i've listened to most of this album bc it's PACKED with the all time favorites of ABBA; the fact that so many of the staples are on this album is insane. so some notes just on the songs i've never listened to: (4) Dum Dum Diddle - catchy as hell of course; i wasn't convinced until the first chorus and post-chorus happened and that was it. very cute to me, a solid ditty. ditty ditty dum dum ditty. (7) That's Me - love it for the indistinguishability between the verse and chorus, it transitions v smoothly such that maybe there isn't a "chorus" per se at all, but there is a nice bridge. I really thought that the reference to Carrie meant that it was about insecurity but actually the lyrics are implying to me that this is a Carrie post-murder spree and disastrous prom. Carrie, not-the-kind-of-girl-you-marry, still, but in a different way. Again, ABBA hooks don't MISS. I like that this is right before "Why Did It Have to Be Me?" because now there's a story in my head: this is the man Carrie was singing to in this one; she cuts in to remind him...does he really want to hear more? (9) Tiger - I love a good fun beat with disturbing and threatening lyrics. See, this could be a bop about walking home alone at night as a woman and being alert for whatever predator might be hunting you. BUT if you keep the Carrie thread going suddenly it's not a man, it's Carrie. Who is she hunting? This also reminds me of a surrealist one act we did in college, the tiger of lust prowling. Good shit and again, FUCKING CATCHY. The extended second syllable for Tiger and the vibrato, mmm. I always thought there was something lecherous/decadent/excessive about certain uses of vibrato, it's in full form here. (10) Arrival - I have listened to this many times but I'm just making a note for the record that this is on my funeral playlist like 10 times in a row to allow for the opening procession and contemplation. (12) Happy Hawaii - Why is this here....is what I was asking myself when I was listening to it. Felt very out of nowhere and not cohesive with the rest of the album. Come to find out that actually it wasn't on Arrival originally just a bonus track on a re-release, and it was replaced in the OG tracklist by the WAY superior "Why Did It Have to Be Me?" phew. "Fernando" was ALSO not on the original release, so it ended on "Arrival". I actually like that better even though Fernando is iconic and the second listened to on Spotify below "Dancing Queen". Which was actually surprising to me! Thought it would have been "Money, Money, Money" for sure.

Couldn't get through it. First half was abysmal, the one about the dinosaurs was the worst no contest. Listened to masterpiece Every Breath You Take like six times in a row and then tapped out.