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Do you think ABBA are better than The Beatles?


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Old 23-03-2012, 16:13
lil lexie
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Yes but using a synthesiser doesn't make them electro. Their were hardly Kraftwerk
Gimmie Gimmie was released in 79?
Plenty folk were using synths on pop records before then. Hell Simon & Garfunkle were using synths on Save the Life of My Child in 1968 so it's not that big a thing. And no one would try call Simon & Garfunkle electro
The synthesizer featured predominantly in much of their music. Unlike most (pop) groups at the time, who were using it merely to embellish their sound, ABBA were pushing the synthesizer to the forefront of their compositions. OK, so they weren't quite up to the Kraftwerk, Moroder heights of synth-pop but I believe the emphasis on the synthesizer and furthermore, their unique synth sounds have proved highly influential in the genre of synth-pop.

And their final productions were almost entirely synthesizer based.
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Old 23-03-2012, 16:19
jackbell
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on the contrary, they were pioneers of synth-pop. Tracks like 'Gimme,Gimme,Gimme' were heavily reliant on the synthesizer, perhaps this is one of the reasons synthpop group Erasure paid so much homage to them.
The credibility factor was heightened after bands like the Human League paid tribute to ABBA, really just as the were splitting up. Blancmange did a cover of The Day Before You Came and then it became a bit of a bandwagon where musos and music critics from NME and Melody Maker were queuing up to say what a musical force they were.
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Old 23-03-2012, 16:22
jackbell
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Interesting post from another forum here

Elvis Costello - admits freely that he and producer Nick Lowe lifted the piano rifts from "Waterloo" and "Dancing Queen" for his song "Oliver's Army."

Pete Townsend - says that both "SOS," and "Knowing Me, Knowing You" are two of the most perfect pop songs ever written and produced.

Johhny Rotten - has said on many occasions that he and the rest of the Sex Pistols "always loved ABBA."

Ray Davies - has said he is a fan

Chrissie Hynde - said in an interview that The Pretenders were influence by ABBA's strong melodic sense

Kurt Cobian - OK, not a member yet, but it is only a matter of time. An ABBA "Greatest Hits" CD was often heard blasting on the Nirvana tour bus

U2 - regularly covered "Dancing Queen" on a tour a few years ago, including once with guest Benny and Bjorn at a show in Stockholm.
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Old 23-03-2012, 16:25
Theshane
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The synthesizer featured predominantly in much of their music. Unlike most (pop) groups at the time, who were using it merely to embellish their sound, ABBA were pushing the synthesizer to the forefront of their compositions. OK, so they weren't quite up to the Kraftwerk, Moroder heights of synth-pop but I believe the emphasis on the synthesizer and furthermore, their unique synth sounds have proved highly influential in the genre of synth-pop.

And their final productions were almost entirely synthesizer based.

No they were embellishing their sound with the synths just like any number of acts at the time.
They were still drums, guitar and keyboards/Piano with synths.
ELO, Squeeze, The Jacksons, Stevie Wonder and many more were all doing similar things. There was nothing unusual About how they used the synth compared with contemporaries of the time.
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Old 23-03-2012, 17:38
lil lexie
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No they were embellishing their sound with the synths just like any number of acts at the time.
They were still drums, guitar and keyboards/Piano with synths.
ELO, Squeeze, The Jacksons, Stevie Wonder and many more were all doing similar things. There was nothing unusual About how they used the synth compared with contemporaries of the time.
but they were consistent in the use of the synthesizer unlike many of the artists that you have mentioned and their sound became increasingly reliant on it as their career progressed.
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Old 23-03-2012, 18:01
miles19740
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You should know better than to dismiss them as just 'Pop' in that case.

And there are countless two men two girl groups - it is a musical genre, more than just Bucks Fizz, Steps or Scooch.

If you look down the list of best selling artists ABBA aren't very far down the list. They are icons in moden pop(ular) music.
Nowt wrong with Pop...Bucks Fizz, Scooch, Deuce or Scooch et al. They are all great, in my opinion.
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Old 23-03-2012, 18:04
Theshane
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Nowt wrong with Pop...Bucks Fizz, Scooch, Deuce or Scooch et al. They are all great, in my opinion.
Oh for God sakes. I thought this was supposed to be serious.
I was mistaken.
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Old 23-03-2012, 18:11
Theshane
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but they were consistent in the use of the synthesizer unlike many of the artists that you have mentioned and their sound became increasingly reliant on it as their career progressed.
What?
Stevie Wonder was using synths all the way through the 70's.
Squeeze released their first single in 1978 and most of their early singles feature synths.
The Jacksons records were similar to Stevie Wonders records with loads of synths. And ELO used synths throught their career starting in the early 70's.
So you can hardly try and make out ABBA were breaking ground using synths because everyone was at it.
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Old 23-03-2012, 18:57
miles19740
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Oh for God sakes. I thought this was supposed to be serious.
I was mistaken.
I am being serious. There are more than just your views out there you know. Bring on ABBA anyway. Love 'em.
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Old 23-03-2012, 19:05
Theshane
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I am being serious. There are more than just your views out there you know. Bring on ABBA anyway. Love 'em.
Holding Scootch and Deuce up as some sort of banner of quality doesn't make it seem that way.
It's the sort of thing someone would bring up in a thread involving a band like the Beatles as a wind up.

And what do you mean bring on ABBA?
I've already said I don't dislike them. They're ok but I'm not going to get carried away and rate them as the best band ever.
They've got a couple of good songs but not enough to make them 'great'
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Old 23-03-2012, 19:26
miles19740
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Holding Scootch and Deuce up as some sort of banner of quality doesn't make it seem that way.
It's the sort of thing someone would bring up in a thread involving a band like the Beatles as a wind up.

And what do you mean bring on ABBA?
I've already said I don't dislike them. They're ok but I'm not going to get carried away and rate them as the best band ever.
They've got a couple of good songs but not enough to make them 'great'
Well I do. I rate ABBA as the best band ever!
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Old 23-03-2012, 19:28
Theshane
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Well I do. I rate ABBA as the best band ever!
Yes but as we have already discovered you rate Scootch and Deuce so that's hardly a ringing endorsement is it?
Damned by faint praise.
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Old 23-03-2012, 19:48
miles19740
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Yes but as we have already discovered you rate Scootch and Deuce so that's hardly a ringing endorsement is it?
Damned by faint praise.
Listen, different strokes for different folks and all that. I expect there is a lot of music that you listen to which I wouldn't rate at all. Try to accept that people have different opinions to your good self.
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Old 23-03-2012, 19:54
Theshane
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Listen, different strokes for different folks and all that. I expect there is a lot of music that you listen to which I wouldn't rate at all. Try to accept that people have different opinions to your good self.
Yeah but if your name is anything to go by you'd be 38, Scootch and Duece were teeny girl groups.

If someone recommends a book who's opinion would you value more, someone who reads a range of books from Dickens to Hornby or someone who appears to read the Mr Men?
It's still reading but one of those opinions is going to be a lot
More educated
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Old 23-03-2012, 20:12
JoLuc
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On a realistic level.
Abba - a dozen quality songs. Good work Bjorn and Benny.
The Beatles - I can name 5 dozen + quality songs.
But why bore you as much as you bore me.
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Old 23-03-2012, 20:19
miles19740
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On a realistic level.
Abba - a dozen quality songs. Good work Bjorn and Benny.
The Beatles - I can name 5 dozen + quality songs...
Well each to their own. Personally, I prefer Abba over the Beatles any day of the week (and I think they are better to) but hey...I won't continue to bore people.
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Old 23-03-2012, 20:24
jackbell
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I for one am far more interested in reading how the Human League, Madonna, Pet Shop Boys, George Michael, Paul McCartney and others admire the work of ABBA than some random poster saying they're no good.
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Old 23-03-2012, 20:27
Theshane
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I for one am far more interested in reading how the Human League, Madonna, Pet Shop Boys, George Michael, Paul McCartney and others admire the work of ABBA than some random poster saying they're no good.
Well some people are not able to form opinions on their own.

And no body said they were 'no good'
Unable to form own opinions and unable to read. That's a twofer.
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Old 23-03-2012, 21:02
jackbell
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You're welcome.
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Old 23-03-2012, 21:34
RaptureRider
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Paul Weller once said that "Arrival" by Abba is one of his favourite albums. John Lennon was also a fan, naming "SOS" as one of his favourite pop songs.
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Old 23-03-2012, 22:17
Lamaestra
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Hey Jude, The Winner Takes It All, Let It Be, Thank You For The Music, Yesterday, Dancing Queen. All of these songs still sound as good, fresh and timeless as when originally released.

30 years from now, both Abba and the Beatles will still be remembered with respect and affection and their music will still be played and enjoyed, unlike most of today's crap.
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Old 23-03-2012, 23:19
jackbell
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Hey Jude, The Winner Takes It All, Let It Be, Thank You For The Music, Yesterday, Dancing Queen. All of these songs still sound as good, fresh and timeless as when originally released.

30 years from now, both Abba and the Beatles will still be remembered with respect and affection and their music will still be played and enjoyed, unlike most of today's crap.
There you go. Thank you.

Hasta Maņana makes me cry. In My Life makes me cry. Isn't that a sign of a good pop record?
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Old 23-03-2012, 23:25
Lamaestra
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Certainly is, Jack. Any song which can move you to emotion, whether happy or sad, has done what the composer intended and that can only be a good thing.
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Old 24-03-2012, 06:47
aduke
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Ok, so are you telling me that ABBA are not listened to by middle aged women, or women on Hen parties? Or 40th Birthday parties? There weren't queues of 30 or 40 something women outside cinemas to see Mamma Mia?
Of course not. ABBA are the soundtrack to Rugby And Football Clubs up and down the country. All the lads were going for a curry then went to see Mamma Mia. We all wore Oasis, Blur, ABBA and Stone Roses TShirts when Growing up.
My mistake.
Take a breath and sit down.
ABBA are a group mostly liked by women. This is not a secret. No need to do an impression of the Daily Mail watching the BBC.
Oh and I didn't say anything about Gay folk. That's all in your head.
I think some people including myself may consider some of your comments as `casual homophobia`, after reading through comments you made last year on this thread. The words `Judy Garland` spring to mind. It comes as little surprise that you continue to pass off Abba as a band for women of a certain age and your previous form for misogynistic comments have not gone unnoticed. Do the words `Linda McCartney` and `ready meals` ring any bells?

For whatever reason, you tend to hide behind `comedy` a lot. Part of me, wonders if that is deliberate? So you can claim to be joking if someone takes exception to one of your comments. Or perhaps you actually see yourself as a bit of a comedian? A word to the wise, misogynistic and homophobic comedy is not considered amusing any more. Time for some new material.
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Old 24-03-2012, 07:31
mushymanrob
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I must be living on the opposite side of your coin because I can count on one hand the number of blokes I've known or know who like ABBA.
might be the case now, i was 20 in 77, in my circle abba were evenly liked... even (reluctantly) by some punks i knew!

Steady...they were much more than "half decent". They wrote the perfect pop song...fronted by singers who can really sing and sing in tune.
yep, for once i fully agree with miles!

The perfect pop song?
They were half decent yes. The reason they aren't a great band is because although they were a good singles band, hence ABBA Gold being the only album of theirs you need to hear, their actual albums weren't great

If you look at all the great bands in music they all got at least one and in some case two, three or four classic albums under their belt.
ABBA don't hence 'half decent'
dissagree... 'arrival' was a great album, they had some fantastic album tracks... 'move on', 'the eagle' superb tracks and far superior to most of the cheesy singles.

They also created their own ABBA-esque genre. Look at the two men, two women type pop groups that have come since.
WOW!... how wrong are you on this dude... there were plenty of such acts prior to abba... the mamas and papas (monday monady, california dreaming) being the most obvious.

What?
Stevie Wonder was using synths all the way through the 70's.
Squeeze released their first single in 1978 and most of their early singles feature synths.
The Jacksons records were similar to Stevie Wonders records with loads of synths. And ELO used synths throught their career starting in the early 70's.
So you can hardly try and make out ABBA were breaking ground using synths because everyone was at it.
hell yes... synths were slowly becoming more prevailant throughout the 60's and 70's. there were plenty of early synth hits in the early 60's...'telstar' being the most obvious.
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