Music washes away from the soul the dust of everyday life, an anonymous benefactor to the world of quotations once said. And it is true, since music is the only sensual pleasure without vice.
And in a smorgasbord of music to choose from, ABBA is a unique choice.
The most commercially successful pop group of the 1970s, ABBA stands for vocalist Agnetha Faltskog, guitarist and vocalist Bjorn Ulvaeus, keyboardist and vocalist Benny Anderson, Anni-Frid Lyngstad, a one time jazz singer who rose to fame by winning a national talent contest. The songs are, as can be predicted, on love stemming from the feelings between the couples and later on, on heartbreak and separation that the couples themselves faced. And since music is the shorthand of emotion, these feelings translate into rich songs that do not fail to stir your heart.
My mother bought this album in her young days which spelled quiet old to me. But a stray note from a song in this album pricked my ears the way it happens to my dog when he listens to his favorite canine female whine. Bad comparison, I know, but good reason why an album of the erstwhile band called ABBA should be in your music collection.
The album I talk about is the compilation of the greatest hits of ABBA and they are hits alright. A list of the songs are:
Nina pretty ballerina
The winner takes it all
Chiquitita
Dancing queen
Bang-a boomerang
Take a chance on me
One man one woman
I do, I do
Hey Hey Helen
Fernando
Disillusion
I’ve been waiting for you
Does your mother know
Summer night city
Ring ring
Gimme Gimme
Lay all your love on me
Mamma Mia
S.O.S
SuperTrouper
Dance, while the music goes on
Money Money Money
Happy New Year
Honey Honey
These 24 songs are the perfect reasons to buy this album. They double up as party songs too, as many of them have been U.S top charters. The ’Money Money ’song is right now featured in a morose male voice in a Berger or something paint ad. A song by Westlife ’I have A Dream’ was originally ABBA’s and is the song which won me awards in solo renditions (ahem!!).Songs like ’The Winner Takes It All’ ’Chiquitita’ ’Fernando’ overwhelm the listener since they almost mirror the grief of the singer due to her own tumultuous life.’Dance, while the music still goes on’is a beautiful song that talks about a couple’s last dance together before they separate.
It is impossible to talk about all those songs here and won’t be doing justice to any of them.Listen to them and know for yourself.This is called the Khud-Jaan-Jao effect.
I am, by the way , on the hunt for all those ABBA songs I haven’t heard yet.
As for you all, I sum up in just this sentence, ’’After silence , that which comes nearest to explaining the inexpressible is music’’.’Abba’ Father!!