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Rating: "Think of your Iron Maiden because it seems you have no say in the Trance genre!!!" (Non-Anonymous User "ambasciato" by Friend Woodstock)
"I no longer know what to do to become a Human Case..." (cptgaio)
Chapter I: More and More Commercial Until the Final Victory!
One of the most beautiful yet slightly disheartening sensations that might happen to me is when you listen to something you've heard about in abundance for years but never felt the need to delve into, only to discover that it quite suits your personal taste...
Let's be clear, despite my now well-established reputation as a joker (not even that much) laboriously earned on these pages, the above discourse is absolutely serious and does not intend to take anyone for a ride...because it's true...in the year 2007 I discovered that I like ABBA, and consider this an Absolute Truth!
ABBA is the quintessential Pop Group, having achieved global success that (even thinking about their non-Anglo-American origins...) seems inexplicable.
Even unwillingly, each of us has surely heard at least once singles like "Mamma Mia", "Fernando", "Dancing Queen", "Super Trouper", and "Waterloo" of course, and I'm certainly no exception, but for one reason or another, mostly due to superficiality and prejudice, I had never stopped to delve into anything about them...
...the opportunity came in recent months thanks to a new colleague who is fanatical about Agnetha, Frida, Benny, and Bjorn. His sincere and genuine enthusiasm (due to never having had the slightest intention in his entire life to approach genres like Progressive, Post Rock or Death Metal, etc., etc. and on this note, I recall Borges' assertion that he reached 80 years old because he never did gymnastics a single day of his life...) convinced me to let go and see beyond my nose...
Unfortunately, he owns all the material on vinyl, so the prospect was to have to make do, and as one knows, I am a lazy type, so let's say I didn't make an immediate effort, but since destiny (like it or not...) exists, the timely opportunity arrived all the same without me seeking it on the night of last December 31st.
Chapter II: December 31, 2007, A Night with Abba (Based on a True Story)
You should know that this year I spent New Year's Eve alone at my house because work reasons did not allow me to go to the Mountains with friends...
I did have some at home, but this year more than others, I didn't particularly feel like mixing with the forced fun of others, so in the end, I decided to stay within the domestic walls...
After consuming a frugal dinner of Kebab, French Fries, and Panettone, I started tinkering on the PC looking for some ideas to update my Blog, eventually opting for a New Year's greeting message complete with a themed video taken from Youtube...
...typing the classic words "Happy New Year" in the search, guess what came up first...
Well This...
After posting this Wonderful Video on my Space, I started watching the others one after another, not noticing the Midnight had passed, but being alone it wasn't that important anyway, being captivated by the Charming and Catchy Easy Listening of the Swedish quartet and indulging perhaps excessively until the hour (the next morning I had to go to work...) advised me to go to bed quite relaxed and hopeful for the New Year...
Chapter III: Waterloo? I was defeated, you won the war
In 1974 (Great Year, I recall...) the ambitious Abba were in their second attempt at the Eurovision Festival, the year before with the song "Ring Ring" they had not passed the national selections and since the event was on British soil (Brighton), they decided to bring the piece they had previously presented in pre-selection in their native language, singing it in English to make the most of the occasion. The preparation for the event was very long, in the previous months the four toured all the musical broadcasts in Northern Europe.
The song was "Waterloo".
"Waterloo" is firstly a Love song that exploits the Passion/War combination to tell the classic vicissitudes of those who in feelings are always in the role of the submissive, but it's above all a formidable Pop piece that perfectly blends Catchy Tune, Easy Melody, Danceability and a slight Glam Rock reference that in those years didn’t hurt.
Everything was meticulously prepared from the execution to the Napoleon-inspired Costumes (even worn by the Orchestra Conductor..) again with abundant Glam references (Bjorn's guitar is spectacular!).
A Performance of just under 3 minutes (the elected length of a Pop piece), the overwhelming victory of the event and the conquest of the first major music market (the British one) which then opened the doors of the World to the four...
I remember a Review some time ago where at Comment 10 a DeBaserian User recalled the lack of depth of the Group in question, on this I can also agree but for once I want to claim this prerogative as a quality and not as a defect because if it's true that musically Abba brought nothing (but is it really true?) at the same time it is not explained why their Star has never faded even after the break-up of '82, a thing that inevitably happens to (almost all) the champions of Chart Pop...could it be because we are talking about Pop and not pop?
Awaiting your opinions...
Mo.
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