It aint trendy....it's Abba!!

Jackson Monk · Post by **Jackson Monk** » Thu Nov 13, 2003 4:08 pm

I crashed my car into a telegraph pole the other day. As a consequence, I had to take the family away for the planned weekend in a very small courtesy car. No CD player - just cassettes.

I haven't bought, or recorded on tape for some time, so I rummaged (great word that) through an old tape box and found Abba Gold. Great one for the girls I thought. They take to melody very quickly (big Olivers Army fans!).

Anyway, I bunged it in the tape player halfway down the M5 motorway and within 30 minutes, i realised what great singles they made and how prolific they were. Ok, so there was the occasional sickly mistake (I have a Dream, Does Your Mother Know etc) but most of the rest were great - esp the break-up songs. Here is my Abba top 5:

1. Knowing Me, Knowing You
2. SOS
3. One of Us
4. Mamma Mia
5. The Day before you came

Honorary mentions to loads of others.

mood swung · Post by **mood swung** » Thu Nov 13, 2003 4:36 pm

head injuries are hell, aren't they?

Post by **spooky girlfriend** » Thu Nov 13, 2003 4:45 pm

Sorry about the car crash man. I've been hit twice this year - neither time was my fault. But I've always loved ABBA. Good on you. They're really pretty great, although I know there are those that would argue.

Glad you're alive and well

but sorry you were having to listen to a cassette player.

Post by **BlueChair** » Thu Nov 13, 2003 4:48 pm

When RedShoes and I were in Ireland the car we rented didn't have a CD player, and we had no tapes. Eventually we found a store with a decent tape collection and we picked up Paul McCartney's Run Devil Run and Lou Reed's Transformer. By the end of our trip, we probably listened to each of the albums about 15-20 times.

Elfslut · Post by **Elfslut** » Thu Nov 13, 2003 6:06 pm

There are some really lovely ABBA tunes...Benny and Bjorn are very underrated as far as songwriters are concerned.

My favs

Winner Takes It All
Fernando
Me and I
SuperTrooper
Take a Chance on Me..

so lacklustre · Post by **so lacklustre** » Thu Nov 13, 2003 6:16 pm

Elfslut - Have you ever been in a car crash?

RedShoes · Post by **RedShoes** » Thu Nov 13, 2003 6:31 pm

BlueChair wrote:When RedShoes and I were in Ireland the car we rented didn't have a CD player, and we had no tapes. Eventually we found a store with a decent tape collection and we picked up Paul McCartney's Run Devil Run and Lou Reed's Transformer. By the end of our trip, we probably listened to each of the albums about 15-20 times.

Yes, and now Lou Reed will always remind me of Ireland. And now Abba will always remind you of your weekend trip, Jackson

Jackson Monk · Post by **Jackson Monk** » Thu Nov 13, 2003 6:46 pm

For the record (!), Abba Gold is one of Elvis's essential 500 albums

Elfslut · Post by **Elfslut** » Thu Nov 13, 2003 7:05 pm

Yes it is...I one of their albums might have made his 24 hours of music too...

That was such a great article...

I had to write my own afterwards

so lacklustre · Post by **so lacklustre** » Thu Nov 13, 2003 7:10 pm

So that's it then? EC likes Abba so they must be cool.

Post by **spooky girlfriend** » Thu Nov 13, 2003 7:14 pm

Well, he did quote ABBA on WIWC.

Elfslut · Post by **Elfslut** » Thu Nov 13, 2003 10:31 pm

I've liked Abba since Erasure did the covers EP in the early 90's

Whether or not EC thinks there cool..makes no never mind to me..

Loved the musical Mamma Mia too..and Chess..which was written by Benny, Bjorn and Tim Rice...

I happen to think they wrote some very nice pop songs..

noiseradio · Post by **noiseradio** » Thu Nov 13, 2003 11:23 pm

I love Oliver's Army, but I still don't like ABBA. For those that do, dance on, Dancing Queens.

Jackson Monk · Post by **Jackson Monk** » Fri Nov 14, 2003 1:43 am

so lacklustre wrote:So that's it then? EC likes Abba so they must be cool.

No, not really my point Mr Goon, although I appreciate that it may have appeared to be. The point was that they have been appreciated by many others who have not suffered head injuries!!

Personally, I think that the songs would have benefitted from rougher, more stripped down production without all that sugar - Elvis (a la Specials/Squeeze) would have been the man for the job.

For the record Noise, I hate Dancing Queen and I can't dance.

Jackson Monk · Post by **Jackson Monk** » Fri Nov 14, 2003 1:47 am

Forgot to add my new signature...

PlaythingOrPet · Post by **PlaythingOrPet** » Fri Nov 14, 2003 4:37 am

I've loved Abba since playing my brother's vinyl copy of ARRIVAL for the first time. Must have been about 7 or 8. You see, this will always be remembered because he was and still is ridiculously protective over his music collection so it was a momentous occasion when I sneaked it out of his bedroom without him knowing.

For every Dum Dum Diddle there are numerous Take A Chance On Me's. I can't believe anyone not liking them.

ReadyToHearTheWorst · Post by **ReadyToHearTheWorst** » Fri Nov 14, 2003 4:56 am

Jackson Monk wrote: ... I hate Dancing Queen and I can't dance.

A fond memory:

Saturday morning kids TV show, many moons ago (presented by Sandy Toksvig, if I remember rightly).
Jimmy Somerville singing 'I am the Dancing Queen'.

Priceless.

lapinsjolis · Post by **lapinsjolis** » Fri Nov 14, 2003 5:09 am

Jackson Monk-I hope you are alright. So sorry about the telephone pole. Sans head injury I have a long standing affection for ABBA.

Two ABBA memories within the last week:

Singing 'Knowing Me, Knowing You' to a man as we gazed at the moonlit sea. He turned and looked deeply into my eyes and said, "I don't like this song."

After a very strong Irish coffee singing 'Dancing Queen' in the parking lot of the restaurant.

Jackson Doofster · Post by **Jackson Doofster** » Fri Nov 14, 2003 10:05 am

Lapins: I am in very fine health thanks. Sadly the very staid 'children carrier' was not so lucky and is still awaiting repair. Even more tragically, my own more sporty vehicle is without a clutch and the best quote is £300

Should dig out my bike!

verbal gymnastics · Post by **verbal gymnastics** » Fri Nov 14, 2003 10:29 am

Jackson Doofster wrote:Lapins: I am in very fine health thanks.

Glad to hear it JD - what happened - did the telegraph pole jump out on you?

Jackson Doofster wrote: Sadly the very staid 'children carrier' was not so lucky and is still awaiting repair...Should dig out my bike!

It might be a bit difficult to balance the children whilst riding. And what about poor Mrs JD - what's she gonna do?

mood swung · Post by **mood swung** » Fri Nov 14, 2003 12:20 pm

do you have to pay for the telephone pole? A friend had a wreck in a national park and he had to pay for damage to the rocks he hit. when I can't sleep, I think about how they came up with a figure to charge him.