"Do I have it in me?" is such an odd question for a song to ask in 2021. I love it. They are the best.
― Eyeball Kicks, Saturday, 4 September 2021 00:52 (two years ago) link
"I am not the one you knew/I'm now and then combined/And I'm asking you to have an open mind" <== that is a lovely lyric
So true.
― Eyeball Kicks, Saturday, 4 September 2021 01:15 (two years ago) link
I don't think I'm a huge fan of these songs, but I do think it's great that they are just making songs that sound like ABBA and aren't awkwardly trying to meet contemporary pop music halfway
― aegis philbin (crüt), Saturday, 4 September 2021 01:36 (two years ago) link
^cosign
― tumblin’ dice outro (morrisp), Saturday, 4 September 2021 01:44 (two years ago) link
It helps that ABBA never overstayed their welcome. It is fresh coming back to this sound after 40 years
― Vinnie, Saturday, 4 September 2021 02:11 (two years ago) link
Otm. Feels like they've done everything right on paper, even if the songs themselves strike me on first listen as replacement-level late ABBA album cuts.
Sonically it's neither too fussy about recreating the sound of their old records nor too self-conscious about not doing so. The honest weatheredness of the vocals is really striking and lovely, and imo quite apt in that ABBA at their best always had a particular kind of stylized "grown up perspective". "This wooden bench is getting harder by the hour" is the platonic ideal of a lyric that only Frida can drop on an unsuspecting listener like a ton of bricks, too.
Enjoying the idea of this as a MBV or Vashti Bunyan style comeback that tries exactly hard enough and not a bit harder, though that impression might be harder to sustain once I've seen more of the motion capture avatars.
― swim, Saturday, 4 September 2021 05:14 (two years ago) link
I mean, the late period albums rule so this bodes well for me when I get around to hearing them.
― Western® with Bacon Flavor, Saturday, 4 September 2021 05:34 (two years ago) link
BTW I was legitimately in tears of joy when news broke of the album because of how the world is and everything is always better with ABBA.
― Western® with Bacon Flavor, Saturday, 4 September 2021 05:36 (two years ago) link
Okay, thse are growing on me.
― Gwar ina Babyon (James Redd and the Blecchs), Saturday, 4 September 2021 19:08 (two years ago) link
Don’t Shut Me Down has been pleasurably pinging in my head non-stop for two days now
― Chuck_Tatum, Sunday, 5 September 2021 10:21 (two years ago) link
I'll post a review of the show next August. Yeah, I succumbed.
― mike t-diva, Sunday, 5 September 2021 11:50 (two years ago) link
I don't like ABBA much, but I do respect that after reportedly/allegedly turning down decades of reunion offers for hundreds of millions if not billions of dollars, they more or less just quietly went and did it themselves, when the world was at its most distracted and needed them least/most (take your pick).
― Josh in Chicago, Sunday, 5 September 2021 13:58 (two years ago) link
These two tracks are surprisingly good and, yes, in so many ways just what the doctor ordered. What I can’t believe is how much they sound like themselves here. I mean, these are all septuagenarians (all 76 but Agnetha who is 71). For a ton of reasons, they should sound very different. Yet they don’t. I’m mildly interested in seeing what they do with the avatar thing. One thing: Bjorn says that “I Still Have Faith in You” is about the band’s relationships with one another and how they have remained “the best of friends.” Is the latter remotely true? Or sentimental pap? I had always worked under the assumption that at least one of the divorces ended pretty badly.
― Naive Teen Idol, Monday, 6 September 2021 13:06 (two years ago) link
The Richard and Linda Thompson divorce was historically terrible, too, but I believe they are friends now. I think that's not uncommon after decades of reflection, and I doubt it usually even takes that long.
― Josh in Chicago, Monday, 6 September 2021 13:10 (two years ago) link
I especially like how these really really sound like ABBA and they haven't tried to go all EDM or something. The whole branding (as well as the "computer"-based language on 'Don't Shut Me Down') reminds me of Random Access Memories a little bit.
― Urbandn hope all ye who enter here (dog latin), Monday, 6 September 2021 13:38 (two years ago) link
This whole revival has led me into a wikipedia rabbit hole. I didnt know about all the tragedies that Agnetha went through... This band's history is straight out of a Bergman movie. "Voyage" being their "Saraband"
― licorice oratorio (baaderonixx), Monday, 6 September 2021 15:29 (two years ago) link
Was looking at ABBA Revival as a potential screenname but, not only is it taken, it is the name of an ABBA tribute band.
― Gwar ina Babyon (James Redd and the Blecchs), Monday, 6 September 2021 15:31 (two years ago) link
Is the latter remotely true? Or sentimental pap?
True, I reckon, as evidenced when they chose "The Way Old Friends Do" to sing onstage together in 2016: "And after fights and words of violence, we make up with each other, the way old friends do"
― mike t-diva, Monday, 6 September 2021 15:35 (two years ago) link
Little Boots will be part of the live band (keyboards/backing vocals), and she's also been working with ABBA in the studio. Full post and studio pic with Benny: https://www.facebook.com/littleboots/posts/392293902267346
― mike t-diva, Monday, 6 September 2021 16:09 (two years ago) link
Cool! *Looks up Little Boots*
― Gwar ina Babyon (James Redd and the Blecchs), Monday, 6 September 2021 16:46 (two years ago) link
I Still Have Faith In You has really grown on me. Shut Me Down was the instant banger but ISHFIY deserves to become a standard
― Urbandn hope all ye who enter here (dog latin), Tuesday, 7 September 2021 21:54 (two years ago) link
remember when those awesome new ABBA songs came out?
― the adventures of pavlo and schrödis (geoffreyess), Sunday, 12 September 2021 20:47 (two years ago) link
(been wanting to try out saying that, feels great)
Still feeling them
― Urbandn hope all ye who enter here (dog latin), Sunday, 12 September 2021 23:27 (two years ago) link
New song teaser sounding great.
― licorice oratorio (baaderonixx), Monday, 18 October 2021 21:09 (two years ago) link
I like the “f**k this 21st Century bullsh*t” look on their faceshttps://media.npr.org/assets/img/2021/09/02/abba-2021-reunion-12d8b48a1226e153bd6d24dab72e04e4f7bd1a65-s1200-c85.webp
― juristic person (morrisp), Friday, 22 October 2021 06:20 (two years ago) link
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zZhrf32Tq1A
― abcfsk, Friday, 22 October 2021 07:24 (two years ago) link
SCHLAGER SCHLAGER SCHLAGER!
― mike t-diva, Friday, 22 October 2021 09:19 (two years ago) link
I love how they're absolutely refusing the temptation to go all drum'n'bass or whatever
― Urbandn hope all ye who enter here (dog latin), Friday, 22 October 2021 09:34 (two years ago) link
OTM. Though at first I read that as, "I love how they're absolutely refusing the temptation to go all dumbass or whatever". The OTM still applied.
― Starmer: "Let the children boogie, let all the children boogie." (Tom D.), Friday, 22 October 2021 09:46 (two years ago) link
holy shit this one hit for me
― assert (matttkkkk), Friday, 22 October 2021 12:24 (two years ago) link
I like that one, kinda ELO.
― Josh in Chicago, Friday, 22 October 2021 12:39 (two years ago) link
they apparently first tried recording this one in 1978 but weren't satisfied with it at the time
― ufo, Friday, 22 October 2021 12:50 (two years ago) link
Holy shit, this could be off Ring Ring.
― Naive Teen Idol, Friday, 22 October 2021 13:39 (two years ago) link
Yeah, part of the old demo version is included on the 23-minute "Undeleted Medley" that was released in 1994. The other one from that medley which will be on the new album is "Bumble Bee".
― mike t-diva, Friday, 22 October 2021 14:56 (two years ago) link
"distiny"
― veronica moser, Friday, 22 October 2021 16:47 (two years ago) link
Yeah I was wondering if I might’ve first heard it there.
― Naive Teen Idol, Saturday, 23 October 2021 00:58 (two years ago) link
That hook is ridiculous. Listened twice and hummed it for hours.
― Psychocandy Apple Grey (Pyschocandles), Saturday, 23 October 2021 04:00 (two years ago) link
It could and I'm loving that!
― Starmer: "Let the children boogie, let all the children boogie." (Tom D.), Saturday, 23 October 2021 10:00 (two years ago) link
this is much more like it
― glumdalclitch, Saturday, 23 October 2021 12:36 (two years ago) link
Is there some practical explanation for why the previous two new songs charted high in the UK (and across Europe) but did not enter the US Hot 100? Has the Billboard chart gone rogue?
― Josefa, Saturday, 23 October 2021 14:32 (two years ago) link
ABBA generally much more celebrated on this side of the pond than the US I can imagine?
― Urbandn hope all ye who enter here (dog latin), Saturday, 23 October 2021 15:02 (two years ago) link
Yeah, I assume it’s for the obvious reason (the tracks not being played on the radio here). They both made the billboard global 200, which doesn’t include airplay, just streaming and sales.
― juristic person (morrisp), Saturday, 23 October 2021 15:07 (two years ago) link
Was this reunion a major news story in the US? It was over here!
― Starmer: "Let the children boogie, let all the children boogie." (Tom D.), Saturday, 23 October 2021 15:11 (two years ago) link
Not that I’ve noticed.
― juristic person (morrisp), Saturday, 23 October 2021 15:14 (two years ago) link
Not quite the Beatles reforming but not far off it, put it that way.
― Starmer: "Let the children boogie, let all the children boogie." (Tom D.), Saturday, 23 October 2021 15:17 (two years ago) link
I would've thought that after the two Mamma Mia! films every man woman and child in America would know ABBA, but yeah somehow that doesn't translate to radio play, which perhaps is the deeper mystery
― Josefa, Saturday, 23 October 2021 15:30 (two years ago) link
their songs would sound very out of place on contemporary radio, regardless of how popular they are
― aegis philbin (crüt), Saturday, 23 October 2021 16:09 (two years ago) link
Sadly feel their stuff is relegated to DJ wedding playlists at this point.
― Western® with Bacon Flavor, Saturday, 23 October 2021 23:28 (two years ago) link
My daughter got excited when she heard about it and told my wife, but I don’t remember seeing any news alerts or stories about it.
― Through with “What’s the Buzz” (James Redd and the Blecchs), Sunday, 24 October 2021 12:27 (two years ago) link