#22 - ABBA - Me & I

 

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/1/1c/ABBA_-_Super_Trouper_(Polar).jpg

 

Back to 1980 and Super Trouper again and yet another album track. Me & I is a heavily vocoded number with Frida on lead and it's about someone who is indecisive in what they want. With references to 'split indentity' and 'Jekyll and Hyde'. Presumably it has something to do with Frida or Benny wanting different things from their marriage and being pulled in different directions as a result. OR SOMETHING. The vocoding works quite well though, it isn't constant, so adds to the kind of split identity vibe quite well, and indeed eases towards the end too, presumably as a means of resolution.

 

#21 - ABBA - Dancing Queen

 

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/8/8d/Dancing_Queen_That's_Me.jpg

 

It may not be their biggest seller worldwide, but there is no doubt that this IS ABBA's most recognised hit. That it falls at #21 on my list probably seems like blasphemy to many, but given Waterloo just scraped the top 40 and Mamma Mia has already fallen too, it might be less surprising. It is, of course, an utterly tremendous song and absolutely deserves to be lauded as it is. However, from the point of view of someone who has spent so much time with their whole catalogue, it doesn't quite reach the heights of what is still to come. That is also partly down to overplay, which whether that be myself of radio/other people has definitely dampened it for me slightly. If I don't listen to it for a few months it always HITS me, but when I'm in an ABBA mood and it pops up more regularly it does feel a little less BIG.

 

#30 - ABBA - Intermezzo, #1

#29 - ABBA - Soldiers

#28 - ABBA - Just Like That

#27 - Agnetha Faltskog - I Wasn't The One (Who Said Goodbye)

#26 - ABBA - Ring Ring

#25 - ABBA - I've Been Waiting For You

#24 - Benny Andersson Band - Story Of A Heart/Sommaren Du Fick

#23 - ABBA - Hole In Your Soul

#22 - ABBA - Me & I

#21 - ABBA - Dancing Queen

#20 - ABBA - Cassandra

 

http://images.weiphone.com/attachments/Day_090805/14_172610_4776bf6148218a7.jpg

 

The b-side to The Day Before You Came, ABBA's parting single as an active group and it's very obviously from that time, not only from the synth heavy production but from the general VIBE of the song. It seems to be about the historical figure Cassandra, who was cursed with prescience but nobody believed anything she had to say. Quite why they made a song about it, I don't know, but it's jolly good.

 

Most songs, which I don't like is very high in your list (Soldiers, Intermezzo, Cassandra, Hole In Your Soul e.t.c.) :(

 

 

Edited November 29, 201212 yr by AlexRange

I'm sure it's only going to get worse as it goes on, there's 4/5 BIG HITTERS left to come but the majority are lesser singles/album tracks.

I never liked Dancing Queen as much as most of the other big hitters, although I'd probably put it in a similar position.

 

I shall try and familiarise myself with all I don't know definitely from here on out.

I'm sure it's only going to get worse as it goes on, there's 4/5 BIG HITTERS left to come but the majority are lesser singles/album tracks.

I like many album tracks, 4 songs in my top 6 wasn't singles.

Edited November 29, 201212 yr by AlexRange

Ring Ring TOO LOW! :(

I like many album tracks, 4 songs in my top 6 never were a singles (That's Me, I Am Just A Girl, When I Kissed The Teacher, Dissilusion), "Honey Honey" was a single only in some European countries, "When All Said and Done" is the most popular song from my top 6.

 

Not to be ONE OF THOSE PEOPLE, but When I Kissed A Teacher and That's Me were both singles, albeit minor ones.

Not to be ONE OF THOSE PEOPLE, but When I Kissed A Teacher and That's Me were both singles, albeit minor ones.

:unsure: Where "When I Kissed A Teacher" was a single ?

 

"That's Me" : in Japan ????

Yeah tbh WIKTT had a video for a Swedish TV special but wasn't a single. I have the Japanese single of That's Me though (the B-side is Money Money Money :o)

 

#24 - Benny Andersson Band - Story Of A Heart/Sommaren Du Fick

 

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/f/fc/Storyofaheart.jpg

 

In the summer of 2009 this so-ABBA-it-might-as-well-be track hit and it was an INSTANT CLASSIC. It really does feel as though it was written with A+F in mind, not that Helen Sjöholm doesn't do a marvellous job on it as is. This placing is combined from both the English and Swedish versions, which are both great in their own ways, perhaps the Swedish is a TAD better, but not by much.

 

 

YES. #1 in my personal chart for 7 weeks. The Swedish version amuses me, as I started learning German at the same time as it came out and fick means fuck auf Deutsch :kink: Fantastic song I agree, and to me it has a similarity with the aforementioned Just Like That (glad you prefer the Na Na Na version too). I had a dream once where B&B decided to finish off and release that version of the song and they got a chorus of fans in to do the na na nas :snif:

:unsure: Where "When I Kissed A Teacher" was a single ?

 

It wasn't.

Thanks for your contribution Peter.

#19 - ABBA - Angeleyes

 

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/3/33/Abba_Angel_Eyes_Cover.jpg

 

Angeleyes trods the well worn ABBA path pretty tightly, and indeed in the UK was released as a double A side with Voulez-Vous as the powers that be felt it would be a 'safer' choice for a HIT. As evidence by it's placing considering higher than Voulez-Vous I certainly think that was a GOOD MOVE. It's got the same wonderfully catchy piano riff running at the heart of it as many of ABBA's GREATS, and Benny gives it a little bit of flair at the end which I definitely approve of *.*

 

#18 - ABBA - Tiger

 

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/7/78/ABBA_-_Arrival_(France).jpg

 

Time for a bit of nonsense fun. Tiger is an album track from Arrival and was the start of ABBA experimenting with their sound a little bit, in fact I can't really think of another ABBA song quite like it. It's more rock influenced than most of their tracks, with the girls both putting in very strong vocals, especially towards the end of the song. It's featured quite heavily in The Movie so I'm sure it's quite well known, but at the same time is vastly overshadowed by the gargantuan singles from the album which is a bit of a shame.

 

*.*

#17 - ABBA - As Good As New

 

http://media.wrzru.com/covers/12304187384ed9c63cecc2b.jpg

 

The opening track from the DISCOTASTIC Voulez Vous now and it pretty much sets the tone perfectly. With an amazing opening blast of DISCO STRINGS is transforms itself into one of their very catchiest album tracks with seeming ease.

 

#16 - Agnetha Faltskog - I Won't Let You Go

 

http://991.com/newgallery/Agnetha-Faltskog-I-Wont-Let-You-Go-129662.jpg

 

And so we reach the very final solo track in this list and as expected given all bar 4 solo tracks have been Agnetha efforts, it's one of hers. I Won't Let You Go comes closest of all the solo efforts to the ABBA sound, it's not as effective production wise, but the melody is definitely there and the chorus hook is HUGE. The video finds dear old Ag perving over/stalking (the IRONY) some frankly UGLY muscle man at her local gym, with him paying no attention to her at all (obv a gayer). There's a key change shoved in for good measure too, when it all goes a teensy bit more melodramatic and therefore fabulous *.*

 

#15 - ABBA - Gimme! Gimme! Gimme! (A Man After Midnight)

 

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/4/4c/Gimme_Gimme_Gimme.jpg

 

The song that inspired Madonna to come up with the greatest song of all time, Hung Up. I think the instrumental is probably the strongest part of GGG really, I could listen to it all day long. That's not to say the actual song itself isn't great too, obviously it wouldn't be this high if it wasn't, but I guess when you have HUNG UP occupying a similar backing track it's always going to come off sounding like second best. There's a live version included on ABBA LIVE which features a slightly altered arrangement which is worth a spin too.