ABBA
Voulez-Vous

THE REVIEW

How many people have never sung or danced to Dancing Queen? How many people have never secretly listened to one of their songs in the car or in their headphones during carefree moments? Whatever the answer, it is absolutely nothing to be ashamed of when it comes to ABBA. Formed in the early 70s in Sweden, Benny, Bjorn, Agnetha and Frida—two married couples—immediately achieved international success; after a somewhat raw debut with Ring Ring, which owed much to the pop and glam rock of the era, the albums that followed were (if we can say so) a collection of hit singles one after another. In 1979 came Voulez-Vous, a work of certain depth that fully confirms the melodic sense this group has always masterfully expressed. Opening the festivities is “As Good As New”, which, after a string introduction, catapults us into disco-funk that’s nearly impossible to sit still through. The crystal-clear production is immediately striking, and even decades later, it still makes a strong impact on the listener; in this particular song, the bass line dominates the scene along with the wall of sound behind it. “Voulez-Vous”, the second track, hardly needs an introduction, given its fame today, just like “Chiquitita” and “Gimme Gimme Gimme A Man (After Midnight)”; these tracks all unite different generations and still, against all odds, sound remarkably fresh when played on the radio. As for the lesser-known songs, special mention must go to “The King Has Lost His Crown”, a pop-rock number that combines orchestral sections with synthesizers and guitars, all joined together by the angelic voices of Frida and Agnetha. Two other noteworthy tracks are “Does Your Mother Know” and “Summer Night City”; the first is a disco-rock song opening with a catchy and groovy bass synth, sung call-and-response style by Bjorn and Agnetha/Frida, while the second is a song with complex arrangements that, having been released as a single the previous year, was included in the album as a bonus track. The lyrics, as in all ABBA albums (except The Visitors), are cheerful love songs, hymns to the joy of life and/or generally uplifting tunes that stick in your head, another factor that contributed to their success in European pop music. The voices, always prominently in the foreground, are exactly what make an ABBA song instantly recognizable from the very first note; the inspiration from groups like the Beatles and the Mamas And Papas, combined with their kitschy and musically disco-pop style, created an image in Scandinavian music that still persists today, and has inspired many later artists; Roxette, Europe and even neoclassical metal guitarist Yngwie Malmsteen have at times viewed them as musical references. In summary, one could say that much can be said about ABBA, but in the collective imagination, everything is already well established; this Voulez-Vous is probably not their best album, or maybe for some it could even be, since taste is something absolutely personal, but objectively speaking, in terms of musical content and production, it is absolutely commendable. After the musicals dedicated to the group, after all the fan groups around the world have celebrated their greatness, and since several big names in music such as Dave Grohl, Ritchie Blackmore and indeed Yngwie Malmsteen have acknowledged the ABBA phenomenon, we certainly can’t just look away when we hear their name or one of their songs. We might be hard-core metalheads, trap listeners, or die-hard Bob Dylan fans, but in the end, ABBA will always have a melody able to win us over.

Best tracks: “The King Has Lost His Crown”, “Summer Night City”, “Kisses Of Fire”