Abba - ABBA - Gold: Greatest Hits
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Free Music Notes for ABBA - Gold: Greatest Hits
Free Music Review: Overall an uneven pop CD, but with the classics it has and considering it has 19 tracks this is a great buy! For pop fans only
Hit: 5 Stars
ABBA's "Gold: Greatest Hits" collection may be a bit uneven (i.e. not every song is good), but the good songs and the classics it DOES have essentially cancel out the bad tracks. This is especially true considering there's 19 songs here. ABBA was famous in the 70's for being the first real famous band from Sweden. They brought over lovely Swedish pop music which we would come to love and somewhat envy. There's no denying that songs like "Dancing Queen" (which is a guilty pleasure, admittedly) are classic pop songs. The songs sound dated, but in a good way - they're distinctly 70's sounding. The singers (Frida, Agnetha Faltskog and Björn Ulvaeus) are especially soothing and the instrumentation is pretty interesting even if it is, again, dated. Not every track here is as good as the first four ("Dancing Queen", "Knowing Me Knowing You", "Take A Chance On Me" and "Mamma Mia" (this one not as much)), but they're all alright (they get better towards the end). It's not the greatest collection of songs ever (there's only about 8 good-to-great songs and the rest are ok), but you'll still be pretty satisfied with the classics it DOES have. Also, considering it's only $10.00 this is a very good deal! Recommended!
Highlights include:
"Dancing Queen"
"Knowing Me, Knowing You"
"Take A Chance On Me"
"Mamma Mia"
"Super Trouper"
"The Winner Takes It All" (kind of)
"Does Your Mother Know?"
"One Of Us" (sort of)
"The Name Of The Game"
"Waterloo"
Free Music Review: A Timeless Collection of Classic Hits
Hit: 5 Stars
This disc has all of the essential ABBA classics. From the ever-popular "Dancing Queen" to the melodic "Fernando", this CD contains something for every ABBA fan, either the casual or the strong follower. Formed in the early 1970's, ABBA quickly took Europe by storm, but they had some problems establishing themselves in the United States. But with each successive album, ABBA began to develop a very distinct sound that lured listeners in and they quickly began to establish themselves as one of the first successful "prog rock" groups.This fine CD contains all of the songs that people associate with the group. "Dancing Queen" was their most successful single, and it appropriately leads off the disc. And the classics keep coming with "Knowing Me, Knowing You", "Take A Chance On Me", "S.O.S.", "Chiquita", "Fernando", and "Waterloo". Also included is "Does Your Mother Know", the only song where Benny and Bjorn sing lead vocals.
ABBA's trademark throughout the years has always been strong vocals and melodic insturmentals, and each of these qualities is readily evident on this CD. Frida and Agnetha shine on lead vocals, while Benny's and Bjorn's insturmentals and backing vocals give life to each song. I highly recommend this CD. If you are a casual ABBA fan such as myself, you'll get all of the essential tracks on one CD, but more loyal fans will enjoy it as well.
Free Music Review: The Best!!!
Hit: 5 Stars
Greatest Hits albums are, well, great! With all their best songs before you, you pretty much get the best of an artist's entire career. ABBA Gold is no exception, it may in fact be one of the best Greatest Hits albums ever, every song is Gold.1. Dancing Queen - everyone knows and dances to this song.
2. Knowing Me, Knowing You - grows on you.
3. Take a Chance On Me - great dance song.
4. Mamma Mia - the Broadway show took their name from this underrated great.
5. Lay All Your Love On Me - pretty with profound music.
6. Super Trouper - simpler but good for dancing.
7. I Have a Dream - let's all sing!
8. The Winner Takes It All - powerful singing here.
9. Money, Money, Money - a short, funny, catchy song.
10. S.O.S. - like most people say, it's the refrain of this one that gets you.
11. Chiquitita - ONE OF THE BEST THAT DEFINES ABBA!!! starts out pretty and lullaby-ish and suddenly the refrain makes you dance and sing.
12. Fernando - must be Chiquitita's brother.
13. Voulez Vous - go disco!
14. Gimme! Gimme! Gimme! - makes you dance.
15. Does Your Mother Know - tribute to '50's dance ditties. Guys sing it for a change.
16. One of Us - catchy little sing-along.
17. The Name of the Game - serious song
18. Thank You For the Music - simple but grows on you. The grateful tone of the song makes you feel good.
19. Waterloo - good for dancing!
Thank you for the music, ABBA.
Free Music Review: Pop classics to get those toes tapping
Hit: 5 Stars
This collection and its companion (More Abba gold) contain all the essential Abba songs, although they omit some of my favorite album tracks. The biggest hits are generally to be found here, including Dancing queen (a number one in Britain, America and many other countries), Knowing me knowing you, Take a chance on me, Mamma mia, Super trouper, The winner takes it all, Fernando, The name of the game and Waterloo - all of which hit number one in Britain. Abba were much less successful in America, mainly because they did not put much effort into promoting themselves there.Among the other great songs here, I have a dream was number two in Britain for a month (behind Pink Floyd's Another brick in the wall) and was later covered by American gospel singer Cristy Lane.
Most of Abba's songs are upbeat, even when they are singing about sadness, except for The winner takes it all. In that classic song, the emotions are laid bare, perhaps because their own marriages had already ended. Contrast that with Knowing me knowing you, which is also about a relationship break-up, but is more philosophical.
I was never wildly enthusiastic about Chiquitita or Gimmie gimmie gimmie, but it may be because I had such high expectations of Abba at the time those records were released. Still, they were top three hits in Britain, so obviously a lot of people enjoy them.
This is one of the strongest compilations available of my favorite pop group's music.
Free Music Review: POP PERFECTION
Hit: 5 Stars
Like a really good assortment of chocolates, each of the selected tracks on this definitive greatest hits collection is a unique and delicious confection of lush and thoughtful instrumental arrangement coupled with the cosmic marriage of Agnetha's and Frida's harmonies...These harmonies do not just sound like two "separate"voices, however! Instead, as no-one has quite achieved since these recordings were made, in my humble opinion, their vocals combine to form ONE ENTITY in a divine, pure, unpretentious expression of LOVE. Not since the Beatles and the Pet Sounds era of the Beach Boys has music of such exquisite care, such daring, such symphonic power been shared by such a uniquely talented amassing of souls! Elements of rock-n-roll, campfire folk, avant-garde electronica, and classical music have been infused(simultaneously, within each track, mostly! )into these astonishing and well-selected songs whose themes are as universal as the music itself. To further expound upon the "box of chocolates" analogy, in conclusion, like chocolate, this music is at turns, smooth, sweet, bittersweet, and above all, timeless. If one's palette is unfamiliar with ABBA and in need of the rush of a new, exotic spectrum of stay-fresh audioflavors, then may I fervently suggest that one gives ABBA GOLD a whirl for a dose of rich sensory experience?