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Post by gary on Jan 25, 2017 11:43:49 GMT
I was just listening to some ABBA - not an infrequent experience - and it struck me how universally excellent the opening tracks of each studio album are. And not only are they great tracks, but also they seem very appropriate musically to start an album. That's hardly surprising, I guess, as it is unlikely that Benny and Bjorn would have chosen something weak (I Saw It In The Mirror, say) or perhaps more suitable as a closing track (Like An Angel Passing Through My Room, say) to open their latest opus.
So, my question is: what do you think makes the best opening track on the eight studio albums? And why? And I don't mean what is your favourite out of those eight, but what works best as an opener? Further discussion could include which tracks you think should have been an opener, or which existing openers you think don't work in that position.
Hopefully I have managed to set up the poll correctly (never done it before).
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Post by The Rubber Ball Man on Jan 25, 2017 18:08:19 GMT
I'm torn between As Good As New and The Visitors but I'd say As Good As New
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Post by Deleted on Jan 26, 2017 8:51:28 GMT
Very close between 'Eagle' and 'The Visitors' - my two absolute favourite ABBA songs. In terms of representing the perfect opening track, arguably by anyone, anywhere, anytime, I've gone for 'Eagle' (though I slightly prefer 'The Visitors' as a song) - I think it's that lush pre-intro that does it. It's the ideal lead-in, for track and album. And 'Eagle' overall has that width about it that just yells 'freedom' and brilliantly launches the journey that 'The Album' takes you on, from liberty to captivity, from light to dark and all that, with 'I'm a Marionette', of course, providing the other bookend. I love the fact that 'Eagle' and 'I'm a Marionette' are polar (!) opposites, in that sense, sitting at each end of 'The Album'.
Probably my least favourite of those eight openers would be 'As Good As New' - and that's still a brilliant track. ABBA certainly mastered the art of knowing what to capture the listener's attention with first-up.
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Post by chron on Jan 26, 2017 16:12:38 GMT
It's a toss-up between When I Kissed The Teacher and, oddly enough, since I've never really considered what a strong opening track it is before now, Mamma Mia. Eagle I'd rank slightly behind these two.
I think once you come to know and love the Arrival album, WIKTT could probably rank as the supreme ABBA album opener; that warmly strummed guitar taking your hand and leading you down a winding path, but MM's sparkling marimba pattern is etching itself into your memory from the opening second of your first listen, and if the salient function of an opener is to get your attention and keep you interested enough to hang around to listen to the rest of the album, then MM is probably the best. A surprise, as I say. (To veer off topic a bit, I was listening to some Wire the other day, when it struck me what a blatant homage to MM the opening of Madman's Honey is - it's also got the sort of catchy little chorus that B&B would thoroughly approve of, too!):
I agree with thisboycries about As Good As New; it's just about their least impressive kick-off track (I've never liked those prissy strings). What to put in its place? Probably I'd reinstate Summer Night City (with the extended intro - a good use of strings this time!) and lead-off with that. Alternatively, if I'm only allowed to jiggle the tracks that were put out on VV, I'd probably go with Chiquitita.
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Post by josef on Jan 26, 2017 17:21:17 GMT
Tricky, because they're all good candidates. I resisted the urge to go for a favourite (When I Kissed The Teacher) and went for Eagle. From the outset, it sweeps you onto the journey ahead with it's grandiosity. It's like a magic carpet ride!
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Post by wombat on Feb 1, 2017 15:06:27 GMT
I voted for Waterloo.
At the time, probably a good idea to lead off the new album with the big hit.
I always loved the song anyway.
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Post by foreverfan on Feb 1, 2017 15:55:02 GMT
Ooooh a tough one, 3 really good candidates... WIKTT, Eagle and AGAN... but if I had to choose.. after all that's what this thread is all about.... because its it's a real belter and sets the tone for the album.. plus one of my all time favourites... it's gonna be... As Good As New... ps no offence honest, but good to see something else being talked about rather than photos...  it's tough keeping a forum interested, and for me, photos don't do it.. it's good to debate...like I said no offence, it's just me....  |
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Post by wombat on Feb 1, 2017 16:55:25 GMT
I always wondered why Voulez-Vous wasnt the lead off track on that album... in my opinion, its the best song on the album.
As Good As New is pure disco and I wasnt, and still am not, a big fan
Just my opinion
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Post by gary on Feb 2, 2017 16:22:18 GMT
^
Strangely, Voulez-Vous is my least favourite track on the album, but I quite agree that it sounds like a perfect opening track. It's not just the music, it's the first couple of lines: 'People everywhere, a sense of expectation hanging in the air'...
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Post by gary on Feb 2, 2017 16:25:53 GMT
ps no offence honest, but good to see something else being talked about rather than photos... it's tough keeping a forum interested, and for me, photos don't do it.. it's good to debate...like I said no offence, it's just me.... Exactly why I started this thread. This forum needs a bit of livening up! |
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Post by josef on Feb 2, 2017 17:09:53 GMT
^ Strangely, Voulez-Vous is my least favourite track on the album Really? You prefer I Have A Dream over Voulez Vous?!  |
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Post by wombat on Feb 2, 2017 21:36:32 GMT
thats nothing, I prefer I Have a Dream over As Good as New
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Post by gary on Feb 2, 2017 21:47:49 GMT
^ Strangely, Voulez-Vous is my least favourite track on the album Really? You prefer I Have A Dream over Voulez Vous?! Only just. They're the worst two tracks on an otherwise wonderful album. Voulez-Vous is far too long, not very melodic and too American-sounding. (The last of these is not a problem in a non-ABBA context.) |
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Post by wombat on Feb 3, 2017 14:50:39 GMT
Really? You prefer I Have A Dream over Voulez Vous?! Only just. They're the worst two tracks on an otherwise wonderful album. Voulez-Vous is far too long, not very melodic and too American-sounding. (The last of these is not a problem in a non-ABBA context.) too american sounding? uh, OK then. and the anti-american sentiment continues with the abba crowd.... nice.... |
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Post by gary on Feb 3, 2017 17:19:35 GMT
Only just. They're the worst two tracks on an otherwise wonderful album. Voulez-Vous is far too long, not very melodic and too American-sounding. (The last of these is not a problem in a non-ABBA context.) too american sounding? uh, OK then. and the anti-american sentiment continues with the abba crowd.... nice.... No, you have jumped to a wrong conclusion there. Please note the last sentence in my post (the one in brackets). My favourite country in the world in many ways is the USA. My favourite musician is Bruce Springsteen, who could scarcely be more American-sounding, and many of my other favourite musicians, such as Bob Dylan, Paul Simon, REM and Billy Joel, are American. Much of the other culture I enjoy is American too. But one of the things I like most about ABBA is their distinctively European - or perhaps more precisely Scandinavian - sound. The Voulez-Vous song is, I believe, the only ABBA song recorded mostly in the USA, and I think it is a failed experiment because it removes part of what I really love about ABBA. I hope that explains more clearly what I meant. I am definitely not anti-American. |
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Post by shoshin on Feb 3, 2017 19:48:07 GMT
too american sounding? uh, OK then. and the anti-american sentiment continues with the abba crowd.... nice.... No, you have jumped to a wrong conclusion there. Please note the last sentence in my post (the one in brackets)... It seems that the last sentence in your original post (the one in brackets) wasn't read, which doesn't bode well for the last sentence in your latest post (the one with 'the one in brackets' in brackets). Neither does it bode well for my last sentence (the one with 'the one with 'the one in brackets' in brackets' in brackets). Nor the one following it (the one with...) |
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Post by gary on Feb 3, 2017 20:17:23 GMT
^
I do have a slight tendency to overuse brackets (I think).
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Post by wombat on Feb 3, 2017 21:12:35 GMT
Wasnt As Good As New recorded in part in America, using an American backing band, the members of Chic?
Or am I mistaken? I know they did the backing tracks to a couple or three songs in Miami.
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Post by gary on Feb 3, 2017 21:30:19 GMT
^
Wikipedia says Voulez-Vous is the only ABBA studio recording outside Sweden. But we all know how reliable Wikipedia is. Does anyone know more?
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Post by wombat on Feb 3, 2017 21:55:01 GMT
maybe I'm wrong, I thought I read that somewhere, maybe a Magnus Palm book
but I might be mistaken
anyway to me, As Good as New sounds about as American as one can get. It sounds like pure mid to late 70s USA disco.
Then there was another one from that album, If It Wasnt for the Nights, for years I thought that was Gloria Gaynor or somebody like that.
I had no idea it was Abba. That too sounds completely "american disco" to me.
I guess I dont understand your definition of what "american-sounding" is, and so for that, my apologies.
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Post by Deleted on Feb 3, 2017 22:32:23 GMT
Kisses of Fire was also recorded in The Bahamas, I think. Also, at least one version of If It Wasn't for the Nights was (re-)recorded in Miami.
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Post by shoshin on Feb 3, 2017 23:22:42 GMT
In case it's of interest, a free preview of Bright Lights Dark Shadows is available in Google Books. Comes in handy for this type of enquiry; you can search for 'Miami' or 'Bahamas' etc. books.google.co.uk/books?id=SufjAgAAQBAJ |
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Post by gary on Feb 5, 2017 9:32:47 GMT
I just had a look at my original Voulez-Vous album. On the back cover, it says 'recorded and mixed at Polar Music Studio, Stockholm'. In the credits for the Voulez-Vous song, it says 'backing track recorded at Criteria Studios, Miami'. It's the only song that mentions anything like that.
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Post by chron on Feb 5, 2017 17:17:37 GMT
It's mystifying why As Good As New is getting so many votes. It's one of the few ABBA tracks that could be lost forever and never be lamented. A powdery, affected throwaway!
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Post by gary on Feb 5, 2017 21:37:26 GMT
^
Controversial!
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Post by shoshin on Feb 5, 2017 23:12:56 GMT
It's mystifying why As Good As New is getting so many votes. It's one of the few ABBA tracks that could be lost forever and never be lamented. A powdery, affected throwaway! I voted for AGAN, yet I have some sympathy for your assessment of it. The way I square that circle is that for me the opening track on an album doesn't have to be one of the best, and certainly shouldn't be the best. It just needs to grab the attention and set the scene. |
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Post by josef on Feb 6, 2017 17:36:13 GMT
I rarely play As Good As New but I think I will now. It's a barnstormer of a track. One to blast the cobwebs away. As for Voulez Vous, I LOVE it! I don't give a rat's arse if it sounds 'too American'. That's not a bad thing. I like almost all things about the group's music and its European flavour is a big part of that but to me there's absolutely no reason why they shouldn't have explore different styles and influences. In a way, I kind of wish they HAD recorded that Bee Gees penned song. Why not? Still, it's all hypothetical. Which one was it? 'If I Can't Have You'?
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Post by wombat on Feb 6, 2017 21:29:29 GMT
Have to agree with Josef.
I spent yesterday listening to Bjork and Bollywood music. I dont really care where music came from. If I like it, I like it. The Bollywood stuff is so interesting because at times, they dont use western scales, all kinds of semitones, and it definitely does NOT sound like anything euro or USA, not even close.
But to each his or her own, I guess. We all have our reasons to not like music.
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Post by angela on Feb 7, 2017 1:22:05 GMT
I voted for As Good as new, but I also like Eagle as an opening track as well.
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Post by gary on Feb 8, 2017 11:03:19 GMT
It's slightly interesting that no-one has voted for Super Trouper or The Visitors, both of which sound like perfect album openers to me. The intro to Super Trouper, in particular, sounds like it was made to open an album or a concert. Oh well, I can't say much as I voted for When I Kissed The Teacher!
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it's tough keeping a forum interested, and for me, photos don't do it.. it's good to debate...like I said no offence, it's just me.... 
