much to hate and love from the 70's. No more Abba!

I mean I love ABBA in a big way, but perhaps at the right time. I didn't enjoy this as much as I expected to, but perhaps that was to do with my mood and the times I was trying to fit in listening to it! But I deeply respect ABBA and some of their more 'party' songs are just so fun. Some more slow ones on here I wasn't so bothered by. Going to give a 4 for good measure

It's good, of course it is, however, ABBA have so many many great hits that anything that isn't one of them is a bit boring.

Abba is one of the few bands whose music is impossible to not like, despite mamma Mia’s best efforts. Every song makes you want to jam out and each has a unique sound. Very cool to hear dancing Queen organically and fully enjoyed my first full abba album, Fernando was also great

Never been a big ABBA fan (or even a little ABBA fan), but I get it. Contextually, this would have been fun if I were a child of the 70s.

Got this one on vinyl. "Dancing Queen" is maybe one of the top pop songs of all time. Insane how it hasn't aged at all in 50 years. I enjoy Abba. I think people lump them into the disco subgenre but really they are absolute pop and great at it.

Not entirely my style to listen to something like this front to back. Obviously Dancing Queen is a classic, and the songs are beautiful and such.

Gute zwei Sterne. Bis auf die Hits, die mir jetzt auch nicht sooo gut gefallen, nix besonderes.

Who doesnt love fernando

Like the overall sound of the album, the vocalist has a great voice too. The album as a whole is a little weak though. It jumps around with tone and doesn't flow well.

Hella bangers, fun album

Pretty good over all, decent classic sound 3 outta 5 mics

I almost want to dislike it, but it's good. Almost every song is catchy and varied enough to keep the album interesting.

can sing along with plenty of the tunes and Madonna loves them, so what am I to judge

Very interesting to hear what accompanied Dancing Queen and Fernando. Not a huge fan of the style but I understand why people like it and why those hits are still played to this day.

Haven’t listened since the 80s but there are some great tracks.

Not really an ABBA fan, but this was decent.

I've never been a fan of Abba. They do have a couple good songs and I most likely wouldn't turn the channel if any of their radio hits came on. They are for sure to bubblegummy for me. But they have nice harmonies. Well written songs. Not much to fault. Just not into the style.

3.5 stars, Catchy fun pop, a little bit of variation between tracks too, "Dancing Queen" "Fernando" standouts

Not my style. Couldn’t even get through the entire album

ABBA halt…

Idk... Its abba... There is nothing special here and there really never was? I'm probably biased tho 3.6/10

I like some of the absolute bangers on here, but overall this album bores me a bit.

Really enjoyed this, mainly Dancing Queen, Money, Tiger, Fernando. Clearly, the hits are the stand-outs, but I would say most of the album is very danceable!

Bleh, money money money was good but the rest was shite

Good Lawd. First ABBA Album on the list ticked off for me. ABBA basically sound-tracked a LOT of weddings and events growing up for me and this album doesn't disappoint. How can you go past hits like "Dancing Queen" (absolute all time - fight me!), "Money, Money, Money", "Knowing Me, Knowing You" and "Fernando". However there are definitely some lulls ("Arrival") and problems ("When I Kissed The Teacher"). In spite of this, it's really hard to go past those four hits, which are embedded in our (my) cultural history. Best: Dancing Queen; Money, Money, Money; Knowing Me, Knowing You; Fernando Worst: Arrival

Some classic ABBA on this album!

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.

Full of their hits. Fun little album

I mean its pristine Abba but that isn't really saying much

A lot of highs but a few mediocre songs

The band appear to be in a helicopter of some sort on the front cover and I worry that the flared trousers might catch on something and cause an accident. ABBA have never done it for me aside from the odd track here and there and their final studio album of their original period, The Visitors (which I learned of during this project). It is the same story here. The sound is so over produced as to be overpowering, the album filler tracks are twee, the singles are corny. There is clearly songwriting talent here but I just can’t enjoy this Europoppy stuff.

My appreciation for ABBA has grown a lot over the last few years, to the point now where I have to say - this is absolutely at least a 4 star album that I will put on again.

An odd duck, this. The production is so bright and sugary that my teeth itch. The singing can, at times, harrow. The lowlights - tepid instrumental 'Arrival', 'Dum Dum Diddle' and the terrible 'Happy Hawaii' are some of the worst things I've ever heard. People have wound up at the Hague for less. Yet when they hit their marks - and it tends to be on the biggies like 'Money Money Money', 'Dancing Queen' and the peculiarly Hibernian 'Fernando', they really are excellent songsmiths. The saccharine gives way to the dreamy, and they soar. A pity that those moments are so thinly rationed.

Oh jeez. The teacher in me feels compelled to explicitly state that I do NOT approve of the very first track. Not even going to say the title. Let's just move on... You're not beating "Dancing Queen." Even if there was no other song on this album, that at least gets you two stars right there. Throw in "Fernando" and it's only going up. I know this band and their music has been called "infectious" a million times over by now, but it's really the most apt word you can go with for when they're on their mark. Just pure listenable undiluted happiness. But yeah - "Dum Dum Diddle" and that song about being a tiger were certainly far wide of the ABBA bull's eye, imo. Nobody's perfect.

Banger classics. Amazing production for the '70s. Fun songs.

Estilo inconfundible con canciones muy pegadizas, buenas voces, estribillos y con predisposición a bailar.

Well, with enough distance from wedding music, I could listen to ABBA with an open mind - and this album delivers wonderfully sublime pop tunes - Fernando, Dancing Queen - albeit both overplayed are masterpieces - Money, Money, Money is also a good contender. The rest of the tracks pale in comparison to the strong showing of the hits, but it's a good album nonetheless - sometimes a bit too Swedish twee to enjoy on a regular basis, but objectively a true pop opus.

It's basically an album of absolute bangers

Abba are GOATS

i love abba i love their music i love their vibe and their songs. 8/10. there isn’t a lot of negative stuff i can think of other than sometimes their stuff isn’t as creative as i feel it could be but that’s a reach.

In the 90s a band I was in did a really cool rock guitar version of "Knowing Me, Knowing You" - we butchered the vocal harmonies, alas, but I think we crushed it overall. I mean, it is what it is: it's ABBA: the sound of listening to the rear speakers in my parents' crappy station wagon while the family looked for open gas stations in the 70s. It's fluffy very melodic excellent pop - while it's not my favourite genre, it's still enjoyable and nice (in smaller doses) to listen to on occasion. 6/10 3 stars.

DANCING QUEEN YOUNG AND SWEET ONLY SEVENTEEM. classic, lots of peppy and catchy stuff but loved it nevertheless love u fernando.

Pretty soothing. I jammed to a few tracks or two.

ABBA has always been a singles band. I'm sorry, it's just the truth. While their other songs are fine, I've never considered any of their albums to be worthy of much appraisal (save for ABBA's Gold). Arrival is notable for ABBA's biggest hit Dancing Queen, which is backed up by Knowing Me, Knowing You, and Money, Money, Money. That's it! There's really not much reason at all to listen to the rest of the songs. They're not bad, just forgettable and not really worth your time.

Actually quite a pleasant listen. I obviously knew the singles but there other nice songs as well.

Passe bra siden eg jobbe med svensk søk om dagen

Har utsatt da lenge, men va vel på tide å komma seg gjennom da. Hørte kun på sangane eg ikkje hadde hørt før, og då gikk da i grunn greit. Trekk for resten tho

3.8 - I was expecting a big, fat pop record and this record delivered in spades. I love the beefy production with surprisingly funky bass lines underpinning garlands of female vocals and swells of strings.

bangers on bangers

Standard issue ABBA album: dated instrumentals, schmaltzy love-based lyrics, every song sounds the same-ish. The attempt at a Beach Boys track is interesting but still ends up an amorphous synthy blob like the rest of this band's tracks.

0 interés en Abba

I liked it

Fun album with some classics. Fills me with feelings of nostalgia, remembering back to when my mom used to listen to her "Best of ABBA" cassette back and forth.

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.

The hits on here are unreal. One or two MFers which bring it down a bit for me, but only slightly.

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.

No

Pop. Varios megahits. No me apasiona tanto como a ti :-P Un 4.

When I kissed the teacher, Fernando, Knowing me, Knowing you.

This album came out the year I was born, which means it’s amazing, obviously.

Overfamiliar, overrated pap

Nice, well crafted pop. I'm probably like a lot of other people, in that I'd only heard Abba singles and their greatest hits songs. Arrivals has a decent chunk of their best singles, but the non singles songs stand up well too, though they suffer from feeling like they are just not as good versions of the bigger songs. The good songs carry the album though.

What was good was great, the rest was crap.

This is included ironically, right? Or just for time-capsule effect? Because this is about as banal as pop music can be. It ranks with sugar-free gum, shag carpet and curling irons as ‘70s cultural touchstones.

Very fun

4/5. Objectively pretty good, but I can only endure so much 🙏

Yes. It has some of the classics, but it’s not my kind of jam

Usually, music groups or bands or whatever ABBA is do not force existential questions such as: Why is this album a thing? What was the point of this album? Perhaps it is a Swedish thing in an American world for this reviewer. Short and sweet, this album is not bad. "Dancing Queen" is an abstract promotion of girl power and solid independence, not a bad thing. "When I Kissed The Teacher" touches on the trope of student/teacher romances and with geometry being the course of study. "Dum Dum Diddle" by far the worst song here. ABBA seems have to commissioned the circus or a carnival for their clown music vibe, to where if there was a music video and ABBA was on a carousel, there would be no surprise. The title track is an instrumental, synth-heavy (go figure), minimal vocal offering that honestly was a nice reprieve and break in the monotony that seems to settle on the last half of the album. Overall, the album is not bad but it is not really good either. The reasoning for why this should be heard before the end of one's life is debatable but in all fairness, ABBA is certainly an original performance and their cultural impact is undeniable. If anything, an understanding of the 70s, or just the history of music, would support a reason for giving ABBA a listen. However, this is not an album that earns a repeat listen.

It was tempting to give this a higher mark, since the hits were so long-lived, and let's face it, they weren't the worse thing on the radio in the 70s. But by listening to the supporting tracks, one gets more insight into the influences behind the song-writing and sing-along style - and it's not pretty.

I’m lactose intolerant so I can’t handle this much cheese. But I must admit they do have nice singing voices.

Ohhh, Fernando... where art thou, Fernando...? I know I don't possess you, so go away, God bless you. You are still my love and my life, still my one and only, Fernando... Dumb dumb diddle, to be your fiddle. To be so near you and not just hear you... Fernando has stolen my heart and my taste because I'm in love with this album. I know it's crazy but please don't hate me ... for my love of Fernando (and Arrival).

As an educator, I just don't know what to do with "When I Kissed the Teacher." They may have tried to get back on course with "Dancing Queen," but it was too late. "Arrival" was poisoned on arrival by the creepy opener. But wait, the "Dancing Queen" in question is only 17? Is she the one who kissed the teacher? Oh, also, I just don't like this music.

Too often I feel like this is the soundtrack to a carnival. Not a good thing.

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.

It is only through this generator that I get to listen to an ABBA album in full. So to hear the massive singles surrounding by songs not previously heard was odd. It will take a few listens for those other songs to not be swamped by the familiar ones. Quality song structure, harmonies and production as expected.

I didn't want to like this, I wanted to be able to say it's terrible. Can't help but enjoy it though, even the atrociously worded 'Dum dum Diddle'. Silly, lovely Swedes.

ABBA is Pop Perfection.

This is like a pop masterpiece from outer space to U.S. ears. Devoid of North American blues influence, this album contains a pervasive, wistful melancholy under its stage-ready Broadway-style bops. At the time of its release it was derided by critics, but in hindsight, ABBA is a behemoth of pop influence. The production here is pristine and leaps from your speakers. It sounds good on everything, no crazy hifi necessary.

Lots of classics here.

Hard to rate. Never really clicked for me as a serious musical act. Dancing Queen is obviously amazing but there aren't enough good ones to make up for the horrible production

I mean it's super sweet cheesy pop music, I don't love it and I don't hate.. The fact they wrote so many of these songs is impressive.

Just an okay album. No bangers

As much as I appreciate them, this says ABBA are a singles/compilation band. Arrival has little sonic cohesion outside ABBAness as-such, and the hit density is rather too low. They deserve at least one spot here.

I don’t want anymore abba!

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.

All Bery Bery Awesome!

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.

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.

Abba

Pop datado.

Bangers on bangers

Abba

pangalbum! även om det är lite för mainstream kanske.

When I Kissed the Teacher has a pretty high ick factor considering Bjork and Benny write it. ABBA churned out saccharine pop tunes like a highly optimized and efficient candy factory, but c’mon, this is pretty low quality, empty stuff.

Pop melódico y armónico. Alguna buena canción (dancing Queen) pero el resto muy parecidas entre si

The very famous 4 hit songs are the standouts Their pristine vocals define the group's sound. Only one duff track.

3 1/2, bra popdängor

Genre: Europop 4/5 ABBA is like the 70s and Swedish Mamas and the Papas. Sunshine europop shot directly into your veins, with harmonies that soar to the skies, and joyful tunes as far as the ear can hear. Arrival is their best effort, compiling a more-than-decent run of songs that showcase the best of what ABBA can do, and its good vibes and sweet pop stylings are all one really needs. Dancing Queen, the obvious highlight and one of the biggest songs ever, is a real delight, but it doesn't overshadow its album companions. Knowing Me, Knowing You is great, as well as Money, Money, Money, two great pop songs that were both also successful singles in their own right. This is a happy album that will easily brighten your day, whether you'd like it or not.

Was dreading an hour of Abba, but plonked it on when working and to be honest it was just like listening Radio 2 In short, whatever is the opposite to lifechanging.

Un moment de pur bonheur

Le B. A. BA de la pop.

que des tubes t'as juste envie de chantonner au bureau et d'embêter tes collègues ^^ :p

Just not for me, at all.

alvegok

Good dance vibes.

A mix of several stupidly famous songs (very deservingly so) mixed with numerous WTF tracks. There has never been a better case for a Best Of album than Abba.

I am a huge ABBA fan, but I even I will concede that the hits here - “Dancing Queen,” “Knowing Me, Knowing You,” “Money, Money, Money,” and “Fernando” (on some International editions) - are the biggest hitters. However, it would be foolhardy to overlook Arrival’s album cuts. Opener “When I Kissed the Teacher” is as potent a pop song as the hits. For all their kitsch-iness, “Tiger” and “Why Did It Have to Be Me?” charm. And the title track and closer might be the most beautiful piece of music the group ever did - an ode to Swedish folk music, a wash of keys, strings, and vocal harmonies. 4.0

This had way more abba hits on it than I expected.

Deserves to be on the list for Dancing Queen alone. Everything else is just gravy, including the other two hits (Knowing Me, Knowing You and Fernando, both of them good but pale to the magic of Dancing Queen). But Good God, how perfect of a pop song is Dancing Queen? That one song is going to outlast many of the albums on this list. It's the one reason why ABBA will probably tour as holograms for decades to come.

4, quite good

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.

3/5 quite good

Good album, but disco pop just doesn't do it for me. Still, nice to hear some classics like "Dancing Queen" and "Fernando" (I listened to the 2006 CD w/ this and "Happy Hawaii")

Love a bit of Abba

Banger after banger

Abba dabba doo!!! Haha

Quintessential pop album. Great work ABBA keep it up

My Mum owned this album when I was little so I’ve been familiar with it for a long time. Still stands up as a strong pop record though probably not my favourite ABBA record. Money x3 is a particular highlight but most of my other favourite songs are on other albums

A good example of a singles band who probably shouldn’t make albums.

Un classique disco 4

My wife had said I am not a big "ABBA" fan. And I will admit, it's not the first thing I reach for when I want something to listen to. Having said that, this album is really well-crafted 70s pop. I liked a lot of the feel of some of the songs. Even hearing the 1977 version, with "Fernando," an inescapable song. And "Dancing Queen"... I mean, how can you NOT like that song? Having said THAT, this album is really well-crafted 70s pop. So some of the songs are very dated. Seeing that the first song is called "When I Kissed The Teacher," yikes. The sense of what is acceptable really is different from 50 years ago. "Tiger" is another one that just teeters on the edge of camp. I'm sure they were like "oh, this is going to be a great one." But now it's just... what were you thinking? It's interesting that the album is just over 30 minutes long. Each song is a crafted 3-minute piece, going for that pop kind of classic. Do they all make it? At the time, yes. It's just now some of them seem so... dated. (To be fair, I'm sure of the stuff I listened to as a kid is really dated as well. But I have been listening to it over and over so I do not notice.) So yeah, I am going to take it a bit more off for it sounding so dated. But I guess that's not their fault. They were going for a specific sound that just didn't age well.

I love the movie The Rock. Funny, great action sequences, a plot that is not completely ridiculous (??), good acting for the material. It is a fun movie. As far as action movies go it's a classic but that doesn't make it a classic piece of art. Ditto for this album. Lots of fun, music mixes well with the vocals, and lyrics are not completely drivel (??). I just can't find in the music or the vocals what makes it particularly impressive or what shows great skill. A classic disco or pop album but not a classic piece of art.

Very very 70s disco. The first track, "When I Kissed the Teacher" is 70s cheese of the highest magnitude. Knowing Me, Knowing You is not bad. Sounds like an early version of an 80s power ballad. I liked Dancing Queen (played a billion times, but good song), Why Did It Have to Be Me (decent rocker), and Arrival. The bonus edition has Fernando on it, which is a good track. I'll call it a solid 3. Not bad, good moments, not really my cup o' Swedish tea.

Solid album - standout tracks were Dancing Queen and Knowing Me, Knowing You (aha)

Rating: 9/10 Best songs: When I kissed the teacher, Dancing queen, Dum dum diddle, Knowing me,knowing you, Money,money,money, Tiger

4.5

I've listened to ABBA through my whole life, but to hear a full album and to be this concise and a great pop listening after 45 years it's amazing, these are songs that'll never die (even though i have to consider some of this songs not to be that great like the first track but it's funny as hell) Fav tracks: Dancing Queen, My Love, My Life, Knowing me, Knowing you, Arrival, Fernando,

Not my thing at all but clearly has monumental hits

The worst band in the world

ABBA is always a good time. Not one I can binge, but fun every now and again.

Can’t go wrong with ABBA!

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

So much pop gold.

Meh. Very much the enjoyably forgettable one-night stand of albums: Good while it lasted, but no desire to revisit. I have nothing against ABBA, even if their music is a bit high on 70s cheese. That's what is so enjoyable/delightful about them! But I just can't muster a whole lot of enthusiasm for an album mostly comprised of middle-of-the-road tracks. Fave track is actually the title track, but then I've never been a huge fan of ABBA's vocals so I may be biased here. Even so, the title track fucking slaps. And Dancing Queen is still the perfect soundtrack for dancing like no one's watching. Fun, silly, unabashedly cheesy.

sweet! Love Fernando

not great

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3W3Vx-d2VEI

not bad

Sure, fun memories from when they were so prevalent, and this music brings me back to my youth with a smile. I also get the big nostalgia kick boosted by 'Mamma Mia,' although I've never seen it. Musically, other than the enjoyable time warp, it's just not really my thing. Great for what it is, but too fluffy for my liking.

It's Abba, lots of ballads and songs you would hear in musicals. You should know what you're getting into here. I find that for every song they came up with one catchy chorus line or piano riff and then wrote around that hook where they could repeat it as much as possible. It's so lacking in substance, but I think that's why Disco failed was this shallow repetition. Also the music videos are all the same, there were 4 or 5 in the playlist on Youtube, and each one was "Let's do a short quick-burst closeup on the face of the person singing" "Ok now let's have one of you face the camera, and the other stand in front but face to the left" "Ok now we're just doing a closeup of whoever is singing". Every. Single. Time.

A fun, groovy album. 6/10

Interesting, I understood they didn't completely know English.

This is like a 2 1/2. I'm putting at a 3 just for Dancing Queen. It was all too much, but in small doses very enjoyable.

No. Too poppy, to much the same every song. Just not for me.

Ew...ABBA

Never took ABBA seriously. That was a mistake. All tracks have a lot of inventiveness to entertain the music geek. And a couple to keep for good. Just a couple of throwaways.

While I can rock to ABBA at times this was driving me nuts yesterday, though my context (wrapping up the year at work) was probably more to blame. I acknowledge this is Core Pop.

coolll 4

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

Noice

Amother flashback to high school! Didn’t realize they were just a 50’s girl group with a disco beat! Now they’ve been ruined by white women drinking too much Chardonnay and dancing to Mamma Mia. There’s a place in my heart for Knowing You, Knowing Me and Fernando. Always liked Money, Money, Money too.

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.

Loved it, classic songs to sing along.

My secret pleasure!

Easy to see why so popular. Songs are well crafted but not my Thang.

The hits on this album are absolute 5 star material, but there were a few duds. I think if you removed 2 or 3 songs the album would be 5 stars, but I can't give 5 stars to an album with "Dum Dum Diddle" on it.

I remember watching an old CD my mom brought home, it's "Mamma Mia!" (I can't believe it was released in 2008, I've always thought it was released somewhere in the '90s). It was some light film where everyone sings Abba songs. I don't remember much about that night. I can roughly recall how my mom loved the movie. She's probably an Abba fan. And me? I only remember liking two songs, "Honey Honey," and the iconic "Dancing Queen." I loved the energy and the casual positivity in "Dancing Queen." But I've never heard the original until now. And... I didn't like it much. Because of the mentioned memory, I expected this album to be some standard pop album, but its much more disco than I expected. "Dancing Queen" is still a good song. That and "Money Money Money" are the only good songs in the entire album. The bonus track "Fernando" is also worth mentioning, its incredible. The rest is some terrible disco pop stuff. The mentioned tracks saved this from 1 star. If this album is a hit-and-miss, then those tracks are bullseye.

There’s a joyful innocence about ABBA that you don’t hear these days. I enjoyed this album

Good album

There are 2 types of people in this world: people who like ABBA and boring people

No i przyjechala ABBA, zebym wreszcie zmierzyl sie z tak klasycznym zespolem, ktory wyznaczyl kierunek muzyce rozrywkowej lat 70, wizytowka grania europejskiego za wielkom wodom, bo zespol szwedzki, potwierdzily sie takze moje przypuszczenie jakoby nazwa bandy, to byly inicjaly czlonkow, dwie baby i dla chlopy dodatkowo jeszcze sie poparowali, jedna para przed rozpoczeciem dzialalnosci, a druga pod koniec, obie pary sie zdezintegrowaly w tym samym czasie co banda, ciekawe co wyniklo z czego w tym wypadku, bo po takiej karierze kazdy z albumow topowal czarty, sprzedawali wszystko co wyszlo z ich studia, a tu takie szybkie zakonczenie kariery zespolowej po osmiu latach dzialalnosci, ale co do samego arrivala to jest to dokladnie ten typ muzyki ktorego nie potrafie sluchac i jest on mi wyjatkowo niemily, przez swoja milosc, konformizm muzyczny, wszechobecne poczucie mialkosci, jako czwarty album w dyskografii zespolu plasuje go dokladnie w srodku stawki chronologicznej, a jak dla mnie to pierwszy abbowy album jakie slyszalem, bo wczesniej moje uszy byly jedynie gwalcone wszelakimi radiowymi atakami, ale samemu z wlasnej nieprzymuszonej woli nie sluchalem, a dwa hitowe kawalki arrivala, czyli money money i dancing queen brzmia jak kazde inne hity zespolu, wiec sluchajac dancingowego queena wyraznie nasuwa sie deja vu z waterloo, nie jest to z pewnoscia najbardziej synthowy album w ich wykonaniu, ale i tak instrumentale sa tak oklepane, bo zaslyszane pewnie w X innych kawalkach jak to ma sie z dzielami wybitnie influencyjnymi, dodatkowo banda tworzyla na zasadzie pany BB pisaly traczki, ktore byly spiewane przez panie AA, chociaz BB tez sie udzielali na wokalach, bo jednym z najbardziej rozpoznawalnych abbowych akcentow jak dla mnie sa wlasnie harmonie jakie maja zarowno panie na wokalach jak i towarzyszace in pany, czuc tutaj chemie sparowanych ludzi, panowie BB jeszcze cos brzdakali na wszelakich instrumentach, ale jednak ABBA tworzyla juz w nowoczesnym stylu, wiec sesyjni muzycy byli odpowiedzialni za wieszkosc instrumentali, chociaz pewnie mieli jakis stalych wspolpracownikow, ale to juz trzeba by postudiowac lore innych albumikow, no i pany BB byly jeszcze odpowiedzialne za produkcje, kolejna wazna ceche abbowych nagran, ktore byly przystepnie perfekcyjne, nagrania prawie sprzed pol wieku, a technicznie tak ostro przystepne dla sluchacza, ktory chce dzwieku przyjemnego i lekkiego, bo przeciez muzyka rozrywkowa przeznaczona do densowania w duzej mierze, nie bez przyczyny abba to pradziady disko polo przez swoj wklad w euro disko, wiec o ambitnosci tekstow i probie ich jakiejkolwiek nadinterpretacji nie bede sie rozpisywal, bo dziwne mysli przechodza przez glowe sluchajac albumu, ktory otwiera sie kawalkiem o calowaniu nauczyciela, a konczy prawie ze gospelowym instrumentalem, wiec 33 minuty pomiedzy tymi dwoma punktami to prawdziwa podroz przez kregi piekielne, dodatkowo jeszcze spotifaj uraczyl mnie jakas ekskluzywna wersja, ktora obrodzila w dwa mniej densingowe kawalki, fernando o pieknym gosciu i wolnosci, a drugi o pieknych hawajach, bo na tym albumie wszystko jest piekne, mlode i szczesliwe, a jesli nie jest to tylko dlatego, ze za bardzo sie slucha, nie zapomne tego odsluchu jeszcze z jednego powodu, pozwolil mi on sprawdzic ile czlek jest w stanie utrzymac rece nad poziomem glowy, z czego wynika ze jesli bardzo chce mozna nawet i 45 minut, a odczucia po nich sa zblizone do tych co po pieciu, wiec piekny to byl odsluch nie zapomne go nigdy, a jednoczesnie mam cicha nadzieje, ze jako lista brytyjska, to nie bedzie wiecej abbowych szlagierow sie przewijalo, ale pewnie to zludna nadzieja patrzac na to jak sprzedaly sie ich krazki od pierwszego do ostatniego, plejkowo dodam monejowego songa na liste wszystkiego i niczego

Brilliant shiny pop and songwriting at its finest. Becomes heaven-sent with the inclusion of Fernando on later versions. No surprise it's their bestselling LP not called Gold. Instrumental title track that closes original LP is a bit boring, so a high 4 out of 5 for one of my favourite "pop" bands.

Top notch pop from the ABBA-bots. Can't say I actually enjoyed it but I did very much appreciate it, like a nicely stacked shelf of tins or a well presented window display. Well done everybody.

If they'd kept the original song titles, this would have been the running order: Rio de Janeiro Boogaloo My Love, My Life Dum Dum Diddle Knowing Me, Knowing You Been And Gone And Done It Coachman's Farm Tiger Fiol The bangers are the bangers, the rest is cacophodisco. Apart from "Coachman's Farm", which apparently only got to live its best life as a single in Japan, and the hair-raising conclusion of the otherwise entirely unmenacing "Tiger".

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.

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.

Great album

Dancing Queen I like.

Forever a Classic.

I Just Can't Do It

Already had this on vinyl and ought to listen more often. Solid sentimental pop production. Despite a couple of awkward clunkers (kissed the teacher) it's amazing.

Not for me

ABBAAAAAAAA the presence of Dancing Queen garners 3 stars, and the highly underrated title track gives it a 4th star. Was a delightful grocery shopping listen. I was dancing in the aisles the whole time.

Interesting to listen to the hits in the context of an album, but the singles are what this is really about. Fun, great pop singles, but not a great album.

Not my jam.

Why this group exist escapes me, awful, can't give zero stars but hated every moment of this one

Ihan hilpeetä rallattelua. Aikoinaan ollut varmasti edelläkviäjä monessakin mielessä joten 2,5 *

Löytyy perushitit, ihan ok

Pure pop with more depth than you'd think. 3

Disco. Aceptable

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.

Better than I expected. While I’m not a fan of the band, I understand why so many like it.

3.5

Reminds me of my Mama!

This is undeniably ABBA’s best album period, ABBA at the absolute pinnacle of their career. The arrangements are delightful. The production is flawless. Agnetha Fältskog and Anni-Frid Lyngstad are in perfect voice. If I had to pick an album to stick in a time capsule and represent 70s pop, this might be it. Which would be a lie ultimately, considering how much better this music is than much of the dreck of the era. There are two absolutely perfect pop songs on this album. The balance of the album is a nice assortment of slightly lesser pop songs that are still great fun to listen to. “Dancing Queen” is a marvel of a song, probably the best song the band ever made. Except for maybe "Fernando," my goodness. These are two of the prettiest, catchiest songs I have ever heard, and they are on the same album. They are two sides of the same coin as pop songs go, with “Fernando” pulling at your heart strings while “Dancing Queen” is just a bubbly, sparkling ode to joy. I like the reviewer who said you just have to let yourself go when you listen to ABBA. I can’t think of a better way to describe the experience of listening to them. For some reason ABBA is treated as some sort of guilty pleasure that you have to justify listening to. I think it’s time we let that notion go and appreciate the fact that crafting quality pop music is difficult. ABBA truly makes it look effortless. Fave Songs: Dancing Queen; Fernando; Knowing Me, Knowing You; That's Me, Money, Money, Money

Some certified bangers on here, but eventually I zoned out a little. Very pleasant vocals, shimmering instrumentals, nice production that doesn't sound dated at all. Favorite tracks: "Dancing Queen", "Dum Dum Diddle", "Knowing Me, Knowing You"

Very good. Favorite tracks are Dancing Queen and Tiger

Thought it would be horrendous...some tracks ok...knowing me..money...Fernando raise to 3 star

The cream of the crop

Some nice singles, but a whole album of Abba is just too much.

Good!

Better than I thought it was gonna be, knew every other song so either amazing album or they just didnt release that many.

When I kissed the teacher, Fernando, Knowing me, Knwing you.

"Dancing Queen", "Money, Money, Money". Альбом - квинтэссенция лучшего, за что мы любим ABBA

Dross. Can’t stand Abba and this did nothing to change that. Can’t take them seriously.

Some real bangers in this one. Good listen for sure

Leuk album met veel meezingers en toch wat afwisseling in de nummers

Yes! I love ABBA and this is definitely one of their best albums.

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.

It was nice. I had heard parts of this in the past, but not the whole thing

Didn't enjoy this as much as The Visitors.

Good songs great, bad songs very dated

There’s a reason this band is as popular as they are. Every track has clean production and catchy lyrics, and a catchier hook. Every. Track. And a lot of people won’t admit this, but the songwriting is fantastic.

The kings and queens of 70s euro part. They knew their way around a melody that’s for sure.

Not trendy to listen to ABBA when they first appeared, particularly as my parents liked them. But the masterful songwriting, performances and production can't be denied. Stuffed with what turned out to be timeless hits. Who'd a'thought it?

it's fuckin abba bro

this one's another meh-it's-fine album for me. i did rather like when the A*Teens covered the shit out of abba in the late 90s; that felt like a bit of an improvement, to be honest.

meh

Hmmm. Didn't like apart from singles. Too cloying.

Hmmm. Didn't like apart from singles. Too closing.

Dancing Queen <3

Старики мочат

Tämä oli aika abbaisaa abbaa. Sinänsä ihan okei jortsubiisejä, mutta ei ihan oma kuppi teetä. Osansa voi tietysti olla sillä, että monet biisit ovat niin loppuun kulutettuja, että ei vaan enää pysty innostumaan.

Tämä on varmaan aikanaan ollut melkoisen täydellinen pop-levy. Käytännössä lähes jokaisesta biisistä on tullut jonkinlainen klassikko. Juuri tämä onkin itselleni se suurin asia mikä levyssä tökkii - vaikka kappaleet ovat hyviä niin ne ovat myös äärimmäisen puhkisoitettuja. Ehkä itselleni levyn nautinnollisimmat kappaleet olivatkin avausraita When I Kissed The Teacher ja hieman vähemmän kuultu hitti My Love, My Life. Laadukasta musiikkia, mutta pidin enemmän Abban edellisestä levystä listalla.

So amazingly feel good

This is nice. Nothing special, good to know some curiosities on the most famous ABBA album, but nothing more to say.

I cant do it. Mama Mia, sure fine, but thats it. That's all. My Abba cup done runneth over.

It is such good head bobbing stuff. Full of bops, especially the singles. A few duller tracks hold it back (as well as my own pickiness with pop music), but this is a very very fun listen, if anything.

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.

It's hard not to like Abba. Sure, it's kind of bubblegum music, but they are catchy, well-produced pop songs. Nothing wrong with that. 3 stars.

just not for me - Fernando my favorite song