Reviews (page 9 of 14)
I felt like I was listening to randomized tracks from a musical I wasn’t aware existed, which I guess kinda tracks for ABBA. Not bad though!
These cornballs are alright. It’s not technically very impressive or innovative, but they did find a unique sound that is pleasant enough.
3 great songs, 9 very average songs
The hits are incredible (of which there are several), but the songs that surround them didn't capture my interest sadly.
Incredible song writing but I find in general ABBA songs are most enjoyed one at a time while drunk
I used to think and say a lot loudly that Abba was my least favourite music out of all, well now to think back on that it's a little bit of a stretch because I could easily find music which is way way way worse and maybe could barely even be labeled as music. Now on the other hand "Arrival", a concept album from Swedish eurovision legends. A well crafted pop music with several hits. Again it is not my cup of tea, but this is still a good record, easily enjoyable, 3 stars for me.
I love this
Uma pena um álbum de sexta ter caído logo na segunda de 8 graus
If I was a fan of this genre or ABBA in general I'd probably give it a 4. I'm sure there are several 5 ratings. But considering my musical tastes it's a three for me.
7/10 It's ABBA! Some bangers, some less than bangers but still enjoyable.
Its a classic album. Just not my favorite.
I wish I could say I enjoyed listening to this album, but I feel like ABBA has been played do death around me.
This album is presents as both beige and technicolour depending on the track..
Got my head bopping, and only stopped when I got to the last couple tracks.
Besides Dancing Queen I found myself annoyed by the overtly poppy production and simplistic song writing. I do respect ABBA and their impact on music culture as a whole. I don’t wish to dismiss that, so my rating will be skewed slightly higher. 2.5
Notable Textzeile: Are you sure you wanna hear more? What if I ain't worth the while Not the style you'd be looking for? Ich kann mir vorstellen dass diese auf der Soundebene sehr saubere und klare, die Instrumente und Stimmen gut verschränkende und doch harmonische, Produktion zum Zeitpunkt des Erscheinens wirklich besonders war. Und die grundsätzlich recht reduzierte Instrumentierung und die Harmonien sind ja auch technisch sehr gut. Kurz gesagt: verstehe den Erfolg, auch wenn es nicht meine Musik ist. Und dass das Schwed*ihnen sind und das textlich manchmal echt cringe ist gefällt mir auch irgendwie. Ist halt trotzdem überhaupt nicht mein Ding, aber kann hier verstehen dass der Musikgeschichte was fehlen würde wenn es das nicht gäbe. Daher 2,5 wird zu 3
Okay, noch nie ein Abba Album gehört. Lohnt sich der Deep Dive? Gibt es Versuche, aus dem Euro Disco Pop Gerüst auszubrechen oder damit zu spielen? Natürlich nicht. Interessant ist wie stark die Protagonistinnenrolle über die Songs "variiert" (starke Frau. Schwache Frau. Will Beziehung. Will keine Beziehung. Beziehung unlauter. Beziehung nicht unlauter.). Und musikalisch natürlich damit aus einem (zuckrigen) Guss. Die Hits sind Hits, den Rest hätte ich nicht auch noch gebraucht, aber der Rest hätte mit genug AirPlay wahrscheinlich auch Single sein können. Popfection.
Es gibt 2 Modi ABBA zu hören. 1. Nach 5 Bier auf der Tanzfläche Dancing Queen mitschallern. 2. Und ein ganzes Album hören. Was für ein absurder Ritt durch alles was 1976 hot war. Einmal durch den Pop-Wolf gedreht und ab dafür. Verkappte Disco-Songs, verkappte Fleetwood-Songs, und wenn man manche Songs hört absurd, dass man erst in denn 00ern ein ABBA Musical Film kam. Nicht dass mir das im Arrangement und auch in der Band-Instrumentierung nicht gefällt. Gerade sowas wie "Money Money Money" ist schon aus Musical-Perspektive und guter Song. Der Text hingegen - sagen wir mal - schlecht gealtert. Insgesamt kann in den nicht böse sein und gebe einen Bonus-Punkt für die vielen Male Dancing Queen mitschallern nach dem 5. Bier.
Classic
This album just isn't for me. There's definitely something to it, it's just not sticking for me. "Dancing Queen", "Money, Money, Money" & "Knowing Me, Knowing You" are all tracks that are so clearly foundational to Pop music as the genre traveled through the decades to today. Furthermore, while some aspects (such as the synth & piano work in particular) that feel very of the time, the tracks retain this timeless feel— undoubtedly in part because "Dancing Queen" remains to have a chokehold on humanity to this day, and continues to be regularly played. Vocal work is incredibly impressive across the album. It feels, in some way, that the vocal work here is sort of bridging the great vocal range that is found in opera and theater into a, then, modern context. I could be ignorant to other factors though in regards to that. Definitely think the back half of the album is weaker in comparison to the front half. Arrival is a culturally significant album in context of the times. But again, just not doing much for me personally.
It all feels like pop music as musical theater. Well sung. Well produced - I have to give credit here - there is some crazy sh*t going on here. But to what end. Perhaps the genius of great pop music is to make you feel something with no distinct origin point. This broadens the appeal. You can't actually have a bad day listening to Knowing me, Knowing you. I'm not sure if I'm happier. Or just distracted. And for as "poppy" as this album - Abba is also kind of weird precisely because of its uber poppiness (tiger, Tiger, TIIIGGGGRRRR...). I will never cease to be confounded by Abba. An object of fascination I can't quite "get". I know completely missed that point and probably points to a serious character flaw on my part. I can't give myself over and I feel that is what Abba requires. Just surrender and stop asking questions about whatever happened to Fernando.
Dancing Queen will always be a banger 3.33
Very good album.
Such extremely goofy song concepts. 3/5
decent, alot felt repetitive but i also liked a few
big fan of this one. by which i mean, big fan of the singles on this one. fake music fan
It was fine, but I won't listen to it again
It's a good album, it has some gems of songs
Altijd leuk voor party’s
Formulaic filler.
dancing queen le suma 3 estrellas
I didn't dislike this as much as I thought I would have.. ABBA are so overplayed but the fun police didn't arrive and I actually enjoyed this. First half is way stronger than the second though.
Dancing Queen! This is gonna be great! <First song plays> Okay, maybe not great, but Dancing Queen! <Next couple songs play> Okay, it's, you know...got Dancing Queen! <More songs, including 'Why Did It Have To Be Me', a 'Ringo' song led by the guys> Okay, well...Fernando's coming up, that's good. And Dancing Queen! <Album finishes> Okay...well, at least it has Dancing Queen. 3.
Not really my style, but a few great songs here.
Enjoyable and has quite a few big songs but not one of my all time favourite albums.
The production value and the thought behind every song is noticeable. No wonder they are (or were) one of the best pop gigs. However it all sounds very planned for a radio audience, catchy and predictable. Nice album, not for me.
3 stars
Fun disco music. A staple in music.
Very lightweight disco pop, that's not trying to be anything else. Perfectly done without a doubt it still gets tedious after a while, for me at least. I like the darker "Visitors" better where I feel that they have something to say.
We've already had The Visitors, about which I wrote this: "For most of my life I had no use for ABBA whatsoever. Then my daughter appeared in her high school's production of Mamma Mia! and how ironic that a Swedish band would give me such an acute case of Stockholm Syndrome. Still not something I love, but it's not horrible. An album with more of the songs I recognize from the play would get 3 stars." This album has more of the songs I recognize from the play. So.... "When I Kissed the Teacher" is extremely creepy and I can't really imagine a time or place where it WOULDN'T have been. And putting "Dancing Queen" right after it kind of makes THAT song creepy in context.
Truly masters of treble sadness.
ABBA are a really good Greatest Hits band. If ABBA Gold was being reviewed, an easy 5. Unfortunately their studio albums have too much filler and not enough killer!
So this is the first album i get recommended, I love ABBA and know a lot of their songs but I haven't listening this as an album, sound like fun to me! 1. When I Kissed the Teacher I don't how to feel about this song no gonna lie. I would prefer to understand the story as a delusion from a romantic girl with a crush on her teacher. The melody is fun, energetic and very retro. 2. Dancing Queen Well, a classic. A song that I will always play when feel like dancing. Enjoyable, nostalgic and yes, the beat is amazing. The music production is insane. 3. My Love, My Life While this is not a bad song, it gives me a cheesy feeling.There is a little bit too much going on– the musical effects, melody and vocal power are not for me. 4. Dum Dum Diddle Forgettable tbh. 5. Knowing Me, Knowing You Another big hit from ABBA. I enjoyed listening to this, but the album has started to feel overwhelming. The guitar solo is amazing. 6. Money, money, money The break I need when I needed. 7. That's me I forget that I was listening the song. I don't remember anything about it. 8. Why Did It Have To Be Me Fun and catchy
Why I don’t get the hype.
Dum dum diddle dum dum diddle dum dum diddle Abba baba boo
yeah idk we had the other abba album like a week ago so i don't feel like i have much new to say here. it's freaking abba babyy! and they really don't look like they enjoy being in that helicopter. im glad they let them out for the french edition. as before, i think i like abba most when they're doing something a little less "abba". so i like "knowing me, knowing you" cos it's moving slightly more into a soft rock vibe over their usual pure pop flavour. and the title track ("arrival"...) is my favourite with that 70s synth approximation of bagpipes. i put that track on repeat for like half an hour after my first listen. do you understand? other than that... it's abba! "dum dum diddle" is cute i guess? "dancing queen" is "dancing queen". "money, money, money" is "money, money, money". its fine. i'm just overexposed. sorry........
Het mi irgendwie ned so fest abgholt wie erhoft. Scho paar gueti tracks natürli. Da Bevorzugi ABAB-Reim und so soll es sein, und da gebe ich gern, mit diesem ABAB-Reim, drei Mal einen Stern
The bangers are massive, the non bangers are forgettable, but its outrageous how many of bangers ABBA had. They had a stranglehold on pop music for so long. Best track: Knowing me, Knowing you AHA!
Musicas como dum dum didle e why did it have to be me foram descobertas incriveis que eu nao conhecia
Another album I don't objectively hate by a band I like, but it all just kind of washed over me. Dancing Queen is still great, though.
It's full of classic hit songs but otherwise is pretty average
some iconic songs on here. didn't realize I have this vinyl!
Great Songs: Dancing Queen, Money, Money, Money, Fernando Good Songs: When I Kissed the Teacher, Dum Dum Diddle, Knowing Me, Knowing You, That's Me, Why Did It Have to Be Me?, Happy Hawaii Mid Songs: My Love, My Life, Tiger, Arrival Bad Songs:
Bon album, franchement vraiment sympa pour un groupe commercial comme ABBA. Pour le coup, je dois l'avouer mais c'était pas forcément mauvais, alors que je pars de très loin avec ce groupe. Au global, la tracklist est efficace avec des hits mondiaux et connus d'absolument tout le monde comme "Dancing Queen" ou "Money, Money, Money", mais se contente à mon sens de rester dans cet exacte même position en collectant les singles sans vraiment tenter d'approche différente ce qui est vraiment dommage. Si on regarde, il y a pourtant de nombreuses sonorités très caractéristiques du groupes qui mériteraient à mon sens d'être beaucoup plus poussées vers l'experimentation comme avec les choeurs des voix féminines ou les morceaux de synthés, devenus par ailleurs extrêmement célèbre avec d'autres morceaux comme "Gimme Gimme". Enfin bref, album somme toute sympathique, mais vraiment sans plus, et c'est dommage étant donné le materiau exploitable.
I don't know. It's hard to be tough on ABBA. But it is quite cheesy and dated really. Aside from Dancing Queen I'm not sure if anything really stuck with me. Since they are quite a unique artist of their day though, I'll give a it 2.5 generously rounded to 3.
Un album muy alegre. Muchas vibras de verano y estar yendo de una playa a la otra en auto . Las canciones “Dancing Queen” y “Money, Money, Money” me traen recuerdos a Mamma Mia 1, “Fernando” a Stranger Things y “Arrival” tranquilamente podría estar en el sountrack de alguna película de Barbie o de la Novicia Rebelde. Muchas canciones se sienten como girlhood. HM: That's Me
I dunno, I feel like the other ABBA album in here was a bit more interesting. I mean, yeah, I'll give it to Arrival a bit, in that we've got "Dancing Queen" and "Knowing Me, Knowing You" on here. even the opener, "When I Kissed the Teacher", despite its very strange lyric, is a pretty great showcase of ABBA's strengths (oodles of countermelodies, all the syncopation and fast-moving harmony). that being said, The Visitors felt to me like a much more purposeful musical statement; this one comes off more like just a collection of odds and ends, and some are much more successful than others. I guess I'm mostly just wondering why this band, who have thrived most strongly in the realm of singles, gets two entries in 1001 Albums... while so many stronger, more cohesive statements in that format have been made by bands or artists who only get one, or even zero. if this were 1001 Singles You Have to Hear Before Your F------ Heart Stops, sure! you could include damn near all 19 tracks on ABBA Gold: Greatest Hits on a list like that! light 6/10.
...
Nota: 7/10 Tiene unas canciones icónicas como “Dancing Queen” o “Money, Money, Money”. Sin embargo, a mi gusto tiene canciones que flaquean, es un album disfrutable, más no algo que volvería a escuchar entero.
Daar word je blij van
Fun listen. Good album overall.
REALLY weird opener. The rest is fine though! some classic ABBA on here but I think deep cuts 'That's Me' and 'Tiger' outshine even 'Dancing Queen'! my mum was ecstatic when I told her I was listening to ABBA today which was very nice. Fav: That's Me Least Fav: When I Kissed the Teacher
* ABBA is so timeless * This makes me want to live on a Greek island and sing all their songs out loud. My personal replays: Dum Dum Diddle, Dancing Queen, Fernando
BULEBÚ
I love ABBA as much as the next gay bastard, but I’m yet to be convinced an album will give me more than a greatest hits would. I hope to be proved wrong. But for now, other than the songs I already knew which are obviously amazing, my highlight was ‘Happy Hawaii’ which says it all. Other than that, It’s a lot of hooting and hollering for not a lot of payoff.
Some of the non-hits tracks are truly awful.
3.5
It's fine. I've always considered ABBA to be similar to most Kpop bands as in they're industry slop. 2.5 stars.
Second ABBA album. I like this one better than the last. People either appreciate/like ABBA, or they don’t. My father discovered them in his 70’s and bought a few of their CD’s. Classic ABBA tunes on this album that everyone has heard, whether they like them or not.
Dancing Queen is an all time great, and the other hits are good, but the non hits are just okay. This album is good, but idk if it is good enough to get a 4, it's close but I don't think so. High 3.
Not bad, but not good.
Very characteristic sound, very original, a lot of harmonies but not my cup of tea for a normal day. I would relisten though
No es mucho mi estilo pero es un clásico
perus abbelit
Abban isot hitit on kyl niin puhkikuluneita jollotuksia, että ovat raakana vähän turhan karmeita. Tälle levylle niitä on sit pakattu ihan riittävästi. Mut minkäs tietty teet, ei ne välttämättä kauheen huonoja oo, mutta ei vaan jaksais kuunnella. Kansikuva on kuitenkin hyvä. Siitä jo kolmonen.
I like a few of their albums more than this one. Only a handful of songs on this one that I enjoy. Rating: 3.1
If you don’t dance to ABBA you are evil. That said, other than the hits their tunes are a bit ho hum.
I was initially going to write that, other than the obvious hits on this album, the rest of the songs are meh. Then Tiger came on... which made me smile because it's used at the end of Dustbunny, which is such a freaking fun movie. So bonus for that. But ya, other than that, it's ABBA.
Nice vibes throughout.
Was curious if this would be an album where the hits are great and the rest is dreck. It wasn’t quite that a but the rest was nowhere near as catchy as the hits.
Yup, that’s Abba. Dancing Queen and Fernando.
1 classic (Dancing Queen), 1 semi-classic (Fernando), and at least one WTF (When I Kissed the Teacher) and several real stinkers, makes this a more considered 3 star review than I usually offer.
Fredag aften destilleret til lydbølger
*70 God gedigen svensk pop. Det fungerer ikke helt for mig som fuldlængde LP.
Money money money is my new fav Halloween track
better than the other abba album
Dancing Queen is a stone cold classic of course but I'm not sure anything else here is really notable. It's nice enough though Fav track: Dancing Queen
3.25. If you’d have told me a few years ago that I would be listening to an ABBA album and having a good time I would not have believed it.
I’m not really big on ABBA. Their sound is instantly recognizable, but the music just doesn’t connect with me. On one hand, there are the songs that have been played to oblivion, and on the other, the deeper cuts that rarely get talked about. I was more interested in exploring the latter. The lyrics can feel a bit all over the place, though it all fits within that seminal ’70s disco-pop sound. The best tracks for me were "Dancing Queen" and "Happy Hawaii".
Who does unbridled pop better than ABBA? I like this less than most ABBA I’ve heard but it still made me happy. I never really know what they’re singing about though.
Saved? ✅ Would listen again? 🤔 Would recommend to anyone? 🤔 Would buy on Vinyl? 🤔
3.5. boring at times
Pretty good
приятный летний альбом. его хочется слушать в теплую летнюю погоду на природе. + dancing queen в плейлист. легендарный альбом
Love ABBA, so many great songs to boogie to on this album. There are some misses too and overall I would like the sound to be a little cleaner. Still, it’s a timeless album.
ABBA albums are though to evaluate to me. The highs are very good and energetic. Who doesn't love Dancing Queen or Money Money Money? The lows are quite frankly a chore to get through. ABBA work the best for me in Greatest Hits compilations.
Jsuis sur qu'en 1978, avec de la coke jusqu'aux yeux, ça devait être incroyable.
Storytime.. Many moons ago I used to go to a cafe that only played Abba. Morning, noon and night. Abba, Abba, ABBA. It was a cool cafe, stuck somewhere in the '70s. I miss that place.
Not great. But okay and some popular songs. Classic Abba though, some songs start lame and cheesy but take your brain over
Upgraded from a 2 to a 3 after the second half - Fernando and tiger are good
Better than I expected as you hear the same 3 songs from this album over and over. But all quite samey.
3.25 - Decent, but not as fun as I thought it would be.
Some pretty perfect pop music with some big hitters
Solid. Great songwriting and fun presented pop of course. Didn't grab me as an album like I might have hoped
De kunne altså skrive nogle bangers.
Timeless
ABBA has never stood out to me, but I understand this album is very iconic. Nice, uncontroversial, a solid 3/5. Standout tracks: - Knowing Me, Knowing You (4/5) - Money, Money, Money (4/5) - Tiger (unhinged, obsessed - 4/5) - Arrival (made me really sad)
"Dancing Queen" is great and has a killer chorus and there are some other decent catchy tunes throughout, but on the whole there isn't much interesting instrumental happening and the vocals start to grate after a while.
Pretty good, not something I’d regularly listen too but I can appreciate it.
13/20 Je suis peut être un peu dire avec l'album. Il s'écoute bien et possède quelques hit qui restent dans la tête. Pour autant, je ne peux m'empêcher d'avoir du mal avec, peut être notamment car j'ai beaucoup trop entendu certaines des musiques qui ne me plaisent pas plus que ça. C'est ce qui justifie cette note si basse, bien que je reconnais que l'album mérite peut être mieux
Couple of great hits. The rest are a bit of a miss
Some absolute classic tracks on here but some of the other tracks feel a bit dated now. Lead off track would definitely not be acceptable on a release today! Love it or hate it but these guys knew how to create a great pop tune. 3.5
Not big on this one. I wouldn't say its bad either though. Its kinda just some dumb fun. There are some good songs for sure. Give me a Fernando or a dancing queen, or a money money money. The rest though i wouldn't say im all that into. Throw in knowing me knowing you as well. The rest is whatever. It passes by without too much resistance but im not having a great time. The backing track on money is so famn good though. Its the best sounding song here by a mile. The singers harmonies are always great though. That's the meat and potatoes of the group. In the end its a decent little record with a bunch of great songs but im still not blown away in any regard. Still worthwhile though
chimba de álbum, pues es muy happy happy y pues bueno, muchos temas conocidos
Got a couple classic songs I've heard, but I'm not quite a fan of the sound.
Fun, but a bit of a throwaway for me.
The singles here are instantly recognizable, and somehow even the songs you may have only heard in passing are also extremely recognizable. ABBA is wholly its own thing. I feel like I put the album on, had an ABBA cloud around me for a half an hour, and then there was nothing. Nothing I would actively seek out, but also nothing I would turn off.
Little mixed on this one. Other than the hits I already knew like Money, money, money or Fernando, nothing really grabbed me. Tiger was kinda catchy though. The mixing here also started to hurt my ears after the first couple of songs. Maybe I need another listen for it to grow on me
Generally enjoyable if you ignore a few tracks. Wish we had a .5 option.
Solo conocía una canción. Pero es de esas que todo el mundo reconoce, incluso sin saber a qué banda pertenece. Es una pieza que trasciende generaciones: no tiene edad ni fecha de vencimiento. Su vigencia es permanente; es de esas melodías que seguirán sonando siempre.
Too scarred from doing Mamma Mia.
Not a bad album, some good singles on here, but not a good flow really.
Not my king of thing, but it's abba, no complaints here.
Dancing Queen. First time I ever heard that song was from the movie Miss Congeniality. It grows on you after a while. Good enough to make the playlist. ABBA is fun in small doses. Never been too fond of them. This record is just alright.
Abba is fun. There's some classics on here.
Title track actually the best of what I hadn’t heard before.
A bunch of famous ABBA songs. It has never been my thing but I can enjoy it once in a while
The idea of listening to Abba is more enjoyable than listening to Abba. Have heard these songs so many times they don't really do much. Don't have any urge to relisten to it in my own time. 2.5
Okish 2.5/5
Divertido, mas não tem nenhuma música animada, que é o tipo que eu gosto. Mas elas cantam muito bem
happy fleetwood mac :) and damn "when i kissed the teacher" BANGGEEEEEEEEEEER
Saccharine sweet, but hard to think of a better example of feel-good pop music. Fun in small doses, but probably not something I'm going to have on heavy rotation. I spent 3 weeks when I was young at corporate training that included a LOT of non-US individuals. One thing is certain, they LOVED ABBA - I probably heard Dancing Queen and Fernando at least once a night. h/t to the Core 7, RIP Trista.
p359. 1976. 3 stars. Proof (if it were needed) that ABBA were a great singles band. As an album, there is far too much substandard Eurotrash filler, but the best tracks are still brilliant nearly 50 years on.
Fun record
Favorite songs: Dancing Queen, That's Me, Fernando Creepy: When I Kissed the Teacher This album was like drinking sugar water from a firehose.
I love listening to Abba albums properly. The production quality is so high, really amazing to dedicate listening time, even though many of these umbers - Dancing Queen for example - are so ubiquitous it's easy to just write them off as background music. Knowing Me, Knowing You is a triumph and for that plus Fernando alone I could give this a 4 but there are a couple of fillers on here, and it's not the best of the Abba albums. Still very enjoyable.
Lush '70s orchestral pop. Not something I'm particularly into, but BOY are these songs polished to a mirror sheen. Amazing harmonies and arrangements, with sharp, catchy hooks. A top-quality example of its genre.
I expected to like this more than I did. The hits are great. The rest of the album though I felt was just kind of mid. 3.5/5
terrible album art solely off the fact that it’s not even offensively bad it’s just boring. but its abba
Fun but i like the bonus tracks more than some of the middle tracks; I feel like ABBA writes awesome singles and okay albums
I enjoyed this, I've always liked Dancing Queen the most out of all their hits. I liked about half the songs though some were pretty forgettable
I think this album is a great introduction into ABBA. You get a great sense of their style and get to experience some of their stand out hits like Dancing Queen, Money, Money, Money, and Fernando. I do feel as if the quintessential ABBA style get repetitive by the end of the record.
I suspect we got this one because we really had to hear Dancing Queen one way or another
It's always a good time with ABBA around.
The music is very well made, recorded and arranged. Dancing Queen is an ultimate classic, but I can't say that the album is a masterpiece, nor very good... Just okay! 3 stars and next!
A fun, uplifting and singalong probe album. Not my usual jam but was an enjoyable listen to keep it light and positive
-Not much a fan of this one -Fernando is a great song -Dancing Queen is iconic but lost its magic sort of
Some silly stuff, but I have a soft spot for ABBA.
Not a big Abba fan but you can't argue with the number of big hits on this album.
ABBA subverts expectations by not only being the pedophile but also the victim. Good job ABBA. Fuckin swingers. The most popular song is definitely the best. I love ABBA. Who doesn't. They're goated. Mamma Mia. Money, Money, Money is of course a close second but I like the musical version better. This is kind've menacing to be honest. ABBA instrumental track?? Yeah ABBA happy Hawaii. Favourite: obviously Dancing Queen wait maybe Fernando Least favourite: When I Kissed The Teacher
Architecturally flawless, emotionally complicated.
ABBA can put together an album, and this one has its share of hits. The other tracks are enjoyable, but not as remarkable. Dancing Queen Knowing Me, Knowing You Money, Money, Money Fernando
its ABBA so I have to hate. This was alright, nothing sprcial
Enjoyable, a pure pop classic.
Pretty good taking into account the time. Comforting
Temazos y bastante relleno
75
Ha estat bé escoltar-lo però no es el meu estil. Tinc ganes de veure Mamma mia tbh
I was in high school when this band came out so I heard all the hits constantly on the radio. They’re not a band I listen to but when I hear one of their songs I sing along and know all the words.
You can’t help but want to dance to this. Fernando and Dancing Queen!
ABBA not my fav but fun to listen to
Two songs into Arrival, and you've gone from horny and weird to at home in a song that, like A-ha's 'Take On Me' or Eurythmic's 'Sweet Dreams,' isn't possible to hear for the first time. B/c 'Dancing Queen' is a happy song - it may be THE happy song - I was surprised by some of the introspection the album swaggers: 'No more carefree laughter / Silence ever after / Walking thru an empty house / Tears in my eyes.' That's not particularly interesting broodiness, but this is pop music, so it doesn't need to be - it's just gotta have that thing we call pop magic. And some of these tracks have it, 'Why Did It Have To Be Me?' specifically. But plenty don't, and I'm left reckoning that ABBA is just a weak derivative of The Beach Boys and Fleetwood Mac.
So there are a few great songs and unsurprisingly they are hits, but theres a fair bit of filler too. ABBA are definitely a band that deserve to added to, say a 1001 artists you must listen to, but I don't think this album really deserves it.
Gosto de Abba, animado pra ouvir. Dancing Queen, gigantesca. Marcou uma geração nas baladas dessa época. Fernando também é muito famosa. Cheio dos hits mesmo, fudido. Mas vou com 3 estrelas por não me impactar tanto o estilo.
I honestly thought Abba would be better, legendary status and all...
Come on, everyone knows the hits on this one. Even if you’ve been living under a rock, you have listened to Dancing Queen - there is no escape. Lots of hits on this, and the commercial success makes sense - these are very catchy, well made songs. There are quite a few stinkers though, and it seems like they ran out of lyrics or just inspiration more generally for a few songs. 5/10
The hits are where it's at, the rest? Not so much
6.1/10 very bright but lacks emotional depth pretty av
When I Kissed the Teacher creeped me out a bit. But good record.
In one ear, out the other. ABBA just feels like music for pre-teens and teens and it never sticks with me.
Appreciate it but not my cup of tea.
Un albums con los meros clásicos de Abba. Divertido y con momentos bonitos
1976….. and I hated ABBA- always No1, in the charts, I hated them. Nowadays I quite like them, and sing along to a lot of their songs - how times change…..
im not the biggest fan of abba
This is absolutely one of those I wouldn’t reach to Pickup and it absolutely brightened my day the super fun to share with Ella. I’m sure my singing was appreciated by her as well.
Some good songs in this one! I liked quite a few of them. More towards the end it ramped up to more songs I liked.
Interesting to discover other songs than dancing queen. Gives me a smile
65/100. A bit of a mixed bag. On one hand, you’ve got absolute classics like Dancing Queen,probably their best track ever, and Money, Money, Money doing their dramatic pop thing. But the rest? Kind of feels like the album took a coffee break. A few too many middle of the road tracks that sound like they were contractually obligated to fill space.
Some great classic songs on here, I mean "Dancing Queen" takes the cake and is still a great song 50 years on that is beloved. I remember listening to ABBA on family roadtrips in our van. 3/5 stars - if I want to listen to ABBA I'll revisit their greatest hits collection.
Listening session: january 6th, while commuting to internship Listened to before: heard a few songs before but not the entire album Thoughts: never been a fan of ABBA but some songs on this are quite catchy Favourite tracks: Dancing Queen & Knowing Me, Knowing You
Not a fan of the lyrics, I like the melody though
me gusto
ABBA being ABBA. 1. Dancing Queen 2. Money Money Money 2. Fernando
This album is like going mountain climbing in uncharted Nordic lands. You get to the top of the mountain, and after taking a moment to enjoy the feat, you head back to town. To your surprise, you find there is a festival going on. It’s kind of like Oktoberfest, except everyone is wearing Viking helmets and eating cheese.
The hits were good. Everything else was so so
Obviously loved the songs I knew but didn’t get into the ones I didn’t know
Alright, it has some good classics but I am not the biggest ABBA fan, also it need to be remastered for better audio quality.
ABBAAAAA EVERYBODY SCREAM als ik eerlijk ben heb ik abba altijd al een beetje overrated gevonden. Abba heeft bangers, dat zeker, maar ik vind het niet heel bijzonder ofzo, ja dat vind ik echt. Ik heb wel echt genoten van dit album, zou ik het ooit nog een keer aanzetten, nee, maar een aantal liedjes hebben mijn playlists zeker gevonden. Favorieten: Dancing queen, my love my life, That's me, Fernando Minst favorieten: Money, Money, Money , tiger
I really don't feel a whole lot listening to this one. I felt uncomfortable from Dancing Queen randomly feeling a need to say that the character in the song is seventeen after they just did a song about a teacher kissing a student in front of a geometry class. Past that, the really really big hits of this album were okay. I've heard them all before, never been particularly huge on them. That's about how I feel about the whole album. I've heard it all before and I'm not big on a lot of it. Saxophone bonus points for one of the later songs, though. I will never not be huge on saxophones.
I'd never intentionally listened to Abba, they've just always been around. The hits here are classics, Dancing Queen, Money, Money, Money, and Fernando. The rest are more forgettable for me, especially the first track on the album , oof.
Well recorded catchy tunes, but I don't like them
When you encounter perennial popular groups who have been around for decades, there's usually a good reason why the hits remain and everything else is forgotten. Dancing Queen, Money Money Money, Fernando & Knowing Me Knowing You bookended by questionable subjects, cookie cutter dross and a 'title' track that's completely anonymous
Dancing Queen is of course iconic and a great song. If I watched Mama Mia more than once I might recognize more of these songs. I did recognize the song "Fernando" only to learn it was a bonus track. Are there any sad Abba songs? I also had the thought that this is an upbeat Carpenters with double the members. This is an ok album, I was surprised there were not more hits. I guess I need to watch Mama Mia again to become more familiar with their discography.
Kind of fun. My fave was Knowing Me, Knowing You.
Some bangers and some quite mid songs. Enjoyed the songs but didn't really enjoy cohesively as an album
These Swedes might be onto something.
Dancing Queen and Fernando give it 3 stars but not much else there
All fun songs but not my style. A couple really good songs that are interesting in harmonies and riffs but the rest of the songs are plain.
The hits are the hits for a reason. Ending on Happy Hawaii is a crime.
no es nada de abba q no haya escuchado antes, pero descubrí canciones que me gustaron (fernando, happy hawaii)
Saccharine, danceable 70s disco music. Honestly, it’s not bad in the right situation, but it’s definitely not something I ever want to listen to unless I’m a few beers deep at a wedding reception.
El álbum de ABBA por excelencia. En sus tracks están de las más icónicas, pero creo que tiene varios skips.
Was alright
It’s abba, it does all the abba things you’d expect- however really surprised by drums and bass playing. Unexpectedly funky
160 Me encantaría tener un comentario super profundo al respecto pero, es ABBA siendo ABBA. Me gusta pero lo puse de fondo mientras cocinaba y no me llamó mucho la atención.
Album #8 ABBA: Arrival I have always considered myself a fan of ABBA, due to the indisputable fact that they have some of the greatest and most fun singles and hits of all time. Despite this, I have never been too enticed to listen to an entire album, except for the iconic compilation album Abba Gold, which is one of the finest greatest hits albums ever assembled. Arrival, however, does not reach the same heights, but is still able to hold its own. Even Arrival could read as a collection of hits, which is a testament to ABBAs ability to make each song feel important and special. The album’s only weakness for me comes in some of the lyricism, particularly in When I Kissed The Teacher, which doesn’t exactly paint the lush imagery in my mind which normally occurs when listening to songs such as Gimme Gimme Gimme, Winner Takes It All, or Waterloo. One of the factors that attracts me to ABBA the most is how each of their hits paints a vivid picture through storytelling and emotion. Which is why another of my least favourite tracks on the album is Money Money Money, though it has nice piano playing, and lyrics which do attempt to say something, the chorus simply doesn’t immerse me; in general, I’m not a big fan of repetitive one-word choruses. However, there are two songs on this album which I would consider perfect, and some of the most ethereal and engaging pop songs I’ve ever heard. One being of course, Dancing Queen, ABBA’s most popular song and for a reason, doesn’t matter if you are a 16-year-old girl or a 45-year-old man, when this song is playing, you feel as though you are the centre of attention on the ballroom floor. But my favourite song has to be Fernando, the storytelling in this song is beautiful as it tells a tale of revolution, liberation, and love, and truly evokes the feelings of euphoria. ABBA is just one of those bands I could never hate, and even though I don’t love every song on the album, I also don’t dislike any of it. Best Tracks: Fernando, Dancing Queen, Knowing Me, Knowing You Worst Track: When I Kissed The Teacher Score out of 10: 7.5
Yes, ABBA are pop royalty. But this is not a good album. Even the singles featured vary in quality (Fernando, no thanks). The rest of the tracks are of the poor B side type. When ABBA are great they are great but sometimes the trite rhyming of lyrics demonstrates too clearly that the English language is not their forte. As to 'dum dum diddle when you play your fiddle'... this track is an abomination. Mastering pop and the singles market should be applauded for sure, but ABBA albums? No thanks.
I like ABBA; their hits are great, but I wouldn't think to put on a full-length album of theirs other than Voulez-Vous.
sarebbe un 2,5 in realtà - non è male ma non riesco a sentirlo tutto di fila
First time listening to an ABBA album start-to-finish. There's a bunch of hits on here, including their biggest, "Dancing Queen." So I can understand why this album is on the list, but ABBA just isn't really my thing.
Has the big hit. And definitely not just manufactured.
17/12/2025 1. when i kissed the teacher - like the sound, especially of the chorus, but what???? don't like the ending, backing vocals ruin it a bit. great bass 2. dancing queen - iconic. 70s synthesisers are either the spawn of the devil or the best thing you've ever heard, this leans towards devilspawn. love the violins and piano. also great. ☆3. my love, my life - immediately like this one more, love the backing vocals, more soft and dreamy, dreaminess fades at the chorus but still a great pop song. so far favourite song, will be listening to this one again. love the bells at the end. 4. dum dum diddle - is that a synthesiser or a harpiscord??? the bass on these songs is great! liked the song but already getting a bit sick of abba lol. 5. knowing me, knowing you - had a break after the last one. alan partridge song :) one of the better songs so far. i like the whispering in the second verse. 6. money, money, money - love how dramatic this one is. bass is really great in this album. love the tone change towards the end. 7. that's me - immediately not liking the intro. once the vocals started it got better, didn't like the piano at first but it grew on me throughout. 8. why did it have to be me? - i like the guitar and piano but not as fond of the male vocals, song was redeemed when the female vocals started. love the saxaphone(?). didn't think i'd like this when it started, but it definitely grew on me, love the instrumental sections. ☆9. tiger - hooked from the intro, the banging drums are great. guitar riff great as well. one of my favs from this album. 10. arrival - a lot folkier and less poppy than the other songs. didn't know abba did an instumental song. didn't like it as much as the other songs, but would listen again still. 11. fernando - not much to say about this one. the vocals are still fantastic, love the chorus. feel abba-ed out right now. 12. happy hawaii - love the wave sound at the start, reminds me of quadrophenia, i would probably like this more if i hadn't listened to an entire album of abba before. chorus is great. liked this album a lot more than i thought i would, but admittedly did get abba-ed out towards the end, even with a break in the middle. most of the songs are great sounding pop songs with alright lyrics, but i am partial to mor pop so i loved it. tiger was a great one and my love, my life is lining up to be a song i obsessively relisten to for a month straight. will definitely give happy hawaii another change when i am over my abba fatigue :)
Favorite Songs: Dancing Queen, Knowing Me, Knowing You Least Favorite Song: Arrival Listening to this as I’m packing my bags to go home after a grueling semester and I feel so happy and free.
Good singles but not much outside of the big hits.
Not for me
Insett Swedish Chef gif here.
Cool album, not my cup of tea personally but contains some classics like Dancing Queen, Money Money Money and Fernando.
Such drama! I think this might be kind of the ur-text for late 20th-century popular music. It's really immaculate and very melody-driven, sort of like what I would imagine a Mormon version of Fleetwood Mac would sound like. Very dentist-waiting-room-core to me. Would have given 3.5 stars if I could. 4 seems a bit high though so we're going with 3.
Never really listened to ABBA other then their obvious big numbers, was interesting to hear their other stuff
Grooves upon grooves. Masterful and legendary songwriters.
Classic tones that are melded together in a smooth 70’s soup. Immediately recognizable singles and really nice other tracks. The stand out aspect are the layered vocals and harmonies. 3.7/5.0
Bon, je mets mes préjugés de côté... Je respire un grand coup. Je pense très fort à mes vinyles de Current 93 pour me donner du courage, je caresse la pochette de "Pornography" de The Cure comme un chapelet, et je me lance. Aujourd'hui, on parle d'ABBA. Oui, ABBA. Si on m'avait dit, quand je bossais chez mon disquaire indé durant les années 90, qu'un jour je prendrais la plume (ou le clavier) pour disserter sur "Arrival", j'aurais probablement ri au nez du prophète avant de lui recommander un album de Godflesh pour lui nettoyer les oreilles. À l'époque, ABBA, c'était l'ennemi. C'était le symbole ultime de tout ce que je détestais dans la musique : le mainstream gluant, les paillettes, le sourire Colgate, et cette joie de vivre synthétique qui me donnait de l'urticaire. Et pourtant, nous y voilà car le projet des "1001 Albums" est impitoyable. Il se fout de mon ADN musical, il se fout que j'ai passé mes nuits d'adolescent à écouter Nick Cave hurler à la lune. Il me pose "Arrival" sur la platine, avec sa pochette improbable où le groupe pose dans un hélicoptère (sérieusement, un hélicoptère ? C'est quoi ce délire de superstars ?), et il me dit : "Écoute. Et sois honnête." Alors j'ai écouté.... Attentivement. Et bordel, c'est dur à admettre, mais il y a des putains de bons morceaux là-dedans. "Arrival", sorti en 1976, c'est l'album de la consécration absolue pour les Suédois. C'est le moment où ils passent du statut de "groupe de l'Eurovision qui a eu du bol" à celui de "monstres sacrés de la pop mondiale". Et même avec toute la mauvaise foi du monde, même avec mon passif de fan de post-rock dépressif, je ne peux pas nier l'évidence : la qualité d'écriture et de production est là. C'est une véritable machine de guerre, c'est de l'ingénierie suédoise appliquée à la mélodie. C'est aussi froid et efficace qu'une Volvo, mais avec des sièges en velours pailleté. Prenons le monstre : "Dancing Queen". Je devrais détester ça car c'est l'hymne des mariages, des bar-mitzvahs, des fins de soirée arrosées où Tatie Danielle enlève ses chaussures. Mais si on écoute vraiment, techniquement, c'est imparable. La construction est folle, il n'y a pas de gras. Chaque note, chaque harmonie vocale d'Agnetha et Anni-Frid est posée au millimètre près pour déclencher une réaction chimique de dopamine dans le cerveau. C'est presque effrayant de perfection, c'est la "Pop" avec un grand P, celle qui écrase tout sur son passage. En 1976, pendant que le punk commençait à grogner dans les caves de Londres (ce qui est quand même plus ma came), ABBA polissait ce diamant disco-pop pour faire danser la planète entière. Et puis il y a "Money, Money, Money", c'est du cabaret, c'est théâtral, c'est presque vulgaire dans son approche, mais ça marche. Benny Andersson et Björn Ulvaeus sont des compositeurs redoutables. Ils ont compris comment fonctionne l'oreille humaine et ils l'exploitent sans vergogne. Mais là où je me surprends à ne pas détester l'expérience, c'est sur un titre comme "Knowing Me, Knowing You". Là, on touche à quelque chose qui pourrait presque parler à mon cœur de corbeau gothique. Sous le vernis pop, c'est une chanson de rupture, de vide, de maison silencieuse. "Walking through an empty house, tears in my eyes..." Bon, on n'est pas chez Joy Division, hein, faut pas déconner. On reste dans un univers où le désespoir est chanté en technicolor. Mais il y a une mélancolie sous-jacente chez ABBA, une sorte de tristesse nordique masquée par des leggings en satin, qui rend le tout moins "purge" que prévu. C'est ce qu'on appelle le "spleen disco", et c'est peut-être la seule chose qui sauve mon âme pendant cette écoute. Cependant, ne nous emballons pas car il y a aussi des trucs qui me rappellent pourquoi je préfère écouter John Zorn torturer un saxophone. "Dum Dum Diddle" ? Sérieusement ? Rien que le titre me donne envie de me jeter par la fenêtre. C'est là que le bât blesse car ABBA, c'est aussi le royaume du kitsch, de la facilité lyrique, et d'une production tellement lisse qu'on glisse dessus sans jamais rien accrocher. Tout est trop propre, trop net, il n'y a pas d'accident, pas de fêlure, pas de larsen qui traîne. C'est de la musique sous vide. Quand je travaillais à la radio dans les années 90, on se battait pour passer des trucs qui grattaient, qui dérangeaient, qui avaient de la texture. "Arrival", c'est l'anti-matière de tout ça. C'est un produit de consommation de masse, calibré pour plaire de Stockholm à San Francisco. Et ça m'énerve... Ça m'énerve parce que c'est bien fait, ça m'énerve parce que je me surprends à fredonner ces mélodies diaboliques trois heures après avoir éteint la chaîne. C'est là tout le paradoxe de ma note. Je mets un 3 sur 5. Pourquoi 3 ? D'abord, parce que c'est mieux que 2. Un 2, c'est pour les albums ratés, les trucs pénibles, les erreurs de parcours. "Arrival" n'est pas une erreur, c'est un chef-d'œuvre dans son genre, c'est un album qui a défini la pop pour les décennies à venir. Nier le talent de composition ici serait de la malhonnêteté intellectuelle, et même si je suis un snob musical, j'essaie d'être un snob honnête. Ensuite, 3 parce que je ne peux pas mettre 4 car mon ADN refuse. Mes cellules, nourries au post-punk et à l'indus depuis 1985, se révolteraient. Mettre une note excellente à ABBA, ce serait trahir l'adolescent que j'étais, celui qui regardait de haut ceux qui écoutaient le Top 50 et même si j'avoue l'avoir écouté par moment mais vous voyez ce que je veux dire. Ce serait trahir le disquaire que j'ai été, qui essayait de refourguer du Tortoise à des gens venus acheter la BO de Titanic. 3, c'est la note du compromis. C'est la note qui dit : "Ok, respect. Vous savez écrire des chansons, vous savez produire un disque, vous avez marqué l'histoire. Mais je ne vous inviterai pas à dîner." C'est aussi la note de la frustration. Frustré de voir à quel point c'est efficace alors que c'est tout ce que je ne suis pas censé aimer. C'est la pop chewing-gum qui ne perd jamais son goût, et c'est agaçant. Il y a une instrumentalisation de la joie chez ABBA qui me paraît suspecte. En réécoutant l'album pour cette chronique, j'ai essayé d'imaginer ce que ça donnerait si c'était repris par un groupe de noise ou de doom. Imaginez "Tiger" ralenti par 10, joué par Sunn O))). Ça aurait de la gueule, non ? Mais tel quel, dans sa version originale de 1976, c'est une capsule temporelle d'une époque où la musique pouvait être innocente, commerciale et massivement fédératrice sans être totalement cynique (enfin, un peu quand même, "Money, Money, Money", ils ne s'en cachent pas). Bref, "Arrival" est un album incontournable et il faut l'avoir écouté pour comprendre la mécanique de la pop music. C'est une leçon d'efficacité, mais une fois la leçon terminée, je suis bien content de ranger le disque, de remettre l'hélicoptère au garage, et de me nettoyer les oreilles avec un bon vieux "Unknown Pleasures". C'est ABBA, c'est bien foutu, c'est un 3 et ça n'aura jamais plus, parce qu'il ne faut pas déconner, j'ai une réputation à tenir. Note : 3/5 (Le plafond de verre de ma tolérance pop a été atteint).
pretty good probably gonna clean to this music later
Fairly standard Abba, not bad but very pop candy...even if the first song is fairly problematic.
ABBA is the quintessential pop album. It's got hits, it's got deep cuts, it's got bangers and it's got slow jams. I'm I into ABBA? Not really, can I jam out to a few songs, absolutely.
Great Album - feel the folk roots!!!!!! Some tunes are classics but so over played - could not listent to Dancing Queen by choice- Remmember seeing it in Jenny's album stack in the 70's !!!!!!!
Look, im not typically an Abba fan. But theres no denying some of these bangers. This album has a particular charm whose spell I wasnt expecting or prepared to fall under. Dont get me wrong, there are some themes that probably shouldve been left in the 70s but still it carries that charisma and high production value. Top Tracks: When I Kissed the Teacher, Arrival, Fernando and Happy Hawaii
A bop!
Aside from the popular tracks "Dancing Queen", "Money, Money, Money," and "Fernando" it was all pretty similar sounding to me.
I do not like ABBA. I know.
Obviously has some good pop songs; not terribly surprising in any of the songs which I wasn't already familiar with.
Obvs some massive songs on here, hard not to enjoy. Very into the 70s sounds. Some interesting chord changes in ABBA songs, I wish I could identify more of what's going on; I really appreciated quite a lot of the harmonic progressions in the filler tracks. Over all, not really my thing though.
bueno
Really wish I was listening to this while driving through a snow storm. Pop music used to be so much more musically sophisticated but then also has lyrics about teenagers having inappropriate relationships with adults. Fav track: Happy Hawaii A fun record with some undeniable bangers. I don't connect with any of the more sentimental songs but love hearing the hits on the dancefloor.
It feels hard to engage with this record seriously the way it’s been over saturated in other media. But here we go. The production, harmonies, everything technically is bang on. Some great pop songs in here. Hard to deny the hits. The title track is pretty sick actually. Fernando is catchy no doubt. A fun listen, probably not something I’ll come back to.
Ok album, good but not my favorite kind of sound.
11/21/25. Fun, well produced pop record. Not something I’d go for typically, but these are a collection of good songs. Dancing Queen is obviously a classic!
Fun album that isn’t rly my type of music. I knew like 3 of the songs off of this and ABBA is a great band that can just make you happy. Nothing too special like 7.2/10 3.6/5
Не моя музыка, но за легендарные треки поставлю серединку.
to be rated
Cover 4 It's ABBA.
It’s ABBA! Corny as hell, catchy as hell, and bedazzled to death. Best song: Dancing Queen
Some of these songs have been fun earworms for 50 years. Others, well, there's a reason I didn't know them. Three stars for a mixed bag.
Not really a fan but the popularity of their hits can’t be denied. Some of their better known songs are included on this album, all of which are easy to sing along to
it’s kind of interesting actually how up until semi-recently, ABBA, and Dancing Queen especially, were held in this position where you were supposed to like them, but be embarrassed by it. like you had to preform being a good Highbrow music nerd, but if you couldn’t admit that you did like them deep down you had a stick up your ass. maybe living in a post-poptimist world has made me take some things for granted. as for the album: it’s good. Dancing Queen kinda carries it but those Swedish songwriters were acclaimed for a reason deserves to be one of the 1001? sure
There's nothing wrong with these guys per se. All the songs are catchy and their harmonies are good but I don't hear any soul in this at all. They're not really singing with feeling, they're just concentrating on the harmonies. But if I want to listen to really good harmonies, I will put on some Simon and Garfunkel. I give this three out of five.
6/10
Highlights "like a prayer" and "till death do us part"
I liked it, but there’s only so much of this you can listen to in succession. It’s a very good pop album for what pop is- but that doesn’t mean I have to love it. Respect it, average level of enjoyment.
I know the hits, this album has two of their biggest. The rest is good. I can hear a mix of obvious disco/dance tracks, but there are also elements of rock and other genres as well. I enjoyed it well enough but it wasn’t enough to convert me to an ABBA “fan” per se.
Fun, sweet, cute, but old
It annoys me when people say Abba were shit. They weren't. You can say you don't like them, they're not for you, that's fine, but these guys were incredibly good at what they do. The production on all their music is second to none. I would have given this album a 4 but for the abomination that is Dancing Queen. I really think it's one of their most inferior tracks and yet it's the one they're most known for, it's all wrong. I never need to hear that particular tune again.
Solid pop album. Abba was a terrific band and this album just so happens to contain the most perfectly constructed pop song of all time, "Dancing Queen." This record is chock full of hooks that can stick in my head all day. Lyrically, there is some weirdness here. "Dum Dum Diddle" contains one of the oddest rhymes, "you're only smilin' when you play your violin." (she's jealous of the time her man spends with his instrument - best not to dissect that). And I still have no idea what the song "Tiger" is trying to say. Apparently, the single "Fernando" was not originally included on all pressings of this album. That would be tragic as it's one of their best tunes. All in all, this is just a great "feel good" listen by a band that made a whole lot of people feel good.
The hits are great on this but the rest is meh
its fine. dancing queen is obv peak tho
They are a hits band but they always slap.
Äntligen lite svensk blond disco. Jag är dansdrottningen. The first song about kissing a teacher is weird, but the album nearly bookends with two complete bangers.
Decent but did not meet expectations. Barely made a 3. Girls agree but loved the hits.
zabavno!
After listening to Arrival by ABBA I can say with confidence I prefer other types. Yes, I did tap my toe at "Dancing Queen", and yes, "Knowing you, Knowing me" got stuck in my head. But they just don't do it for me. It seems from the reviews that many either love ABBA or hate them. I am neither.
I am far from an ABBA fan and personally a lot of the album I found a grind of sickly sweet fluff. It’s highly crafted pop but some songs were weird (When I Kissed The Teacher), or bizarre Scandi-Scotch instrumental fusion (Arrival) and that added a new layer to the monotony. What has to be acknowledged is how catchy their core hit songs are, and there are three on this album. They’re not to my taste but they are deserving of an entry on 1001 for their longevity and popularity, even if I don’t necessarily get it. A 2 for my money money money but giving it a 3 on account of its wider significance. I just wish it weren’t that way.
Much of my same thoughts apply to this album as to "The Visitors", although "Dum Dum Diddle" almost got the whole thing downgraded to two stars. The only tracks I really enjoyed were "Money Money Money" and "Knowing me Knowing You".
I’m indifferent to ABBA, but I’ve heard the majority of the songs on this album enough for a thousand and one lifetimes.
The singles carry through the album and the other songs are lower standard. I would have preferred the album tracks to explore different sounds a bit more and better experimental.
On an album with such certified hits as Dancing Queen and Money Money Money, it surprised me that my top moment was Dum Dum Diddle into Knowing Me Knowing You. The singles are, of course, absolutely stellar. The multilayered musicianship and songwriting on Dancing Queen in particular are era defining. Of the album tracks, most of them do enough to keep the propulsive energy in play. As a non-obsessive, it’s a joy to hear a familiar group deliver some melodies that I’m unfamiliar with. In fact the only weak spots for me is the comparatively durge-like Why Did It Have to Be Me? which has a melody uningonorably similar to the middling closer Happy Hawaii. Without these tracks it would be a hands down classic.
enjoyed the ones I did enjoy enough to make it the lowest of 3s
This is all over the place as far as my enjoyment levels are concerned. The omnipresent hits do a lot of the heavy lifting, particularly "Knowing Me, Knowing You" which is genuinely a top quality tune, though the other major events have overplayed themselves into such territories that I'd quite happily never have to hear them again. The deeper cuts are very much a mixed bag, the more up-tempo tracks faring better than the wet balladeering type ones, though none pop out at me as missed opportunities for further stardom.
Sisältää muutaman ABBAn isoista hiteistä. Money Money Money ei ees oo niin hyvä kappale. Fernando oli kanssa tuttu ja hyvä. Muut kappaleet ei sillein super ihmeellisiä. Parhaat: Dancing Queen, Fernando, That's Me
-i had an ABBA phase at the end of high school but never made it to this album. with the glaring exception of Dancing Queen it doesn’t have too much of my favorite material from them but it’s decent. prob a good start for someone who isn’t into them -Favorites: When I Kissed The Teacher, Dancing Queen, Money, Money, Money
; )))
Perfect vibes but we knew this
You can't deny the toe-tap. I can be hating a piece of music, staring blankly ahead, zoning out. But if a song comes on and I start a-tappin', I can't in good conscience write it off completely. Well that happened by the time I reached the fourth song, Dum Dum Diddle. And the rest of the album is pretty good too. Just need to get around the cloying creepiness of When I Kissed the Teacher, the omnipresent dentist drill of Dancing Queen, and the Catholic Mass-sounding My Love, My Life. The rest of the songs are pretty catchy but I can't see wanting to throw this on again.
some banger & some filler but its ABBA so its al good.
A polished pop album with undeniable charm, Arrival showcases ABBA at their commercial peak. The hits are instantly recognisable and still sparkle with melodic brilliance. However, the album occasionally drifts into easy listening territory, with tracks like My Love, My Life and That's Me feeling a bit too smooth and safe. Then there's Dum Dum Diddle, which, while catchy, borders on the absurd with its lyrics and tone. Overall, it's a well-crafted record with standout moments, but not without its quirks.
Didn't want to listen to this, but it was a lot of fun. Dancing Queen, Fernando, classic songs. I usually don't like disco or whatever this is supposed to be but it's just hard not to like it, or at least respect it. Great singing, great production. Yeah, it's cheesy but so what? Not sure if I'd come back and listen to it again, but I'm glad to know that they made good songs past the two or three that everyone knows.
Childhood trauma means I can't give this more than a 3
Me he guardado Dancing Queen y Fernando. AꓭBA siempre es alegría. Visionarios en monetizar, ojito al ® al lado del nombre del grupo en el año 1976.
The Mets will never be the Dancing Queen. They didn't make the playoffs despite all that Money Money Money spent. Knowing Me, Knowing You of course I should've expected this but Why Did It Have To Be Me. 3.43
Very strong singles, but the other tracks are skippable.
Heard of ABBA, know snippets of their most famous songs. So many songs were familiar. They are iconic and fun, high energy, enjoyable, but also not something I'd particularly seek out, I think.
93/1001 ABBA - Arrival Heard before? ❎ Revisit? ❎ I think you'd have to have been living under a rock all your life if you hadn't heard all of the singles from this album. Look, it's a perfectly crafted pop album, that hides some dark themes in a sugar coated pop tune style. Does it interest me? No. I appreciate its influence and the craft, but not one I'll be revisiting.
i'm not a fan of abba sorry
First ABBA album i’ve listened to in full. nice feel good 70s pop, just not something i feel compelled to visit in full. dancing queen is the clear highlight.
Everyone loves Dancing Queen (except me). Otherwise the big singles here are great, the rest of it mediocre to bloody awful.
Three stars for the unwanted but powerful ear worms.
I really want to like Abba but the vocals ruin it for me.
It’s hard to argue with some of the hooks, and there’s some nice bass work on display, but the lyrics are almost uniformly awful and I’m just not sure there’s enough substance there to sustain even a fairly short album. There’s probably a reason ABBA’s biggest seller is their greatest hits.
Some good pop songs that have been somewhat ruined by overplaying and ubiquity.
Wanted to dislike this more than I did. Genuinely catchy songs, and there is an obvious talent for writing earworms, although some of the album tracks are a bit lacking. I do find that it is a bit relentlessly saccharine and upbeat though and there’s only so much that I can take.
So good. Love the disco vibes
"Name of the Game" was the first song I recorded from the radio onto my cassette recorder, and if that song were on this album it would get 5 stars.
To be honest everything that wasnt a hit on this album sucks. The hits are good enough to bring it up to 3 stars tho
It was fine. I wasn’t impressed any more or less than before this recommendation. It’s fine.
An album laser-guided toward a teenage girl’s heart. Favs: “Dancing Queen”, “Money Money Money”, “That’s me” The whole thing in contrast to the previous two albums felt like a commercial effort and not something derived from musical passion.
I had high hopes for *Arrival* given that "Dancing Queen" and "Knowing Me, Knowing You" are perfect slices of pop (and "Money, Money, Money" is no slouch either), but the rest of the tracks on this album are nowhere close to those songs in terms of spark or inventiveness. Some of them are just awkward ("When I Kissed The Teacher", "Dum Dum Diddle") and others are unimaginative throwbacks ("Why Did It Have To Be Me?") but the bigger sin is that none of them are memorable even after multiple listens.
well it's abba not much to say here
Fun
It's ABBA, what do you expect. Well this is it. And it does what it says on the tin. Several of the big tracks, but little else worthy of note on here. The last track was reminiscent of something else. (Summer love sensation, I think). I almost feel like im getting stuck in a rut here but can't justify anything other than a 3
No ABBA for over 500 albums then 2 come along almost together. This was miles better than the other one, with more songs on that I knew due to complete overplay. Not my thing at all but I can appreciate that this is peak pop. So a 3 it is.
Big glitzy hits, great production. What's not to like? Im not sure if the question is rhetorical.