Arrival

Not a fan of ABBA

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.

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.

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

ABBA halt…

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

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

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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

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.

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.

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")

Not my thing at all but clearly has monumental hits

not great

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.

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

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

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.

Not for me

Not my jam.

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

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

just not for me - Fernando my favorite song

Dancing Queen deserved a better album.

I love a good ABBA song. what I wasn't prepared for was that every song on this album that isn't already on a greatest hits album actually completely sucks. I truly hoped to discover ABBA songs I liked as much as their greatest hits and that sure didn't work out! edit: turns out Tiger was not on any greatest hits albums despite being a single that even I'm aware of. so there's one!

I don't think I could ever again just sit there and listen to straight ABBA. That is a truly psychotic thing to do.

It was ok, poppy music. Definitely Won’t be a favorite.

Vocalization is a bit monotone and repetitive. What I mean is, the lead singer sounds almost the same on every track. Dancing Queen is the star of the show and the rest are largely forgettable.

Well known songs are sickly sweet and overhyped. The unmarketed parts of the album are better

i think the production was great for its time but i'm just not a fan of disco at all. probably skews the data but what are ya gonna do.

Didn't hate it as much as I thought, but it was still bad. There's a blues song on this album? Dancing Queen is great.

Although three LPs and a greatest-hits compilation preceded it, Arrival is aptly titled, as this album announces the band's move beyond bubblegum. Arrival contains three huge hit singles, the dramatic "Money Money Money," the downcast "Knowing Me, Knowing You," and quite possibly the band's finest four minutes, the absolutely perfect pop classic "Dancing Queen," a combination of Spector-ian grandeur, McCartney-esque melody, and the indescribable vocals of Agnetha Fältskog and Anni-Frid Lyngstad

Never been a fan of ABBA, can tell they had talent, wide ranging songs, clearly musical talent there, but just really not my bag. 2/5

If there was ever a singles band, it is ABBA. In terms of pure pop, Waterloo is one of the best singles ever--it's just nonstop hooks, high energy, and perfect execution from beginning to end. But ABBA is responsible for a lot of revolting music, too, so I didn't go into this review with high expectations. There is a fine line between exuberant and overbearing and ABBA consistently crosses it. Much of Arrival feels overstuffed, overproduced, and has a overly sweet, cloying quality. The combination of the perky choruses and the thumping bass on When I Kissed the Teacher makes my stomach ache. Same goes for the descending Liberace piano figures on Dancing Queen. To be fair, it's this very excess or to be kinder, ahem generosity of spirit, that ABBA fans find appealing. When ABBA slows down the tempo, as on My Love, My Life, their gooey sentimentality is brought into even harsher relief. This is a band that makes The Carpenters seem edgy. They've sanded down all the elements in their music, lacquered them and buffed them to a glossy shine, like a bubblegum pink cadillac. If you're getting the idea that ABBA rubs me the wrong way, you are 100% correct. But even on ABBA own terms, as a bubblegum hit making machine, Arrival falls short. There are only a couple of Pavlovian earworms here. 2/5

.

Dancing Queen vind ik altijd nog wel te pruimen; Heeft iets olijks maar de rest was echt niet te doen.

surprisingly, I listened the complete album

It's pop music. Singles are by far the best songs here. 5/10

Their hits are classics, but man I don’t actually like their music. It’s too peppy/disco for me.

Holy wall of sound. 70s style lots of instruments and lots of notes everywhere. Really liked the guitar sound every time it came in. Everything else not so much. Most songs annoying Fernando is the best track along with the final one

Man, this one was a struggle to get through.

some heat but all kind of sound the same

The sleeve design for ABBA's 1976 album Arrival was conceived by Rune Söderqvist. Photographed by Ola Lager. Logo designed by Rune Söderqvist apparently after a shoot where the members held a letter each and Benny's was the wrong way around. The sleeve has been criticised for showing the band ‘untouchable’ behind glass and rather than arriving, about to depart. Apart from this idea done badly there is also the issue of the ultra heavy amateur black airbrushing and the crude masking. What a horror show. At least it matches the vile music. I was tempted not to listen to this as every time i have had to listen to this I cringed but I thought ‘give it a fair chance after all this is what this whole 1 a day is about, and I was a Bruce hater until I listened to Nebraska, however no reprieve for Abba - what a cringe.

I simply do not understand the appeal. The harmonies are ok and production is done well. But it’s so boring and every song sounds exactly the same. Dancing Queen has only one purpose - to serve as outro for Tool shows. Just not for me. 1/5

Probably would never listen to this again it’s a 1 Probably for people who like ABBA this can’t be more than a 3.5 for fans. It’s not a great album

I gave ABBA's Arrival a chance despite never being much of an ABBA fan. Outside of "Dancing Queen," their music has never really clicked with me, so I went in with an open mind hoping this album might change that. Unfortunately, it didn't. I found Arrival to be a pretty flat listen overall. The songs are polished and undeniably well-produced, but they rarely surprised me or left much of an impression. The melodies are catchy enough, yet many tracks blend together, and I never felt emotionally invested. I can understand why this album is considered a pop classic—it captures the clean, melodic sound that made ABBA one of the biggest acts of the '70s. But for me, technical polish isn't enough to carry an album when the songs don't resonate on a deeper level. If you're already an ABBA fan, there's plenty here to enjoy. If, like me, you've never really connected with their style, Arrival probably won't change your mind. Aside from "Dancing Queen," I didn't find much that made me want to come back for another listen.

This is absolute garbage front to back. It’s so bad that I had to write this review for it. Every song sounds exactly the same. I can’t even begin to comprehend how this band got so popular. The only song that is halfway decent is Dancing Queen—surprise surprise.

Hate

My first refuse to listen to . I have to leave a 1 though as it won't let me comment only .

#157/1001 🇸🇪 I have promised to listen in full to every album here with respect and leave my own pre concieved opinions behind. Sadly i can't find too much to love here. The first and last tracks are just dire, Dancing Queen has been played to death and is impossible to make an opinion on - you either love it or hate it. For me the only track that stood out was Tiger, which i've maybe heard once before. Best Tracks: Tiger.

ABBA finds a way to piss me off

I didn't listen. There are some things you can't expect from a person..m

Abba never made good music.

hate it. I get the cultural significance and impact, and I'm sure it has a place in some collections, but not in mine.

Noooo

Shallow Pop and Europop built on glossy keyboards, light guitars, steady rhythms, and bright, polished vocals flows with smooth, radio-friendly ease. Listening feels like drifting through a perfectly arranged but shallow landscape where everything sounds pleasant yet rarely leaves a mark.

No me gusta Abba

Don't like it

No es mi estilo. No me gusta

Der er meget musik, jeg har fået bedre/mere afslappet forhold til med årene, og med det in mente prøvede jeg virkelig at gå til dette album med et åbent sind, men... ABBA på denne her liste her, er som en Pixi bog på en liste over de største litterære værker - det er næsten en hån. ABBA, når de er bedst, er sådan set catchy nok, men selv i de tilfælde er deres musik bare totalt intetsigende; der er ikke noget som helst interessant, ingen kant eller noget der stikker bare lidt ud - den musikalske ækvivalent til postevand. Til gengæld har de et eller grundlæggende irriterende over sig, der gør, at jeg faktisk næsten får det fysisk dårligt af at høre det. Dum Dum Diddle er måske noget af det mest forfærdelige musik jeg nogensinde har hørt - men utroligt nok er der skarp konkurrence fra flere andre tracks på dette album. Selv betraget inden for sin tid og genre, er der bare så meget mere kreativitet og kvalitet at hente andre steder, at musikhistorien kommer til at savne ABBA lige så meget som Jodle Birge.

I hate this band so much

a few bangers but as an overall album, no thanks

I just can't do it. Maybe it's just because I've been sucker-punched into watching Mamma Mia too many times, but this music makes me want to jump off a bridge. It's certainly not the worst album on this list, but god fucking damn it this music is not for me. Feels like snorting coke and watching Cocomelon. Fave tracks: - When I Kissed The Teacher - Dancing Queen - Why Did It Have To Be Me? - Tiger

Kitchey pop band from the 70’s. Music was overblown, and over done.

Tried but failed to like it.

Shocked at all the positive reviews on this, it’s objectively terrible. Wtf

Why?

Fernando is an excellent song. The rest of the album is not good at all.

If you remaster an album 5 times maybe it was just bad? Let's not kiss the teacher. Dancing queen and Fernando are the only stand outs for me. I think that more has to do with forced familiarity from 90s and 2000s radio. I could do without this and not be missing anything. It doesnt get me on my feet, I'm not feeling anything, mostly borring pop done well.

I think i listened but i don’t remember

mmm some of them are classics but i don't like the others

I never liked ABBA as a child, but I’m olde now and thought a band so popular for so long deserved an open mind. So with that open mind I looked forward to Arrival! Fcuk me, what a total waste of 41 minutes, absolute shite

still don't get their success. Every Song sounds the same. Not for me, thx!

ABBA is not for Bee. I think it’s just too happy-go-lucky or something.

Not my favorite style sound. Maybe too disco for my tastes.

Not for me

ABBA was bad then and worse now

Blegh! BLEGH I SAY!!!

Nah

Yabba dabba abba doo doo 💩

This is fucking terrible. I can’t believe this is a classic record at-all.

As time has gone on I've really mellowed on some stuff I absolutely despised as a kid and come to quite like some of it as my snobbery has lessened. But not ABBA. Not fucking ABBA.

Sweden should pay reparations to the world for ABBA

Not for me

Trash

The problem with Abba...is that their "signature sound" is having solid hits that are genuine earworms. So, 3 songs should be good in theory (more on that in a bit), however the rest are incredibly bland filler that don't deserve more than 1 star. The additional problem with the recognisable hits is over-saturation - I've heard Dancing Queen too many times for it to be enjoyable anymore, so it feels cloying. 2 stars feels generous, so maybe it's a 1.

Not my favorite.

Dum Dum Diddle? That's about right. I've said it before and I am going to say it again: there's only 1 kind of ABBA album, best ofs or Gold...otherwise you get crap upon crap, loads of crap...-5 stars, aka 1 star.

Goofy show tunes from the 70s. Here’s the Dum Dum Diddle musical’s storyline: Agnes (hot female lead that is the shy girl in class but best dancer on the high school pep squad) kisses her English Lit teacher Fernando while no one is looking, and they fall hopelessly in love. Weeks later, she is still dancing with joy at the Saturday night disco dance where he is a chaperone (Dancing Queen.) He wants to make out with her, but she feels it’s too risky at this public location so she tells him they need a cool off period breaks it off with him (My Love My Life.) He’s heartbroken and wants to win her back, so he quits his low paying job as a teacher to eliminate the conflict of dating a student and goes to work as a travel agent making much more Money, Money, Money - and Why Did It Have To Be ABBA?She is enthralled by his dedication and increased salary so decides she wants him back. As an attempt to impress him, she vamps up her look and goes on the prowl (Tiger.) But unfortunately, Fernando has been sent off to war. Oh no! Will he make it back alive? Will she wait for him? It’s now the end of the 70s and Sweden is pulling their troops out of Vietnam. The loving couple reunites on a moonlit beach in Happy Hawaii. L =(1.5*s) Musical storyline by Loretta. J = (1.1*s) The play was better than the album.

I assume I'm not the target demographic for this band/album, but even despite that it's hard not to consider this album cheesy and ridiculous. Obviously there was a time and place when people needed a light disco album with some hokey tunes, but it doesn't hold up. Dancing Queen has staying power for its legacy, but even then its a pretty lame song. The rest of the album was skippable filler with some pretty bad deep cuts like Dum Dum Diddle. This ABBA album is a perfect example of the criticism that bad disco gets and deserves. 1.37 stars

Subjectively I really don't love this album - it's just related to memories from being young. Probably won't really listen to it again. At least it informed me of what I don't love.

This is a novelty act, right? Nobody listens to this earnestly, right? So annoying.

Ne volim njih nikako. Slušanje ovog albuma mi je samo potvrdilo šta sam uvijek znala. Dječija muzika koja se pravi da je bila inovativna.

Boring, couldn’t even finish it.

I remember my mum having this. Nearly 50 years on from its release I'm going to say its poor. ABBA were a singles band. Most of this album is filler.

It's ABBA, so not really a fan. The hits are the hits, catchy disco tunes, and the rest had more of a folk feel but was not really too good. Big miss for me.

No conecto con Abba

My God, "When I Kissed the Teacher" would have made me turn this off immediately if not for this project. The only saving grace was "Money, Money, Money."

Obviously Dancing Queen is an instant classic but the other singles on this album do not come near to that song and are actually some of their weakest singles of the 70s. Im also not a fan of the album tracks. Overall an album i didn't enjoy. 1. DANCING QUEEN 2. KNOWING ME, KNOWING YOU 3. MONEY, MONEY, MONEY 4. WHEN I KISSED THE TEACHER 5. TIGER 6. THAT’S ME 7. MY LOVE, MY LIFE 8. DUM DUM DIDDLE 9. ARRIVAL 10. WHY DID IT HAVE TO BE ME

Torturous

I do Not like ABBA and ‘When i kissed the teacher’ does nothing to dispel that opinion. It is very ABBA by numbers all jangly backing track and layered vocals singing counter to the main vocals. If hell has an audio form it might be this song. Dancing Queen at least puts you in mind of joyous nights out, but retains that horrible tweeness ABBA bring to all their songs. My love my life makes me long for the normal twee upbeat europop you associate with their singles. Even with this dirge of a track i dont think you are ever in danger of not knowing what the song is called. ABBA definitely like to hammer a song home. Dum dum diddle- christ please make it stop! Knowing me knowing you at least puts me on mind of Alan Partridge so adding him shouting aha! Adds something to it. Money money money’s is possibly ABBA’s most enjoyable 40 odd seconds, although in part my mind thinks it would be improved by Fagin from Oliver! Singing it. Oh and the annoying chorus. Why did have to be me? At least brings some musical variety but who would’ve picked ABBA doing Chas n Dave doing an upbeat pop song as the style to go with. Tiger and arrival provide no respite from the attack on my senses. Not sure whether instrumental ABBA is preferable to non instrumental ABBA Fernando is at least another song i associate with Alan Partridge. It also has possible the catchiest of their choruses.

They're a band you can't escape, doesn't mean I have to like them.

Oh hell no. Skipping today

I feel like this album was on here because Robert Dimery liked 'Dancing Queen'. There's nothing interesting to say about it

No!

Jesus. I must be the only person on the planet that his listened to a whole Abba album other than just the singles. And it's every bit as bad as I imagined it would be. My sense of duty to actually listen to all these albums is bordering on masochism at this point. It starts off bad, then there's Dancing Queen, which is also bad, but popular. Then there's Dum Dum Diddle. My god. This trash reminds me of when my parents dragged me to see the play Chess when visiting me one time--an Abba play. Knowing me knowing you is the only tolerable track, and just barely so. I dont even hate all disco--some disco is funky, decent, even dark. But this? Cotton candy garbage. Money tries to be dark, but just ends up vapid. Anyway, solid 1/5.

Jonaas Timmerhout luistert Abba. Kan zich niet ontdoen van het idee dat de muziek van Abba gemaakt is door ongelukkige mensen die alsof doen dat ze gelukkig zijn, voor mensen die ongelukkig zijn en alsof doen dat ze gelukkig zijn. Onder de nepdiamanten praal gaat een diepe melancholie schuil die zowel de artiest als de “luisteraar” niet durven voelen. Jonaas voelt zich leeg en ellendig, zich ei zo na existentieel geschort wetend door liedjes waarvan de tekst men net zo goed op het vorige nummer zouden thuishoren en vice versa. 2/10

Disco sucks

Just out at the airstrip with my Swedish pop group. I won a contest so they have to hang out with me and sit in my weird helicopter. That is at least what this cover looks like. No smiles, all business. I am really dreading this, I have to say. Well. Start your engines and set course for post-disco and may our journey be guided by the steady hand of reason. When I Kissed The Teacher - Right off the bat, the worst song title in human history. That accent is HEAVY. Yeah I mean I bet the teacher is petrified because he’s going to lose his job after being accosted by a Swedish high schooler. I can’t let you get close. Take a swing. Eh. Listen. Besides the boneheaded lyrical content, this is a nice song. Pretty nice soundscape and melody. Dancing Queen - Do we really include entire albums for singles? I don’t mean albums for people who are alone. We covered that with “The Verve” and Radiohead. Well this is one of the most popular songs, seemingly ever. “You turn em on… you’re only 17.” Perfect. Hey! It was the 70’s. I do not enjoy this song. Moving on. My Love, My Life - All the words I try to find, I cannot seem to find a way to possess the elusive adjectives to properly describe this song. Ah! Like a bolt from the blue, there it is. I present to you “Meh.” Dum Dum Diddle - Jesus. The new heavyweight champ for dumbass lyrics. Sounding like a Japanese arcade to start and then the repetitive droning pop wears out its welcome pretty quickly. Knowing Me, Knowing You - Ugh. I’m so bored. What can I say about this? Money, Money, Money - What a devastating uhh critique? I can’t tell if this is a critique of rich people because it sure sounds like “jeez I just want to marry a rich guy.” Cutting edge feminism here from the Swedish songsters here That’s Me - More of the same pop music. This is endless. Why Did It Have to Be Me? - That’s what I’ve been asking! Finally, a point of relation here. I really would’ve been fine never hearing a full ABBA album. This is the worst song by far. Jingle Bell Rock played through an eastern bloc radio during a work lottery announcement. Death on wheels. Tiger - Holy hell, will this ever end? There are like 4 songs left. Nay, exactly 4. I wanted this to actually be about a tiger. Perhaps stalking the streets of Stockholm. Arrival - We are entering the atmosphere of KlagNar 27. Scanning for Swedish Pop Groups. Oh good. Nothing there. Proceed to land. I swore this place would be swarming with fair haired crooners. Thank god we can continue with our research mission. Jones, collect some samples. Jones? Why is there a blond hair on your spacesuit. Oh god, what’s that sound. I knew it!! Ripped apart to the tune of dancing queen in the far reaches of the cosmos. Fernando - The worst song so far. Is this about some fireworks display? For you, for me, for liberty? What the fuck is this? Happy Hawaii - No, it’s happy Birthday. Is it? Isn’t it borthday? So many questions. Gee I’m really glad we included this Kids Bop Beach boys song after 40 minutes. What a fantastic romp through mediocrity. The theatrics and the lyrics drag this to my own personal musical hell. I can’t say this is the worst music ever released and I can barely even say it’s cynically made. The performances feel like they believe in this garbage wholeheartedly. I just hate it. I can’t do it. There are some songs that I could see enjoying g if they changed the lyrics and presentation but that’s pretty much changing the whole song, and I can’t award points based on that. Truly difficult to get through in every way. I shall never return. Well, except every time somebody deems it necessary to play these songs in public places. One day we’ll be able to coexist without a dimwitted soundtrack. That’s my vision for humanity. 1 HIGHLIGHTS: Herregud, det här är verkligen ganska fjantigt?

oh boy

Saai

While I’m a fan of the Swedish Supergroup ABBA’s popular works, I’ve never listened to a whole album. Although my mom got this on 8 track for Christmas way back when, I don’t really remember listening to it. There’s a significant drop off in quality from the hits to the album tracks. Honestly it’s just filler dreck. Knowing Me, Knowing You is doing all the heavy lifting here. I tried Mom.

I actually had a vague awareness of Abba, And figured I might like them. I was very wrong.

What a hateful and irredeemable album.

Het doet wat pop hoort te doen, denk ik. Als het iets meer naar disco leunt dan kan ik er wel inkomen, maar gros van de nummers voelen als een 'Kinderen voor Kinderen'-fever dream, of als Sieneke, en ik word er ronduit zenuwachtig van. 4,5/10 Highlights: Dancing Queen Knowing Me, Knowing You

Disco more like dicksblow.

the only redeeming factor was knowing me knowing you made me think of alan partridge

Lyrics are so stupid and everything else is so schmultzy. It feels like the music is too full of itself despite the fact that it sucks. I have personal bias against this but I also just can't stand listening to such hot garbage. SHE'S NOT EVEN PRONOUNCING HAWAII RIGHT!

point9.

Not my style

😳

Sé que es un clásico, pero lo siento, no es mi estilo

I can't face listening to this.

I didn't like it when it came out. I don't like it now.

I absolutely hate this. 2.7/10

Dancing Queen est excellente. Le reste sonne comme Alain Morrisod et le Sweet People. Je crois pas que ce soit nécessaire de l’écouter, même une fois.

I challenged myself to sit through this whole thing, and while it's doing what ABBA set out to do much of it annoys me. "Money, Money, Money" is the only song I kinda liked, though it's tough to take it seriously given the band delivering it. They're competent musicians, it's just that none of this is my taste at all. I had to chase it with Black Flag's Damaged and the first 3 Stooges albums to scrape it back off my soul. Y'all can have them.

Terrible. Just shows that if this is the best of seventies pop how bad the rest was. Now I understand why all my middle class boring contemporaries on the Lower North Shore loved ABBA. Banal and corny.

I dont like dont recomend it give it 1 out 5 dont really have much to say i dont understand the lyircs. not my type of music would not listen to it. I also dont like old music so thats another reason why i dont like it .

Help

No, can't do it sorry. 1 Star

Get in the bin of history. I would pay good money to have an experience like that in the film Yesterday but instead of the Beatles it's Abba that no one in the world has any knowledge of. I'd just keep quiet and carry on as normal.

Listen, Sweden has given the world some truly wonderful things, IKEA, zippers, Bluetooth technology, and the king of automobiles the Volvo 240. Without the Swedes we never would have had Alfred Nobel! Unfortunately, I don’t believe anything they ever do will make up for unleashing ABBA upon this world. This album in particular is an uncomfortable mess of toxic positivity and far too many major chords. The melodies are grating and repetitive, the lyrics often vapid and meaningless. Fernando is the only song that doesn’t entirely suck. I genuinely needed a palate cleanser after this one, and it’s a good thing Graceland exists. I’d give this album 0 starts if I could.

I'm here to find new albums, not the ABBA album. Maybe I'm just narrow minded

did not puke

I knew I wouldn't like the pop sound of Abba. But I gave it a listen and, initially, I started to think, its not so bad. But the more I listened the more the nausea built up in my gut, to the point where it started to make me angry. Unless you are a juvenile, I see no redeeming qualities in this album. What qualifies this for the list? How many good and impactful albums with music for adults were passed over for this trash. You see, I'm getting angry just writting this. Sure you can listen to 1 or 2 catchy songs in a mix of others. But as an album, this is terrible. It sounds like a soundtrack for a Telletubbies movie or whatever toddlers are watching these days. Its only because the bar is so low for a 1 star that I give it 1.4

Proof positive that whites should NEVER be allowed to make "dance music". ZERO soul here. This is the music equivalent of unseasoned boiled pasta on a cold plate. Thank GOD someone introduced me to Nile Rodgers a few years ago. I had grown up thinking disco was just Abba and The Bee Gees. No wonder I hated it.

I am not proud of the fact that I hate ABBA. It's not some medal I wear with pride or an opinion I've purposefully selected in order to appear Edgy and Different and Cool. I would love to love ABBA - I feel like I'm missing out! This is all to say that I went into this album with an open mind. In fact, I actively wanted to enjoy it! And I actively did not. I say this was active regret and disappointment: I hated it so much. I do understand, of course, how people can enjoy this album. Or at least I'm very keen to try and understand how people can enjoy this album. I'm not going to be quite so arrogant as to say that it's objectively bad and everyone who disagrees is wrong. So I'll try and present this review in a way that clearly shows that this is just my personal, subjective opinion. [I personally think that] this album sounds like a spoof of itself. [I personally find myself asking:] how can anyone hear songs like Dum Dum Diddle or hear those blood-curdling whispers on Knowing Me, Knowing You and NOT think that it was created by a sketch comedy group with a very basic knowledge of music theory and a deep-rooted vendetta against Eurovision fans? It sound like a joke [to me personally]. Everyone talks about how happy and upbeat ABBA's music is but I cannot decipher any emotion whatsoever in any of it. It sounds [to me] like music made by a Martian trying to disguise themselves as a popstar - like Ziggy Stardust on a cocktail of sertraline, melatonin and Calpol. Every song sounds like it's going to end with the sound of the vocals slowing down and getting deeper in pitch as the band slowly power down and enter hibernation mode... in my opinion.

This album contains every cliche that exists. Is there anything real happening here? Or was this all produced to be clean, fake, and appealing? This shit is more artificial than Sunny D. This is the soundtrack of every sheltered white girl from the suburbs, and I hate it a little.

I wanted to like this album, going into it. I know some ABBA songs are adjacent to other easy-listening/soft-rock that I now enjoy from the 70's and 80's. However, while the first couple songs on this album weren't that bad, I felt it got worse and worse as it went on, and I couldn't wait for it to end. It was too much disco and hokey adult pop for me, unfortunately.

Kill me now, I can’t believe so many people bought this crap

Abba keeps annoying me on a special level only surpassed by how annoyed I get about this group being popular.

Never liked Abba. Genuinely never. Their best work is a single throwaway piano section at the end of Chiquitita; everything else is just annoying to listen to. One of the few albums/genres/bands that, despite not being as harsh to the ears as some other albums, still makes me way more annoyed when I am forced to listen to it, be it that they are on the speakers in a grocery store or elsewhere. Maybe it's just the last remaining piece of my childhood that I refuse to let go off, my rebellious youth of disliking the music my parents listened to. Either way, I do support them disbanding and refusing to reunite the group.

Can’t handle ABBA. They make me angry. But others like it, so I might give it a 2… no I can’t bring myself to do it. 1 it is then.

Would never buy an Abba album even if Bono covered them with U2. I know Dancing Queen, it’s the disco era. Another new sound for the times. Knowing Me Knowing you rings a bell. Fernando was another song on the radio. All in all this duel vocal approach by these two powerful woman is the strength of the approach, unfortunately I could never buy this or add any of it to a playlist.

I’ve never been a fan of ABBA (once considered breaking up with a girl after seeing ABBA’s greatest hits in her CD collection), but I also never listened to one of their albums, so I figured I’d give it a shot. I guess their big hits really are their best stuff.

Dancing Queen is a classic, but I've never liked ABBA and this album is no different. Just not my style at all.

I've never like Abba and this album won't change that. I know they are good song writers but they leave me cold.

There should be an exception to the "no greatest hits complications" rule in album rankings for ABBA. Not than any of their good songs were on this one...

I can't stand this group.

terrible

As a species, what the hell were we thinking? Ok, this stuff sort of comes out of 1950's/60's variety hour entertainment .... except the arrangements are boring and thin. Ok, maybe this was Eurovision before there was Eurovision? The sad part is we are now forever forced to look back and admit that we made this band important, we gave them hits and gold records ..... it's so embarrassing. 1.5 for the 2 songs with hooks .......

Overrated

Fuck ABBA

Horrendous

Terrible

KFC I hate ABBA

Making disco safe for straight, white people.

AH HAAAA. Apart from the Alan Partridge and wedding disco novelty value this album didn't do it for me.

Annoyed me

1.3.24

I just don't understand the appeal. Not for me.

Not my cup of tea. Those earworms from the Swedish to English dictionary started music down a bad path.

Just not into this at all. The singing is ok, at times, but the melodies are dull.

Deze stel ik al een paar dagen uit, maar ik ga me er toch even doorheen worstelen want ik wil er vanaf zijn. Ik ken dit album en ik weet precies waar voor mij het probleem zit. Even een handje disclaimers: Ik heb geen probleem met disco, ik heb geen probleem met veel van de nummers an sich, ik ben me niet aan het verzetten tegen de populariteit hiervan, ik ben niet te stoer om dit leuk te vinden, etc. Het is de mix die het voor mij ondraaglijk maakt. Zo vind ik "Gimme! Gimme! Gimme! (A Man After Midnight)" (van een ander album) wél een lekker nummer. Vergelijk de mix van dat nummer (let o.a. op de basgitaar, de basdrum, de wat zwaardere synths, maar ook de zang) maar eens met de mix van Dancing Queen. Gimme! is gemixt als een lekker warm disco-deken waar je gerust een avondje onder wil blijven zitten, maar Dancing Queen klinkt alsof het is opgenomen via twee lege knakworstblikken met een strakgespannen touwtje ertussen. Ik dacht altijd dat het aan slechte speakers in de horeca lag, maar die schelle kutmix ervaar ik nu op m'n goede headset ook en eigenlijk ook het hele album lang. Er is iets met de zanglijntjes, een galm en een phlanger effect in combinatie met een gebrek aan lage tonen wat ik echt als enorm onprettig ervaar. Het doet letterlijk zeer aan m'n oren. Dit is voor mij dus een té gedateerd, té schel album waar ik niet naar kan luisteren. Eén ster voor dit album; niet voor ABBA.

De dag die je wist dat zou komen. Au, mijn oren.

Man I really don't get the appeal of ABBA. I'm not hating on them cause I think it's "trendy" either. I genuinely don't understand why people love them. The most bland, vanilla pop music ever. Already overplayed on the radio. No I can't even escape them on social media either. TikTok and Instagram loves this shit.

i guess i don't like abba

No

Definitely dance music. Not something you listen to.

Not for me really. Never been a fan and shouldn't think I ever will be Well produced pop, fluffy, not too much else to say. All pretty samey apart from arrival. Didn't enjoy it, won't be back Cool looking helicopter though!

Not good. It's fucking ABBA

Physically painful. I’d rather throw acid on my eyes than to sit through another ABBA album.

Gotta respect their success, but not on my regular playlists

Not an Abba fan

Really?

This is a train wreck of myopic and insipid pop music with the notable exception of Dancing Queen. It's the first time I've listened to a complete ABBA album and it will be the last. I like a lot of disco-era dance music, but this is pretty terrible.

When I kissed the teacher is just.. weird. Dancing Queen.. let’s start the song with the chorus. Brilliant (really). Should be more bass in the mix though. Dum Dum Diddle is actually pretty catchy Money Money Money.. a bit too Broadway for me BUT is that an early sequencer I hear? Why Did It Have To Be Me… sounds nostalgic. And out of place. Tiger is disjointed. Arrival! The theme song! And... Celtic??? This was awful.

The part I most enjoyed was tuning out Dancing Queen (ugh) in order to contemplate how one might report evidence of a suspicious teacher student relationship from the 70s. (Thank you Jason for identifying Wikipedia as the answer, I had not thought of that). The second most enjoyable part was when I gave up hating on the synth bagpipes(?) in Arrival and just appreciated that they were totally committed to it and doing something that was not the same as the rest of an album that I could not finish fast enough.

What a fucking nightmare it was listening to that album! 1/10

Too spangley and samey, couldn't listen to it the whole way through.

nah, 1.5

Just awful.

insipid

ABBA fucking sucks. It's too bright. Fake 80's happiness. Feels like a group of high school theater kids on meth.

I heard this album WAY too many new as a young child and now hate every ABBA song. I tried to pretend I was listening to it for the first time, but I couldn't do it, didn't survive the first song.

It's really just not for me. And I just can't hear the quality in it. I must be missing something.

1 of my most disliked artists, even before I listened to this 1. There's, at most, 1 half decent song. Hard to believe they were 1 of the biggest bands in the world at this time - they are pish! Another 0 🌟 for me - even if the scoring doesn't allow it!

1 Ugh. I’m sorry, but I can’t stand ABBA. I know that’s an unpopular opinion, especially as of lately with their whole TikTok resurgence, but I just find their music so goddamn cheesy and boring, and this album didn’t do much to change that. When I Kissed the Teacher was an… unexpected open to the album, and I actually kind of liked how it started, but it lost me when it kicked in and the backing vocals jumped in. Dancing Queen is such an overrated and annoying song, though nowhere near as bad as Mamma Mia or Waterloo - I guess I’ll give this album credit for not having those songs on it. From there it’s just kind of a lot of BS in the middle up until Fernando, which I’ll admit is a DECENT song. Almost bumped up to 1.5 because of it, but then I learned the song is a bonus track and wasn’t even on the initial album release. So, 1 it is, though honestly I still don’t think I would ever seek out that song on my own anyway. Anyway, can we end the whole ABBA thing now? If I have to hear another song of theirs at a party, I will commit war crimes.

Hate ABBA

No thanks. Next.

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

Didn’t enjoy this one

Fuck that

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

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

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

0 interés en Abba

No

Overfamiliar, overrated pap

I don’t want anymore abba!

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.

Just not for me, at all.

The worst band in the world

Ew...ABBA

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

I Just Can't Do It

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

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

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

This is the first album I couldn’t even sample all of the songs. I just can’t do disco.

Ik snap dat dit 'goed' is, en heel knap en catchy en meer van dat soort bejubelingen. Maar ik krijg er gewoon dunne schijt van. Ik kan het niet aanhoren.

I'm over ABBA....

Ouff, s’était pénible. J’ai failli abdiqué, mais je suis un gars de principe et je l’ai écouter jusqu’à happy Hawaï. I was so happy it was the end! Je l’évite l’album au complet, je m’ennuie presque de Sinatra Je levite i am the Tiger eat me b****!

Awful music, did not listen.

,j 'ai toujours eu une répulsion pour ce groupe et je l'ai 'aiencore et dire que c'est un succes planétaire en dit long sur les humains et leurs gout

A few ok songs, but not the strongest hand to open with. Knowing me knowing you is a great track. Not my cup of herring juice

vachier vachier vachier vachier Venez pas me dire que le métal rend violent, moi c'est abba qui me donne le goût de fesser dans les murs de SheetRock à grand coups de pieds. Criss de quétaines. MAUVAIS MAUVAIS MAUVAIS

Gag me with a spoon.

meh not very good

No I did not..

If there is a Hell, they are playing this on repeat.

some of the schlockier, inauthentic sounding music i've heard .. Dancing Queen rips

This was really hard to get through..

Better! Enjoyed Dancing Queen!