don't know if i posted it anywhere, but i went to the abba exhibition at the southbank a few weeks agoit was great! but the abba japan 1980 tour jacket they had was the real winner, i need one
it's on the right here: http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-MXo60bJRd9g/VhWwn7WFfAI/AAAAAAAADmY/rHR4GYP3T7g/s1600/IMG_0208.jpg
― nxd, Tuesday, 13 March 2018 10:33 (six years ago) link
'Chiquitita' is maybe not one of their finest singles, yet the outro is wonderfully rousing and melancholic; the most memorable thing in the song for me is the wonderful leap that the piano makes, after it seems the song has finished, and then this outro bursts in.
― Tom May (Tom May), Wednesday, 29 October 2003 17:40 (fourteen years ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink
^^^^
It's no "Fernando" but it's still great, and, despite the Hispanic title and flourishes, it's so Teutonic/Nordic the video was probably shot at Berchtesgarden.
― Buff Jeckley (Tom D.), Tuesday, 13 March 2018 10:50 (six years ago) link
I don't know much about schlager but I think a lot of 50s/60s pop music in Germany and Scandinavia had Spanish or Italian themes - you know, better than thinking about Saturday night in Tromsø. This seems to be in that tradition.
― Buff Jeckley (Tom D.), Tuesday, 13 March 2018 10:56 (six years ago) link
back in the public consciousness thanks to..
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wb49gB5gdH8
― piscesx, Tuesday, 13 March 2018 11:29 (six years ago) link
(which just makes it even more dud)
2 of their best deep cuts and shoulda-been-singles are on Voulez Vous though; If It Wasn't For The Nights (a Top 20 ILX ABBA songs poll smash!) and As Good as New.
― piscesx, Tuesday, 13 March 2018 11:34 (six years ago) link
I've explained why I loathe Three Billboards yet blocked that "Chiquitita" scene.
― morning wood truancy (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Tuesday, 13 March 2018 11:49 (six years ago) link
I've no idea what they're getting at with it either; he's not a bad racist really because he likes Abba? I wonder if it's meant to be funny.
― piscesx, Tuesday, 13 March 2018 11:53 (six years ago) link
hot take: "Chiquitita" and "Fernando" are both among their worst singles
― aloha darkness my old friend (katherine), Tuesday, 13 March 2018 14:12 (six years ago) link
I never got the hate for "Fernando."
(I also never knew "Chiquitita" was particularly hated until now.)
― Dangleballs and the Ballerina (cryptosicko), Tuesday, 13 March 2018 14:35 (six years ago) link
"Fernando" is top 10 ABBA for me (it was actually @ 7, "Chiquitita" was 15)
― Buff Jeckley (Tom D.), Tuesday, 13 March 2018 14:40 (six years ago) link
I have a suspicion that "Fernando" and "Chiquitita" are harder to love if you grew up in a schlager tradition.
― Daniel_Rf, Tuesday, 13 March 2018 14:47 (six years ago) link
And didn't like schlager, I assume.
― Buff Jeckley (Tom D.), Tuesday, 13 March 2018 15:06 (six years ago) link
I didn't but I did grow up with ABBA Gold and More ABBA Gold on near-constant repeat and they were clearly the lowlights of the compilation
(More ABBA Gold is the better compilation, anyway)
― aloha darkness my old friend (katherine), Tuesday, 13 March 2018 15:08 (six years ago) link
I'm kinda fine with schlager at this point but I'm also fine with Chas & Dave and I bring this up because the journey to be able to enjoy that stuff if you're from the continent* is what I imagine the journey to being able to enjoy Chas & Dave would be like for Brits.
* don't want to lump all of Europe together but in my experience every nation I've been to has an equivalent
― Daniel_Rf, Tuesday, 13 March 2018 15:20 (six years ago) link
song is mitigated by the fact everyone and EVERYONE sings 'chicken tikka you and I know' when it comes on
― loud horn beeping jazzsplaining arse (dog latin), Tuesday, 13 March 2018 16:16 (six years ago) link
is this worse i dunno
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vGoWbJbgjbY
― piscesx, Tuesday, 13 March 2018 16:17 (six years ago) link
I'm kinda fine with schlager at this point but I'm also fine with Chas & Dave and I bring this up because the journey to be able to enjoy that stuff if you're from the continent* is what I imagine the journey to being able to enjoy Chas & Dave would be like for Brits.* don't want to lump all of Europe together but in my experience every nation I've been to has an equivalent― Daniel_Rf, Tuesday, March 13, 2018 3:20 PM (fifty-five minutes ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink
― Daniel_Rf, Tuesday, March 13, 2018 3:20 PM (fifty-five minutes ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink
Had some very similar thoughts a while ago when I realised that the UK west country still celebrates The Wurzels as part of their regional identity, getting played at weddings and birthday parties. More than just 'Combine Harvester' too. Wouldn't mind a thread about regional novelty acts - the Proclaimers, Chas'n'Dave, the Wurzels, maybe even someone like Sleaford Mods could even count..
― loud horn beeping jazzsplaining arse (dog latin), Tuesday, 13 March 2018 16:19 (six years ago) link
(xp) Of course, that is garbage. Anyway, if an ABBA album has "I Have a Dream" on it then it's simply not possible for any other track to be any dudder, duddlier.
― Buff Jeckley (Tom D.), Tuesday, 13 March 2018 16:21 (six years ago) link
(xp) Uh, I'm no fan of theirs but do you really want to label the Proclaimers as a regional novelty act to sit alongside the Wurzels?
― Buff Jeckley (Tom D.), Tuesday, 13 March 2018 16:22 (six years ago) link
*holds hand up slightly and murmurs* 'I Have A Dream' makes me a bit weepy when I hear it. I know it's sentimental dreck but it's a killer 'ambushed by unexpected emotion' song for me.
― loud horn beeping jazzsplaining arse (dog latin), Tuesday, 13 March 2018 16:24 (six years ago) link
xp - maybe? is there that much in it?
If the Proclaimers are regional novelty act then I'd nominate the Pogues as the same, London Irish.
― Buff Jeckley (Tom D.), Tuesday, 13 March 2018 16:25 (six years ago) link
i guess The Wurzels are seen much more as a comedy act than the Proclaimers so maybe they're not part of it but 500 Miles is like a standard now and synonymous with Leith/Edinburgh to the rest of the country.
― loud horn beeping jazzsplaining arse (dog latin), Tuesday, 13 March 2018 16:26 (six years ago) link
They're not from Edinburgh or Leith though.
― Buff Jeckley (Tom D.), Tuesday, 13 March 2018 16:27 (six years ago) link
But, no-one south of the Tweed can pronounce Auchtermuchty tbf.
― Buff Jeckley (Tom D.), Tuesday, 13 March 2018 16:28 (six years ago) link
it's synonymous with rugby lads on the piss to the rest of the country
― as the crows around me grows (Noodle Vague), Tuesday, 13 March 2018 16:29 (six years ago) link
well sure.
― loud horn beeping jazzsplaining arse (dog latin), Tuesday, 13 March 2018 16:30 (six years ago) link
maybe "Thank You For the Music" is worse than "Chiquitita" but I ain't gonna find out.
― morning wood truancy (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Tuesday, 13 March 2018 16:33 (six years ago) link
Have you not heard "I Have A Dream"?
― Buff Jeckley (Tom D.), Tuesday, 13 March 2018 16:39 (six years ago) link
The 'Doris Day' version of Thank You For The Music is quite a fun little genre exercise:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H7pb1R1mXFw
― loud horn beeping jazzsplaining arse (dog latin), Tuesday, 13 March 2018 16:44 (six years ago) link
Combine Harvester was massive compared to Brand New Key, i think many people back then (maybe even now?) were unaware it was a parody.
― piscesx, Tuesday, 13 March 2018 18:39 (six years ago) link
Exactly like Angelo and Fernando then.
― Buff Jeckley (Tom D.), Tuesday, 13 March 2018 18:53 (six years ago) link
hot take: "Chiquitita" and "Fernando" are both among their worst singles― aloha darkness my old friend (katherine), Tuesday, March 13, 2018 2:12 PM (four hours ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink
― aloha darkness my old friend (katherine), Tuesday, March 13, 2018 2:12 PM (four hours ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink
OTM.
Fwiw, I don't think ABBA ever made a studio album that doesn't have at least one track that's far too corny for me. Even the last two LP's. Take the 1975 self-titled record, for instance: 'Mamma Mia', 'Hey Hey Helen', 'S.O.S.', even 'Tropical Loveland' and 'Intermezzo No. 1' are all superb, but then you've got unbearable crap like 'Bang a Boomerang' ...
Arrival has 'When I Kissed the Teacher' and 'Dum Dum Diddle' on it, both cringeworthy as fuck.
― Full of bile and Blue Nile denial (Turrican), Tuesday, 13 March 2018 19:11 (six years ago) link
'When I Kissed the Teacher' cringeworthy? I think you'd best pack up your things and ride on out of town, stranger.
― Buff Jeckley (Tom D.), Tuesday, 13 March 2018 19:17 (six years ago) link
Yes, cringeworthy.
― Full of bile and Blue Nile denial (Turrican), Tuesday, 13 March 2018 19:22 (six years ago) link
I think you spend too much time listening to lyrics.
― Buff Jeckley (Tom D.), Tuesday, 13 March 2018 19:24 (six years ago) link
On that song, they're fucking unavoidable!
― Full of bile and Blue Nile denial (Turrican), Tuesday, 13 March 2018 19:31 (six years ago) link
Sometimes when I listen to 'Gimmie! Gimmie! Gimme!', I just wish that middle section would go on for a little bit longer. I love that groove.
― Full of bile and Blue Nile denial (Turrican), Tuesday, 13 March 2018 19:37 (six years ago) link
I’ve always liked “I Have a Dream.” I think it’s a much darker song than the critical consensus suggests. Also, electric sitar (?) on ABBA’s attempt at a country song (??)? Fuckin sign me up.
― It's like an Christian pop (thewufs), Tuesday, 13 March 2018 19:40 (six years ago) link
I don't think it's supposed to be a country song, more like a Hitler Youth anthem.
― Buff Jeckley (Tom D.), Tuesday, 13 March 2018 19:42 (six years ago) link
Also electric sitar? Where? You mean the mandolins? (I think there are mandolins on it anyway).
― Buff Jeckley (Tom D.), Tuesday, 13 March 2018 19:43 (six years ago) link
― Buff Jeckley (Tom D.), Tuesday, March 13, 2018 3:42 PM (two minutes ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink
uh citation very fucking much needed (are you thinking of ace of base or something)
― aloha darkness my old friend (katherine), Tuesday, 13 March 2018 19:45 (six years ago) link
I don't mean they literally wrote it as a Hitler Youth anthem, it just sounds like they did.
― Buff Jeckley (Tom D.), Tuesday, 13 March 2018 19:46 (six years ago) link
Always gave off a "Tomorrow Belongs to Me" vibe to me.
― Buff Jeckley (Tom D.), Tuesday, 13 March 2018 19:47 (six years ago) link
Originally they had a crack at writing a national anthem type thing, which ultimately ended up in Chess. It was called Nationalsang at one point, then Anthem.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XEUi1Pptb5c
― piscesx, Tuesday, 13 March 2018 21:04 (six years ago) link
Does "I Do, I Do, I Do, I Do, I Do" come from schlager stylistically?
― timellison, Wednesday, 14 March 2018 07:20 (six years ago) link
I'd put it in with their rock'n'roll pastiches.
― everything, Wednesday, 14 March 2018 07:26 (six years ago) link
I was wondering if that was it, too, with the swing rhythm. It's always sounded European and old fashioned to me, though! Like, really old fashioned.
― timellison, Wednesday, 14 March 2018 07:29 (six years ago) link
Why Did It Have To Be Me is pretty similar but maybe more schlager because of the male-female back and forth.
It's hard to say exactly what is and isn't schlager. One level is that it's just pop music and if it works it's broadly popular and that kinda makes it schlager.
The big Abba-as-schlager record is the original Greatest Hits, with He Is Your Brother, Hasta Manyana, Another Town Another Train, Fernando, Dance While the Music Still Goes On...
― everything, Wednesday, 14 March 2018 07:37 (six years ago) link