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Post by Deleted on Apr 22, 2019 15:52:21 GMT
Hi, Yet another thread for a lively debate. Which ABBA tracks do you never listen to. My choices would be on ABBA Gold the following, Does Your Mother Know, Money Money Money and Super Trouper (which I absolutely loathe there is nothing of a classic about it). Why it has been featured on both Mamma Mia movies is beyond me). I can live without it and quite a few album tracks too. Again it is down to a personal taste of mine. As a true ABBA fan you either love, like or detest certain songs.
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Post by jsdyson on Apr 22, 2019 16:18:09 GMT
My favorite worst is SuperTrouper -- recording quality really bad, I don't know what they did to it. It is so bad that I don't even know if I like the song or not. I do use it as one of my worst-case tests -- one requirement is that my software can process SuperTrouper to have no weird 'splats' in it. I don't think that I could tolerate listening to the entire song (even though ABBA is one of my favorite guilty pleasures in general.)
Others on my non-favorites are Move-On, Rock and Roll Band, and Watch Out. I think that those kind of bother me because they are uncharacteristic of typical ABBA songs.
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Post by Michal on Apr 22, 2019 16:26:26 GMT
There is no such song. I don't skip even I Saw It In The Mirror, which I consider their worst song ever, when I listen to the Ring Ring album (which I do seldom, to be honest). I tried to compile my least favourite ABBA tracks in the "Bottom 20 ABBA songs" thread (http://abbachat.boards.net/thread/1090/bottom-20-abba-songs) but even those 20 I listen to now and then.
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Post by jsdyson on Apr 22, 2019 16:29:18 GMT
There is no such song. I don't skip even I Saw It In The Mirror, which I consider their worst song ever, when I listen to the Ring Ring album (which I do seldom, to be honest). I tried to compile my least favourite ABBA tracks in the "Bottom 20 ABBA songs" thread (http://abbachat.boards.net/thread/1090/bottom-20-abba-songs) but even those 20 I listen to now and then. Well -- yea, we all end up playing songs that we don't listen to. However, there are songs that I don't participate in listening - even if they are playing/being played. I tend to agree with you -- I should add 'Mirror' to my 'doesn't sound characteristic' list.
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Post by Michal on Apr 22, 2019 16:33:59 GMT
jsdyson, I know what you mean but it's not that way for me. I really listen to all of these songs, not just "let them play". But in a few cases I rarely do.
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Post by Zeebee on Apr 22, 2019 20:40:03 GMT
Others on my non-favorites are Move-On, Rock and Roll Band, and Watch Out. I think that those kind of bother me because they are uncharacteristic of typical ABBA songs. Move On is not uncharacteristic of ABBA songs (in fact, I love Move On), but Hey Hey Helen is, and I suppose Tropical Loveland is. But the only songs I never listen to are Man in the Middle and Lovers (Live A Little Longer), and I rarely listen to Watch Out. |
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Post by gary on Apr 22, 2019 21:17:04 GMT
I rather like Super Trouper although, as with most of ABBA’s 1980s songs, it doesn’t match up to the songs from the peak years (1976 to 1978). With regard to its recording quality, I wonder if it was rushed (unusually for B&B)? It was the last song recorded for the album, apparently when B&B decided Put On Your White Sombrero wasn’t quite good enough.
As for songs I never listen to, I usually play albums straight through from start to end. B&B’s standards were so high that there are only a couple of songs in ABBA’s entire output that I actually dislike. I am sure B&B would never have let through some of the dross on The Beatles’ White Album, for example.
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Post by jsdyson on Apr 22, 2019 21:43:47 GMT
I rather like Super Trouper although, as with most of ABBA’s 1980s songs, it doesn’t match up to the songs from the peak years (1976 to 1978). With regard to its recording quality, I wonder if it was rushed (unusually for B&B)? It was the last song recorded for the album, apparently when B&B decided Put On Your White Sombrero wasn’t quite good enough. As for songs I never listen to, I usually play albums straight through from start to end. B&B’s standards were so high that there are only a couple of songs in ABBA’s entire output that I actually dislike. I am sure B&B would never have let through some of the dross on The Beatles’ White Album, for example. If you are sometime interested in the cleanest possible copy of SuperTrouper, I can produce one for you -- but i have mostly used SuperTrouper for 'if my DolbyA compatible decoder can cleanly decode SuperTrouper', it is doing pretty well ;-). SuperTrouper is VERY VERY difficult to properly convert from the DolbyA copy to something that should be on a CD. (When I claim -- 'cleanest possible', I really mean it from a mathematical/signal processing standpoint.)*
I cannot say that I really don't like SuperTrouper -- it is just my hearing is so distorted because of listening for audio problems -- sometimes all I hear are problems with audio, and don't really hear music anymore. I used to really like music 
John
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Post by Zeebee on Apr 25, 2019 20:45:43 GMT
B&B’s standards were so high that there are only a couple of songs in ABBA’s entire output that I actually dislike. I am sure B&B would never have let through some of the dross on The Beatles’ White Album, for example. There is one song that either Bjorn or Benny was quoted as saying they shouldn't have recorded, but I don't remember what song it was, or where I read that quote. |
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Post by Liebezeit on Apr 25, 2019 21:30:55 GMT
I used to skip The Day Before You Came when I was starting out as an ABBA fan but as time went and Benny's Piano album got released I started to appreciate that song a bit more.
You Owe Me One reminds me of a overhyped Eric Clapton baroque fusion 1990s remix, just looking back at it in retrospect and thus I shunned it. I don't know why but it has something to do with my lack of tolerance for 2/4 quarter note riff phrasing a la Cream's Sunshine of Your Love. But the chorus isn't bad. I just play it less than Soldier, When All is Said and Done and Head over Heels in comparison
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Post by gary on Apr 25, 2019 22:11:13 GMT
B&B’s standards were so high that there are only a couple of songs in ABBA’s entire output that I actually dislike. I am sure B&B would never have let through some of the dross on The Beatles’ White Album, for example. There is one song that either Bjorn or Benny was quoted as saying they shouldn't have recorded, but I don't remember what song it was, or where I read that quote. I think it was Santa Rosa, but that’s not really an ABBA song anyway. Of course, they have expressed dissatisfaction with some others, such as Summer Night City and You Owe Me One. |
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Post by Deleted on Apr 26, 2019 14:13:47 GMT
Most of the 'worst' songs still exert a curious fascination. Plus I'm neither a 'skipper' nor a 'shuffler' when I listen to an album, so there's nothing really that I wilfully avoid in terms of ABBA songs. Even tracks I'm not a fan of - such as L(LALL) - when I'm actually listening to them aren't quite as bad as I expected. Having said that, quite a few songs on the 'Waterloo' album are a tough listen ('Palmtree' etc) but at least they tend to have the merit of brevity!
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Post by chron on Apr 26, 2019 20:54:12 GMT
There are a number I skip often (e.g. Winner Takes It All, Thank You For The Music, When All Is Said And Done), but will sit through with from time to time. And then there's one that I've probably not listened to more than two or three times in total, always skip, and can't imagine wanting willingly to listen to again. There's a case for saying it's the worst thing they've done: You Owe Me One. I loathe its flippancy and that whole hard-nosed, jocular trivialising approach to addressing and articulating relationship shenanigans. It doesn't even truly sound like ABBA, and/or feel like them, or something.
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Post by jsdyson on Apr 26, 2019 21:43:32 GMT
Kind of opposite topic -- mentioning 'Thank You For the Music' -- I actually like the 'Thank You For the Music, Doris Day edition', only because it is a cute almost kind of parody.
About not liking some material on Waterloo -- it *does* seem like some albums are much more listenable than others. I find that my taste moves around from album to album though.
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Post by angela on Apr 27, 2019 2:47:45 GMT
the only ones I don't listen too are "The Day Before you came" "Angel passing through my room" and "Should I laugh or Cry" I find them a bit Dreary.
Sorry to those who do like those songs.
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Post by madonnabba on May 5, 2019 5:59:57 GMT
For me......some of the Early songs,.... I saw it on the Mirror, Crazy World. Others being Two for the Price of One , Lovers and The king has lost his crown.
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Post by Zeebee on May 6, 2019 20:23:26 GMT
There is one song that either Bjorn or Benny was quoted as saying they shouldn't have recorded, but I don't remember what song it was, or where I read that quote. I think it was Santa Rosa, but that’s not really an ABBA song anyway. Of course, they have expressed dissatisfaction with some others, such as Summer Night City and You Owe Me One. I found that quote. On page 44 of The Complete Recording Sessions, Benny is quoted as saying, "This is one we should have left unrecorded", and he was talking about Hey Hey Helen. |
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Post by gary on May 7, 2019 15:29:58 GMT
Ah, interesting. There are plenty of songs in ABBA’s oeuvre worse than Hey Hey Helen!
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Post by angela on May 8, 2019 6:02:53 GMT
I'm not to keen on "Suzy hang around" I feel sorry for Suzy she probably wanted to have friends and they rejected her.
She probably had issues later on.
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Post by Deleted on May 10, 2019 13:48:18 GMT
Suzy does sound a bit clingy and probably quite high-maintenance. It'd probably benefit her to set up a self-help group with Helen and possibly Elaine if she's having a bad patch. If they set up a Facebook group, they'd need to block Bobby's brother, though. I'll bet he's got a big opinion of himself. And as for Fernando, well - let's not go there.
'Hey Hey Helen' is a cracking song - genuinely a top ten ABBA track for me. Impeccable glam credentials.
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Post by foreverfan on May 10, 2019 14:02:36 GMT
Very good^^ shows there's another Mamma Mia out there somewhere..lol  Hey Hey Helen, a surprise favourite of mine... As for not listening.. Watch Out... springs to mind...I saw It In The Mirror... another I still Have Faith In You and Don't Shut Me Down.. another two I dont listen to....lol |
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Post by josef on Jun 7, 2019 21:14:19 GMT
I hardly ever play a whole ABBA album anymore. Maybe I will start doing so again.
There are many songs I am not mad about but I can appreciate most on some level at least. They all show a progression.
What I DON'T understand is what seems to me to be irrational dislike of certain songs. Ok, so maybe you don't like TDBYC. Fair enough. However....can you not then appreciate it as a piece of poetry? How about the stripped back, haunting piano version by Benny which shows beyond any shadow of a doubt how simply beautiful the melody is.
To me, it's not enough to simply say you don't 'get' something.
Ultimately, no one song is 'better'. They're all subject to one person's subjective opinion. I just think it's important to be open about it. For the longest time I felt I couldn't understand why people were mad about WAISAD. Then I put aside my preconceived notions, really listened to it (many times) and now I see it as one of their finest moments. I feel a fool that I didn't see it before.
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Post by Alan on Jun 12, 2019 16:39:56 GMT
I’m the opposite, I only ever play albums! And I’ll play them from start to finish, with the songs in the order that were devised in when the album was released. Not just ABBA but any act I’m into.
On that basis, it’s therefore impossible for me to not listen to certain songs. There are no ABBA songs I truly dislike. I’m not fussed about Super Trouper but will still hear it as part of its album.
Having music on phones or devices has encouraged people to pick and choose what they listen to, but not me. I’ve probably listened to more albums in the past ten years or so than I ever did before. And again, always from start to finish. Greatest Hits albums are different, I tend to re-sequence the songs on them into chronological order of single release (I don’t tend to listen to ABBA Greatest Hits albums though. Occasionally the two historical 1970s ones in their original track order).
I’d never have random play (or whatever you call it) on a device. I’m not having any machine telling me what to listen to!
So yes, going back to the topic, why never listen to certain tracks? Why deprive yourself? Good and bad (and I really don’t think there’s any bad, apart from the studio chatter in ABBA Undeleted).
I will say that I would try not to hear singles when they come on the radio. I hear them more than album tracks as it is, so I really don’t want additional airings of singles courtesy of Radio 2. But that’s nothing really to do with the songs, just the the fact I’ve heard them too many times. For me it’s as a part of the parent album or not at all.
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