Music: ABBA to reunite

[sdf]

Russian cover

 

[VictorLustig]

ABBA is one of the most overrated groups of all time. Dancing Queen is a damn catchy song, but even that one you get tired of very very fast. Very shallow and hollow music that doesn't say anything about anything.

They have a very friendly image though, so no one in the mainstream dares to trash them.

That’s exactly why people like their music. It’s unpretentious, extremely well produced and catchy.

 

[sr edler]

I think that no one trashes them because trashing fun, inoffensive pop/disco music that puts smiles on people's faces is dumb. So is judging music only by the depth of its lyrics, IMO. Classical music has no lyrics, yet is appreciated for its ability to put the listener in a good mood. ABBA's music similarly puts listeners in a good mood, which, I think, is partly why it's as popular as it is. Saying that it's overrated seems like saying that people are wrong to like it so much.

A couple of months ago, I didn't think highly of ABBA, either. I had gone my whole life not getting the appeal. It's because of this thread that I decided to give them a chance and I've since gone through all of their albums and listened to most of their songs over and over. I definitely like and appreciate them now. No, the lyrics aren't the deepest, but they're also not the shallowest, either. They don't say much, but a lot of their songs do say something. You mentioned Dancing Queen, which isn't just a meaningless dance song. It's about teenage innocence, and I think that the attractiveness of that theme is as much a reason for the song's popularity as the catchiness of the tune. It's even reportedly become an anthem of sorts for the gay community, so it must be saying something. Also, some of their later songs were more introspective, especially some of their songs about breakups, which reflected the group's troubled marriages. Regardless, lyrics don't have to be deep to be relatable, and if they're relatable to people, does it matter if they're deep or not? Perhaps you should do what I did and give them a chance. You might come to appreciate them, as I have.

I just don't like that type of schlager disco music very much, so unless you have some unprecedented back catalog stuff to show me, I don't think my stance will change much since being a Swede I'm pretty well aware of all of their hits. Like, if you're from here and my age (not 20) you've probably heard most of them on the radio or TV at some point in time.

Also my intention wasn't to single out ABBA as being extraordinarily superficial, because a lot (or even most) of popular music would fit into that box. Say Roxette or Britney Spears or whatever boy/girl band aren't exactly known for their profundity either.

 

[Osprey]

I just don't like that type of schlager disco music very much, so unless you have some unprecedented back catalog stuff to show me, I don't think my stance will change much since being a Swede I'm pretty well aware of all of their hits. Like, if you're from here and my age (not 20) you've probably heard most of them on the radio or TV at some point in time.

Also my intention wasn't to single out ABBA as being extraordinarily superficial, because a lot (or even most) of popular music would fit into that box. Say Roxette or Britney Spears or whatever boy/girl band aren't exactly known for their profundity either.

Ok, I thought that you were singling them out as more shallow than most pop music. It sounds like you just don't like pop music, which is understandable... though I still don't think that that justifies calling them overrated. You just rate them differently than other people do.

BTW, I like Roxette, too.

 

[sr edler]

It sounds like you just don't like pop music, which is understandable... though I still don't think that that justifies calling them overrated. You just rate them differently than other people do.

I do like some pop music. Also ABBA are basically treated as the Swedish Beatles over here. They even have their own museum and stuff (which I think is a fairly popular tourist destination), just like Tampere with the Moomin museum. I just don't get that level of hype.

 

[Eisen]

I do like some pop music. Also ABBA are basically treated as the Swedish Beatles over here. They even have their own museum and stuff (which I think is a fairly popular tourist destination), just like Tampere with the Moomin museum. I just don't get that level of hype.

Abba was huge, and not just in Sweden. Born in the early 70s, I grew up with them. They broke the dominance of England and America and shaped productions and pop music like few others have. I get the hype even without being the biggest fan.

 

[SJSharksfan39]

I'm listening to this album now, and it doesn't sound too bad. It sounds like a modern updated version of Abba. I also never really saw them as Disco, but then the only songs I really heard from them were the Mamma Mia songs.

 

[MVP of West Hollywd]

As a fan, the album is great!

 

[archangel2]

too much autotune. Sorry there is.

 

[MVP of West Hollywd]

too much autotune. Sorry there is.

Disagree, they sound natural and like their old selves to me.

 

[archangel2]

They sound like their old selves to me

40 years on their voices will have changed. Both have barely sung over the last 20 years

 

[MVP of West Hollywd]

40 years on their voices will have changed. Both have barely sung over the last 20 years

If they had help it's like the plastic surgery you don't notice. It's fine. Agnetha and Frida's vocal performance is great on this album to me and the emotion comes through.

 

[MVP of West Hollywd]

I just don't like that type of schlager disco music very much, so unless you have some unprecedented back catalog stuff to show me, I don't think my stance will change much since being a Swede I'm pretty well aware of all of their hits. Like, if you're from here and my age (not 20) you've probably heard most of them on the radio or TV at some point in time.

Also my intention wasn't to single out ABBA as being extraordinarily superficial, because a lot (or even most) of popular music would fit into that box. Say Roxette or Britney Spears or whatever boy/girl band aren't exactly known for their profundity either.

They have some songs about the passage of time, break ups, loneliness, etc. Is it on the lighter side typically yes, but that's just pop music, I believe they put great care into their lyrics. A song like say "The Winner Takes it All" about one side moving on faster in a breakup/divorce and the other being hurt by it is certainly less shallow than say a song like I Kissed a Girl by Katy Perry or WAP.