I was an ABBA fan from the beginning and remain so to this day. When Arrival hit the States in 1977, I was proud to see them turning up on juke boxes in places like the Pizza Hutt in Lebanon, Tennessee. Dancing Queen was the big hit, a song in which a young girl gets out for some innocent fun. ABBA was at the root of the disco-mania of the 1970s even if this fact is not generally recognized in America. Besides being the biggest act western Europe has ever seen, their music penetrated and had a liberalizing effect on the countries of the Soviet bloc. ABBA music is here to stay!
February 21, 2008This is one of the best pop music albums ever produced on this planet. The music of this band is uplifting yet serious at the same time. The vocals are top notch and the song writing is some of the very best. This is ABBA at their prime.
October 30, 2007Everybody knows the hits "Dancing Queen", "Money, Money, Money", "Knowing Me, Knowing You", and "When I Kissed Teacher"...well at least should know. This album has all those four hits! ABBA, two girls and two men sing very good. The girls are lead singers...especially Agnetha but also Ann-Frida is singing lead parts...like in "Money Money Money". I guess this includes the most important ABBA songs excluding "Waterloo" and "Super Trouper". I have always loved this album. Most of the songs are familiar to me. My favourite song is "My Love My Life" which is so touching that sometimes I begin to cry. "Money Money Money" is a dark song, at least lyrically..."If I Could Find Me a Weathy Man...I wouldn't have to work at all...". "Dancing Queen" is maybe the best-known dance pop song ever. I like also the funny "Dum Dum Diddle". It is so great. "Tiger" is so great too..."What If I Eat You...I am the Tiger". "Arrival" is an instrumental song.
Stars: My Love, My Life, Dancing Queen, Money, Money, Money
July 12, 2007 |  | No arrival to the top -- still being there! (4.5 stars) |  |
This album is thirty years old when I am writing this review. It is, if possible, the best ABBA's proper original album to choose when you want just one (but why should you?). And although, being a kid of the 1980's, I was listening to a slightly different version here in Slovakia ("Intermezzo No. 1" instead of "Dancing Queen" and of course no tracks 11 and 12), this still has probably the most palpable ABBA magic in it. In fact, two big hits, "Knowing me, Knowing You" and "Money Money Money" are more than matched by all other tracks here, notably "My Love, My Life" -- one of the most BEAUTIFUL ABBA songs and "Arrival", so profoundly enhanced by Scottish pipes in so great a way to finish an album. Only "Dum Dum Diddle" and "Tiger" are just a little little bit weaker (that's why it's only 9 points for me out of ten). And personally I prefer "Super Trouper" as the most mature and finest of ABBA's. Yet "Arrival" remains the standard by which all melodic hit pop music can be measured. All the more now, when it seems that nothing good and new is going to appear soon.
May 20, 2007 | | Good album...but poor re-mastering | |
I agree with John (from N.Y.), these 24-bit re-masters of the Abba catalogue were a big letdown. In a side by side comparison, the original discs sounded much better than these. The originals were brighter and plenty full; just like the original album sounded.
On the other hand, these 24-bit discs sound slightly muddy and the high end (which includes acoustic guitars and cymbals) are flat or dead sounding thanks to the no-noise solution. My advice, is to save your money and keep your old discs.
April 29, 2007More reviews at Amazon.com ...
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