The Return Of ABBA

The Return Of ABBA

Ok, so I know that when most people hear the name ABBA, they think of 70’s disco cheese songs so catchy that they hurt your teeth. Most people I know flinch at the mention of the group and their voices raise five octaves as they screech: “ABBA?!?!” But whether you like them or not, ABBA were once on top of the music world with over 20 bona fide hits and were a major influence to many pop and techno groups.

Many groups have remade ABBA songs. Leather Nun remade “Gimme Gimme Gimme (A Man After Midnight)” on their Force of Habit album; Information Society did a great cover of “Lay All Your Love On Me” for their self-titled debut album; U2 has been performing “Dancing Queen” during their ZOO-TV tour; Menudo had a hit with a Spanish version of “Chiquitita” on one of their horrible albums; Erasure has released and entire EP of ABBA covers called Abba-esque (along with an accompanying VHS with videos of all the songs, the best of which is the hysterically campy “Take a Chance on Me” which features the band in drag as the Frida & Agnetha). There are even many techno remixes of ABBA songs making the club circuit these days, my favorite being a magnificent remix of the heartbreaking “The Winner Takes It All.”

Pickwick Music Co, is riding the new wave of renewed interest in ABBA’s music by releasing a box set compilation of ABBA hits titled ABBA; The Hits Box. It features reissues of ABBA’s three Greatest Hits’s Albums Volumes 1, 2, and 3. It contains 40 of ABBA’s greatest songs. It is available on Cassette and CD for $14.95 and $22.95 respectively.

The box contains all of the Swedish supergroup’s American hits as well as their European singles. The songs have been digitally remastered, so they sound even better than the first time around. Classic songs like “Fernando” and “S.O.S.” are given new life by the excellent production, while the songs I wasn’t familiar with like “The Visitors” and “The King Has Lost His Crown” are made magnificent to listen to for the first time around. To quote a man I respect very much: “ABBA is ear candy!”

So, if you remember and like ABBA, or if you’ve never heard them before, you should “take a chance on” them. You will definitely “thank them for their music.”