Voulez-Vous

Super Trouper Super Trouper is generally considered Abba's finest album. The overheated disco flourishes of Voulez-Vous were dropped and the sequencing was very nearly perfect. What's more, silly lyrics metamorphose into things of wrenching beauty. The overall tone is rather somber--the unrave...	The Visitors Abba's 1981 swan song is appropriately touched by intimations of loss; The Visitors certainly contains nothing as breezy as "Does Your Mother Know." Far from the listless meanderings of a group on its way out, however, the album is alive with emotion and creativity. The title tra...	Arrival At the height of their success, ABBA were second only to Volvo as Sweden's biggest export earners. Arrival (1977) sees the quartet just finding their stride, after a year of relative obscurity which followed the success of "Waterloo," their 1973 Eurovision Song Contest winner. Li...	Abba - The Album Without a doubt, 1978's The Album is the Swedish pop demigods' finest moment. (Forgive them the film.) From the opening stanzas of the visionary "Eagle" (a "Born Free" for the late '70s) to the pure joyous rush of "Take a Chance on Me" (has a cappella ever sounded so irresistible...	ABBA Abba took a risk by launching this 1975 album (their second) with "Mamma Mia." How do you possibly follow that up? Simple--wait two songs and then zoom into "SOS," one of the best pop songs ever written. The rest of the album does not quite reach those dizzying heights, but it's ...
Ring Ring Not issued in the U.S. until an early-'90s rerelease program, Abba's first album points toward the world-dominating pop of their later years. While the title cut has some vroom, others call for fine-tuning. The New Seekers-style anthem "People Need Love" offers the bizarre insist...	The Definitive Collection Is there anything that simply screams the 1970s' most indelible pop cultural clichés--the sunny romanticism, perfect vocal hooks, feathered hair, stacked heels, and flared sateen britches--more than the Swedish pop phenomenon Abba? And while many a pundit snootily dismissed them...	ABBA - Gold: Greatest Hits Anyone looking for the key to Abba's enduring appeal should look no further than "Voulez Vous" and "Gimme! Gimme! Gimme! (A Man After Midnight)" for their answer. There was an innocence to the Swedish quartet, even when they were singing about one-night stands and the invitations...	ABBA Live Abba's success was, without a doubt, partly down to studio trickery--yet if this is the case, then why are Live's sonics so shimmering, so magical? The drum sound is heavy and full, the overall effect crystal clear and pristine. Harmonies are immaculate, melodies melt in your hea...	Waterloo Originally issued under the rather unwieldy group title Björn, Benny, Agnetha & Frida, Waterloo contains the first glimmers of Abba's future greatness--particularly in the buoyant, joyous title track. The irresistible "Waterloo" walked away with 1973's Eurovision Song Contest. E...

I enjoy anything ABBA . . .
. . . And this item does not let me down. What can I say? I like ABBA's music and when one is so prejudiced for something, it's hard to find fault with their products. If you like ABBA, you'll most likely enjoy this CD.

ABBA Voulez-Vous
Voulez-Vous is generally regarded as ABBA's disoo album. But ABBA's music covered a lot of ground. Their songs often dealt with the theme of childhood. ABBA had a special relationship with children. Chiquitita demonstrates their capacity for sympathy, a shoulder to cry on. They gave the publishing on this song to UNICEF. When an article came out saying they might move to America, children all over Sweden reacted with tears. Chiquitita mean little girl. I bought this album in the summer of 1979 after returning to Nashville from Las Vegas. At that time, ABBA was the biggest music group in the world.

ABBA's finest ... but ...
This album would be perfect, were it not for the two drippy ballads. No matter how I try, I cannot listen to 'I Have a Dream' or 'Chiquidita' (or however you spell it!). But everything else is dynamic and gleaming. Agnetha and Anni-Frid sing their hearts out, displaying the fullest extent of their combined talents. Benny and Bjorn's songwriting and arranging make you want to sing and dance along. My husband thinks that there is something really wrong with me that I love ABBA and the Velvet Underground equally (amongst other 'cooler' acts). But he doesn't know what he's missing! This album - bar the two drippy ballads - is pure Pop Pleasure. ABBA at the top of their game.

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.

A Hard Rock Fan's Honest Review
Being primarily a lover/collector of heavy metal, hard and progressive rock music, how can I explain why I still have a soft spot for this Swedish music machine. First of all I can say that ABBA was a big part of the music I grew up on. I especially remember being fascinated by the constant presence of the song 'Chiquitita' (among others) pouring out of the radio as well as from stereo and music shop speakers in the late 70's/early 80's. As a 12-year old kid, I amassed most of their albums on cassette before discovering more serious media such as vinyl and eventually CD's. Now when I listen to their output on CD with a more mature mind it has taken on a whole new meaning for me. I would say their most mature, consistent and standout album would be 'Voulez-Vous'. From the opening reverbed vocal onslaught on `As Good As New' to the powerful controlled screams on `Lovers (live a little longer)' it does not disappoint. Agnetha's and Anni-Frid's stirring and exquisite vocal harmonies are at their finest. After a typical listen to this album, every one of the tunes on this recording reverberates in my head constantly. Although the songs that went on to be hits (`Chiquitita', `Angel Eyes', `Does Your Mother Know') are top-notch, the remaining tracks such as `If It Wasn't For The Nights, `Lovers...', `The King Has Lost His Crown' etc. are just as good if not better. Without going into in-depth analysis of each song, I would say that IMHO, every single song on this album is memorable and extremely catchy. Whether you consider Voulez-Vous as influenced mainly by disco, funk, or whatever, it doesn't matter. Even though it is a bit dancey, the bottom line is that it's just plain brilliant music!. (interestingly enough I actually consider many 'disco' songs of that era to be of much higher musical quality than a lot the latest rock/pop crap being 'manufactured' today). The bonus tracks, `Gimme Gimme Gimme', `Summer Night City' and `Lovelight' are an especially nice addition to the remastered version (the first two I remember hearing on a long gone cassette copy of `Greatest Hits Vol.2' I had back in the day). If you dig ABBA for whatever reason (don't be ashamed to admit it!) you will not be disappointed by this album, especially the remastered version.