This just reads as an increasingly desperate attempt to persuade a majority of people that something mediocre is a work of genius. If you enjoy it then great. That does not make it good. It simply makes it good for you.
Once the gigs are over, and possibly because of the soulless nature of the gigs, the whole thing will be described in future years as “best forgotten”.
Mike,
Not at all claiming it’s a work of genius as I’ve heard so little of it so far and I have no interest in hyping it either, that’s the record label’s and PR’s job. I just think that this in particular ABBA - I Still Have Faith In You - YouTube is as good as most of the old stuff like ‘thank you for the music’ or ‘chiquitita’ while not hitting the frankly dizzying heights of ‘the winner takes it all’.
I must admit that hearing those girls voices again on new songs really sent shivers up my spine! I can’t believe how good they sound actually. It’s also a real joy to see the video footage some of which I have never seen before and I love the absolutely iconic album artwork, imagery, band logo etc. It certainly uplifted me and made me feel happy and nostalgic for a happier, simpler time after a truly shitty year. In that respect alone music has served its purpose
The orange vinyl version I have ordered is pretty darned cool IMHO!
I don’t need to hype anything - as you well know this will sell by the bucketload! I’m just happy to hear some new Abba music. I don’t care if it matches the best of the old albums, few artists in their later years get close to the brilliance of their youth - even McCartney. But should McCartney and other artists like Abba have to stop working if they wish to keep making music? As long as what they put out makes some people happy then their effort is worthwhile surely? Next you’ll be suggesting a Logan’s Run type approach where only the young are allowed to make records!
Of course they have a legacy to protect but I’ve heard nothing here that would seem to damage that. David Gilmour and Roger Waters have been turning out some frankly mediocre bilge for years and nobody accuses them of defacing the legacy of Floyd (and I speak as a fan).
Jonathan
A month after ABBA rose from the glittery pop ashes and released, frankly, two underwhelming comeback singles that didn’t sound much like them, our patience has been rewarded with a travel back in time: The Swedish legends unveiled their newest track “Just a Notion,” a ridiculously happy romp that finds Agnetha, Björn, Benny, and Anni-Frid harmonizing about the joys of flirting while a power piano noodles in the background.
I’m sure someone will buy it, but not good enough for most people. It just sounds tired.
I think I’ll wait for the complete album - so far several songs don’t do it for me. Doubt they’d even go down well at a ‘grab a granny’ disco!
What’s a bit odd is that we’ve had brilliant songs/lyrics from them in the past, so is it a miscalculation of what old/modern fans want or simply not ticking the boxes. Again I have to wonder if it’ll be an album which has to be taken in context as a whole rather than a few isolated tracks.
Well, I was going to comment on the “why have large record collections” thread, regarding albums.
Albums as a collection of music don’t do much for me as I tend to only like some tracks and rarely like an entire Album, so albums are incidental in my buying habits.
I will buy an album based on a couple of excellent tracks that I have heard and generally hope the other tracks do it for me. But it really is rare that an entire Album is good, or at least where all tracks are close to being as good as each other.
This ABBA stuff so far, suggests the new Album will be poor and therefore not worth the effort of buying.
Oh dear - IMV, clunky lyrics and it sounds like another Chas’n’Dave backing mix, with the ladies’ wonderful voices submerged in the soup.
A bit of up-tempo ABBA would be good to hear given the events of the last 18m’s or so, but the songs released so far come across as highly unpolished works, which didn’t make the grade at some stage.
I actually liked this one but no wonder really since this seems to be an old song (from Voulez-Vous sessions).
The new version features updated instrumentals, but retains the vocals from the original recording. In a statement, the group’s Björn Ulvaeus described the new single as “a ridiculously happy song” and that “hopefully it will cheer you up in these dark times!”
This at least sounds like ABBA unlike the first two. It also unfortunately sounds like exactly what it is. An out-take which didn’t even make it as a b-side.
A nice reminder of the extent to which history gets rewritten.
Gosh I miss Clive James’ wit:
Displaying 64 unblemished teeth between them, the two young people looked so blazingly hygienic you wondered if any bacteria could survive in the same room.
At least I get to hear it in my head in his voice.
I am now consumed by the thought that the dancing in the stage show will essentially be based upon Muriel’s Wedding.
I will never forget his description of Lucy Ewing from Dallas as “a neckless blonde sex grenade.”
I’ve listened to the complete album now.
I think it is great. Finally an album which is not about drugs, violence, suicide, death and all that kind of stuff which seems to be popular now.
Its just uncomplicated music with a significant wink to the past. May another album follow.
Frankly, I’d rather ask my garden gnome’s opinion, than take any notice of what The Grauniad might have to say, on music as much as anything else.
This is a great album, with songs written by arguably the most influential and successful pop song writers ever (I exclude Lennon/McCartney, as the good Beatles stuff isn’t pop, imo).
Cynical, hateful, violent, untuneful rubbish, masquerading as music, that seems to be increasingly ubiquitous, can take a very long walk on a mightily short pier.
I think Börn (or was it Bjenny?) said this morning on Today programme that he wouldn’t do another one. Mind you, they’ve said that before, so about 2061… 
Mike,
You raise a very interesting point about history being re-written, I think back then Abba had a huge amount of bubblegum appeal across the generations and they were very distinctive. Benny and Bjorn had a formidable sense of melody and composition, the girls were stunning eye candy and could sing superbly well to the point that those blended compressed vocals became an iconic and timeless sound. In truth though many of their 1970’s albums were decidedly uneven and you’d find brilliant songs like ‘The winner takes it all’ suddenly followed by dross like ‘On and on and on’ or the sublime ‘happy new year’ preceded by schlock like ‘Me and I’ even on albums like Super Trooper which are widely regarded as their creative peak.
I’d argue the new stuff is as good as or better than much of the old stuff actually. My album is set to arrive later today so I’ve only heard the three singles so far but what I find interesting is that they seem to have eschewed the genuinely new direction they were moving towards in the Visitors album (and I think that is a brilliant album) in favour of making an album of mid 70’s sounding Abba.
I’m certainly very curious to spin the new orange vinyl on the Gyro when it arrives - I just hope it’s a good pressing!
Jonathan
So the Guardian review accused the new Abba album of being cheesy. No shiit! Their whole career was liberally gratinated, that was their appeal.
So, have you heard any albums from the 1920s onwards? Fairly confident that the blues has had most of the above covered for about a century or so now. Vocal jazz also keen on drugs and violence and death. Folk music has spent centuries doing all four of your “popular” subjects (pardon the pun) to death. Ditto opera. Then we have the pop charts from the 1950s onwards. When people talk about audiophiles not actually liking music I guess this sort of response could perhaps be what they’re alluding to?
The concept of “influence” has been done to death on the Kraftwerk thread. I’ll be damned if I can think of anyone ABBA influenced in the last decade. Certainly not in a good way.
Out of interest I had a quick pop over to the official UK charts. Nothing in the top 20 covering any of the subjects mentioned. Ditto the album charts.
We all read different things and have different opinions. I’m also not a Guardian reader but in what way do you think the article was inaccurate given that it was quoting from a variety of other publications? Your comment suggests you are unfamiliar with the contents of the article.
@JonathanG we’ve not agreed much on this thread but I do think there is some truth to your comments today. The new album has a consistency of approach which was indeed absent from albums during their original incarnation. The originals had appalling cheese which often obscured genuinely brilliant songwriting. The new release does on the surface appear to be more consistent However, for consistency to matter it has to be at a high level. Clearly that’s something we will not agree on. I think they’re getting acres of coverage right now because there’s money to be made. Once the dust has settled I suspect if we come back in a few years time the consensus is likely to be that this was all a bit embarrassing. Let’s face it, no comeback in history has ever been talked down.
Don’t forget the medieval madrigals. It’s been of all times.
My daughter created a playlist recently of music which is popular in her bubble. That’s where my information comes from and this release of Abba gives me the opportunity to provide an alternative. It’s on the news, people around us listen to it and this works hopefully.
