ABBA, good or bad?

[Rakido]

Europeans have BIZARRE taste in music by any standards I'm familiar with. I mean, that's where trance/house/beat/stomp/drek originated. Nnn-tss! Nnn-tss! Nnn-tss! Over and over. Never heard it here until they brought it over.

Wait until "Schnappi - The little crocodile" enter your charts ... you'll immediately start to like nn-tss's

About Abba: This "best band in europe concept" started way after they split in the middle of the 90's, when all these "Best of 70's, 80's" compilations started to pop up everywhere.


R.

[schmosef]

Who or what is ABBA?

Grandpa doesn't get our music.

Rock 'n Roll is about Freedom, man! Freedom doesn't require a degree in Musicology!

Seriously, I think the difference between classical music and modern music is that classical music, at its best, evokes a new feeling in the listener whereas modern music expresses an existing feeling.

The transitory nature of an existing feeling causes the significance of a modern song to diminish rapidly as it loses its ability to express the ever changing feelings of the listening public. That doesn't in any way reduce the significance of a song's impact as a reflection of a particular point in time.

Classical music doesn't expire because it teaches more than it expresses.

One type is not inherently better than the other.

[schmosef]

P.S. I hate Waterloo too. Right now my favourite ABBA song is "On And On And On". Although from experience I probably owe my loyaly to "Dancing Queen"--that song should be renamed to "Panty Remover".

[Umfriend]

Yes, ABBA were a great name in the chart business. The thing is, that 80% or so that is bad still looks good compared to the other disco bands that had 90% bad songs and produced fewer songs to boot. I never liked them.

I know of very, very few bands that were able to produce at least one album that had only good songs (not just listenable, good), let alone more (Joy Division, Talk Talk/Mark Hollis, Genesis (PG era) come to mind).

Although a bit OT, I can fully symphatise with KVHs comment on being pissed off by album with two or three great songs and the rest just space onsumming bullcrap.

[Gurm]

That's the problem nowadays. Ok, it used to be that a band got signed, and put almost all their good tunes on the first record. You want another record? Need some more tunes.

Nowadays, let's say that a band actually has talent. That's rare enough. They'll show up with 12 songs. The record label will insist that they spread those 12 good songs out over 5 albums. What will they fill the album with, then? Covers, songs written by some studio musician, guestwritten songs, or their b-material. And then the record label wonders why people feel ripped off by the album.

[Umfriend]

The record label will insist that they spread those 12 good songs out over 5 albums.

Is that a fact or just a suspicion?

[jms]

Schmosef:

If you like a-ha you should also get your hands on some of Morten Harket's solo albums, especially Wild Seed.

Jan

[Umfriend]

Schmosef:

If you like a-ha you should also get your hands on some of Morten Harket's solo albums, especially Wild Seed.

Jan

At the same time, if one likes a-ha, one should get examined.

OK, just kidding, but I do turn to another channel when they're played on the radio, which is like never lickilly.

[jms]

At the same time, if one likes a-ha, one should get examined.

OK, just kidding, but I do turn to another channel when they're played on the radio, which is like never lickilly.

Funny man. Who grew up in the 80's and didn't listen to a-ha? F*ck I've even liked Return with 'The final countdown'. Now that's sick

Jan

[Umfriend]

I grew up in the 80's and didn't listen to a-ha. Avoided it at all cost. Same for that ****ing countdown which was way way better than anything I've ever heard from a-ha.

[schmosef]

@jms, thanks for the suggestion. I'll look out for his work.

I know the song 'The Final Countdown' as coming from a band called 'Europe'. Is that what you're talking about? That song was big in the early 80s.

[schmosef]

@Umf, Genesis had some good albums in the PC era too. Duke comes to mind. So do Invisible Touch and Genesis. I like all the songs on each of those. Their other albums were mostly good. I hate PC's new stuff. Their one album post PC is good too.

[jms]

Ah yes, it was Europe. Been trying to forget it ever since. Guess it worked

[Paddy]

Ah yes, it was Europe. Been trying to forget it ever since. Guess it worked

madness - one step beyond

[Kurt]

then you go burnin down the house...