Star Ratings for Arrival

As close to a 5 star studio album as ABBA ever got. Sonically, along with The Album, the best.

I am in the process of re-listening to the individual albums which I haven't done for some years.

Arrival has what Benny has suggested are the two recordings he is most proud of (DQ and KMKY), MMM, and another which B&B have stated was unlucky to not be a single in WIKTT. There might be a gap between the best two and the others on the album but that is because those are exceptional recordings.

The rest are quite listenable even the criticised DDD which has a fantastic melody (and counter melody in places if you listen carefully). I quite enjoy WDIHTBM (particularly the live version) and TM and MLML pretty good too. Perhaps the ending with Arrival was a slight letdown but the album works and flows pretty well.

Arrival still sounded fresh, clear and bright when I listened to it the other day. The albums after this became more diverse in some aspects culminating with the Visitors. But Arrival is where the band were at their peak in the pop genre.

If I had the choice I would give 4.7 as very few albums I would give a 5 (eg Rumours). But given a choice between a 4.5 or 5 for Arrival I have to go with a 5.

Arrival was the album that made me fall in love with ABBA. It was played at a friend's birthday party, and everyone enjoyed it so much that we just kept turning over the record once a side had finished playing. The sheer euphoria of WIKTT grabbed me from the beginning. I already knew (and loved) DQ and MMM, but the rest of the album was a revelation. That formative moment might be the reason I think there's a certain "magic" around the album. Even though it gets fairly few full outings these days, I still regard it as a special album. I think it contains the essence of ABBA, and goes some way to cementing the images/perceived characters of the women, in particular. Agnetha's songs projected a mix of wholesome romance (WIKTT) and Queen Of Desolate Heartbreak (MLML). Frida's made her out to be a fun vamp (MMM) and a worldly wise navigator of adult life (KMKY). Bjorn gets a grinning love-fool moment on WDIHTBM and Benny gets to showcase his synth-folk leanings. DDD's daft lyric overshadows a pretty decent tune. Tiger is brilliantly performed cod-rock.

The cover design is fabulously glamorous. A definite icon of pop design. They even managed to make white boiler suits look kinda sexy.


My rankings are different to what they might have been in late 76/early 77, in that I have no interest in ballads back then.

1. Knowing Me, Knowing You - this song delivers an emotional punch really effectively. I love how it sets out its narrative stall in just the first eight words. And the interlacing of vocals in the massive chorus is genius arranging. (BTW, is there something going on with this song that I don't know about? It seems to be everywhere at the moment??)
2. Dancing Queen - a very close second place. Those vocals are just astonishing. If you get to hear them under great headphones, they're even better. There is no better example of the Third Voice. The range of the song means that each singer does something to elevate the other and they somehow manage to make it sound both effortless and incredibly energetic.
3. Money, Money, Money - Pop and musical theatre. Drama and knowing camp. There's an underrated sense of humour behind the songwriting and the performance. I love that the three singles from this album are so strikingly different from each other.
4. My Love, My Life - I don't buy the accusations of overproduction here. It's a gorgeous melody, a decent lyric, and a lovely performance. That breathy choir backing is genius.
5. When I Kissed The Teacher - This song brings twist after twist: that gorgeous acoustic intro; the brilliant third-voice hook-laden main section; the 50's bubblegum solo section - each piece is polished to a flawless sheen. They'd never get away with such faux innocence these days, but it's so uplifting.
6. Why Did It Have To Be Me? - I know some people are a bit sniffy about this one, but it's another uplifting piece of good cheer. The girls do all the heavy lifting. Gotta love that sax.
7. Tiger - I've always enjoyed this one without loving it. That said, I love its moment in The Movie.
8. That's Me - Another I've enjoyed without truly loving. Great tune and I like the theme. For me, the ending lets it down. It should have had a natural conclusion rather than this seemingly random fade. It almost feels like they kind of lost their way.
9. Dum Dum Diddle - Great tune, catchy arrangement, good vocal mesh and delivery - but those bloody lyrics *slaps forehead*
10. Arrival - I don't skip this one often these days. It kinda sounds like it could fit on Voyage.

Some of my comments might make you wonder why I scored it 4.5, but its the magic and energy at the heart of this set that still does it for me. The planets were in alignment for ABBA here. 

An accomplished and polished " work of musical art ". One of my favourite studio albums from ABBA. I can remember my sister and I listening to this record continuously. Brings back memories of those long, balmy and warm summer days and not the grey gloom of today. So many brilliant songs are included on this magnificent collection. " Knowing Me Knowing You " is a pure pop classic. The first in a succession of moving melodramatic odes to marital strife. The euphoric floor filler " Dancing Queen " tinged with melancholy only a trait ABBA can deliver. Bright and bouncy pop in the guise of " When I Kissed The Teacher " and " That's Me ". Simply wonderful ! Agnetha's lead within " My Love My Life " never sounded so pure and angelic whilst both ladies deliver powerful and punchy vocals to " Tiger ".

Here is my song ranking,

12. " Money Money Money " This solid slice of " Cabaret " has never grabbed me. Sadly, not one of my favourites. Sorry !
11. " Why Did It Have To Be Me " Although catchy, another track which eludes me.
10. " Arrival " Haunting and captivating. Very Nordic !
9. " Happy Hawaii " The vocal alchemy from both ladies is one reason why I prefer it to the rockier " Why Did It Have To Be Me ".
8. " Dum Dum Diddle " Very catchy with a wonderful unison of voices.
7. " Tiger " So brooding and menacing.
6. " My Love My Life " Such an ethereally beautiful ballad featuring an unforgettable performance from Agnetha.
5. " Fernando " Atmospheric and moving. Impeccable pop so typical of ABBA.
4. " That's Me " Joyful yet wistful.
3. " Dancing Queen " A classic from beginning to end. Euphoria meets melancholy. Sweeping triumphantly through every dance floor.
2. " When I Kissed The Teacher " Bright and bouncy. An uplifting pop gem.
1. " Knowing Me Knowing You " An epitome of marital strife. An outstanding lead performance from Frida. Also, I love the ghostly whispers from Agnetha within the second verse. Outstanding sophistication.

An album where ABBA have excelled and shown true expertise and creativity.

" Arrival " receives 5 stars.

Oh, the Singles make up the top 3 places. Who would guessed? 😀

When I first heard Arrival in late 1977 aged 6, I hadn’t heard any of the tracks before and I wasn’t aware of what had been singles (or even necessarily what singles were!).

I don’t remember thinking that those three tracks were anything that special. I took the ten songs as a whole and (being as this was the first pop album I had ever heard apart from a cheapo ABBA soundalike album) liked the ten tracks equally.

I’m not sure I fully learnt what the three singles had been until The Singles in 1982. The previous Greatest Hits albums were unreliable in that sense, being as they included non-UK singles and even album tracks.

I think I could only do these kind of polls if I’d heard every song an equal number of times. I’d be too tempted to rank the singles lower due to over-familiarity with them. For that reason it’s good that rickyrocknroller can get past that!