Abba - ABBA***

Mamma Mia/Hey Hey Helen/Tropical Loveland/SOS/Man In The Middle/Bang-A-Boomerang/I Do I Do I Do I Do I Do/Rock Me/Intermezzo No. 1/I've Been Waiting For You/So Long

Swedish pop group Abba managed to buck the trend of one hit wonder Eurovision winners. This self titled third album featured the UK No.1 hit Mamma Mia and No. 6 SOS. They would dominate the British singles chart for the remainder of the decade. (US:174 UK:13)

“With the release of their third album Abba found that they were bucking the trend of being a one-hit wonder like the majority of Eurovision winners. Once they released the single SOS it was rags to riches for this euro-pop band that had hit on the perfect blend of cheesy banality with compositional sophistication. The world was hooked and from here on the hits were unstoppable.”

“This album is a huge improvement over the previous two with the much better songwriting and the diverse influences that make every single track stand out. The lead single I Do I Do I Do I Do I Do was a throwback to the European schlager music of the 50s with a soulful saxophone. The song Tropical Loveland has a tropicana meets reggae feel. Rock Me is a harder rocker and there's even an instrumental Intermezzo No. 1 that serves as an intermission clearly influenced by the symphonic prog keyboard wizards.”

“Following to their Eurovision Song Contest victory, Abba were one of the rare winners able to pursue an international very successful career. I have never been a big fan of this band, finding them too commercial with vocals too much ripped of from The Mamas & The Papas but with far less skill. Here excepted for the wonderful SOS and the listenable Hey Hey Helen, all the rest are utterly mediocre, bombastic and noisy.”

“Abba was always about the poppy melodies. And there are many of these here. Nearly every song could have been released as a single.”

“This album has everything - ballads, energetic pop songs, instrumental classic music, operatic vocals, and even some jabs into the rock world. It really couldn't be more classic Abba if it tried.”

“It is true that this LP shows a group still looking for their own identity. But here, Abba are starting to find their sound. SOS is widely considered as a milestone in this perspective.”