I've featured more than my fair share of Swedish music on this blog over the years, but none will ever quite match the majesty of that generated by original Swedish superstars ABBA - of course it won't. Tonight I've been rewatching 1977's ABBA: The Movie in its entirety and even now I'm taken aback by quite how brilliant the songs are; even the "plain" old album tracks. Amazing to think that the band's chart career wasn't even at its halfway point by this stage either, so there were still shedloads of classic hits the guys hadn't yet got around to writing.
Actually, the film was probably shot at the perfect time in terms of capturing the band at their happiest and at the zenith of their powers, before an inevitable jadedness crept in and inter-band relationships became strained or fell apart completely. That's not to suggest for a second that the quality of the music lessened as the years went on, as the latter, more introspective songs were every bit as strong as the ones featured here.
But watching the movie you do get a real reminder - if any any were needed - of just how huge this band were at the time and how much they meant to people, as they tour round the major cities of Australia to general adulation and frenzied excitement, belting out the hits with real gusto; it really is a joy to behold. And blimey, could those girls hold a tune.
There's even a paper-thin plot tacked on, as a Tommy Vance-lookalike radio DJ is tasked by his station manager with securing an exclusive interview with the band and thus spends the whole film chasing them around mostly in vain - with vaguely hilarious consequences. Oh, and there's also a variety of roles for Lou Carpenter from Neighbours and lots of gratuitous shots of Agnetha's rear of the year. What more could you ask for?!
The movie is, somewhat improbably, available to stream in its entirety, completely gratis, online - so why not set aside 95 minutes and take a thoroughly enjoyable trip down memory lane.
Thank The F-Word It's Friday #1
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This seemed like an appropriate series to celebrate the arrival of Friday.
Chris Evans will not be mentioned after today.
Songs featuring the F-Word then...
29 minutes ago
5 comments:
I was 9, and on holiday in Scotland when this came out - we'd been to the Hebrides and to Glasgow and had arrived on the East coast to stay in Carnoustie my great uncle and aunt and two teenaged second cousins. The first night we were there, their dad, my great uncle, died very suddenly of a heart attack, and they spent the next week distracting themselves from complete shock by looking after me and my sister completely brilliantly, including two trips to go and see this. I think there is a surprising amount of dross knocking around in Abba's drawers but it's only surprising because the good stuff is so very very good and, of course, because of that week it will always feel to me like it's about being taken completely out of yourself and your situation and reveling in the escapism of it all.
The DJ was played by Robert Hughes, who went on to play Martin Kelly in the inexplicably long-running Aussie sitcom Hey Dad! (1987-2004).
I went to see this as a nipper and the queue to get in the cinema stretched right around the block (and it was a big block too). Of course, this was before multiplexes, so I think nearly everyone got in. I have many happy memories of this film, both the cinmea trip and later watching it on TV with my Mum.
I went to see this as a nipper and the queue to get in the cinema stretched right around the block (and it was a big block too). Of course, this was before multiplexes, so I think nearly everyone got in. I have many happy memories of this film, both the cinmea trip and later watching it on TV with my Mum.
I found out today that one of the vinyl exclusives being knocked out for Record Store Day is a limited edition 12" 'blue glitter' extended remix of 'Voulez Vous' b/w 'If It Wasn't For The Nights'! The beat goes on!
And lawdy yes, 'ABBA - The Movie'. It loomed large.
Have you got The Album yet? ;)
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