Published on Mar 27, 1998
It’s weird here in the world of “The Daily Vault,” now that JB
is on sabbatical. God help us, I actually have to take some musical
chances on my own.
For example, I was walking through the halls of the Pierce
Memorial Archives this evening, when my eyes darted towards
Arrival, the 1976 release from Swedish popsters Abba.
Normally, this review would be right up JB’s alley – he has never
been known to shy away from the power of pop or the dazzle of
disco/dance/whatever the hell they’re calling it this month. Ah,
but JB’s nowhere near an Internet connection… so, I took a deep
breath, and attacked the album myself.
And… well, it’s kind of embarrassing to admit, but
Arrival isn’t a bad album at all. As much a guilty pleasure
as a dated portrait of adult contemporary music in 1976, Abba knows
how to take a good hook and milk it for all it’s worth.
First, let’s get one misconception cleared up right off the bat:
If Abba is disco, then I’m Babe Ruth. Even calling their smash hit
“Dancing Queen” disco is a stretch – a simple syncopated beat
doesn’t a disco track make. Sure, you could dance to some of the
songs on
Arrival, but it’s nowhere near the bass-driven dreck that
made up disco. I don’t give a damn what movies like
Muriel’s Wedding say – c’mon, who are you going to believe,
a movie producer or
me? (Don’t answer that…)
Two other early hits are contained within the ten tracks of this
album – “Money Money Money” (a song I’ve never warmed up to) and
“Knowing Me, Knowing You” – which proves its mettle well, even 22
years after it came out. The harmonized vocals of Benny Andersson,
Bjorn Ulvaeus, Agnatha Faltskog and Anni-Frid Lyngstad are
surprisingly addictive. If you were growing up when
Arrival comes out, you’re going to be surprised how much of
this music you’ll enjoy.
However, some cuts on
Arrival fall flat. I’m sure at one time “When I Kissed The
Teacher” was a harmless, cute song. But after that idiot teacher
who was impregnated –
twice
, for Crissake – by her student, this one doesn’t seem so
funny anymore. “That’s Me” has to be a crusher to any girl with a
certain name: “I’m Carrie / not-the-kind-of-girl-you’d-marry /
That’s me.” (I once dated a girl named Carrie – and trust me, she
proved the song wrong in every way. That’s why I made her my wife.)
Others, like “Dum Dum Diddle,” are just damned stupidly
written.
But there are more strong moments on
Arrival than weak ones. “My Love, My Life” is a decent song
which hasn’t gotten recognition, while Ulvaeus gets a chance to be
a lead vocalist on “Why Did It Have To Be Me”. The title track is a
beautiful way to close the album, with an instrumental that reminds
me a lot of Mike Oldfield.
Honestly, I wanted to hate this album. But
Arrival thwarts even the most cynical critic at the pass.
How can you not enjoy the vocal harmonies and most of the
songwriting? The fact is that this album has held up better than
some of its counterparts of this genre – there’s a reason why Abba
still maintains a large fan base.
Arrival is a surprisingly good album that will please
first-time listeners and provide great memories for those
re-discovering its hits. Maybe JB was onto something all this
time.