Band Members Assessment of Recordings

Good question! And welcome

Apart from naming TWTIA as her favourite, I think that Agnetha has gone on record as loving Our Last Summer and That's Me. On the Late, Late Breakfast Show back in 1982 she mentioned Fernando too - but I think the songs mentioned in that interview were "guided" by the producers and the need to promote The Singles - The First Ten Years.

Frida seems always to have named Dancing Queen as her favourite. When offered the chance to select an oldie during her BBC Radio interview with Zoe Ball, she chose I Let The Music Speak. In Remko Van Dromgelen's recent biography, Frida speaks glowingly about both The Visitors and Just Like That. In an mid-2000's interview she also mentioned The King Has Lost His Crown as something of a hidden gem.

Benny seems to name his favourites in terms of the quality of the recordings. I've seen him repeatedly name check Thank You For The Music, The Winner Takes It All, Knowing Me Knowing You, Money Money Money and Dancing Queen.

I have much less of an idea of what Bjorn thinks. He mentioned TKHLHC and Under Attack as under-rated songs in the album launch interview. I think it's possible that TWTIA might be his favourite?

A decent music-focused documentary featuring ABBA and their musicians would be a great way of getting to know this kind of stuff. I hope they'll realise there's a need for one soon...

ABBA picked their top 5 favourite tracks for Spotify a few years ago? I’m sure I Let The Music Speak and The Visitors appear on a couple.

As a side note, Kisses Of Fire’s first verse has great sensual lyrics until the line “things that you do…”
Kinda kills the mood a wee bit. The arrangement of KOF and Angeleyes in Mamma Mia 2 are pretty good and I like the extra bars in the bridge of Angeleyes.

I'm fairly certain that Dancing Queen is Frida's favourite ABBA song and always has been. She may have picked I Let The Music Speak to end her interview on the Zoe Ball interview but I think that was because it was a lead vocal for her whereas Dancing Queen is a joint lead with Agnetha. Mind, I only listened to the interview once so maybe she did say I Let The Music Speak and I missed it?

I'm surprised none of them pick more deep cuts or B sides. Or a stormer like Lay All Your Love On Me.

It looks as though The Visitors may be the group's favourite album: Frida includes three tracks in her Top 5; Agnetha and Bjorn pick two (not the same two); and Benny picks one. In all The Visitors is represented by four different tracks; Super Trouper by three; two from Arrival; and one each from The Album and Voulez-Vous.

I join B&B in rating I Wonder. It's a really good mid-era lyric, a stately and elegant melody and a stormer of a vocal performance. And the recording is gorgeously crisp. I wonder if Benny's Piano album is a reasonable barometer of his favourites (accepting, of course, that some tunes just won't suit a bare-bones piano setting).

I have a friend who creates full-on electronic dance music but she won't release a track until she has satisfied herself that it also works well in a bare-bones acoustic setting. I've often wished that an ABBA tribute act would do something less obvious and do an acoustic or stripped back set.

I don't think we can confidently say that Spotify has recorded accurately the band member's favourites in order of preference as we have no details of the process they took to get these results. I do think it is plausible that some of the lesser known tracks might be in contention for personal reasons or even because there is particular part of a recording they are attracted to - just as it happens to us where a hook, instrument or harmony is the part that attracts us. So for Benny the tune for The Day Before You Came might be one of his favourites despite being disappointed with the final recording.

Tastes and opinions can change over the years and I think this also applies to the band members. Some would have appeal due to nostalgia, other songs for technical aspects or their overall beauty.

Benny over the years has provided the most commentary but at times has also been a bit flippant or understated in his comments. But sometimes I think he accurately conveyed his feelings. For example he has stated that TYFTM is a good song but not a good recording so he was somewhat disappointed with the outcome. On the other hand The Name of the Game was an ok song which they got the best out of they could. He has identified DQ and KMKY on several occasions as being the two best recordings as well as identifying TWTIA as a favourite - he has commented that the latter is musically simple but clearly holds it in high regard because of the brilliance of Bjorn's lyrics and the inherent beauty of its simplicity. If we take the band members comments collectively over the years for Agnetha its TWTIA, Frida its DQ and for Benny it is probably KMKY. Bjorn has typically avoided identifying favourites. I think for the boys it is harder for them to identify clear cut favourites as in some cases its like splitting hairs. For the girls they had emotional attachments to their favourites from the time they were recorded.

I do not think we can conclude that the Visitors is the bands favourite album because some of the songs are turning up in these lists. In fact Benny has said in the past that he was frustrated during the recording process for that album. I do think there is evidence that they may regard the album as it allowed them to diversify from what they did in the past and they have continued this with Voyage. These albums have allowed them to evolve from their origins. Benny has said that ABBA hit their peak with Arrival, producing their two best recordings as well as a number of other good ones, but that Super Trouper was where they had the most consistent quality.

As for the Piano album Benny selected those songs because he managed to get them to sound 'right', ie do them justice, whereas others he tried he wasn't satisfied with the result. Obviously the ones he released he is very satisfied as piano solos so he must like them.  They may not be his top favourites from what he wrote over the years but he obviously thinks they are very good. Other people on Youtube have performed piano solos of some of ABBA's top recordings and they sound brilliant, but Benny sets high standards for himself.

I'd love to hear stripped down recordings of ABBA's hits both the vocals and the instruments but I doubt we will ever see it. I think the closest we will see are the snippets we have seen in documentaries. I saw one where Benny revealed components of Ring Ring and I thought wow!

I agree with you about the wish to see some of ABBAS recordings stripped down. Especially the ones that they were not satisfy with from the beginning or never was huge hits.
Espacially WAISAD is one of my favourites and we have seen different versions with other artists. I just wish Frida could do it in a more stripped down version. I heard that on the Voyage conert she starts the song of a capella. Is that true. I think its strange that there are no live recordings from that song from the Voyage concert since its the song that seems most different from its original.

Apart from the music side of things, I wonder if Björn has held different views (if private) about some of his lyrics. Maybe it would be surprising if he hadn't. A lot of the time I think his lyrics are superb - but not those for possibly their most emotionally appealing song nowadays: TWTIA. I share the views of the few who think that comparing the end of a loving relationship to the winners and losers in a card game as inappropriate; and it actually detracts from the song's emotional impact on me. 

Regarding Benny's views about their songs, I remember reading on the old forum that Benny had been quoted - perhaps in an ABBA fan magazine - that he regarded LAAPTMR as possibly his best melody. So I'm sure their opinions, like ours, about some ABBA songs have changed over the years.

To everyone making contributions thanks so much, we are all learning something. We are all fascinated by what the individual members of ABBA think of their work.

I think over time we should place any links we find of their comments on their songs, plus their peers, so we have some sort of a record.

Bjorn in my opinion has not been given enough credit from the music industry for his lyrics considering English is not his primary language. I think there is a lot of evidence that they improved over the years. I found it interesting that in the Spotify list for Bjorn Move On is present. I listened to the stripped down version of it the other night and grew fond of it again.

Richard I'm a bit tired so which song is LAAPTMR?  Also can you remember exactly what Benny said? He does make some really interesting comments and sometimes it can be one part of a song he really likes - I think as we sometimes do.

That's a good interpretation of TWTIA's lyric, lamont . It's just that such game-playing pettiness doesn't engage me or touch me., that's all. I accept I'm in the minority because TWTIA is probably THE song for many nowadays when it comes to ABBA. The main attraction of the song for me is a musical one: the descending piano motif, which I do find very poignant.

I mentioned in my previous post that perhaps at one point Benny may have regarded LAAPTMR (Like An Angel Passing Through My Room) as his best melody. I certainly regard the lyrics as some of the best - possibly the best - that Björn wrote for an ABBA song; and I wonder what Björn thinks of them?

And truedogz , I was only digging up from memory what I read on the defunct ABBA4EVER forum from years back. Maybe someone on this present forum still has the relevant ABBA fan magazine in which I believe Benny expressed that view about LAAPTMR.

Thanks Richard, I should have figured it out.

I think a lot of us like LAAPTMR because in a stripped down form it has a simple beauty. It showcases Frida's silky voice. To me it was the most beautiful closure to the ABBA era, well their first era. I like Ode to Freedom but I will always regard this track as ABBA's closure - I remember hearing it when the album was released and thought to myself "this must be the end".

If the Spotify list is genuine then clearly Bjorn is proud of his work on this song.

' I Wonder' has always been a favourite of mine, l have read that some think the opposite; The live version which is a B side to a Single release, like this also, along with ' Move on', and 'I let the music speak' two more favourites OM. Benny collaborated with a female Singer, who did a slowed down Version of WAISAD which l really like. Regarding his Piano Album which still tops the Classical Charts,in Sweden.. he did say he might Compose a Second one, it would be really nice if he did with vocals from A&F with maybe a song or two from Voyage' included.

I would like to hear more from the lucky ones that have been to The Abba Arena, to watch The Voyage Show" how the band live arrangements sound are the songs played much the same or more acoustic or more rock etc?.

Although TWTIA is a good song, l can't help noticing how contrived the lyrics are, like Bjorn was reading a rhyming dictionary while drinking his Vodka, The line ' Does it feel the same, when she calls your name is touching though and stands out.

Thanks truedogz. I’m surprised Benny thinks TYFTM is a bad recording. Although it’s far from a favourite song of mine, I think it’s a fantastic recording. The production work on The Album is the best of their career, in my opinion.