ABBA - Gold: Greatest Hits Reviews

• Songs You Didnt Know You Liked...The ABBA Enigma

  
  By A2P38ZB5A0XH16 on 2000-08-03
  I was in high school when most of ABBA's work was originally released. At that time, no one considered cool would have admitted to enjoying stuff like this. All the cool people I knew were listening to Lynyrd Skynrd and Bachman Turner Overdrive. Now, all these years later, it is at last safe for me to admit I love these songs.

  There is a whole new generation of kids listening (or perhaps pretending not to listen) to ABBA's music as interpreted by the new Swedish group, the A-Teens. I must say, I'll have to stick with these originals. If you think you need only one silly seventies pop-dance album, this may be the one for you.

  Most of ABBA's songs are syrupy sweet with a dance-able swaying thump in the background, ala Dancing Queen, Fernando, Knowing Me, Knowing You. I love them all. I can never quite decide whether these are smirky camp or absolutely serious, but perhaps that is part of the appeal. The enigma of ABBA.

  What surprised me, revisiting some of the early songs, like SOS and Waterloo, is the almost rock and roll feel. The beat is harder and faster before the group went completely disco.

  Still, I think if ABBA has a live-forever pop classic, it has to be Dancing Queen, which has pride of place here as the first track. This really sums up everything you need to know about Pop.
  
  

• Lively, Cheerful, Occasionally Thoughtful

  
  By A26TSW6AI59ZCV on 2003-01-26
  I am the right age to have known ABBA in its early years, but I didn't. I've always been out of synchrony with music trends, but I enjoy what I enjoy, when I enjoy it. I "discovered" ABBA in the late twentieth century (Man, that makes me feel old!), and still enjoy them. At first, they come off as "ear candy, and a few of their songs are just pretty fluff, but an examination of the lyrics (yes, there are real words accompanying that powerful beat and those lush melodies) shows that there is some depth there. Not always, but more often than you might think, and not always where one might expect it.
  
  "Dancing Queen" - Okay, I just talked about depth, but then we start with one of the fluffier songs. It does create the image that some girls have of being the star at a big dance, but there is little depth beyond that. This one has a high cotton-candy factor: very sweet, but too much can give you a stomachache (look at the word, "stomachache," as it's a strange word, just to look at).
  
  "Knowing Me, Knowing You" - Well, here we get a bit more meaning. This one, to me, is all about picking one's partners in Life carefully. That might not be profound, but it is a good idea to include in a song. The melody is fairly rich for this song, and the beat is fairly strong. A lively song.
  
  "Take A Chance On Me" - This is a very lively song with lyrics that should be taken with a grain of salt, as that "take a chance on me" statement implies potential danger (otherwise, why would someone need encouragement like that?). A good song, though.
  
  "Mamma Mia" - This one is lively and fun and good to dance to and lively and fun. I don't see the lyrics as having a lot of meaning to them, but the song did inspire a musical, so I guess that some people see an important story in there. To me, it's just a good fun song.
  
  "Lay All Your Love On Me" - Like "Take a Chance on Me", this is a good song, that has the message of "I want you to love me, but be careful, as that is a risky thing to do." Here, though, the risks are more clearly stated, as is the challenge to try love anyway. An interesting song, with a good beat and a good melody.
  
  "Super Trouper" - This one has a powerful beat and a good melody. The lyrics are nothing fancy, but it does make me wants to sing along, and it is very cheerful.
  
  "I Have A Dream" - This happy song is an ode to optimism and an anthem for the cheerful people of the world, set to pleasant music, and featuring nice, clear vocals. It reminds me, in its spirit, of "The Happy Wanderer".
  
  "The Winner Takes It All" - Is this Donald Trump's theme song? No, I guess that would be "Money, Money, Money". This one talks about taking chances, and the concept of "nothing ventured, nothing gained." Risk-taking is something that we all have to think about, as a risk untaken is an opportunity lost, but that opportunity might have been a path to disaster, too.
  
  "Money, Money, Money" - Now, we have Trump's anthem. It might seem out-of-place on this generally upbeat album, but I think its superficially-jaded message is really a lampooning of greed. It's not one of my favorite songs here, but it's good.
  
  "S.O.S." - Oh, this is one of my favorites! The music flows richly, the beat is good, and the message is a simple and strong one: "We had it good, it's gone now, I don't know what went wrong, and I want to know what the heck happened!"
  
  "Chiquitita" - This one makes me want to not only sing along, but to march! The melody is rich, the vocals are great, the beat is powerful, and the lyrics are inspiring. A+
  
  "Fernando" - For me, this is the best of the album. Not only do I love the sad melody and the rich vocals, but the lyrics are packed with meaning. Even though I have never been much of a rebel, this song clearly conveys the idea of "We might have failed, but the attempt was worth it, because our cause was just." Wow.
  
  "Voulez Vous" - This one is what it is: a powerful, primal invitation to love. The beat is strong, the melody is pretty rich, and the message is simple and straightforward.
  
  "Gimme! Gimme! Gimme! (A Man After Midnight)" - On the surface, this one seems like it's redundant with "Voulez Vous", but listen to the lyrics. While "Voulez Vous" is wanton and reckless, hedonism distilled, "Gimme! Gimme! Gimme! (A Man After Midnight)" is something different. It has a powerful, almost primal beat, and a whirlwind melody, but the lyrics are not about sex and impulsive love, but about safety, security, and keeping away the shadows, the evil of the night. This might be the deepest song of the album.
  
  "Does Your Mother Know" - A catchy, upbeat tune, but it seems to lack the magic of the others. My least favorite of this bunch.
  
  "One Of Us" - Okay, we had something, it's gone now, and I don't like losing what we had. Nothing complex there, but well-stated in this song.
  
  "The Name Of The Game" - "Nobody else has figured me out, but you did, so what do I need to do to make this work?" That's the message here -- another invitation to a potentially risky relationship. Not the best song here, but not bad.
  
  "Thank You For The Music" - I like this one. ABBA is thanking their fans, thanking each other, thanking God, for their success; that's how I interpret this catchy song. Fun, and good to sing along with.
  
  "Waterloo" - A strong beat, a good melody, good vocals, very upbeat. Not their most profound song, but it closes out the album on a fun note.
  
  If you're unfamiliar with ABBA, Wikipedia has a good description of them. They are from Sweden, they were active from 1972 to 1982, their music was a mix of pop and disco, and the four members were: Benny Anderson, Bjorn Ulvaeus, Agnetha Faltskog (who married Bjorn Ulvaeus in 1971), and Anni-Frid "Frida" Lyngstad.
  
  

• Excellent Pop

  
  By A2AOZQ3WTNVVOK on 2002-10-17
  It would be easy for me to give any Abba CD less than 5 stars, if you consider their music in comparison to all rock music. However, if you consider their music in comparison to all pop, the rating must be different. Abba didn't create good pop, they created excellent pop. Bennie and Bjorn could churn out one catchy tune after another, and Agnetha and Frida could sing in harmony well enough that those of us that watched them on tv fell in love instantly and became immediate Abba fans.

  This CD collects the majority of Abba's biggest hits, though they may have been hits in Germany or England or the United States. I know that when I bought this CD (which I purchased after "More Abba Gold" - which I'll talk about momentarily) I recognized nearly every song, which says that most of them did get good airplay.

  Most of these songs are classic 70s pop songs, with very little if any disco influence. And while most of the songs are catchy and do little to press the boundaries of rock music, there are a few songs that transcend the genre. Most particularly "Lay All Your Love On Me", "I Have a Dream", "Fernando", "One of Us", and "Thank You for the Music", which in hindsight is the group's goodbye and thank you to fans.

  I enjoy Abba's music. It's generally easy on the ears, you can sing or hum it, and pretty darn well written. However, Abba is much more than the music on this CD. If you like this CD you may want to try "More Abba Gold", which has miscellaneous hits of somewhat lower stature (less sales) than those on this CD. While the "More Abba Gold" CD songs sold less than these, I think the music is more complex in some cases, and often shows that Abba was more than just catchy tunes. One step further would be to buy the albums and catch Abba as they were originally released and appreciated by those of us who bought their albums.

  Yes, it's a bit of nostalgia from the 70s and early 80s. It's music we heard so often on the radio, and perhaps even more often on our record players (that thing that plays those round black plastic thingies with the grooves on each side). It's takes us back to a fun time when maybe life was just a little less complicated. And yes, it's very listenable and among the best of pop music...go have fun listening...
  
  

• THANK YOU FOR THE MUSIC!

  
  By A2R6RA8FRBS608 on 2006-05-14
  Abba's music is electric, vibrant and fresh despite the passage of time. The group, as Amazon so correctly points out, had a special versatility that enabled them to produce many different types of songs. There's the classic "Dancing Queen" that almost everybody recognizes as being distinctly Abba with their 1970's pop sound; but there's also the rock and roll style of "Does Your Mother Know." "Does Your Mother Know" is just one of the many songs on this CD that has a great musical arrangement as well.
  
  Abba was also very capable of capturing the intensity of one's feelings about love affairs and romance. I enjoyed how they compared a romance to Napoleon's infamous battle with their song entitled "Waterloo." "The Winner Takes It All" also captures the intense bitterness of a lost romance. They sing of other universal themes such as the quest to become rich ""Money, Money, Money" and the sheer delight of celebrating love without ties with "Gimme! Gimme! Gimme! (A Man After Midnight)."
  
  "Lay All Your Love On Me" has a beautifully haunting disco flavor that deserves recognition all on its own. Powerful! The musical arrangement is strikingly beautiful and very sensitively delivered. I also particularly enjoyed the somewhat autobiographical song entitled "Thank You For The Music." The lyrics are very well written:
  
  I'm nothing special; in fact I'm a bit of a bore
  If I tell a joke, you've probably heard it before
  But I have a talent, a wonderful thing
  'cause everyone listens when I start to sing
  I'm so grateful and proud
  All I want is to sing it out loud
  
  So I say
  Thank you for the music, the songs I'm singing
  Thanks for all the joy they're bringing
  Who can live without it, I ask in all honesty
  What would life be?
  Without a song or a dance what are we?
  So I say thank you for the music
  For giving it to me
  
  Although some people may be tempted to say that the lyrics to Abba songs are just too sugary sweet to be enjoyable; I for one disagree. There is a refreshing honesty to the lyrics that reminds me of a naivet? I myself once had and lost when I learned some painful lessons along the way in my life. That nostalgia probably helps me enjoy Abba's music even more; and I would imagine that at least some other people would feel the same way that I do.
  
  One note: if you want longer "dance" versions of some of these songs, you'll be disappointed here. The CD gives you 19 songs so there's not much time for longer versions. That's a minus, admittedly, but this CD remains quite strong anyway. Hey, the proof is in the pudding: despite being released years ago, the CD is still a big seller! SMILE
  
  The quality of the sound is excellent and the song set is nicely laid out.
  
  The liner notes are excellent. John Tobler contributes an extensive essay about the history of the group that also includes some information about their personal lives. The liner notes include song credits, pictures of the covers of their record albums and quite a few nice color pictures of the group. You won't get the lyrics to the songs, though.
  
  All in all, this is an awesome CD for Abba fans as well as people who want to get to know Abba. I would also recommend this CD for fans of great pop music with a 1970's flavor to it. Try this CD--you won't be disappointed.
  
  
  

• Uncool? Not anymore!

  
  By A2WLZD9BY669HY on 2000-09-16
  I also was in Jr. High School and High School when Abba was cranking out top 10 hits. In those days I snuck into the record shop and hid my Abba albums under the cover of Led Zeppelin and then ditched the Zeppelin at the check out counter. It was imperative to hide your face while purchasing Abba albums. They were that uncool. To admit you loved Abba in geometry class was to court disaster and be ostracized for the rest of your life.

  Such nonsense mattered as a 14 year old, now I can openly say Abba's music is wonderful and their arrangements were as innovative as anything coming out of the 70's. It is simply impossible to listen to Dancing Queen or Take a Chance on Me and not want to hear the songs again and again. The vocal intricacies on Take a Chance are equal to the harmonies on most Beach Boys records. How about Waterloo? Three minutes of the most pulsing, catchy music ever put on a disc.

  Abba's music sounds better today than it ever did, particularly when you know what dreck was produced by other bands in the intervening years. They might not have been Dylanesque lyrically, but few have ever written songs with such clever hooks, bridges and infectious rhythm. Thirty years after the fact, the impossible has happened: Abba has finally become cool!
  
  

• ABBA Platinum
  By A2WVR8QV8X7HWG on 2000-04-22
  Gold is an impressive and valuable mineral. But the most impressive and enduring of all is platinum and for that reason alone, this album should be retitled for future editions.

  It is almost superfluous trying to review a body of the "greatest" work from arguably the best pop-act the music world has ever known. How do you evaluate a collection of songs that has seeped into the consciousness of pretty much anyone who was around in the mid to late 70's and which continues to impress even the most cynical music listener today?

  The best that you can do is merely to remember the exhiliration on first hearing the soaring strings and harmonies of "Dancing Queen" and not quite believing a song could sound so beautiful. Or to recall the moment you thought you might stop breathing as you listened to the aching resignation and almost gorgeous pain in "The Winner Takes it all". Or to decribe the marvel when you first recognised the maturity and balance contained in the mini-opus "The name of the game". Or maybe to smile at the day you knew you had died and gone to pop heaven whilst being serenaded with the delightful suggestiveness of "If you change your mind, I'm the first in line, Honey I'm still free, take a chance on me". And I could go on in similar vein with and each and every one of the remaining tracks.

  "ABBA Gold" is a only a sample of music that has transcended time and genres and (now it can be said) generations. A souvenir if you like of the joy and fun and the sheer brilliance of being alive which was contained in just about all of ABBA's 3 to 4 minute pop gems.

  Hyperbole and exaggeration? Maybe. But the fact remains that ABBA's music and genius continues to impress people and critics all over the world with its timeless simplicity and complexity, its technical brilliance and a mastery of that most essential element of all great songs - the "hook". Add to that the glorious sounds of Agnetha and Frida harmonising together (every time) and you know that ABBA will never be bettered.

  The real point to buying this album is not to be reminded of the days when a pop song could be equally sublime and fun nor to confirm in one sitting that ABBA were (and are) the absolute masters of songwriting and singing the perfect tune. The real point of this collection should be to lead you to discover the wealth of treasures contained in ABBA's lesser known albums and album tracks.
  
  

• Re-Mix, not Greatest Hits
  By A1061TQURU01DK on 2003-12-02
  I recently bought the ABBA Gold Greatest Hits CD and something just doesn't sound right! I have the original recordings on LP and 45, so I have a reference other than memory. Someone has done some serious re-mixing on this compilation. It almost sounds like they are singing in a living room with overstuffed chairs. The rhythm track sounds like someone beating on a plastic garbage can with a broom. The originals had heavy compression on the vocals and lush reverb which was an integral part of the ABBA sound. It sounds like in this version they are using some sort of noise gate on the vocals, because they tend to unnaturally disappear between syllables. I was amazed that of all the 173+ reviews only one shared my disappointment with this compilation from a technical standpont. I certainly agree with that review. that "the new (1993) version is extremely boring and in no way reproduces the musical excitement of the real ABBA from the 70s and 80s." The recordings, as originally released, were masterpieces that did not need to be "improved upon".The A-Teens recordings sound closer to the originals in terms of production technique than this collection does.-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ONE YEAR LATER, November 26, 2004..... I wrote my original review of ABBA Gold back on December 2, 2003, and my opinion of it has not changed. It does not sound like the original ABBA recordings, even though Michael Tretow, the original recording engineer produced this CD. I have gained some insight into the magic Michael Tretow put into the original mixes. I recently purchased The Winner Takes it All (The ABBA Story) DVD. Michael talks about doubling up the instruments and the vocals to make the recordings sound bigger than life. The doubled instruments and voices were also changed in pitch slightly to enhance the sound. If you listen closely to the original ABBA vinyl recordings, you can hear this chorusing effect. The sound is sort of like a choir of angels singing along with the 4 ABBA vocalists. This effect is lacking on the ABBA Gold CD, where the vocals tend to get lost in the mix, particularly low listening levels. It has nothing to do with some special ethereal quality of phonograph records versus compact discs. ABBA Gold is a re-mix. It is nearly impossible to duplicate all of the aspects of the original mix, a decade and a half later. I wonder if the original 2-track mix tapes that were sent to the record pressing plant are still in a vault somewhere. It would be wonderful if they could be put on CD. You think ABBA Gold is good? The original mix on CD would blow you away!
  
  
• Perfect Pop That Will Last Forever
  By A3JI6QN6EVXQKW on 2000-07-13
  AN OPEN LETTER TO THE MEMBERS OF ABBA AND THEIR MANY FANS: I am telling you that this album represents an excellent jump-off point for some of the greatest popular music of all time. BOY, I'm not kidding. The sheer craftsmanship and joy with which this music was created and performed is plain to hear. The songs of ABBA are as fresh sounding and as darn good now as they were 20-plus years ago. This is perfect pop music that deserves even more acclaim now than then; for we live in an era that is a desert of creativity where pop music is concerned. It should be songs that matter and freshness of melody. My God, if you are new to the joys of ABBA, then enter their world with this fine compilation and you'll forever thank them for the music. Such is the power of their music and vocal performance that even an old metalhead like me can have his head turned by `SOS', `THE NAME OF THE GAME', `FERNANDO' or `DANCING QUEEN'. And that's just for starters. There are many like me who wait, hopefully not in vain, for a limited set of celebratory/farewell concerts someday soon. Will Agnetha, Bjorn, Frida and Benny take the stage at least one or two more times, to say adios to the people who love them so much? A concert broadcast to a world that so richly rewarded them, but took so much from them as well? My dear Agnetha, how you must have hurt so, consumed by the business you were in for so much of your life. Would I be insulting your intelligence if I asked, do you realize just how much so many people love you? Will you one day rejoin your former partners, if only briefly? You're all still young enough with all your considerable gifts still intact. I am not alone in believing this. If we want you wonderful people back it's not for selfish nostalgia. We want to celebrate with you. And would we ever!
  
  
• 24k
  By AB9WCN34TY8CV on 2003-06-12
  I know it is common these days to downplay the quality of Abba --people sometimes give me funny looks when I say that I am a fan. But I am a fan! This collection of their music, the basic "greatest hits" of Abba, is played often in my CD player. All of the songs are familiar, and all have a certain quality to them that is unique and interesting. Many have tried to imitate them, and that by itself speaks of their popular appeal. Perhaps their greatest hit is "Dancing Queen", that I have heard on sitcoms and commercial backings and movie scenes and a lot more for decades now. Other songs like "Lay all your love on me" and "SOS" are used frequently too. Movies like "Muriel's Wedding", an off-beat Australian film, highlights the songs you will find on this CD, and the British pop group Erasure did a tribute album to some of their songs, showing how dance-oriented they can be. Of course, there have been other remakes and tributes to Abba, too, and they often come from this source -- the songs on this album.

  One drawback would be that a few songs I like are missing, like "When all is said and done." That is due more to the limitations of the amount of music that fits on a CD.

  This is a GREAT album!
  
  

• Even This Metalhead Needs His ABBA Fix Sometimes :)
  By AW3FTPCBPVQNB on 2002-01-27
  Yep, I was one of those 10-11 year old kids who loved disco when it was popular, and then totally rejected it by the time I was 13 (okay, maybe 14). But during when this music was at its peak in 1977-78, there were very few bands that I liked more than this fab foursome from Sweden, who at the time just happened to be one of the most popular in the world.

  As some reviewers have mentioned, there was a certain naivete` about ABBA that was so appealing back then. Part of it was that their music was upbeat without being too silly. Another part of it was the gorgeous vocal harmonies between lead singers Agnetha and Frida. Now that I've come full-circle to appreciate the 70's disco I grew up on, as well as the 80's metal and 90's grunge and industrial that I've grown into, I can say that nothing quite brings back the way I felt in my early double-digit days more than putting on GOLD, the definitive ABBA greatest-hits CD.

  The CD begins with their first U.S. #1 hit "Dancing Queen", the song that broke them into mega-stardom. Relentlessly upbeat, this song helped define the disco era. It all ends with their very first U.S. (and international) hit "Waterloo", which they recorded back in 1973, and showed that they were upbeat even before there was disco. In between are 70's classics like "Fernando", "Mamma Mia" (which was so well-utilized in the wonderful film THE ADVENTURES OF PRISCILLA, QUEEN OF THE DESERT), "Money, Money, Money", "Take A Chance On Me" (during which is impossible to resist the urge to toe-tap), and "Knowing Me, Knowing You" (Ah-ha!). There are some 70's curios like "Gimme! Gimme! Gimme! (A Man After Midnight)", "Does Your Mother Know", and "S.O.S." but even these are entertaining. There are even some early-'80's gems like "Super Trouper" and "The Winner Takes It All" (which is probably the greatest disco-love-ballad ever).

  Listen, I don't listen to this CD often, and it is in fact the only ABBA CD I own. But, every once in a while, maybe every 3-4 months, I need to hear some of this music. And if that's what you need to do too, then I think you need to get this CD. 'Cause if it's an ABBA fix you need, then there isn't another CD you can get that can satisfy it as well as ABBA GOLD! :)
  
  

• Extremely pleased with this CD
  By A1CDZM5YMB61PD on 2003-06-24
  ABBA was formed in 1972 by four great Swedish musicians (Agnetha Fältskog, Björn Ulvaeus, Benny Andersson and Anni-Frid "Frida" Lyngstad - ABBA, get it?). Featuring wonderful vocals and bouncing instrumentation, plus enjoyable (if somewhat lightweight) lyrics, the group shot to international stardom, dominating charts around the world until their final breakup in 1982. This album was put together in 1993, and contains many of ABBA's most memorable tunes. As an added bonus, the paperwork contains a short history of the group, plus many colorful pictures.

  Overall, I am extremely pleased with this CD, and highly recommend it to everyone! By they way, I used this CD to introduce my own children to ABBA, and now they walk around singing some of the same songs that I did at their age!
  
  

• Great CD
  By A3ADUOVTY3TIRU on 2005-05-20
  This collection and the next one(More Abba gold) has all the essential Abba songs, although they leave out some of my favorite album tracks. The biggest hits are here, including Dancing queen , 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,I have a dream,and Chiquitita.
  ABBA's songs have a great beat and are energetic.
  This is a must have to your CD collection.
  
  
• Pure Pop Defined
  By A2VN986E5KR1NV on 2005-08-23
  During the 1970s and early 80s, the Swedish band ABBA created irresistable pop songs and dominated sales and airplay charts around the world. Their success in the USA, while large, gives no indication of the incredible phenomena they were across the globe.
  
  With GOLD, listeners can remember why ABBA was so huge. Granted, it's all amazingly sugary, but behind those crystalline harmonies, bouncy rhythms, lush arrangements, and gorgeous melodies, there is a measurable sense of melancholy that pervades many of the lyrics. This blending of joy and pathos proved unstoppable for the group, and though ABBA eventually disbanded, their songs keep rolling along.
  
  GOLD is jam-packed with one killer tune after another. "Dancing Queen" with its huge piano runs gets the steamroller off to a roaring start, all happiness and light. But the sadness creeps in with "Knowing Me, Knowing You," belied by the breathy "a-haaas" that punctuate the tale of inevitable breakup. The delightful vocal arrangement of "Take a Chance on Me" may have been the best of their career. "Mama Mia" nearly overdoses on sweetness, which is followed by the entrancing "Lay All Your Love on Me."
  
  Once "Super Trouper" gets in your head, it will NEVER leave. Days later, you will be bouncing around singing, "Soo-pah-pah, troo-pah-pah," and you won't care. The lyrics are a bit overwrought on "I Have a Dream," but its sung so convincingly and affectingly...and there go those gorgeous melodies again...that it works somehow. "The Winner Takes it All" is genuinely devastating; an incredibly beautiful and heartbreaking slice of Europop.
  
  "Money Money Money" and "S.O.S." are patented ABBA repeating phrase songs...they will have you chanting along if you're not careful. The rollicking piano-based "Chiquitita" plays like a classic folk song, with its soaring, memorable chorus. ABBA continues in the folk vein with the great, lovely story classic, "Fernando."
  
  Then, they dabble in a heady Eurodisco/rock fusion with "Voulez-Vous," "Gimme Gimme Gimme," and the mildly disturbing "Does Your Mother Know?" ABBA returns to classic balladry with "One of Us" before delivering the memorable, moody, simmering, and superb "The Name of the Game."
  
  "Thank You for the Music" is a bit of a show-tune, but again, so beautiful and sincere that you forgive the cheese quotient. The CD closes with the rousing, crackling, swinging "Waterloo," which got their career rolling back in 1974.
  
  This CD is a roller coaster ride, not in terms of quality, but it terms of mood and theme. It all holds together, and it delivers one thrill after the next. Sing along...you know you want to.
  
  
• ABBA Rules
  By A3HLACX448YQ3M on 2006-03-22
  FIRST- Of note to people who are obsessed with track length (as I am) is the fact that two songs (Voulez Vous & The Name of the Game) are somewhat shorter than their album versions
  
  I thought I would do it track by track:
  1. Dancing Queen (3:52) - probably the best-known song on this album- it is truly a classic. It needs no introduction
  It's definitely not the best track on the album, but it is a great song.
  
  2. Knowing Me, Knowing You (4:02) - a classic song. A great performance by Frida
  
  3. Take A Chance On Me (4:04) - A nice song. I love the A'Capella beginning. The live version on ABBA LIVE (CD) is also really great- and it sounds faster
  
  4. Mamma Mia (3:33) - A classic ABBA track. I love it!!!
  
  5. Lay All Your Love On Me (4:34) - To me, this is the best song on the album. It has a great sound to it. Very disco-ish or early 80s-ish. From the classic album Super Trouper
  
  6. Super Trouper (4:14) - A good song. This is the opening track from their masterpiece album of the same name. You really should look into the Super Trouper album
  
  7. I Have A Dream (4:44) - a great song. I actually didn't like it until I heard the live version- so you may want to check that out on ABBA LIVE (CD) or on ABBA IN CONCERT (DVD). A beautiful track with a children's choir.
  
  8. The Winner Takes It All (4:55) - another great track from the Super Trouper album- and it's probably the most beautiful song on ABBA Gold
  
  9. Money, Money, Money (3:08) - a great song. It has a cabaret type of sound.
  
  10. S.O.S. (3:21) - Not one of my favorites, but for a lot of people this is one of their best songs. I must say, though, they may have a point- listen to it and you'll see.
  
  11. Chiquita (5:26) - My least favorite song on this album. But, it was a major hit in many Spanish-speaking countries
  
  12. Fernando (4:13) - I love this song. To me, it's one of Frida's greatest performances (and that's saying a lot). If you like it, you should hear the live version on ABBA LIVE (CD).
  
  13. Voulez Vous (4:22 [edit- the album version is 5:09, so we lose 47 secs.]) - A great venture into disco. Very upbeat. If you like it, you should hear the whole Voulez Vous album and you should see the performance on ABBA IN CONCERT (DVD)
  
  14. Gimme! Gimme! Gimme! (A Man After Midnight) (4:48) - Another great disco classic. It was recently sampled by Madonna on the song "Hung Up."
  If you like Gimme! You may want to see/hear the live version on ABBA LIVE (CD) or on ABBA IN CONCERT (DVD) and you may want to hear "Hung Up" by Madonna
  
  15. Does Your Mother Know (3:15) - I used to hate this song, but now it's one of my favorites. The 50s rock type of sound to it is great. From the Voulez Vous album- I just love it. If you like it, you should hear the live version (on ABBA LIVE [CD] or on ABBA IN CONCERT [DVD])- it has a great guitar solo part not found in the studio version
  
  16. One Of Us (3:58) - arguably the best track on The Visitors album. Although I'm not so sure about that, it still is great. Check out that bassline!!!!
  
  17. The Name Of The Game - (4:00 [edit- the album version is 4:53, so we lose 53 secs.]) - a beautiful song (although the full length version on ABBA The Album is much better as it has an extra verse)
  
  18. Thank You For The Music (3:51) - great song. Although it released as a single in 1983, it was a track on 1977's ABBA The Album. It is often seen as a farewell song (which it does serve well as), but it is actually one of four songs from ABBA's mini musical "The Girl With the Golden Hair" (this and two others are available on ABBA The Album. One song is unavailable on any album although it can be heard on ABBA The Movie)
  
  19. Waterloo (2:42) - their first major hit. It has a glam rock-ish sound to it. WOW. If only it were longer
  
  ALSO RECOMMENDED: ABBA LIVE and MORE ABBA GOLD.
  (I personally prefer More ABBA Gold to ABBA Gold)
  
  
• Abba........They are truly Gold!
  By A37P8I5P9DRL08 on 2000-09-19
  I believe that there is a new genertaion of ABBA fans emerging, I'm on of them, I'm only 18, the reason for this new generation of fans is simply the timeles quality of ABBA's music especially their music on the Gold album. I can still remember the first time I heard "Dancing Queen". The song had a tremendous effect on me. I feel that song is their best one. "The Winner Takes It All" is a break up song but the thing that make the lyrics so poignant is that this was actually happening to ABBA and they sang about it! "SOS", "Gimme Gimme Gimme", "Voulez Vous", are some of the great dance songs of ABBA. The CD is just awesome. The sound is still fresh after all these years and you can credit Benny and Bjorn for that. I cannot recommed this CD high enough! Go out and get it today!
  
  
• ABBA is timeless!
  By A3R2T60X46WZMG on 2003-01-20
  Well, my parents are fiendishly delighted to hear me admit this, but I love ABBA, and I think their music is much better than the junk my generation is listening to. (I'm 14 years old) This is a totally awesome CD- I'll do a run-through of all the songs-
  1)Dancing Queen- Awesome Song! Just makes you wanna get up and dance!
  2)Knowing Me, Knowing You- More of a ballad than a dance song. It's about breaking up, so it's kinda depressing.
  3)Take a Chance on Me- I love this song! The background vocals by Bjorn and Benny are awesome!
  4)Mamma Mia- Whee! Quite possibly my favorite song on the CD- Mamma Mia, how could you resist this song?!?
  5)Lay All Your Love On Me-Cool song about commitment
  6)Super Trooper- This is an awesome song too. I love this one (but it kinda makes me think of some 70s disco club or something-:-P)
  7)I Have a Dream-This a totally beautiful and moving ballad which supposedly reflects what the band members were going through.
  8)Winner Takes It All-Another song reflecting the band's personal life. Sad and moving.
  9)Money Money Money- I'm not sure whether this song is upbeat or not-kinda in between happy and sad.
  10)S.O.S.- A song about trying to save a relationship-slightly sad and touching.
  11)Chiquitita- Another "somewhere between happy and sad" song- I like this one because "Chiquitita" is fun to say.
  12)Fernando-One more of my favorites- a slow yet invigorating ballad- very romantic.
  13)Voulez Vous- Yay! Another dance song! How could anyone listen to this song and not have their spirits raised???
  14)Gimme Gimme Gimme- Yet another fun dance song- this would be perfect for a bachelorette party or something :-)
  15)Does Your Mother Know- This one is really different because the lead vocals are by Bjorn, not Agnetha and Frida like they usually are.
  16)One of Us- This song doesn't stand out to me much-it's ok, but it's not my fave.
  17)The Name of the Game- See above
  18)Thank You for the Music- A nice ballad- quite touching.

  19)Waterloo- Another great dance song!!! ABBA's first hit- this song totally rocks. I love it!

  OK, I've made this reveiw rather long now, so I'm going to close now by saying ABBA rocks! Buy this CD now- whether you are 15 or 50 or 150- cuz you won't regret it!
  
  

• Free to Be, ABBA and Thee!
  By AOZ80EILRHVUJ on 2005-04-05
  It is difficult to steer popular culture toward art that both entertains and addresses the chaotic nature of Man, who has a tendency to be both architect and destroyer of his own being. Perhaps the music group ABBA succeeded best in this quest; by wearing the birrus of pop-culture and "Have a Nice Day" madness, they cleverly kissed the worldly castle of post-modern gluttony, and simultaneously tore it to the ground, burying its insolent tyrants in the compost pit named The Fool.
  
  The mirrored image of the four letters "ABBA" has haunted the international psyche since that great Eurovision battle in the 1970s. Whether the ABBA logo was spray painted on a wall, viciously tattooed onto the arms of angry teens drunk on angst, or nihilistically plastered above stages in huge blinking lights, ABBA delivered complex messages that puzzled an arrogant public.
  
  We will never see Agnetha, Benny, Bjorn and Anni-Frid perform their message as a team on stage again, as they have disbanded and taken refuge in monetary splendor, a phase I am certain they were impelled to embrace after years of media scrutiny (I have often wondered if they disbanded after hearing the song "Born To Lose" by Johnny Thunder---even though I felt on top of the world when I first heard that song, the lyrics and riffs ripped a huge hole in my soul, and it took me eons to recover). The good news is that their war cries live on in this collection: "ABBA Gold."
  
  The simplistic gold on black CD case serves as the perfect overcanópy to the harrowing glee captured on these tracks. The collection opens with "Dancing Queen," the modern day cry of the nightclub siren, tempting men with Pierrothic visions to dance under the spell of a swaying harmonic vixen, only to be discarded with the sludge that oozes into the sewers of London whilst the pub owners chill beer against the patrons' wishes.
  
  Perhaps the quintessential sagacious performance of potency comes when Anni-Frid sings "Money, Money, Money," her wickedly beautiful voice lavishly ripping all humanity to shreds, kicking the poor and hungry into panic while she spends, spends, spends her cash, credit cards and bond-bonds! I found myself screaming and pounding my fist into my mailbox, until it was scabbed and really hurt, after I finally comprehended the seductive albeit painful message Dame Frida delivered. Only The Dead Kennedys' "Kill the Poor" comes close to the intensity of this power-ode to gluttony (I wonder if Anni-Frid and Jello Biafra might someday do a spoken word performance together?).
  
  Listening to this entire compilation serves as a swan dive into a pool filled with undiluted cola syrup, forcing us to swim madly through our cerebral serfdom until our spirits add water, mix, stir; thereby freeing the multitudes into one big sparkling bottle of sweetness. "ABBA Gold" will do more than make you sing and dance; it will dance along with you until you expel the Guajardian demons that taunt us. ABBA forever!
  
  
  
• Golden Pop
  By A24N1BAS3CU27H on 2005-08-07
  ABBA (Annifrid, Benny, Björn and Agnetha) are the super group from Sweden who dominated the UK charts, and most of the rest of the world in the 70s, with their trademark piano riffs, light fluffy pop, and girl group choruses. Great musicians who penned all of their songs/hits.
  
  They had 18 top ten hits in the UK, 9 of which were no.1s (surpassed only by Madonna, Cliff Richard, Elvis Presley and The Beatles) and this was their 9th no.1 album in a row in the UK.
  
  Most of their UK top 10 hits are featured on this collection (except `Summer night city'). Opening track `Dancing queen' with its great piano, disco beat, and catchy vocals was their sole US no.1 single.
  
  Other classics are the melancholic yet sweet `The winner takes it all' (inspired by their personal break ups), `Super trouper' (about life in the spotlight), `Knowing me knowing you', and the slightly reggae-ish pop of `One of us'..
  
  Then there are the fantastic ballads `SOS', `Fernando' and `Chiquitita', and earlier rockers like `Waterloo' (their Eurovision winner), and `Mama mia' (from where the very successful musical borrows its name).
  
  The CD I have is a UK version which comes with a bonus DVD with 18 of their videos.
  
  The CD booklet is chock full of great photos, as well as the ABBA story.
  
  Cool or not, syrupy sweet or not, these are great songs which have stood up well to the test of time, and are being rediscovered by a new generation of listeners. A gold collection indeed.
  
  
  
• This Is Pure Gold
  By A28J3JAO1MRT2R on 2001-01-30
  The title says it all. Gold - Greatest Hits and every one of the hits included on this album are of the highest standard.

  One of the top bands of the 70's and writers of timeless quality songs, Abba's music will surely never die and is currently being boosted further by the tribute band The A Teens which is bringing Abba's music to a new generation of listeners.

  Every song included here is great and must be if nine of them topped the UK singles chart during the 70's and early 80's. As well as the number ones there are 10 other great tracks that will no doubt ring a bell to anyone dancing in the 70's. From the major hits Dancing Queen, Knowing Me Knowing You, Mamma Mia and the Eurovision Winner Waterloo to lesser known but still as good hits Does Your Mother Know, I Have A Dream and Voulez Vous this CD is sure to please.

  My personal favourites are some of Abba's later hits. One Of Us is a beautiful and touching ballad, Lay All Your Love On Me is a stomping disco classic and Chiquitita which is my all time favourite Abba song as i feel it has everything required by a great pop song.

  Whether you are young or old, male or female you are sure to enjoy this compilation of some of the finest music of the 70's.
  
  

• Catchy Melodies, Solid Vocals From A Great Group
  By A2D7E8NHUXMPBK on 2001-12-16
  Minus the camp, liquid jumpsuits, synthesizers and sometimes banal lyrics, there was an underlying familiarity and comfort with the Swedish group known as ABBA.
  Slagged mercilessly by critics (especially in the US), ABBA was the people's band and they performed and recorded especially for that audience.
  Remarkably, the group began singing in a folk music style, stripped down acoustically. While lauded with success in Sweden, it wasn't until "Waterloo" put them on the international pop scene. By the time "Waterloo" hit, the group unfortunately became swept up in the disco scene and forever became associated with it and was unable to get any kind of respect from critics even when they showed flashes of brilliance and matured at the end of their career.
  While many hold "Dancing Queen" as the group's high point - it is not. The cotton candy lyrics and average music make it simply what it ended up to be - a commercial grab for the brass ring of a US #1.
  On the other hand, "Knowing Me, Knowing You" is perhaps ABBA's finest work. Superb vocals from Frida, incredible guitar work and fine lyrics create a solid performance. There is a depth and strength to that song that is unmatched by any other ABBA song. Honourable mentions go to the anthemic "Take A Chance On Me" and their signature "Waterloo" - heard here remastered with Benny's great piano smashing. ABBA at it's peak of artistry works best when the songs are catchy, pared down musically and vocally strong. The melodies heard here are quite simply some of the best ever created.
  "Chiquitita", "The Name Of The Game", "I Have A Dream" and "The Winner Takes It All" all walk the fine line of either being too sappy and syrupy or being great pieces of music. You be the judge. It all depends what mood you are in when you hear them. The problem with these and other ABBA songs is that Benny and Bjorn tend to write mini epic musicals and this creates the feeling of having it sound too theatrical. If you love theatrics, you'll love these songs.
  Low points on here include the slick and plastic "Lay All Your Love On Me", "Voulez Vous" and "Gimme! Gimme! Gimme! (A Man After Midnight) (despite a catchy chorus and great solo electric guitar at the beginning).
  Once disco died (whoo hoo!)ABBA had by that time reached their creative end. Their peak of 1976-80 could not be matched in the '80s when divisions and solo interests cracked the group apart and music styles had changed. Their last album, "The Visitors" in 1981, diplayed that quite accurately with it's moody, mature and dark ambiance.
  All in all this is a great collection - for original fans and new ones. Missing in action however are "Ring Ring" (one of their first hits) and "When All Is Said And Done" (a great song, one of their last hits and the only ray of light from "The Visitors").
  Love 'em of hate 'em, ABBA left one of the strongest marks ever on music. Minuses were their plasticy synth-laden dance numbers, Eurotrashy '70's attire and banal lyrics. Pluses were their innovative sounds, superb vocals from Agnetha and Frida, great musicianship from Benny and Bjorn and their backing musicians, their risks, their thumbing their noses at the critics and their (at times) great songwriting.
  The pluses far outweigh the negatives.
  
  
• Easily one of the great "Best of" albums of all time.
  By A332RGE8UV48AY on 2002-02-03
  Talk about putting all your eggs in one basket! If I were a conniving CD producer & peddler and had the opportunity to issue "ABBA Gold" and "ABBA More Gold," I'd likely take the most solid ABBA tunes and tactfully divide them evenly between both CDs, and add the lesser known "fillers" as an afterthought.

  Well...being an Abba fanatic, I found plenty to enjoy with both CDs. But the first "ABBA Gold" is an absolute gem if you are a casual ABBA fan and want to purchase a "Best of" collection that's packed with the richest and finest ABBA hits.

  Seriously, you won't find yourself skipping a few tracks every time a tune ends. Track 1 goes right into "Dancing Queen," and --in my opinion-- the following five songs are not only hits, but some of ABBA's most solid work. You get a diverse selection of their music from sorrowful "SOS" to playful "Money, Money, Money" (a particular favorite of mine, as it's one of those few tunes where you get to hear Frida's powerful and sultry
  voice in the forefront!), to sweet & nasty "Gimme Gimme Gimme!"
  The full spectrum of ABBA is in this collection.

  I really find no filler tracks in ABBA Gold. Admittedly, "I Have a Dream" and "Does Your Mother Know" are two ABBA tunes that always lost me, but when I chat with other ABBA fans, I find myself in the minority. The only way this CD will not fulfill your needs is if you are one of those folks (like me) who discovered ABBA, think they are one of THE greatest, and want ALL ABBA! On the other hand, you can be a fairly avid fan and still get almost all the ABBA you'll need on this CD.
  
  

• Best ABBA Collection
  By A2H53AEX2GE336 on 2000-02-25
  If you were in a teenager anywhere from 1977 to 1980 you were probably an ABBA fan. I listened to their records over and over again and never got tired of them. And I still enjoy hearing those songs, not only do they bring back memories, some of them are truly timeless. S.O.S. has always been one of my personal favorites and it makes me want to sing every time I hear it.

  These songs have been recorded by a slew of artists over the years, but none of them can hold a candle to the originals. Their harmonies were as perfect and as carefully constructed as The Mamas And Papas back in the 60's. If you like ABBA, this is the best collection to have. It contains the best songs off of their albums.
  
  

• Yabba-Dabba-ABBA!
  By A1GIIPXONCEEHP on 2000-05-18
  During the second half of The Seventies, ABBA was Sweden's greatest export since the meatball. Their infectious pop sound was all over the radio and this generous 19-track, 77-minute CD contains nearly every US Top 40 hit. [MIA: "Honey Honey," "I Do, I Do, I Do, I Do, I Do" and their final chart entry from 1982 "When All Is Said And Done." You'll have to get More ABBA Gold (still available from BMG) or ABBA's box set if you feel these are essential.]

  Although more popular in the UK--seven No. 1 singles and eight No. 1 albums--ABBA hit big in the US with their Eurovision Song Contest winner "Waterloo" in 1974. I was working parttime at a radio station in the late Seventies when our MOR playlist included their two million-sellers: "Dancing Queen" (their only stateside No. 1) and "Take a Chance On Me." [And after the umpteenth playing of "You Light Up My Life" and "Sometimes When We Touch," it made ABBA seem like the Rolling Stones!]

  Before purchasing "Gold," I had an old K-tel greatest hits cassette, but the sound on this recording is superb--it was like hearing these songs again for the first time. And in addition to the hits, you get some of their minor chart entries like "Voulez Vous," "Money, Money, Money," "Super Toruper" and the disco-style "Lay All Your Love On Me."

  ABBA's delightful Europop with its tight harmonies and soaring vocals are still a joy to listen to more than two decades after these songs were first released. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED
  
  

• Mama Mia, what a shame!
  By A1143GRVR9MVNZ on 2008-07-30
  I'm not a big fan of Abba, but have heard their music enough over the years to be very familiar with it. The launch of Mama Mia productions and the movie enticed me to buy Abba Gold to hear all of their work. This CD sounds nothing like what I have heard from a multitude of media sources. As an audio engineer I knew there was something technically wrong with this CD remix. Digital audio analysis revealed a boost in the midrange centered around 3 KHz on all 19 tracks, amongst other mixing modifications. These mixing changes can be partially corrected using an equalizer, but what tin-eared recording engineer at Polydor thought this was an "improvement." You can probably get a better sounding copy off old Abba LP records, if you have them and know how to create a digital copy on your PC or Mac computer. What a shame, because this poorly "Remastered" CD will probably end up turning-off many first-time listeners to Abba's music.
  
  
• Classic Swedish disco for the ABBA dilattante
  By on 1998-05-12
  This one's got all the songs you'll recognize from any 70's or 80's night at your local club, from the too-slow-to-dance-to "Dancing Queen" to the epic "Waterloo." Gold includes most of Abba's hits, and will round out your need for Abba fully, unless you're a real die-hard and must have every album. Same beautiful harmonies, insipid lyrics and danceable beats that a fan from the 70's will remember fondly, or a new fan will enjoy anew. If you want to be transported back to the 70's or to nurse a broken heart, this one fills the order nicely. Just about every song is about unrequited love. Even the happy dippy ones.
  
  
• For collectors
  By A14NU8NQ4RB730 on 2001-08-22
  This album is a great summary of the most popular songs of this Swedish group. You will definetely enjoy it. It satarts with the incredible Dancing Queen. Then you have great songs: Knowing me Knowing you, Mamma Mia, Take a Chance on Me, SOS, Waterloo, Thank You for the Music, Fernando, The Name of the Game, Chiquitita, and so on. Just hit after hit.

  The album will make you remember the best abba years and the beautiful sounds they have left us. I only knew some songs (I guess no more than 3 or 4 before I bought the album), but after listenig to it I could not stop buying some other abba albums, like More Abba Gold. I am sure you will enjoy every song and it does not matter if you are not a fan. A group that has reached so far, despite being Swedish, and still being remembered and also performed by other artists, must be listened to.
  
  

• PURE GOLD!
  By AD6G5M3KL7GTB on 2002-01-31
  There are three words I can say after listening to this album all the way through: wow, WoW and WOW!!! I must admit, I originally thought ABBA was one or two hit wonder because all I've ever heard from them was the ever-popular "Dancing Queen." (However after listening to it I found myself asking "They sang that?! I had no idea!") I enjoyed "Dancing Queen" enough that my sister bought this wonderful album for me as a Christmas present. At first I was a little hesistant to listen to the other tracks but I decided to do so anyway. And boy, was I impressed!! This is one of the few, exclusive albums that I can listen to all the way through. It's just *that* good.

  Even in the 2000's ABBA's legacy lives on. Their music can be tolerated even in today's pop music world. Take the group A*teens for example. Isn't it great that you hear children singing songs such as "Take A Chance On Me" and "Mama Mia"? Yeah maybe they aren't the best singers but the fact remains: ABBA still get recognized even today, decades later. Currently, the Broadway musical "Mama, Mia!" is a hit. With a musical based on ABBA's greatest hits, why wouldn't it be? "Mama Mia!" was written by Benny and Bjork (The two male singers/songwriters of ABBA) as well as the often produced musical, "Chess."

  My favorite songs on the album are as follows:
  "Take A Chance On Me", "Super Trouper", "Chiquitita", "Voulez Vous", "Does Your Mother Know", "One Of Us", "The Name of the Game" and "Thank You For The Music."
  Don't worry, there are more songs on the album then this, all of great merit. I had a hard time myself thinking up which ones were my absolute favorites, and in time they may change as well. All of the songs on this album are up-beat and make you just feel happy inside. The rhythm just makes ya wanna get up and dance (Especially "Dancing Queen"). Yeah, some maybe a little 70's like ("Lay All Your Love On Me") but the fact still remains: ABBA is here to stay!! Reccomended to *anyone*...even if only hearing their song "Dancing Queen."
  
  

• The Best!!!
  By on 2002-07-26
  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.
  
  

• Everyone Should Own This
  By A3HTX1NOTTWERP on 2003-12-27
  If you're ever in need of a pure pop collection that you can guarantee everyone will be dancing to, it's ABBA's "Gold: Greatest Hits." Wherever you party this Christmas, it is likely that in the midst of sweat, drink and fags, an ABBA record will be playing somewhere. No matter what your age or musical tastes, ABBA released a string of hits you could sing along to. Whether you were a bouncing baby in a highchair, or you wrinkled with your grand-parents, everyone thanked ABBA for the music. When ABBA entered and won the Eurovision Song Contest in April 1974, many saw them as a one-hit wonder outfit. But the success of ABBA during the 1970's and early 1980's has been compared to that of another famous quartet who made their fortune between 1962 and 1970...
  
  As with that other famous quartet, ABBA's popularity still stands today. This collection of hits was released in the early 1990's and still managed to top the UK album charts in early 1999 when an ABBA revival say thousands of teenagers flock to stores and pick up a copy of this album. The song which single-handidly saw the ABBA mania hit the UK once more was "Dancing Queen," the massive US and UK No.1. Often voted one of the best songs i history, this song is every bit a classic. It still sounds fresh and catchy today as it did more than 25 years ago. "Knowing Me, Knowing You" and "Take A Chance On Me" maintain the catchy camp factor, while "Mamma Mia" is so famous it spawned a popular catchphrase along with a West End musical of the same name. "Lay All Your Love On Me" is a masterpiece of epic proportions. It has such an atmosphere that you can't help be absorbed by.
  
  "Super Trouper" has sunlit vocals and a majestic chorus that swings along, "I Have A Dream" speaks of the perfect world, while "The Winner Takes It All" is an emotional and powerful look at the fall of a relationship. "Money Money Money" not only has a classy piano introduction alongside some wonderful vocals, but a certain sense of irony. Singing of being poor and longing for money as they raked in their millions! "S.O.S." and "Chiquita" are two of my favourite ABBA songs, because they can be listened to at any time of day and at any point in your life. The soaring choruses, melodic verses and emotional vocals go hand-in-hand as the perfect duo. "Fernando" has an almost royal feel to it, with a classy and beautiful chorus filled with love and passion. "Voulez-Vous" is an absolute disco stomper than remains in my Top 3 of favourite ABBA songs ever. I don't understand why this is not their most popular song, because it definitely should be! "Gimme Gimme Gimme (A Man After Midnight)" shows how incredible coy and innocent ABBA could seem, even when singing about one-night stands.
  
  "Does Your Mother Know" draws its energy from classic 1950's rock 'n' roll, while the lesser known "One Of Us" has a bouncy beat that carries the song along. "The Name Of The Game" is perhaps the only letdown from this album, which is easily forgotten with the majestic "Thank You For The Music." A tribute single entitled "Thank ABBA For The Music" was released in 1999 and peaked inside the UK Top 5, but it has nothing on the original. The album closes with ABBA's first ever song, "Waterloo." The song that won them the Eurovision is where it all began.
  
  OVERALL GRADE: 10/10
  
  This collection has shifted more than 3 million copies in the UK, and millions more worldwide. No other album spent longer on the album charts in the UK throughout the 1990's. The years just passed by and this album would not budge! America didn't take as much notice of ABBA as the UK did, which I think is a great shame because they are, without question, one of the greatest pop groups ever. There are some greatest hits collections that everyone owns like Madonna's "The Immaculate Collection," and ABBA's Gold: Greatest Hits should definitely be in there! Buy it now, you know you want to.
  
  
• A Prospector's Cache
  By A3EE0H0NWQ9QVL on 2008-09-28
  Across the fjords of Norway and the vast stretches of arctic splendor and wasteland, I came upon a pole resembling the archetypal North Pole, much like those found in scenes often seen in stories and pictures. Upon close inspection, I found a set of destination markers protruding from it on all sides done in red letters on white backgrounds.
  
  In words written in (undoubtedly) Swedish, Spanish, Dutch (?), and English, one marker pointed to Helsinki, another to Reykjavik, Iceland, and yet another to Oslo. Walking around the pole, I found still other markers: one pointing (undoubtedly) southwest was written "Lake Woebegon, MN". One slightly askew to it, pointing slightly more west, was written: "Women's Norwegian Volleyball Team, California, U.S.A". I had to smile at that one. Memories of Louis Anderson and Garrison Keillor came flooding into my memory as I mused upon the markers.
  
  Adjusting my eyes to the glory of the green flashes of Northern lights in the sky, I realized that the tears rolling down my frozen face had to do more with sentiment than the piercing cold. (Feeling perhaps like Alex Hailey (in miniature) during his discovery of his ancestor Kunta Kinte, I felt mystically connected to my ancestry.) As is often fashionable today (and should be standard), I also like to be proudly connected to a distinctive ethnicity, which creates variety and should be celebrated by everyone. Through my bleary-eyed vision, one final marker pointed to the short kilometer distance--a number which escapes my memory--to Stockholm.
  
  Which brings us to the flood of musical memories that come from the pop group wunderkinds, ABBA, an acronym for the group members' names.
  
  In their day they gave us gloriously produced syntho-techno pop before Gary Newman or Flock of Seagulls were conceived during the eighties. From the troubadour nature of their first single "Waterloo," a Euro song contest first place winner, to the remarkably slick and engaging "One of Us" from their swan song album `The Visitors,' ABBA ruled the English speaking world like few bands or artists since The Beatles. Nay during the seventies, ABBA's presence was like Queen Victoria: The sun never set on a part of the world that wasn't dominated by their pop reign.
  
  Just a cursory look at their hits should entice the most basic pop hooky appetite: "S.O.S," "So Long," "Dancing Queen," and "Knowing Me, Knowing You" to name only a few. For a more meditative mood, "Fernando," "Chiquitita," and "I Have a Dream" are pleasant and essential. Without dating themselves, disco songs like "Gimmie, Gimmie, Gimmie," "Does Your Mother Know?" and "Take a Chance on Me" still have the power to get 'em out on the dance floor.
  
  While I love their albums, I must concede that the critics are right: Singles were and are ABBA's best suit. I love their best albums, including `Arrival,' and `Super Trouper,' and recommend these and others for their obscure songs ("Why Did It Have to Be Me," "That's Me," "Hole in Your Soul," and "I've Been Waiting for You" are about as essential as anything else.) Still, 'ABBA Gold' is uncluttered and magnificent for its slick resonance. Between their studio pop machine, the songwriting skills of Benny and Bjorn, and the siren voices of former loves Ana-Frid and Agnetha, ABBA made an unmatched collection whose lingering presence has spilled onto Broadway and Hollywood for no small reason. (And, I must note, paraphrasing music critic Dave Marsh's take distinguishing The Rolling Stones' 'Hot Rocks' and 'More Hot Rocks,' `More ABBA Gold: More ABBA Hits,' if anything, is even more of a prospector's cache.
  
  In the end, ABBA has elicited memories that have little to do with ethnicity. For me it is about driving on scenic roads in a Volvo (Okay, let's not be pretentious; it was a Ford!) listening to ABBA cassettes. For most people, ABBA has little to do with bumper stickers with sayings like "Legalize Lutafisk!" on them. More often than not, ABBA was an influence on the dance floor, in the aerobic studio, and on the turntables of yesteryear. However you remember ABBA, they managed to be a musical phenomenon; one that hasn't been imitated as well and whose timeless appeal can only futilely be argued.
  
  

• Mamma Mia!
• Mamma Mia! The Musical Based on the Songs of ABBA: A Decca Broadway Original Cast Recording (1999 London Cast)
• The Definitive Collection
• Number Ones
• The Mamas & the Papas - Greatest Hits