Album [Original recording remastered, Import]

Abba - The Album [ORIGINAL RECORDING REMASTERED] [EXTRA TRACKS]
~ Abba is one of the best albums abba made. Take a chance on me is one awesome track and the rest of them are also really good. Not as good as super trouper yet it is very good indeed.

Having been an ABBA fan since they busted out with Waterloo in 1974, and owning everything that ABBA ever put out commercially and, er um, on bootleg, ABBA-THE ALBUM is ABBA attempting to come out of the pop and singles-only ARRIVAL sound and move into something that would tell everyone in the world, but especially the American crowd (who never really accepted their musical abilities) that they had more lyrical depth, more engineering and production tricks up their sleeve, that their sometimes sappy vocals could be downright personal and searing, and that they could actually display something other than cold distance in their vocal arrangements. Even though most people associate this album with the hit singles Take A Chance On Me and Name Of The Game, the hidden gem is really Hole In Your Soul, a really rockin' little ditty with a great drum beat, rockier guitar licks, screaming vocals and Agnetha's greatest note she ever sung...who else could sing that scream in the middle section? ABBA was not just a Brit-pop singles phenomenon...they were greatest songwriters and studio-production team since Lennon/Mccartney...selling over 350 million albums worldwide must mean something. And, oh yeah, the movie was a blast to watch. So it didn't have a plot. What movie does nowadays? Put on The Album, turn on your lava lamp, plop down in a bean bag chair and listen to one of the best albums of the 70's!

Two songs that were inspired by the laid back Eagles/Fleetwood Mac sound were "Eagle" and "The Name Of The Game." The former, a number with a slow but steady beat, is overlaid with the signature sound of synths and guitar, and the fluttery synths that A Flock Of Seagulls would use in the intro of "I Ran." The other was another UK #1, but despite the jangling guitars and horns, ABBA seems miscast appropriating that sound.

However, the best song by far is the catchy danceable UK #1/US #3 hit "Take A Chance On Me," with its rapid-sung "take a chance chance" by the men, where I detect feel the "t-k-ch" beat that Bjorn originally got in his head when jogging.

Parts of the ballad "One Man, One Woman" is Eagles-ish, until the synths and the twin harmonies of Agnetha and Frida come in for the chorus. I wonder if this song of a love falling apart but with the assurance that they'll make it through the hard times may have been an indication that the hectic schedule ABBA went through was taking its toll on Bjorn and Agnetha, who would be divorced with the next album, Voulez-Vous.

The country-ish "Move On," featuring a flute, is a nod to experiencing life, going through its journey and moving on to the next experience.

ABBA had made a mini-musical titled "The Girl With The Golden Hair" consisting of a few songs. One of those songs, "Hole In Your Soul," left the musical, and its slamming frantic rocking Elton John sound, kind of like "The B-tch Is Back," doesn't fit the musical's sound. One of the better tracks here.

Two versions of "Thank You For The Music" are on here--a more contemporary arrangement, for the Golden Hair musical, and another where Agnetha based on vocal style on Doris Day. In this song, the title girl reveals that she's a born star and seeks to share her gifts with the rest of the world by being a star. With the ballad "I Wonder," she actually leaves her town, only to be trapped in stardom in the frantic swirling orchestra of "I'm A Marionette."

ABBA slightly falters with this selection, as the US sound doesn't suit them too well, but it did them good in the US, as it sold very well there. As a result, the album is merely good, not great. Rank this slightly above Waterloo and below Voulez-Vous.