Ahead of Their Time

Swedish super-pop group...you know who I'm talking about. Everyone can name at least one of their songs. One has even practically made the list of songs that need to be played at weddings. Four letters - spelled the same forwards and backwards - comprised of the first initials of their names. Are you feeling me? Agnetha, Benny, Bjorn and Anni-Frid...ABBA.

I recently received SingStar: ABBA for my birthday and it is AWESOME! I spotted it over the holidays in a Target flyer and couldn't believe they could have a whole karaoke disc devoted to ABBA....but I knew I had to have it. For those not familiar with SingStar, it is the equivalent of Karaoke Revolution for Playstation and other gaming consoles. SingStar is the UK version of Karaoke Revolution basically. Except instead of displaying a video-game likeness of yourself singing in all different locales, Singstar actually plays the original videos and lets you sing over the music. And because I was a little young to actually be familiar with ABBA videos, I was more than excited to be singing while the original video played out before me.

As I listened to the ABBA music and watched the videos I realized that ABBA was so ahead of their time. I had to put myself back in the era (the 70s) and think about their sound. It wasn't disco and it wasn't rock - it was almost what we might qualify as synth-pop with some folksy thrown in there. They have songs that I believe could translate into today's era like 'Gimme Gimme Gimme (A Man After Midnight)' Afterall, those are the backing tracks for Madonna's 'Hung Up.' Sure there are some operatic-pop anthems thrown in there that people might not be interested in now...think 'Fernando' or 'The Winner Takes it All'...but those are good songs nonetheless. All their stuff was quality work - 'Ring, Ring' and 'Voulez Vous' - you may not be a fan but you have to admit, you know their songs.

ABBA has since seen many revivals since their break-up in the 80s. There have been cover bands (A*Teens), movies (Muriel's Wedding) and even the ever-popular musical, Mamma Mia, to keep them in the mainstream. I have to admit that before I saw Mamma Mia, I was a casual fan - I owned ABBA Gold and had listened to some ABBA growing up thanks to my Dad (and Columbia Records) and listened to it every once in awhile - but I think after watching Mamma Mia on stage, I became a bonafide fan. When the mother in the play sang 'The Winner Takes It All,' I wanted to stand up, cry and applaud - her performance was breathtaking. Merryl Streep didn't exactly have that same effect on me in the movie version, but we'll touch on that later. But it was that performance that really opened my eyes up to things that I wasn't listening to on the ABBA Gold CD - 'Super Troupers' and 'Does Your Mamma Know.'

So you can imagine my excitement when I found out a movie was in the works. When the trailers started coming out and they announced the cast, I think I was 'ok' with everything. And then when my girlfriends and I went to go see the movie, my jaw dropped. Let's just say I DO NOT own the DVD. Pierce Brosnan - a fine looking man (I hope my husband magically looks like him at his age) - just didn't do it for me in this movie. Every time he opened his mouth to sing (and I'm sure I blogged about this already), I couldn't help but giggle. It was awful. Meryl actually pulled it off but Pierce...oh Pierce. When I heard that the movie 'Mamma Mia' had the highest box office in the UK for 2008, my first thoughts were, 'Are they tone deaf?' And then I wondered if they somehow dubbed over his voice with Robbie Williams' voice for the UK version of the movie. Who knows - I'll just leave it as the movie was a disappointment and is in no way a replacement for the stage show.

But I digress - back to the real ABBA - they were great - their fashion, although probably pretty awesome for their time, could probably use an update - but I think they would have no problem transitioning into the music of today, if they were ever to get back together. I have to give it to Benny and Bjorn - musical geniuses. Bravo!