And I thought you had taste :nocheer:

 

:(

 

I can't even pinpoint what it is that I don't like about them. On paper they are totally up my street, but I just find it all so joyless and dull for the most part.

Thank You For The Music has really clichéd lyrics to be absolutely fair. Not surprised it's this low.

 

Sometimes I like those two (the singles), sometimes I don't. Not favourites by any means though.

:(

 

I can't even pinpoint what it is that I don't like about them. On paper they are totally up my street, but I just find it all so joyless and dull for the most part.

 

I found a lot of joy in watching them perform Stay The Night in 2009, their facial expressions at the HUGE crowd reaction said it all!

 

I know a lot of people feel like Alcazar's music is forced but I genuinely think that they ARE just that happy, maybe not Tess, but the other two certainly :lol:

Another little INTERLUDE before I begin the next 10:

 

 

This does NOT make the list for the main reason that I have yet to come across a duet where the 2 singers are less suited to each other (even Chanee and N'Evergreen had more chemistry). Tomas Ledin was a backing singer/musician for ABBA on their 1979 tour (he even got a SOLO SONG - he was an up and coming star in Sweden) and so naturally he worked with dear old Aggy when she started her solo stuff. Melodically it's fine, but yeah vocally it really isn't.

 

 

#90 - ABBA - The Piper

 

http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_rakcZeuDha8/TCYiY8IJlrI/AAAAAAAADvs/s7UrwbWmYLk/s1600/abba_super_trouper.jpg

 

SUB LUNA SALTAMUS *.*

 

I really can't think of much to say about this one actually, it's a decidedly ODD little song, but that chorus is ludicorusly catchy. I can imagine it soundtracking some kind of campfire pagan ritual.

 

#89 - Frida - Twist In The Dark

 

http://991.com/newGallery/Frida-Twist-In-The-Dark-214274.jpg

 

Post ABBA, Frida's career was a rather odd affair. Her first solo album was a fairly rocky affair masterminded by Phil Collins, yet her 2nd solo album bore no relation to that sound at all. It's all very synthtastic 80's and for the most part utterly throwaway rubbish. I think the general consensus is that this is the weakest post ABBA solo effort from both the girls, but I don't agree. This certainly isn't the last we'll be seeing from Shine at any rate.

 

Anyway, my love for this is about 2/5 ironic - the way she says 'narrow' in the 2nd verse always makes me laugh. Coupled with the bizarre video and her robo-vox it all adds up a very interesting song. There is, of course, a fairly catchy hook in there too which accounts for the other 3/5 of my love.

 

#88 - Agnetha Faltskog - Let It Shine

 

http://www.thorsven.net/BDABBA/Images/dis01056.jpg

 

1987 saw Agnetha release her 3rd English solo album, with a new image and a new, slightly more AC/MoR sound. Let It Shine was to be her last single for many a moon, until 1998's release of 'The Queen Of Hearts' in fact, but it was her last new recording to get the single treatment until she debuted My Colouring Book in 2003.

 

Ever one to be original with her content, Agnetha sings about LOVE, but in the guise of LIGHT. Profound. I'm not one to let such things bother me though and am a sucker for a strong melody and this has just that.

 

#87 - Agnetha Faltskog - Turn The World Around

 

http://image.lyricspond.com/image/a/artist-agnetha-faltskog/album-agnetha-faltskog-thats-me-greatest-hits/cd-cover.jpg

 

Sticking with Agnetha, but this time we're moving backwards a little to 1985 and 'One Way Love' from Eyes Of A Woman. This was the b-side to that single, later included on her 1998 Greatest Hits album 'That's Me'.

 

As with most of her output around this time, it's pure fluff, but of the catchiest variety known to man - SWEDISH POP FLUFF.

 

'The Piper' is FAR too low. :( The melody is absolutely gorgeous, I love the contrast of its delicate sway with the chanting vocals. Although, yes, the chorus does sound like they've gone a bit loopy.

When you have such an amazing back catologue as ABBA, there's always going to be some casualties along the way. Basically everything in this list is an 8/10+. I'm not sure if that highlights how good they are or how lacking in objectivity I am, but it is what it is.

I'm going to chuck this in here because it's the only currently active ABBA topic, hopefully Johnkm won't mind, my review of the deluxe re-release of The Visitors;

 

http://poplovedance.blogspot.co.uk/2012/04...leased-and.html

I'm going to chuck this in here because it's the only currently active ABBA topic, hopefully Johnkm won't mind, my review of the deluxe re-release of The Visitors;

 

http://poplovedance.blogspot.co.uk/2012/04...leased-and.html

 

Nice :D Have you got your copy already? :o Have to disagree with you on Under Attack, I think it's one of their finest, and the chorus is very intricate, to the point that I couldn't work out what the backing vocals were singing for years :lol:

Nice :D Have you got your copy already? :o Have to disagree with you on Under Attack, I think it's one of their finest, and the chorus is very intricate, to the point that I couldn't work out what the backing vocals were singing for years :lol:

 

They sent me a 'review copy' which was basically a link to download it (which I'm forbidden to share, it's watermarked and traceable back to me!) but I already had everything apart from From A Twinkling Star To A Passing Angel on my iPod anyway.

I shant comment too much on the review so as not to spoil anything, but I agree with some/most of it.

#86 - ABBA - My Mama Said

 

http://image.musicimport.biz/sdimages/disk2/547924.jpg

 

So we find ourselves back in 1974 once again. As I've said previously the Waterloo album is largely crap with them trying to expand their sound somewhat from Ring Ring but with the exception of 4/5 tracks failing miserably.

 

Anyway among said worthwhile tracks is this, My Mama Said, which still sees Bjorn taking quite a portion of voxical duties but in an appropriate fashion, playing off against the girls quite nicely. Listening to this in 2012 it does sound VERY of its time, if not even a little dated for even then but there's an undoubtedly strong melody in there and the plinky plonky xylophone (or whatever it is) really WORKS.

 

#85 - Agnetha Fältskog - Zigenarvän

 

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/f/f2/Agnetha2.jpg

 

HEY THERE 1969. The year Man landed on the moon (OR DID THEY?) and it finds dear little teenage Agnetha at the height of her pre-ABBA solo career, now on her 2nd album invenitvely titled Agnetha Fältskog Vol. 2, can you guess what the debut was called? :lol:

 

I have no idea what the song is about really, I haven't even bothered to google translate the title to find out. I can't imagine it would add anything to it. All I need is the melody and the slight sense of lunacy that seems to accompany it (or maybe that's just ME).

 

#84 - ABBA - Bang-A-Boomerang

 

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/e/e2/ABBA_-_Bang-A-Boomerang.jpg

 

Another MF entry, this time in the more then capable hands of Svenne & Lotta, but the ABBA version is still superior (imo). Oddly this was included on their first GH, yet was only ever a single in a handful of territories and barely a HIT anywhere. That said, I think it can more than hold its weight against many of their early singles, it has all the hallmarks of a good ABBA song: key change, all female VOX and a giddy, infectious chorus and melody.

 

#83 - Happy Hawaii (Demo Version of 'Why Did It Have To Me?')

 

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

 

The title as good as says everything that needs to be said really, but what really elevates this above the completed version is that the girls are on vocal duties. I don't dislike every male voiced track, but undoubtedly the girls did it much better. Aside from the melody in the backing track the 2 songs bare little resemblance anyway, this is a lighthearted ditty about a jolly holiday to Hawaii wheras the final version is NOT. Yeah, profound.

 

#82 - ABBA - I Do, I Do, I Do, I Do, I Do

 

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/0/07/IDoIDoIDoIDoIDo.jpg

 

Now I'm far from BIG on saxaphone's in music, especially when it feels totally shoehorned in to give it a 'classic' sound (HEY there Last Friday Night), but this is one case where I can make an exception. The song would be nothing without it really. This is still very much within the realm of schlager-nonsense, but ever so much FUN.

 

#81 - ABBA - So Long

 

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/9/92/So_Long.jpg

 

How best to follow up Waterloo in the UK? That's right - with SO LONG. OR NOT. This was pretty much a flop everywhere outside of Sweden and it isn't difficult to see why really, it's nothing new and not a particularly exciting prospect on first listen. It's a proper grower though and as such took a few years to grow on me to the point it's at now where it falls here at #81.